Walking Seattle Again

The Ravenna neighborhood looked like a tulip festival during today's walk. The majority of the walk covered the streets from 50th to 60th between 25th and 29th. There were some lovely residential streets in this area surrounded by commercial areas along 25th Avenue, 55th Street, Blakely and University Village. It is adjacent to Calvary Cemetery. Parking strips were homes to huge trees, ... ... lush plantings ... ... and "No Parking" signs. It was a warm and sunny day so I continued west from my main walking area and sought shade in Ravenna Park. This lead me to 65th and 25th where I noticed that Ida Culver House is being replaced by a 5-story apartment building. I think it will be owned by the same corporation so it may still offer retirement living. Along the way, I noticed that someone will be attending the Air Force Academy, that Kidd Valley had closed but that the Queen Mary Tea Room, Acorn Street Yarns, Duchess and Franks are still there. The outdoor garden at the Ra...

  Tidy homes, beautiful gardens and a Henry mural greeted my friend and me today as we walked in the Phinney Ridge and Greenwood neighborhoods. This walk covered many streets between Greenwood and 3rd Avenues from 65th to 80th Street NW. Greenwood Avenue is home to many shops, restaurants and this lovely planter box. Well-kept older homes and beautiful vegetation line 1st Avenue NW.  As I often do when with friends, I didn't pay close attention to where we walked and I'm pretty sure we covered many of the 1st Avenue street three times. Along the way, we passed a dinosaur garden, Saint John's Church and School, Woodland Park Presbyterian Church , Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church , Fire Station 21 , the playground for Greenwood Elementary School ... ... and a Little Free Puzzle Lending Library. We spotted the most elaborate Little Free Library I have ever seen ... ... and nine other Little Free Libraries. They contained video and audio CD's, magazines, novels, children'...

 Dead End streets seemed to be everywhere today as I walked in the Wedgwood Neighborhood.  Some of these streets ended with views of Lake Washington. One lead me to private property and what resembled a trail through a forest (except that I could see a tennis court in the distance). Another took me alongside Sand Point Country Club. Following this sign, I walked down a sequestered street before looping back near where I started. Spring was in bloom everywhere I went. This 5 mile walk from 80th to 90th Street between 40th and 45th Avenues let me view Thornton Creek Elementary  which is the name of the Alternative program at  Decatur Elementary and lots of greenery. I passed three Little Free Libraries (two of which I had passed on prior walks). They contained magazines, children's and young adult books, novels, books on film, nonprescription drugs, menopause and management.

Maple leaves, transmission towers and mountains were visible on today's walk in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. (Beyond the Water Tower, I could see the Cascade Mountains.) Not only was the old water tower decorated with maple leaves but so also was a traffic circle ... ... and the wall of a building. Walking primarily from 89th to 96th Street NE between 5th and Roosevelt Avenues, I passed quite a few towers, like this Comcast one. Lots of residential buildings are going up along Roosevelt which is already home to quite a few shops, restaurants, coffee shops, a veterinary clinic, a midwife center, a natural healing center, Ace Hardware, a 7-Eleven, carpentry and metal works shops, the Little Gym, Bead World, a cake decorations shop, Blue Kettle Books (a traveling bookstore) and Math 'n' Stuff. The Roosevelt Ale House has closed. The Perkins School is also on Roosevelt with this addition around the corner. Between 8th and 5th, Olympic View Elementary was advertising their an...

  Today's walk took me to the area between 24th and 35th Avenues NE from  60th to 65th Street. The neighborhood map I found calls this area Ravenna but this "We Love Bryant Elementary " sign keep popping up. The school abuts this area to the south and I passed it on the walk. The other things that kept popping up were tree swings - I saw more of these than Little Free Libraries. Assumption-Saint Bridget Elementary School (and Assumption Church) is on the north end of this area. It appears that there will enough children to populate the schools if the current residents remain here. Cherry trees in bloom greeted me ... ... as did Apple trees in bloom. I noted lots of small houses on small lots, no alleys, lots of cars parked on many of the streets, many newer, larger houses, a few houses needing a little love (or maybe waiting to be replaced), ... ... this mural on the side of Zouave Restaurant, ... ... parking strip art, ... ... an interesting "No Soliciting" si...

It was a beautiful day for a walk as I returned to the Bryant, View Ridge and Hawthorne Hills neighborhoods. Most of my walk was from 65th to 70th Street between 35th and 44th Avenues but I did walk south into Hawthorne Hills for a short time. Blue skies and blossoms greeted me throughout but there did seem to be a difference in the character of the neighborhoods. View Ridge appeared to have wider streets and larger lots. Hawthorne Hills has curvy streets. Bryant has some of the oldest homes. All the neighborhoods had quite a few new, large homes. I spotted this Little Free Library which was designed to resemble the Mukilteo Light House. This area borders Bryant Playground ,  View Ridge Playfield ,  University Unitarian Church , apartments where the Theodora used to be and the Northeast Library .  It is home to Bethel Chinese Lutheran Church, PCC, businesses on 35th, Congregation Beth Shalom and its Early Childhood Center and a Mikvah. On my four and a half mile walk, I...