Tag Archives: light rail

Getting Around

Going places on light rail: Mount Baker station

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Cheesesteaks are a very short walk away from the elevated Mount Baker Station. Photo by Jason
Cheesesteaks are a very short walk away from the elevated Mount Baker Station. Photo by Jason
The Mount Baker Station is located just west of Rainier Avenue South, and just south of South McClellan Street. Had it been built 40-some years ago at that site, it might have been called Stadium Station; the former site of Sick’s Stadium, home of the American League Seattle Pilots in 1969 (not to mention the Seattle Rainiers for 40 years), is just across the street. It’s now Lowe’s, and there is a small historical display there. (Here’s a video on YouTube that shows the stadium in its heyday, and later in its decrepitude, before it was demolished in the 1970s. And here’s an old documentary about the Pilots, in two parts, with more footage of the stadium and 1960s Seattle.) Sick’s wasn’t just known for baseball, either — Elvis and Jimi Hendrix, among others, played concerts there.

Thirty years after the stadium’s demise, the area is a relatively automobile-focused district containing fast food and big stores like Lowe’s, Rite Aid, and QFC, mostly surrounded by large parking lots, with cars speeding by on Rainier Avenue. It’s not a pedestrian-friendly environment, but the intent is that the new station, and the potential transit-friendly development it will attract, will improve that.

East of the station rises the imposing neoclassical façade of Franklin High School, which opened in 1912 and was renovated in the late 1980s.

Northeast of Lowe’s on MLK, between South Walker and South Bayview streets, you’ll find the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Park, a tiered, grassy amphitheatre-like space containing a reflecting pool and a 30-foot-tall granite sculpture by Robert Kelly, inspired by King’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech.

There is good eating to be found near the station, even if you have to dodge a few cars to find it. Thai Recipe is located in the same strip mall as Domino’s on McClellan, and it is the only Thai restaurant we know of that even borders on North Beacon Hill. The very friendly staff serves good, reliable, and tasty Thai food, available for take out or to eat in the small dining room.

Perhaps your current craving is for a cheesesteak sandwich instead. If so, there’s The Original Philly’s, almost in the shadow of Mount Baker station at the intersection of Rainier and McClellan.

The art at this station includes chandeliers on the underside of the guideway, made from recycled “cobra head” street lights (Sky Within by Sheila Klein), and painted glass forming splashes of color on the glass face of the station (Rain, Steam and Speed and Seattle Sunrise, both by Guy Kemper);

If you continue on the train toward downtown from Mount Baker, you will then turn west and enter the Beacon Hill tunnel. Here’s a video taken by Oran Viriyincy to give you a taste of what it’s like to ride the train from Mount Baker into the tunnel.

Getting Around

Going places on light rail: Columbia City station

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(As the big opening day for light rail is this Saturday, we want to post a bit about the stations that aren’t on Beacon Hill. Much of the coverage of the rail line focuses on using it for commuting to and from work, and many of us will be doing that. But even more than getting to work, Link is going to be useful for visiting places throughout Downtown and Southeast Seattle without a car. With this in mind, we’ve created a few posts about some of the station areas.)

The pictogram representing the Columbia City station is a dove. (Courtesy of Sound Transit.)
The pictogram representing the Columbia City station is a dove. (Courtesy of Sound Transit.)

The Columbia City Station is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, just on the western edge of Columbia City. The station site itself is just south of a new development, Rainier Vista, a former public housing site originally built in the 1940s to house defense workers, and recently redeveloped as a multi-income community inspired by New Urbanist principles.

Walk from the south end of the station east on South Edmunds Street, and after about one-third of a mile you’ll emerge on the neighborhood’s main drag, Rainier Avenue South, just south of Southeast Seattle’s only full-time movie theater, the triple-screen Columbia City Cinema. Further north on Rainier is the recently-expanded Columbia Branch Library, a Georgian Revival-style Carnegie Library building from 1915. The library is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A train leaves the Columbia City station while Mount Rainier dazzles in the background. Photo by Wendi.
A train leaves the Columbia City station while Mount Rainier dazzles in the background. Photo by Wendi.
The wider Columbia City business district is itself a Seattle Landmark District (one of seven historic districts in the city) as well as a National Register Historic District, and includes a variety of interesting commercial buildings, houses, churches, and apartment buildings. The Seattle.gov website has a Historic Tour of Columbia City that you can print out and follow as you explore the neighborhood.

Restaurants in Columbia City are plentiful and you can choose from cuisines including Caribbean, barbecue, Neapolitan Italian, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, and more. There is also a brewpub, the Columbia City Ale House. (CC Ale House doesn’t actually brew, but they do have a fairly large selection of local and regional microbrews — Ed.)

The Global Garden Shovel sculpture is impossible to miss, on the northwest side of the station. Photo by Wendi.
The Global Garden Shovel sculpture is impossible to miss, on the northwest side of the station. Photo by Wendi.
If you feel the need to eat before walking to the heart of Columbia City, much nearer the station is the Japanese fast-food restaurant Maki & Yaki, serving teriyaki, sushi, bento boxes, and more just north of the MLK and South Alaska intersection.

Like the other light rail stations, Columbia City Station is surrounded by public art, including Victoria Fuller’s Global Garden Shovel, a giant bronze shovel molded with the shapes of fruit and vegetables. In Norie Sato’s Pride, the south plaza of the station is guarded by lions customized to reflect the diversity of the neighborhood. When you are riding the train north from Othello Station to Columbia City, look to your left between Dawson Street and Hudson Street to see Sound of Light, by artist Richard C. Elliott, made of hundreds — perhaps thousands — of reflectors arranged in overlapping, symmetrical patterns. (See this one in both day and night, if you can.)

Sound of Light by the late Richard Elliott, as seen at night, lit up by the lights of passing cars. You can only see this artwork while traveling north on MLK. Photo by Wendi.
Sound of Light, by the late Richard Elliott, as seen at night, lit up by the lights of passing cars. You can only see this artwork while traveling north on MLK. Photo by Wendi.
Food and Drink

Light Rail restaurant review: Thai Palms

Every so often, we drive along MLK to observe light rail construction progress. It’s been really fun lately to see trains running. We went out to Kubota Gardens a few weeks ago and stopped off at Thai Palms on the way home.

Thai Palms is located on a busy stretch of MLK, near the Othello light rail station and not far from Holly Park Greenhouse & Nursery.

The restaurant is clean and comfortable, decorated with wicker and bright flowers. Our server met us immediately at the door and was attentive and polite. He brought two delicious iced coffees immediately. My dining companion was disappointed to hear there was no beer–Thai Palms doesn’t have a liquor license yet.

We were impressed by the extensive menu–at least four pages listing everything from Thai standards (phad Thai, Lard Na, Tom Yum) to items I didn’t recognize and can’t remember how to spell. If you have a favorite Thai dish, they probably make it here.

We started with fried egg rolls. They were fine–nothing special, but hot and brought out quickly. Next time, I’ll definitely go for the fresh rolls and/or the salt & pepper tofu as a starter.

I ordered a Massaman curry and jasmine rice. The curry was rich with coconut milk and spiced just right. 3/5 stars was perfect here–warm enough to make my nose tingle, but not so hot I cried. Shane enjoyed his Phad Thai, which contained traces of tamarind and shrimp paste and lacked the ketchup-induced sweetness and pink hue so often found in that dish.

Service lagged between our egg rolls & the main dishes. I couldn’t tell if it was simply because the main dishes were being fresh made, or because there was a shift change. We would have appreciated drink refills and some idea of when our food was coming out.

Overall, I recommend Thai Palms. It was tasty, inexpensive (less than $30 for two entrees, coffee, and an appetizer), and nearby. Once the trains start carrying passengers, we’ll venture down again.

Neighborhood: Rainier Valley
6715 Martin Luther King Jr Way S
(between Holly St & Willow St)
Seattle, WA 98118
(206) 721-7777
thai-palms.com

Getting Around

Going places on light rail: Othello station

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(As the big opening day for light rail is this Saturday, we want to post a bit about the stations that aren’t on Beacon Hill. Much of the coverage of the rail line focuses on using it for commuting to and from work, and many of us will be doing that. But even more than getting to work, Link is going to be useful for visiting places throughout Downtown and Southeast Seattle without a car. With this in mind, we’ve created a few posts about some of the station areas.)

The pictogram representing the Othello station is a stag. (Courtesy of Sound Transit.)
The pictogram representing the Othello station is a stag. (Courtesy of Sound Transit.)
The Othello Station is located in a neighborhood on the verge of great change. Though the area currently has a few empty lots and what the Seattle Times recently called “a weary row of shops,” the station is already spurring new transit-oriented development in the area: a 420,000 square foot mixed-use project is breaking ground right next to the new light rail station. The New Holly redevelopment of the former Holly Park public housing project is just up the hill, and the similar Othello Station planned community is next door. The station area bears the weight of heavy expectations, perhaps more than any of the other station locations.

A Link train arrives at Othello Station. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.
A Link train arriving at Othello Station, last fall. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.
Attractions and destinations nearby include the Chief Sealth Trail, which also comes close to the Rainier Beach Station, Othello Playground, the New Holly library, and the Bumblebee Boxing Club. And while certainly nothing to write home about, this stop brings the nearest Safeway to any of the stations although it’s also quite possibly not going to be a Safeway for terribly much longer. The Rainier Valley Post reports today that the store has a $3 million makeover coming in January.

The public art around the station includes Roger Shimomura’s Rainier Valley Haiku, an exploration of Asian identity and culture in 21st Century America; Brian Goldbloom’s Stormwater Project, granite catchbasins inspired by Japanese stonework; and Augusta Asberry’s Come Dance With Me, in which eight stylized women dance along the edge of MLK in colorful dress.

Othello neighbors enjoyed the MLK Safety Street Fair last year, but this Saturdays celebration promises to be even more festive. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.
Othello neighbors enjoyed the MLK Safety Street Fair last year, but this Saturday's celebration promises to be even more festive. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.
“Downtown” Othello has a fair number of restaurants to choose from, mostly ethnic food, including the much-loved Tacos El Asadero bus on MLK between South Othello Street and Renton Avenue South. Olympic Express has lamb curry, gyros, and halal meats, along with Asian fast food such as pho and teriyaki. Rose Petals serves up southern food: greens, ox tails, cornbread, and fried chicken, “like fife and drum music for my stomach,” according to one Yelp reviewer.

The Othello Station area will be particularly festive on Link’s opening day, July 18, when a free community festival to celebrate light rail’s arrival will be held at MLK and South Othello Street. There will be food, art, commemorative souvenirs, “Undriver’s Licenses” for everyone, and entertainment including Massive Monkees, the Lion dancers, Big World Breaks, Ruby Shuz, and more.

The Come Dance With Me sculpture by Augusta Asberry dances in front of a forlorn retail building, since torn down to be replaced by a mixed-use development. Photo by Matthew Rutledge.
The "Come Dance With Me" women by Augusta Asberry danced in front of a forlorn retail building last winter, since torn down to be replaced by a mixed-use development. Photo by Matthew Rutledge.

Updated with new information about the Othello Safeway remodel.

Getting Around

Going places on light rail: Rainier Beach station

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(As the big opening day for light rail is this Saturday, we want to post a bit about the stations that aren’t on Beacon Hill. Much of the coverage of the rail line focuses on using it for commuting to and from work, and many of us will be doing that. But even more than getting to work, Link is going to be useful for visiting places throughout Downtown and Southeast Seattle without a car. With this in mind, we’ve created a few posts about some of the station areas.)

The pictogram representing the Rainier Beach station is a heron. (Courtesy of Sound Transit.)
The pictogram representing the Rainier Beach station is a heron. (Courtesy of Sound Transit.)
The Rainier Beach Station location has an oddly rural appearance, due to its location near the Chief Sealth Trail and the large Thistle Street P-Patch. There is not yet any kind of high density development in this area, and the City Light power lines that rise over the trail and p-patch will prevent those areas from being developed in the future. This area was rural well-within living memory, and in fact, Seattle’s last working farm, Sferra Farm, is fairly close by.

Several blocks to the east is Rainier Avenue and Rainier Beach High School. Another few blocks get you to Beer Sheva Park on the shore of Lake Washington. Just over a mile’s walk south on the Chief Sealth Trail from the station will get you to the famous and lovely Kubota Garden.

The Chief Sealth Trail undulates down Beacon Hill to the Rainier Beach Link station. Photo by Wendi.
The Chief Sealth Trail undulates down Beacon Hill to the Rainier Beach Link station. Photo by Wendi.
Beaconians, still without any pizza restaurants on the hill (unless you count the Domino’s on the very lowest part of the hill on McClellan, but we don’t), might find the Link train to be their pizza express, since the Rainier Beach station is only one long block away from Vince’s, where they’ve been serving pizza and gnocchi and spaghetti for 52 years now. Dinner at Vince’s is like stepping back in time; dark, with Sinatra on the sound system and checkered cloths on the table, it’s a classic old-style Neapolitan-American restaurant, probably not much different from the way it was in 1957. Comfort food doesn’t get much more comfortable than this. (There’s a bar, too.) If Italian food isn’t your thing, there is a taco wagon about half a mile north of the station on MLK.

Dragonfly above the Rainier Beach Station. Photo by Wendi.
"Dragonfly" above the Rainier Beach Station. Photo by Wendi.
The station itself, like most of the other Rainier Valley stations, is a platform station. Metal panels by artist Eugene Parnell are embossed with hieroglyphics and other forms of writing and stand throughout the platform. An aluminum creature, “Dragonfly” by Darlene Nguyen-Ely, soars over the north entrance. Nearby is Buster Simpson’s “Parable,” meant to be pear halves that reflect the farming past of the Valley, with cables and rails to symbolize the encroachment by urban Seattle that changed the neighborhood. This, however, is one of the less-successful artworks at the stations, as at a glance, it just looks like a pile of rusty junk left over from the station’s construction. A better evocation of old farming Seattle is just across MLK, where the P-patch farmers continue an old South Seattle tradition.

Artwork by Eugene Parnell on the station platform. Photo by Wendi.
Artwork by Eugene Parnell on the station platform. Photo by Wendi.
Getting Around

Going places on light rail: Tukwila International Boulevard station

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(As the big opening day for light rail is this Saturday, we want to post a bit about the stations that aren’t on Beacon Hill. Much of the coverage of the rail line focuses on using it for commuting to and from work, and many of us will be doing that. But even more than getting to work, Link is going to be useful for visiting places throughout Downtown and Southeast Seattle without a car. With this in mind, we’ve created a few posts about some of the station areas.)

On Link maps and printed materials, each station has a symbol. Tukwila Station's symbol is a canoe, to refer to its history on three rivers and future as a transportation hub. (Courtesy of Sound Transit.)
On Link maps and printed materials, each station has a symbol. Tukwila Station's symbol is a canoe, to refer to its history on three rivers and future as a transportation hub. (Courtesy of Sound Transit.)
Of all the stations on the Link light rail line, Tukwila International Boulevard Station is the most frustrating, at least, from the perspective of anyone who doesn’t live or work in the area. Of all the stations, it has the fewest neighborhood attractions to visit. What it does have that none of the other stations do is one thing: a 600-space park and ride.

Even Sound Transit’s own promotional materials struggle to find nearby attractions for this station. The Discover Link Neighborhoods Interactive Map gives as this station’s nearby attractions Southcenter Mall (about 1.75 miles away), the Interurban Railroad (historically interesting, but there really isn’t anything left of it to see), and the Museum of Flight, a whopping five miles away on East Marginal Way. (If you really want to see the Museum, and you’re willing to hoof it a bit, don’t take the train to Tukwila — get off at Rainier Beach and walk two and a half miles to the Museum, which is less than a mile away as the crow files, but is on the other side of I-5.) Other “points of interest” mentioned elsewhere by Sound Transit include Fort Dent Park (a couple of miles away) and Boeing Access Road (several miles away near the Museum of Flight, and not an “attraction” per se). In other words, there’s not much there there, near the station itself. We could all use a little more walking, but if you are willing to take the train to Tukwila only to walk 5 miles to get to the Museum of Flight, you’re a more intrepid walker than I.

The Tukwila station as seen from International Boulevard. Photo by Wendi.
The Tukwila station as seen from International Boulevard. Photo by Wendi.
What there is to see at this particular station is the station itself. Larger than most of the other stations, its design is big, glassy and modern. The roof soars above the station at an angle for takeoff, and the tracks elevated high in the sky make you think of a monorail instead of an earth-bound light rail.

Like the other Sound Transit stations, Tukwila has its share of art, including a giant milk drop caught in mid-splash, A Drop of Sustenance, and a huge brightly-colored molecule, Molecule of Tukwila, both by Tad Savinar. Outside the station grounds, though, there is not much art, but instead a suburban auto-oriented highway-strip neighborhood of the type that grows up around all old highways (in this case, it was formerly part of US 99, then SR 99): a gas station, McDonalds, KFC, a former casino, a Pancake Chef, bars and strip clubs populate the strip. There are nearby halal grocery shops, and a post office that stays open until late at night to accept your packages. Until the SeaTac Airport station opens in December, there will also be a shuttle bus waiting here to get you to the airport.

Molecule of Tukwila, as seen from outside the station. Photo by Wendi.
Molecule of Tukwila, as seen from outside the station. Photo by Wendi.
Ben Schiendelman commented recently on one of my photos of this station that “It’s a terrible place for a station this year, but not in 20 years. And it’ll be around for 150…” With luck we won’t need to wait that long for a reason to visit.

Photos

This is the last weekend before the light rail opens

Here are a few photos of the area around the Beacon Hill light rail station as the clock ticks down to Opening Day.

The art outside the station has begun to be installed. The work on the north side of the building is by artist Carl Smool.
The art outside the station has begun to be installed. The work on the north side of the building is by artist Carl Smool.
This flag marks the spot where the last part of the Big Blue Fence was until recently. In the background is El Centro de la Raza.
This flag marks the spot where the last part of the Big Blue Fence was until recently. In the background is El Centro de la Raza.
Until recently, this area was covered with machinery and construction supplies. Now, its a smoothly-graded field of gravel.
Until recently, this area was covered with machinery and construction supplies. Now, it's a smoothly-graded field of gravel.
In anticipation of increased demand for parking near the station, this formerly-free parking lot has sprouted a brand-new Diamond Parking sign.
In anticipation of increased demand for parking near the station, this formerly-free parking lot at Beacon and Forest has sprouted a brand-new Diamond Parking sign.
A close-up of Carl Smools cut-metal artwork on the north side of the station.
A close-up of Carl Smool's cut-metal artwork on the north side of the station.

It is getting close to being finished, but it still looks like they will have to work 24X7 to get it done by next Saturday.

Photos by Wendi.

Getting Around, Local Events

More about Link light rail opening festivities

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A Link train arrives at Othello Station in Rainier Valley. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.
A Link train arrives at Othello Station in Rainier Valley. Photo by Oran Viriyincy.
We mentioned the Link Light Rail opening weekend festivities the other day. Here’s some more information about the celebration. Opening Day is Saturday, July 18, with free rides from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm. There will also be free rides on Sunday, July 19, from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. (After opening weekend, Link will be on its normal schedule.) There will be a Welcome Portal located on South Lander Street, just north of the station plaza. Staff will be on hand there to answer questions.

Sound Transit tells us that there will be lines, and you should be prepared to wait. They expect from 50,000 to 100,000 riders to ride Link that weekend. (To give you an idea of how big that number is — the population of Seattle is 602,000. So potentially one in six Seattleites will ride Link on opening weekend.) Because of the large crowds, South Lander Street will be closed to vehicle traffic between Beacon and 17th; it’s been closed for several years already for construction, so we should be used to it.

If you need to ride the bus somewhere during that weekend, be aware that buses will not be using the tunnel, and tunnel buses will be on their surface routes instead.

Though rides opening weekend are free, after that you will need to pay. Consider getting an ORCA Card soon. You can use the ORCA on the bus, train, and ferry. (You can still pay with cash, but you’ll have to buy tickets in the train station. There won’t be fareboxes on the trains.)

A bit of station trivia: Each station has an icon, or “pictogram” that represents the station and its area, visually. Beacon Hill Station’s pictograph is a kite, representing “a sense of light and air, as well as community spaces and summer picnics, items that play prominent roles in Beacon Hill’s neighborhood plan and history.” See more about the pictograms and their meanings in this PDF from Sound Transit.

Local Events

Piñata Party cancelled; ride Link instead

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This sign advertised the 2007 Piñata Party in Stevens Place Park. Sadly, there wont be a party this year. Photo by Laura Hadden.
This sign advertised the 2007 Piñata Party in Stevens Place Park. Sadly, there won't be a party this year. Photo by Laura Hadden.
We apologize for the lack of posts recently. We had some technical difficulties after our server move a couple of days ago. (Incidentally, if you mailed us in the last couple of days, you may need to resend.)

We wanted to mention something we missed posting about earlier. The Piñata Party, held for the last few years in Stevens Place Park (or Triangle Park) on Beacon Avenue in mid-July has been cancelled for this year. Jon Gould wrote to the mailing list:

Hi Neighbors,

We’ve decided to skip the annual Piñata Party in Triangle Park (Stevens and Beacon) this year.

We had originally planned the event for July 18th. Now that’s Link Light Rail’s first day. After thinking about it, we decided to take this year off and come back with a great party in 2010. The tentative date we set is Saturday, July 10, 2010.

If you want to help organize the 2010 Piñata Party, let me know and we’ll connect closer to the event.

Happy summer!

Jon Gould, for the Piñata Party Organizing Committee
jongould@cablespeed.com

Though there won’t be a Piñata Party that day, Sound Transit promises that “stations from Westlake to Tukwila will include a Welcome Portal and family-friendly entertainment.” Train rides will also be free. So visiting the Beacon Hill light rail station and riding to the other stations should be a fun alternative, though — as far as we know — there won’t be any piñatas there.

Getting Around

Art underground

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Artwork by Dan Corson at the Beacon Hill light rail station. Photo courtesy of Barbara Luecke at Sound Transit.
Artwork by Dan Corson at the Beacon Hill light rail station. Photo courtesy of Barbara Luecke at Sound Transit.
What is this? Is it a microscopic view of a virus, or pollen? Nope, it’s some of the gorgeous artwork in the Beacon Hill Light Rail Station. Barbara Luecke, the art program manager for Sound Transit, has posted a series of wonderful photos of the station artwork (along with other Link light rail art) on Flickr. The Beacon Hill pictures are on page 2 of the photo set.

In other station news, the Seattle Times’ Mike Lindblom discusses Mount Baker Station just down the hill, in the latest of an ongoing series about the rail stations.