Green Lake is close to Heaven on Earth for Seattle sport anglers, says bestfishinginamerica.com.
Among the benefits: the fishing season is open year-round, there’s easy park access around the lake, and several fishing piers, two-pole fishing is allowed, and while watercraft like cartoppers or kayaks are allowed, no motorboats are permitted.
Smoky angling in fall of 2020. Image: Erica Grivas
Mid-March through June offers some of the best prospects, but fishing is viable all year thanks to the generous stocking of Rainbow and Brown Trout and Channel Catfish by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, which offers seasonal prizes in an annual Trout Derby.
Since April, 10,563 Rainbow Trout have been planted in Green Lake. You can find graphs of peak seasons here.
One of the most impressive seen: a self-reported 45-pound Channel Catfish was caught in 2018. Anglers may also find Common Carp – for which no license is required, Largemouth Bass, Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, and Brown Bullhead.
Stocking of immature fry in fall gives them time to grow well during the off-season.
The Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife calls Green Lake one of Western Washington’s best urban fisheries. Image: Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
As a burgeoning spring landscape explodes with new life, the winter months have transformed the small business district of Tangletown. Beginning with Restaurant Christine’s fall opening, a cascade of change has hit the area, bringing a host of exciting offerings to the area.
Tangletown’s first book store
You never have enough books – or bookstores, in our opinion. Wise Owl Books opened in early December at 2223 N. 56th St. bringing a curated, eclectic selection of titles mostly hovering in the sci-fi, mystery, and romance genres, as well as albums, gifts, and cards. At the back, a warm nook awaits with cozy armchairs, where owner Christina Gilbreath hopes to host game nights and live music.
Ready for treasure-hunting at Wise Owl Books. Credit: Erica Browne Grivas
Massage Clinic Brings the Aah
If you want to fully unwind – and who doesn’t? – check out Still Point Massage Therapy a block east at 2265 N. 56th Street, #2B. Owner Diedra Roesijadi and five other therapists offer sessions from 60-120 minutes long in a light-filled, mid-century “retreat space” hand-built and designed by visionary Seattle architect Folke Nyberg, a driving force behind Westlake Center and Pioneer Square. For a first-person account, see this piece from our friends at the Wallyhood blog.
Image from Still Point Massage Therapy
Come Play with Color at this Mosaic Studio
Okay, we’re cheating on this one. Claire Barnett’s Seattle Mosaic Arts moved to Tangletown from Wallingford in 2021, but we have yet to feature it. At this mosaic studio, you can try your hand at mosaics via one-off kits, an at-home class, and a studio membership which gives you access to advanced tools, storage, expert finishing, and instruction. Kits start at $65 and range from pendants to mirrors, garden stakes, wall art, and custom projects. You can even create a wall hanging of your house using one of your photos.
Tucked in next to I-5 between NE 58th- 60th Streets grows a remarkable, little-known community garden. The official name is Northeast 60th St. Park, but members call it “Freeway Estates Community Orchard (FECO).”
In 2010, a group of neighbors worked to transform 12,000 SF of highway right-of-way from scrub growth and trash into a productive, welcoming oasis of fruit trees, native plants, garden beds, benches, and garden art. Unlike most “p-patch” community gardens, most volunteers do not have their own garden beds – they are tending and maintaining the garden for the community. Over half of the planting beds are dedicated to growing food bank produce. With a focus on sustainability, it features Washington’s only gravity-led drip irrigation system, thermal (no-dig) composting, and pollinator-supporting plants grouped in cooperative “guilds”.
Fremont Estates Community Orchard looking North. Courtesy Fremont Estates
Community events are a big part of the garden’s mission to bring people together. The annual fall Cider Fest featuring the garden’s fruit is one. Kicking off spring, on Saturday, March 26, FECO is hosting a plant sale featuring vegetable and flower starts, as well as native plants and seed giveaways. Note the sale goes from 10:00 am through 1 pm or “until we run out”!
Stop by early for the best selection!
The garden welcomes volunteers and donations of needed supplies.
Work parties are held:
Every Thursday and Friday at 10:00am
The 2nd and 3rd Saturday each month from 10:00am – noon
We are looking for local writers to add their voices to Seattle Greenlaker. Are you passionate about the scene in food, fitness, real estate, or exploring local history? We’ll walk you through the posting process – it’s easy! Photographers, if you have some iconic shots to share, get in touch.
Drop us a note at seattlegreenlaker@gmail.com and let’s talk!
Following input from a November survey, the Seattle Department of Transportation announced its plan to complete a biking/walking loop on the outer path circling Green Lake this week. Construction could begin as early as summer.
The plan, comprising parts of Aurora Ave. N and Greenlake Way N., maintains road access within the southern edge of the park and the on-ramp to Aurora Ave., but does remove Northbound traffic along Greenlake Way N. Another traffic impact is that cars will no longer be able to turn right from Aurora Ave. N onto Greenlake Way N.
Map courtesy of SDOT
You can view the survey data, traffic and parking analyses, and alternative plan options that were proposed in a virtual public meeting Tuesday here .
According to SDOT’s email announcement, the Vision Zero Program prioritized this project “due to its safety benefits and potential to address recent collisions that have occurred in this area.”
Here’s what it should look like along Aurora Ave. where an unused buslane is being converted into a bike/walk lane:
Courtest SDOT
and along Greenlake Way N.:
Looking north along Greenlake Way N. Courtesy SDOT.
The Northwest Flower and Garden Show went dark after 2020 – in fact, it was the last big public event Seattle hosted before the pandemic lockdown in March. Color-lovers and gardeners will be thrilled to hear it’s back this year, with all the display gardens, shopping, and seminars that have made it one of the nation’s most beloved shows for over 30 years.
At the WashingtonStateConvention Center from Wed. Feb 9- Sunday, Feb. 13, the show marks Seattle’s unofficial start of spring. Wearing masks as well as proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or proof of having received a negative COVID-19 test conducted within 72 hours of the event are required to attend.
Today’s press premiere of the 24 display gardens revealed a focus on exuberant, unapologetic color, repurposed materials, vertical gardening, and a merging of home and garden decor. The City Living gardens – smaller indoor and patio settings – have moved to the main room, where you can view them all together.
The popular Fleur de Villes exhibits from 2020 are back, in support of breast cancer research. These life-sized floral mannequins are jaw-dropping in their intricacy and handiwork. Here’s a preview:
A note on the workshops: because of some pandemic-related schedule shifts, it’s best to check the online schedule for the latest information.
Experienced gardeners and new houseplant parents alike will find inspiration in the expert-led seminars, live design competitions, and workshops, not to mention the shopping. Crafts, greenhouses, clothing, gifts – and many, many, plants are available for sale, from dahlia and lily bulbs to houseplants and seeds. One of those collapsible fabric carts like you might bring to a farmer’s market would be perfect to corral your purchases.
Tickets can be purchased online, at the show, or at local nurseries like Ravenna Gardens. As for logistics, parking can be challenging – not to mention pricey – but the light rail from Roosevelt to Westlake is about 12 minutes followed by a five-minute walk.
You may have yearned for a less crowded way to circle Green Lake – especially if you are a cyclist. Since the city took bikes out of the inner path to allow social distancing at the start of the pandemic, cyclists had to patchwork their way around the lake. Now is your chance to make your voice heard and learn about the options on the table. Seattle Department of Transportation is opening community input in the Green Lake Outer Loop project, starting with a virtual “open house” on Tuesday, Nov. 9. from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Sign up here for the virtual meeting. The city is proposing a protected path for bikes and walkers.
This map shows the area to be completed in two sections.
Proposed protected walk and bike path. Courtesy Seattle.gov
SDOT says:
“The Green Lake Outer Loop envisions a connected outer walking and biking path around Green Lake Park. This outer loop would provide more travel options for people walking, running, biking, and create better connections to surrounding neighborhoods. Over the next few months, we will be collecting community feedback on designs for the Aurora and Green Lake Dr N segments outlined below.
As a part of this effort, we will also work with Seattle Parks and Recreation to plan for better biking, walking, and rolling alternatives to the inner park loop.”
The work could be completed by spring of 2022 according to SDOT.
If you’d like to be in the loop – haha – add your name to the dedicated email list here.
Wondering where to bring the kids this Sunday? Or want to let folks know to visit your place? This crowdsourced map shows all of Seattle, and breaks down variables from whether treats are in bags, if a COVID-distancing candy chute is involved, and whether the chocolate bars are giant-sized. Let’s see some more Green Lake representation!
Detail of the 1928 facade of the Green Lake Community Center www.Seattle.gov
Rendering of renovated Community Center. Courtesy Berger Partnership
The 1928 building has the chance to become a landmark before it undergoes renovation. See below for details.
From a press release:
Seattle’s Landmarks Preservation Board will consider the nomination of Green Lake Community Center at 7201-7359 E. Green Lake Drive N. on Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. The meeting will be held virtually. Meeting participation is limited to access by the WebEx meeting link or the telephone call-in line that will be provided in the agenda posted to our website one week prior to the meeting.
The public is invited to participate in the virtual meeting and make comments regarding the nominations. You may sign up to address the Landmarks Preservation Board for up to 2 minutes on matters on this agenda. Speakers must be registered to be recognized by the Chair/Board staff. Online registration will begin two hours before the 3:30 p.m. meeting start time, and registration will end at the start of the Board meeting. Members of the public who wish to speak can either use the call-in number or use the WebEx link in the meeting agenda. The agenda for this meeting will be sent one week prior to the meeting, and will be posted on the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods website.
Written comments are also accepted and should be received by the Landmarks Preservation Board by 3:30 p.m. on October 5, 2021. Written comments can be submitted:
Via email:erin.doherty@seattle.gov Via US Mail: Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, PO Box 94649, Seattle WA 98124-4649
A copy of the Landmark Nomination is posted on the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods website under the heading of “Current Nominations.”
A landmark nomination provides a physical description of the building, object, or site, and information on its history, current and historic photos, site plans, maps, drawings, and more. To learn about the nomination and designation process, visit our webpage.
Tangletown’s small but mighty Restaurant Row has a new player. Billed as “PNW comfort food,” Restaurant Christine just opened in the space recently left by the Himalayan Sherpa House at 2227 N 56 St.
The website’s sample fall lunch menu includes meat and vegetarian options, like a burger with gouda and truffle aioli, harvest risotto featuring beets and goat cheese, as well as clams vongole and a shrimp po’ boy.
We are a 100% scratch kitchen using seasonal, local ingredients to satisfy all your NW cravings. A sample menu is provided and subject to change based on our opening date. This menu will change regularly based on availability of seasonal ingredients. We are happy to accommodate all allergy, food preference or dietary restrictions.
Restaurant Christine WebsitE
For those missing Tibetan momos and soup, The Yelp entry for Himalayan Sherpa House – which had been in Tangletown since 2014 – indicates it plans to reopen August 2022, but its website offers no information as to where. Greenlaker reached out for comment.
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