Madison, the Old Federal Office Building is a brick-and-aluminum art deco treasure, a fine complement to the Colman Building one block away at Marion Street (Walk 3). At Cherry St., the 1903 Lowman Building has a French Renaissance–inspired gabled roof line. That building abuts Pioneer Square, which takes you one more block to Yesler Way.
1st Avenue from Seattle Art Museum
CONNECTING THE WALKS
This walk connects easily to five other walks. It crosses Walk 3 at 1st and University. Its start crosses Walk 5. Its end crosses Walks 1 and 7. At 1st and Pine you’re two blocks southwest of Walk 2.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Virginia Inn virginiainnseattle.com, 1937 1st Ave., 206-728-1937
Metsker Maps metskers.com, 1511 1st Ave., 206-623-8747
Pike Place Market pikeplacemarket.org, 1st Ave. and Pike St., 206-682-7453
Can Can thecancan.com, 94 Pike St., 206-652-0832
Showbox at the Market showboxonline.com, 1426 1st Ave., 206-628-3151
Four Seasons Hotel and Condos fourseasons.com/seattle, 99 Union St., 206-749-7000
Arundel Books arundelbookstores.com, 1001 1st Ave., 206-624-4442
ROUTE SUMMARY
| 1. | Start at the southwest side of 1st Ave., south of Virginia St. Continue along 1st to Pike St. | |
| 2. | Take a right into the market, then immediately take another right into the Corner Market. | |
| 3. | Go northwest through the Corner Market and adjacent buildings, through to Post Alley. | |
| 4. | Take Post Alley northwest for three blocks, back to Virginia. | |
| 5. | Go southwest on Virginia to Pike Place itself. Stroll along Pike Place’s east side back to Pike St. and the Main Arcade. | |
| 6. | Walk northwest along the Main Arcade, which leads directly into the North Arcade. | |
| 7. | Turn around at the North Arcade’s end. Take the ramp down to the Down Under shops. | |
| 8. | At the southern end of the Down Under arcade, climb the stairs back to the south end of the Main Arcade. Take a right-left dogleg into the Economy Market Atrium. | |
| 9. | Go through the South Arcade building to 1st Ave. and Union St. | |
| 10. | Return to 1st and walk southeast to Yesler Way. |
High stalls at the Pike Place Market
5 BELLTOWN AND SEATTLE CENTER: ALL YESTERDAY’S TOMORROWS
BOUNDARIES: 5th Ave., Virginia St., Warren Ave. N., and Mercer St.
DISTANCE: 4 miles, in two segments
DIFFICULTY: Easy (all flat or slight inclines)
PARKING: Metered street parking; pay lots along Denny Way east of Broad St.
PUBLIC TRANSIT: Metro routes #3, 4, 8, 16, 19, 24, and 33 stop near this walk’s start.
In 1962, local civic leaders mounted the Century 21 Exposition, a world’s fair celebrating what our world was supposed to have become by now. While we don’t yet have domed cities or flying cars, we’ve kept the fair’s grounds as a place for theater, opera, sports, science exhibits, and festivals. It all occurs under the watchful gaze and wasp-waisted stance of the Space Needle, one of the world’s most recognizable icons. Seattle’s prime symbol also looks over Belltown and the Denny Regrade, neighborhoods long overlooked by many. Where the fair’s monorail once passed above car lots, printing plants, and nondescript commercial buildings, residential towers now scrape the sky and fashionable restaurants and boutiques beckon.
| • | Start at Tilikum Place Park at the triangle of 5th Ave., Cedar St., and Denny Way. You’re near what was the northern end of Denny Hill. The steep hill rose more than 100 feet, impeding the city’s northern growth in the horse-and-wagon days. It was removed in three massive regrades from 1906 to 1929. |
| Since 1912, cobblestoned Tilikum Place has been home to a statue of the city’s namesake, Chief Seattle (also spelled “Sealth” and “Si’ahl” in the imprecise transliteration of his Lushootseed language). His arm is outstretched to welcome the first white settlers—not necessarily to lead them to the 5 Point Cafe (a lovingly preserved 24-hour dive diner and bar). | |
| • | Turn southeast along 5th Ave. You’re underneath the bulky concrete track of the Monorail, created to bring World’s Fair visitors to the downtown core. At Wall St., the 1948 Post-Intelligencer building, a full-block slab of Truman-era concrete, is now gussied up for office tenants. On 5th’s northeast side between Bell and Blanchard, a bizarre mural advertises the “Wexley School for Girls.” It’s really an ad agency with a retro name and kitschy decor (rubber chickens hang inside its front windows). Across the street is the Seattle Glassblowing Studio, where you can buy decorative glass art and watch it being made. |
| Beyond 5th and Blanchard St., Top Pot Doughnuts occupies a stunning glass-fronted midcentury building. At Virginia St. looms the twin-cylindered Westin Hotel. The formerly Seattle-based chain has been at this location since 1928. The current towers were built in 1969 and 1982. | |
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Turn southwest along Virginia. Across from the Westin, the Icon Grill serves upscale comfort food under a ceiling crammed with Chihuly-style glass art. Behind it lies Escala, one of the most grandiose of our late-2000s condo megaprojects. Virginia and 4th is ground zero for celebrity restaurateur Tom Douglas,
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