Bryant/Ravenna/Wedgwood

Today, I took a 5.8 mile walk in the neighborhoods south and east of Eckstein Middle School and added two dead end streets adjacent to Dahl Playfield (where lots of young children were playing and I could hear cheers from an adult ball game going on).

Neighborhood lines tend to blur here but I think I was in Ravenna, Bryant and Wedgwood. I walked the streets from NE 68th to 75th Street from 25th to 32nd Avenue NE.

With the exception of the school and a few businesses (including the Northwest Montessori School) near 75th and 25th, this is a residential area.

The streets south of 70th have sidewalks and curbs and tend to be level and very tidy. There are quite a few brick tudor homes and gardens tend to be lovingly tended.

North of 70th is hillier; lots on one side of the street have rockeries while those on the other side tend to drop down from street level. Homes here tend to be slightly newer (probably 50's architecture) with less detail. Some of the gardens here are not as well tended but others are lovely. The area has sidewalks and curbs.

I saw quite a few people out gardening and sunning. Children were out playing and, on one street, I was given permission to "pass through the royal kingdom."

There is an undeveloped street at NE 70th between 27th and 28th with a small staircase leading to a footpath. The landscaping behind the street sign for this missing street is impressive.

75th and 25th are both busy streets but other streets in this neighborhood are quiet; I saw very few cars driving these streets during my walk. I did see a few other walkers, a couple who looked to be canvassing for signatures and a few men wearing yamikas probably walking home form temple services.

Central to this area is the Wedgwood Rock. According to Wikipedia, "Although surrounded by houses, the rock remained a destination for picnickers, university students, climbers, and eventually hippies. In reaction to the latter and their perceived drug use, the Seattle City Council passed an ordinance in 1970 making it a crime to climb the rock, punishable by a fine up to $100 (Chapter 12A section 54.010 of the Seattle Municipal Code)."

Another quiet neighborhood with lovely gardens and some history.