Western Pinehurst

Today, I took an 8.1 mile walk through the western Pinehurst neighborhood just north of Northgate Mall and just east of I-5.

I hadn't intended to walk the streets I wound up walking but the discovery of a pedestrian/bike overpass of I-5 at 116th Street and 3rd Avenue NE took me on a serendipitous route.

North of NE 115th Street, this is a mostly residential neighborhood of single family homes, apartments (one complex was extremely well kept) and condos.

I tried to read a notice of proposed land use action sign but all it told me was that there was an application to change the zoning from some cryptic code to another cryptic code. It certainly would help if these codes were defined.

Target, Ross, a few professional offices and quite a bit of senior housing are located between Northgate Way and 115th. The new Hubbard Homestead Park is also in this area. This new park appears to be more of a plaza than a park. There are small shrubs, a few scrawny trees, some grass and quite a bit of gravel and cement. There are benches, a basketball hoop, some concrete spheres, a runnel and artistic recycle and garbage cans. I hope the trees fill in soon and take away from the stark feel.

This area is home to the International Full Gospel Fellowship which appears to sponsor and share space with the Northgate Early Learning Center Preschool and is located next to Seattle Jewish Community School.

I found it strange that some of these hidden away streets had bike logos painted in the streets. I wonder how many bicyclists use these streets. It seemed a bit incongruous to have a bike route painted next to a pot hole or an open drainage ditch.

Some new homes have recently been built an 5th Avenue abutting I-5 and these are quite plain with no landscaping.

This is in sharp contrast to charming home tucked away next to I-5 just north of 115th; it has a lovely rear garden with a Budda and a front garden with St. Francis of Assisi.

Also hidden away next to I-5 (with no signage) is a Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church. The building and grounds are very well kept but I had to come home and search online to find out what kind of church this is.

A Pakistani and Indian Grocery store, and Italian restaurant and and Indian restaurant are located on Roosevelt just south of 125th Street.

All in all, this was a pleasant walk

and I really enjoyed the gardens.