Downtown Business Core and Pioneer Square

A Medicare seminar and a trip to the Art Museum to see the Gauguin Exhibit with my daughter brought me downtown today. After all the sitting and museum standing, I needed a walk. Including the distances to and from the bus, I walked about 6 miles. My downtown walk included streets between Western and 8th Avenues from Yesler Way to Olive Way. This included the downtown core and Pioneer Square; I even crossed I-5 to the edge of Yesler Terrace.

I walked through the heart of Pioneer Square with its totem pole and pergola. I saw an artist selling his wares, a group setting out on the Underground Tour and the Merchant Cafe, Seattle's Oldest Restaurant.

This edge of the downtown core provides sharp contrasts between the old and the new architecture. The Municipal Tower (with an I-5 carpool lane entrance running under it) and the Columbia Tower contrast with the ornate facades of the older buildings.

The old and new Federal buildings across the street from each other are a study in contrast.

I admired the walrus heads on the recently restored Arctic Club building.

I walked east on Yesler and noted new residential buildings, then crossed I-5 and saw the edge of Yesler Terrace.

Next I turned around and walked back down Yesler enjoying the views of Puget Sound, the Olympics,

the train station, the sports stadiums, the Port of Seattle's large container cranes

and the Smith Tower (for years, the tallest building west of the Mississippi).

I walked along Post Alley and saw an Irish Pub

and a mural.

The First United Methodist Church will be a neighbor to the future Fifth and Columbia building.

I passed painted utility boxes,

direction sign posts, the King County Correctional Facility (with a bail bonds office across the street),

a sign welcoming me to Seattle's Outdoor Meal Site (under I-5), a mailbox at Western and Columbia,

a pedestrian overpass across Western,

a mural at 2nd Avenue

and the Army and Navy entrance to the YMCA.

It seems that every time I walk downtown, I see something new.