Magnolia: Southeast, Briarcliff, Lawton Wood

Today was a day to fill in missed streets in a few Magnolia neighborhoods. I walked 5.5 miles in Southeast Magnolia, Briarcliff and Lawton Wood.

My walk started in the southeastern-most part of Southeast Magnolia. This area abuts the industrial lots of Interbay but has great views of the downtown Seattle skyline (to the southeast), Elliott Bay (to the south) and the Olympic Mountains (to the west). This is a residential area with mostly single family homes but some apartments along Thorndyke Avenue West. Magnolia Way south of W Howe Street, (east of Thorndyke Park) has some lovely homes.

Southeast Magnolia is home to the Twelfth Church of Christ Scientist.

In this neighborhood, I passed staircases, a vegetable garden

and signs that Spring is on the way.

My next stop was in the Briarcliff neighborhood where the homes were grander and the views even better. Mount Rainier was out today.

This area is home to Magnolia United Church of Christ







and gave hints of physical activity and whimsey.

Today's walk ended in the Lawton Wood neighborhood. It took me a while to figure out how to enter this neighborhood north of Discovery Park. Finally, I took 36th Avenue W and entered the park along Texas Way. I took Texas to W Cramer Street which led to Lawton Wood.

This is a lovely neighborhood but, even though I did not walk on any streets or drives marked private, I felt as if I were trespassing in a private enclave. The directory at the entry would have been very helpful if I were visiting a resident because street signs were rare. The repeated names in the directory made me think that families like this neighborhood so much that new generations try to buy homes here.

Street signs are replaced by sign indicating who lives on a drive or street.

Homes are impressive (one even appeared to have an orchard and a tennis court)

and views are spectacular.

Even a ravine looked prettier than those I've seen in other neighborhoods.

Magnolia has been a great area to walk and I'm sure I'll return to walk the streets inside Discovery Park - the only Magnolia streets I haven't yet walked for this project.