North Beacon Hill and Mount Baker

Today's 5.7 mile walk was a real mixed bag of land use. I walked streets in the Beacon Hill and Mount Baker neighborhoods near the intersection of Rainier and Martin Luther King Avenues S.

Rainier Avenue is a busy commercial strip with lots of fast food restaurants, Rite Aid, a QFC, large Work Source, U Haul and Lowe's (with lots of day-laborers lined up outside) facilities, Mutual Fish Company and Remo Borracchini's Bakery and Mediterranean Market.

It is also the home of the Mount Baker Light Rail Station. This is where the train leaves the tunnel and starts to run above ground.

I saw a parking lot in back of the station and incorrectly assumed that it was a park and ride lot - it was a pay-to-park Diamond lot.

I spotted a large construction site in front of the station and again, incorrectly, assumed that it was a park and ride structure under construction. It wasn't; it was Artspace, commercial space with 57 low income artist studio/dwelling units above (no parking proposed).

The Metro Mount Baker Transit Center is just across Rainier at this location so, I guess, planners assumed that everyone is walking, biking or taking the bus to the light rail. Follow the Artspace link above and read that "One of the goals of the project is to jumpstart the transformation of the Mt. Baker neighborhood from a car-oriented environment — Rainier Avenue is now a busy four-lane thoroughfare — into an “urban village” whose residents choose walking, biking or riding mass transit over cars."

Near Franklin High School and the intersection of Rainier and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, there is an elaborate overpass.

West of Rainier, I spotted a few older homes

and a greenbelt with a staircase.

Along Martin Luther King Jr.Way, I saw people out working in what looked like a terraced P-Patch

and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.

East of Martin Luther King Jr Way, I saw some nice looking public housing,

College Street Mini Park,






Mount Baker Village, lovingly maintained, community owned and operated affordable apartments

and some tidy streets of single family homes with lovely gardens.

I saw a little bit of almost everything on today's walk.