Southwestern Ballard

Today, a friend and I varied from the walk location pattern I had been following to include Cafe Besalu in our walk. We each enjoyed tea and a delicious Pain au Chocolat before we started walking this south Ballard neighborhood. We walked all the streets between NW 59th and Market Streets from 24th to 32nd Avenue NW. We walked about 5.5 miles.

This is a lovely neighborhood with some beautiful, tree-lined streets and many small but well kept gardens. We were pleasantly surprised to discover Thyme Patch Park on 58th between 28th and 30th. We saw quite a few walkers (including new parents with babies in front packs or strollers) and even more patrons lined up at Cafe Besalu. I stopped at the Tall Grass Bakery next door to buy a loaf of crusty bread.

There were a few houses (but more condos or townhouses) for sale. Prices went upwards from the high side of affordable.

We included a quick stop at the Loft quilt shop on Market to admire the fabric and completed projects. All in all, this was a really enjoyable walk.

Northwestern Lake City

My friend and I walked all the streets between 23rd Place NE and 27th Avenue NE from 135th to 145th Street. This neighborhood had large trees and some beautiful gardens. It had no sidewalks and some winding streets that gave it a country feel. We didn't see many people or cars. There were a few homes for sale. For the most part, they were more expensive than the homes east of them that were closer to Lake City Way.

Because I walked to my friend's house and we walked to some errands in Lake City, the walk totaled 11.7 miles. On the way to Lake City, we stopped to look at some gardens on the property of Jane Adams School (a peace garden, a butterfly garden and a native plants garden) but I'll elaborate on them when I walk that neighborhood. On the way back from Lake City, we stopped at Minoo, a Persian Bakery, on Lake City Way just north or 125th Street. We had Persian tea and some very nice pastries (rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream and topped with chocolate (me) and peaches and whipped cream (my friend). It was a friendly place and the pastries were yummy.

Northern Lake City

In July, my neighbor and I walked all the streets between Lake City Way NE and 27th Avenue NE from 135th to 145th Street. Once we were two blocks west of Lake City Way, the neighborhood was quiet and almost country-like. The homes were modest but mostly well kept. On 32nd Avenue between 140th and 143rd, we watched workers removing the seating that had been set up for the prior day's official opening of Little Brook Park. There were a few homes for sales; the price range would probably be considered affordable.

We walked 5.7 about miles.