Tag Archives: parks

Students to lead Seattle Climate Strike at Cal Anderson Park

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Don’t worry about those kids cutting school and gathering in Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park Friday. They’re doing it for a good cause.

The park is set to host the Seattle Climate Strike, a student led demonstration part of a day of protests and walkouts planned across the country and around the planet Friday:

Seattle Climate Strike

Organizers here say they are fighting for “radical legislative action” and the Green New Deal: Continue reading →

2019 survey could help set path for Volunteer Park to fully reach Seattle’s 1903 park vision

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Volunteer Park circa 1913

Volunteer Park could one day be in line for a $760,000+ upgrade of its paths, plantings, and entryways to help the Capitol Hill green space more fully meet the vision of its original Olmsted design. Brothers John and Frederick Jr. carried forward father Frederick Olmsted’s philosophies and practices of landscape design to create some of America’s greatest urban parks and campuses. In 1903, the city hired the brothers to create a family of parks and boulevards across Seattle.

116 years later, Seattle Parks is conducting a survey to help it prioritize restoration investment in the city’s multitude of Olmsted-designed parks and boulevards: Continue reading →

Work finally begins to make Cal Anderson restrooms all-gender, a first for Seattle Parks

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Cal Anderson’s bathrooms — to the left — are getting an overhaul (Image: City of Seattle)

A delayed project to overhaul Cal Anderson’s notoriously filthy restrooms into an all-gender facility is underway in Capitol HIll’s central park. The result should be bathrooms that are better and safer for everybody. Plus, the park’s water feature and reflecting stream and pool will get a much needed infrastructure upgrade.

Seattle Parks and Rec announced the start of construction this week and says contractor Forma Construction Company already has the bathrooms closed down to begin work.

“Although the comfort station will be closed during the project, portable toilets are in place for park visitors,” the parks department promises. Continue reading →

Family of Twitch CEO celebrates parents’ 40th anniversary with free admission at the Volunteer Park Conservatory

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A Capitol Hill family is celebrating 40 years of love and commitment with a gift for everybody. The Volunteer Park Conservatory will offer free admission for the holidays and to start 2019.

“We grew up walking to the Conservatory during my whole childhood, and I know my parents want everyone to be able to enjoy this beauty and peace,” Emmett Shear said in an announcement from Seattle Parks. “In their honor, I’m excited to be able to invite people to come for free to the Conservatory again.” Continue reading →

Seattle Parks ready to cut ribbon on new Interlaken staircase and bike runnel

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Seattle has found it a major challenge to create much of its planned bike infrastructure but one important new feature for riders headed for Capitol Hill via Interlaken Blvd will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting Saturday.

The celebration for the newly completed Interlaken Park Path and Stair Upgrade will begin this Saturday at 9:30 AM (PDF) at the corner of Boyer and Howe. Continue reading →

Plans coming together for 2019 Seattle Women’s March — UPDATE

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MLK Day 2018 marchers

Some of the thousands who marched for women in 2018

UPDATE 1/14/19: Three days of activism begins Saturday 1/19/19 with a rally and march from Cal Anderson Park:

1/19/19: Seattle Womxn’s March starts at Cal Anderson

UPDATE 9/26/18 1:55 PM: Organizers from Womxn’s March Seattle say they are working with the groups that hold the city’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day march and rallies to coordinate on an event in 2019 that brings the two efforts together with respect for both and without overshadowing either cause.

CHS reported previously on a 2019 plan for a Sunday march starting in Cal Anderson but that event does not have the support of Womxn’s March Seattle which has been key in driving the past events. To eliminate confusion, CHS has removed details of the un-supported Sunday march. We apologize for adding to any confusion around the 2019 march.

Liz Hunter-Keller tells CHS that the weekend is still being shaped but that a “super group” of activists and organizations has been working on the plan and will announce participants and details soon. As it did in 2018, Womxn’s March Seattle is planning a Saturday of workshops and activism before next year’s event planned for Monday, January 21st in conjunction with the annual MLK celebrations and march. Continue reading →

Despite new projects, vision for Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park remains unchanged

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With $54M worth of structural and design upgrades underway, the Seattle Asian Art Museum renovation is just one of several ongoing projects in Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park. Nearly 120 years after the ridgeland was shaped by an Olmsted design, a passionate cohort of minders advocate, volunteer, and fundraise in order to preserve function and maximize recreation for the community. Sunday, some of these caretakers invite you to get your hands dirty along with them as they spruce up the park.

This Sunday is Fall Restoration Day at the park from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM when volunteers of all ages are invited to meet at the southeast entrance at Prospect and 15th Ave E to help with weeding, mulching and more. There will be free donuts and coffee.

Fall Restoration Day in Volunteer Park

“One of the positives of the park is that it hasn’t changed a whole lot in over 100 years,” said Parks and Recreation project manager Kelly Goold.

Continue reading →

Seattle Parks says Cal Anderson experiment with cork-filled field a winner

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With Seattle kids swarming playfields for fall soccer, Seattle Parks and Recreation tells CHS the department’s experiment at Cal Anderson using a new more environmentally friendly cork base for its turf fields has been enough of a success to roll the solution out at more locations in the city.

“We will be using the same synthetic turf system that we installed at Cal Anderson at Brighton and Soundview playfields and are in the process of updating our specifications for future synthetic turf conversion and replacement projects,” a Seattle Parks rep tells CHS. Continue reading →

As redevelopment continues, community celebrates opening of Yesler Terrace Park

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“As this city becomes increasingly dense, we continue to need spaces like this. This is the kind of space where memories will be created by all the young people here,” Christopher Williams, interim superintendent of the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, said at the grand opening of the brand new Yesler Terrace Park on Saturday. “This park will be the center of the Yesler community.”

Yesler Terrace Park includes a fountain, public seating, a soccer field, basketball court, an intricate playground and an expansive view of the Seattle skyline, all of which were designed and created by several city groups and local organizations. Community members, city officials, and families gathered to celebrate this new public space.

Continue reading →

Artful nights on Capitol Hill: Art Walk, 3rd annual Lusio lights in Volunteer Park, ANiMA in Cal Anderson

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In addition to August’s second Thursday bringing this month’s Capitol Hill Art Walk to the neighborhood’s galleries, cafes, restaurants, and bars, the next couple of nights will also fill Capitol Hill’s parks with art and performance.

Thursday, check out the monthly art walk including a few friends of CHS — a full roster and map is available at capitolhillartwalk.com. Make sure to stop by the Ghost Cabin installation, echoing with the spirit of a long-gone Capitol Hill farmhouse in Chophouse Row.

Friday, you’ll be faced with an artful choice — bright lights in Volunteer Park or a “future without borders” in Cal Anderson. Continue reading →