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Matthews Beach Park
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Matthews Beach
4999 NE 93rd St
(between N 49th Ave & N 51st Ave)
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 684-4075
4999 NE 93rd St
(between N 49th Ave & N 51st Ave)
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 684-4075
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
14 reviews for Matthews Beach Park
Like everybody else says, parking is problematic especially on weekends and warm evenings. My most recent visit, I couldn't find a parking spot, there's a little dirt lot on the north side of 93rd that was also full. Greenlake has better parking if that's saying anything.
Eventhough parking sucks, the beach is less populated per square foot and they keep the garbage picked up. Lots of prosti-tots, but not as bad as say Wild Waves. Another part that I found a litlte obnoxious was the speed boats going by, I will say they stayed on the east side of the water for the most part but it was enough to make me wonder if boats don't have to follow noise ordinances. I've heard that people have seen lots of goose poop, I haven't noticed this at all, but usually I go to just sit in the grass for a while not to swim.
I've only driven to Matthews three times, the other half dozen times I've taken my bike. It's right of the Burke-Gilman trail, sort of easy to pass if you don't at least pay a moderate amount of attention to the trail. I recommend taking a stop by if you're on bike.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
The hubby and I took our 3 youngest kids to this beach on a sunny warmish day and it was very nice. I had never been here before but I thought it was great. The area of beach where the sun was shining brightest was busy and since I'm half-vampire (as in I am not a huge fan of the sun), we settled over in the more shaded and much less crowded area. The little one enjoyed the ducks coming right up to her, the other kids enjoyed splashing in the shallow water, hubby and I enjoyed taking pics and watching the kiddos frolick. We took a bus so we didn't have to worry about the parking lot and good thing to because, as other posters said it IS quite packed on nice days. So if you live in the area, this is a place to go!
Once again, the Annual Polar Plunge was great. Lots of families, crazy kids, still drunk college kids and some guy in an ape suit with a bikini.
Still one of the funnest places to hang out. I mean, I get to walk and bike the trail right into the park. Plenty of room to lay out and enjoy the weather in the summer. And I like having the park to myself in the winter.
And the occasional kid drinking beer on the lifeguard chair is fine with me.
You do however have to watch out for assholes on bikes that zoom on through. I do like when the kids hit them with pine combs. haha. And sometimes there are people that don't know how to control their dogs. It's not a dog park, but nice ones are welcomed. Avoid these people that take up space and enjoy the fat moms and kids. :)
People thought this was:
- Useful (8)
- Funny (6)
- Cool (6)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/23/2008
I love having this park right in my backyard. It's one of the big reasons I moved to this area.
Want… Read more »
I love Matthews! It's an essential part of my spring and summer activities; being a Seattle resident and a student at UW means that it is super convenient-- simply a short bus ride or relaxing drive along Sandpoint Way will lead me to a wonderful afternoon basking in the glorious sun without worrying about getting sand in my shoes. I have many fond childhood memories here and love that it's both family-friendly (swingset and picnic areas in the upper part) and also great for just lounging around by the water. There hasn't been a lifeguard on duty the past few times I've been around, but during the summer it gets pretty packed and they usually have a couple of people keeping watch over swimmers.
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- Useful (2)
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I vacilated... I love this place, bu tI have also been there when it was covered with goose poop!
Then I remembered the fun little bike trails in the back.
This is a lovely relatively small park in a neighborhood.
The view is tremendous.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
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My most recent visit was during the last snow. It was dark, cold, and beautiful. We had to park in a near-by neighborhood, though, so we wouldn't get stuck when they closed the gates. I was rather surprised to see that they locked them on-time even though it was snowing and slushy out.
Every once in a great while I come here in the middle of the day. Last time this was at 3pm on a chilly, windy Monday. There were a couple of people with dogs, a person just wandering, and a woman with a stroller. There were birds chirping away and it was a wonderful spot to sit down and relax for a little while.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/21/2008
I like coming here on colder days and enjoying the peace and the swings! I've never been on a… Read more »
This a great secluded park. You know gloomy, windy, and chilly weather is not going to stop a Seattlelite from going to the park.
Today was gloomy with sporadic sunbreakes, but to our standards it was great summer weather.
The park was pretty busy, and although the parking lot is obviously too small to accommodate this park, parking was a breeze. Come summer, I'm sure this will be a problem. The Burke Gillman crosses the park and brings a lot of cyclist traffic, and that I'm sure helps with the parking situation.
There's a nice green lawn up to the beach. I heard from some that it's not the best part of Lake Washington to swim in, but that didn't deter the masses. A little itch action in the pelvic area never killed anyone.
There's a nice playing area with swings and such for the little ones, and open green areas for your doggies and rec games. Some benches are sporadically placed throughout the park if you want to enjoy a quick meal.
Trails. Check.
Beach. Check.
Grassy fields. Check.
Playground. Check.
Benches. Check.
Goose poop in your toes. Check.
Lifeguards. Check.
Shady areas. Check.
Overexposed blossoming teens. Check. = /
Great hidden park with lots to offer! Don't be a perv.
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
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I want to live in the little blue house across the way
it's the only place I've come across I'd trade my cottage for.
You should not go to this beach:
GooSE Poo EVERYWHERE
and I hear that swimming in the lake gives some people skin rashes.
STAY AWAY!!
People thought this was:
- Useful (7)
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This is a great little beach park. But good luck finding parking. Unless you have good parking karma and snag a spot in the smallish parking lot, it's pretty much non-existent on the side streets. There was a Seattle's finest parked on the perimeter to make sure you didn't get any bright ideas about parking on the side street. I don't really get it. It seems like a logical place for overflow parking. Sorry for my parking rant. I blame the heat.
Other than that, great little place to beat the heat. There is a swimming beach to cool off and nice playground for the kiddies. Nice lawn for playing frisbee and things like that.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
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This is a great local park - especially the beach. Certainly not a destination if you are not in the neighborhood (the only beach on the lake I'd drive to is Madison Park - much better people watching and shop walking). During the summer season, there are lifeguards, and a float with a low and high diving board.
I LOVE to swim during the summer, and so I head here a lot. Right off the Burke Gilman trail for you bikers. Much smaller than Magnuson Park, but then avoids the crowds too.
Hurry up though, summer is almost over (I'm writing this on a cloudy August 30th).
Yet another dismal beach of Washington. Am I supposed to be impressed by duck poop lawns and pebble sand? Nope. Plus every fat mom and her kid(s) hang out there and take up space. I do tend to pass it on my bike though, I look and sneer as I speed away.
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This small park is best done as a stop along the Burke Gilman Trail or at Christmas time as one of the stops for the Christmas ships. Bonfire on the shore and carols from the ship offshore at night is a holiday tradition for us. There's a swimming beach here and a nice large lawn, but the city has unsuccessfully battled the goose problem for years and there's an abundance of bird crap everywhere. Not so nice on bare feet. Great playground though.
People thought this was:
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This is a really out-of-the-way, almost romantic park. Looking out over Lake Washington, the relatively flat park has sporatic picnic benches and willow trees to make it that much more relaxing. It's a bit tough to find, at first, but that's a small price to pay for the hidden park.
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Usually I just fly by this place on the Burke Gilman, but one day I decided to stop by and check it out. Its a pretty nice beach for Lake Washington and there are some places to chill out and enjoy the sun (if its out). If you really want the beach life its not worth driving a long ways to get there, but if your local or Gilmaning by, then you should stop in.
