Myrtle Edwards Park
3130 Alaskan Way W
Seattle, WA 98121
- Good for Kids: Yes
12 Reviews for Myrtle Edwards Park
Lately this park has lost chunks to public and private projects but still hangs in there providing people with a great place to exercise or relax after work.
Mostly cyclists and joggers on weekday evenings. Great views of downtown, the sound, West Seattle, Olympics and Rainier to name a few. Not up high gazing over the city, but down low in the thick of things.
Some decent birding, and good ferry/shipping/cruise ship views. The NW end is technically Elliot Bay park(starts right by the big white grain elevators). There is a little bait shop a fishing pier and restrooms along that stretch. Kid friendly with adult supervision. No playground etc.
On foot, the best place to enter is through where the Olympic Sculpture Park now sits. Biking through is flat and smooth - unlike most of Seattle. If you need to park, take the Galer St. flyover off of 15th and stay to the left. You eventually end up on the other side of the tracks and there is a mini lot next to the grain elevators. There is a larger parking area on 16th Ave W. Both are free of charge. You can always park on Alaskan in the evenings and weekends for free and enter from the S end, but the NW end is less busy usually. It also forces you to walk the entire length to see the sculpture park which I like. Some may want the quick route though.
For years I've been driving past the bridge, the one that bares a striking resemblance to the stadiums downtown, wondering where it leads to. At first, I thought it was the walkway for workers going to the plants along the waterfront. Then I wondered if it was just another piece of random art placed lackadaisically around the city. I had no idea there was a public park on the other side.
About a year ago I learned that Myrtle Edwards park rested at the other end of my bridge. My musings began to take on a life of their own. I've been to Golden Gardens. I've ventured along Alki. I've wandered whimsically along Lincoln Park. In my mind's eye I saw beautiful green lawns, a beach filled with people frolicking in the waves, picnic areas hosting birthday parties and sunset bar-b-ques.
As the summer months approached I began looking for where to park my car so I could visit this park. I found no visible lot from Elliot. I saw no signs as I drove the stretch toward Ballard, and then home again each day. As the promise of sun and warm weather began to develop sincerity, my need to find the entrance to this public dwelling became an obsession.
Yesterday, a record breaking day of warmth and glorious sunshine, my obsession peaked. I yelped. I googled. I even went to the Seattle Parks and Rec website. And finally I found it. The elusive entrance was evading only me - city dweller, non-tourist, non-sculpture-park-visitor. The secret entrance is through the Sculpture Park! Ah Ha!
Lathering my pasty-white skin, proof of year-round Seattle residence, in 50+ plus suncreen and uploading my favorite new tunes onto my mp3 player, I walked out of my Queen Anne apartment, extra large water bottle in hand, and went adventuring.
In a full Bill Nye speed-walk I aimed myself downhill. Through traffic, past coffee shop patrons spilled across the sidewalk, past doorways that reek of urine, I went. Heel, toe. Heel, toe.
I arrived at the sculpture park. I paused from my heart-rate accelerating walking speed and took in the view. As I stood there I realized that my water-bottle was empty, and my bladder was equally full. Heel-toe only made things worse. No problem. This is a Seattle park. I went walking down the path into narrow green lawns, certain I would find the bathouse. The one like they have at Green Lake, Golden Gardens, and Lincoln Park. The one that has indoor plumbing and offers soap as an illusion of sanitation. The one that probably isn't very clean, but it'll do, for a park.
I kept walking. Swish, swish.
As I walked, I noticed small patches of rocky beach access - not the expanse I'd experienced at other parks. I kept walking, looking for relief in the shape of a building. I noticed that there are two paths at this park, one for pedestrians, one for wheels. That's nice, I thought. I continued along, observing the lack of charcoal smells, the absence of laughing families and picnic tables. The view is still breath taking.
And then I saw it. The brick building that would save me. Wait. Something wasn't right. Was that a wire fence? Why is the bathroom surrounded by fence? I walked closer. Desperate. Hopeful. Noticing, but intentionally ignoring the solitary Honeybucket at the end of the sidewalk near my salvation. No bathroom. No indoor plumbing. Only the Honeybucket, with a broken door, an empty Pabst can, and empty hand sanitizer, was available for my use.
Depression set in like my ass on a waterbed.
Emerging from the Honeybucket, I gathered my gumption and set onward. At least I can find a water fountain, refill my bottle, and make it to my bridge, satisfying the mystery that sent me on this quest. Of course, it turned out that the water fountain didn't work.
Now, when I drive by my bridge I will know what lies beyond it. A beautiful view. A rocky shore. And a broken Honeybucket. Some mysteries are best left unsolved.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
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Cool (3)
Apparently I am a barfly...at least that is what my last 5 reviews say about me....Anyhow Im not your 12-Step church type so I followed up with a place where I go to get "dry"...
The Myrtle Edwards Temple of Waterfront Magical Homelessness.
I moved to the city in December '06...right after the fierce windstorm and in the middle of "the bad time" for Seattle weather. But see I moved from a ski town where I lived at 10,000 ft with 14,000ft mountains all around with snow past my crotch and Seattle felt like Arizona. I'd put on my 3 mixed layers of fleece and waterproofness and take my trusty pooch Spoonful down to the Waterfront.
I instantly fell in love with Myrtle Edwards Park...They were putting in a Sculpture Park right to the east and what a genius way to preserve some acreage for the city denizens...Ahhhh, a place in Belltown w/ no Condos...F yeah.
Stay on the sidewalk as much as possible when its raining....some of the fields flood pretty quickly....and what the hell is up with the huge blocks of granite on what appears to be a blue-stone parking lot....Is this were public beheadings used to take place? I asked some people but they were out to lunch, and still haven't got back to me....
The trails run for over a mile up and down the water with amazing views of the bay, downtown, and Mt Rainier (when you can see it)...Plus you can brush your overly hairy puppy here with nary a glance.
Stay away from the wierd sand-people who seem to emerge from the Bay...they are known to hate jedis and will eat your droids without a second glance....
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
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Cool (4)
this is a great get a way in the middle of the city. I run along this park, always seeing something new, a ship docked at the grain elevator from some remote part of the world, and wonder if I see some of the deck hands in the park, looking at me, like I am looking at them. This park is the site of Hemp fest, (not for me), Fourth of July mayhem, and on the days I enjoy it, the run along Elliott Bay with lots to look at and much more.......The Olympics from sea level, ferries, hobos off the tracks, tourists from out of town, Canadians fresh off the clipper, or Seattlites just looking for a little get a way in the midst of the city.
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Myrtle Edwards is a beautiful strip of a park running along the water's edge at Elliott Bay. On a clear day, you're treated to an expansive view of downtown and the working waterfront, with Mount Rainier rising majestically in the background. Across the bay is Beach Drive, Alki and West Seattle, and beyond that and to the north, the beautiful, awe-inspiring crags of the Olympic mountain range. It's easy to appreciate Myrtle Edwards for its serenity and peacefulness on sunny days. But truth be told, it's just as beautiful any time of year.
5 Stars, except when it's Hempfest or the 4th of July, when the marauding hordes descend on this poor, helpless, 5-acre parcel of land.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
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While running through the park for my first time the other day I had my first moment of:
I LOVE SEATTLE
I AM SO GLAD I MOVED HERE
Running (or walking) away from downtown Seattle, you can see the Sound, the mountains, and feel a gentle sea breeze. On the return trip, back toward Seattle, you can see Rainer, the city, and the Space Needle.
I love the park because it extends so far north that I have plenty of room to run (I like distance), but it also caters to walkers, bikers (who have a separate path so pedestrians are not dodging bikes and getting yelled at all the time), and people who just want to sit on a bench and contemplate the sea.
I waited almost a month before I visited the park (which turns into Elliott Bay Park) and this was far too long. If you haven't been--you should go!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
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I miss the days when I had no car. I had to be at work at 6:00 am and if I missed the bus at 5:10 I would ride downtown through this park.Sans headlamp or bike lights. There was nobody around that early and the park was alive with light! The granary is a crazy structure to view at any time of day. I prefer it when they are loading and there is a fine dust settling out all over the place. At night, in the winter, dudes go down to the dock and squid fish. Real hunter/gatherer types downtown! They asked me if I worked for a newspaper when I took their picture. I guess what I'm trying to say is experience it at hours other than daylight on a cycle and you won't be disappointed. Some pictures uploaded...
Our days on the waterfront usually end at Myrtle Edwards Park. After the hike to get there it's nice to sit and watch the water and birds and boats and eat whatever we've picked up at the Pike Place Market. Many days it's been very uncrowded, and it's always a nice place to be outdoors.
This is an incredible park. I would have given it more stars, but I'm still bitter and I need time to heal. My friends and I got together for a big cookout here (which is tough, come to find out, because parking is far from where you want to be, atleast half a mile). In the middle of a beautiful sunny evening, with all of the food spread all over our table, the frickin' sprinklers went off! No warning, no ticking, nothing. This is my one and only complaint about the park. It's gorgoeus. It's also the site of Seattle's annual Hemp Fest.
The last time I was at Myrtle Edwards it was overgrown with Hempfest. Amazing day, sunny, warm, perfect humidity. And they say that the weather in Seattle sucks, so wrong. It was great to see everyone out enjoying the Sound and there were even some boats moored offshore to check out the concert. If I remember right its even fun on a normal day...
Who thought a park would look so good in the middle of downtown? Right on the water, this park is ideal for music events, BBQs, or just laying around being a bum. Which there are definitely a few of.
Okay, so there's a little construction right now. Just pretend that you're living during the interwar years in Berlin. Visit the park during magic hour, so that the Big One is in sight, a large ship is docked, and some youth are involved in bocce ball. Enter near the railroad tracks...
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