My family is a lower Wallingford family. A few weeks ago, we packed ourselves into the car to go to Green Lake Library, a favorite of ours. Driving there was awful. It was a sunny day and everyone else decided to go to Green Lake too. We saw a bicyclist who’d clearly just been hit. He was okay but shaken. We decided Green Lake probably wouldn’t be a great place to go via bicycle with our kids.
Driving around looking for parking was crazy. As soon as I headed down a street, someone else in a car would start down the same street on the opposite side. With cars parked on either side, there was only room for one car at a time. This repeated several times as I and the other drivers struggled to squeeze into a driveway or, even worse, reverse down the street. Parking at the new PCC wasn’t much better. I wasn’t able to find anything except on the bottom floor and even then it was difficult maneuvering into the space. After finally getting to Green Lake the kids and I were cranky and stressed.
So I pledged: never again!
Last weekend I took out the new Metro bus maps. At 40th NE and Stone there’s a stop for the #26 and #62. Both go to Green Lake. We didn’t wait long. The #62 came first. After a pleasant journey, we got off at NE Ravenna Blvd near the Circa Green Lake building, which houses Turnpike Pizza among other businesses. On the way home we waited again at the Circa building. It didn’t take more than 10 minutes for the #26 to come.
My kids love riding on the bus. Kids car seats are super uncomfortable. The five-point harness really wedges them in tight especially in the legs. My youngest is in a rear-facing seat so there really isn’t much she can see. Contrast that experience to taking the bus with Mommy and Daddy and sitting right next to them. The bus is a clear winner. They get to people watch and do some occasional snuggling too.
A lot of the current bus system seems to be focused on commuters. This is not a bad thing; however, the city’s population is increasing at a crazy pace. I’m finding weekend traffic to be every bit as annoying as weekday traffic. Even if I don’t take the bus on the weekend regularly, I like knowing it’s there if I need it. When the option exists, it encourages people to let go of the alternative. We won’t stop our current behavior unless there is a reason to. My nightmare at Green Lake a few weeks ago was definitely that.
Update: I just wanted to clarify that the stop to get off at Greenlake is NE Ravenna Blvd. The stop at Greenlake to get back to Wallingford is on the backside of the Circa building.
I live halfway between Wallingford and Green Lake, so I guess I get the worst of both worlds regarding traffic (first world problems….). Traffic is bad all the time, and worse when the sun is out. The buses have been rerouted and we’re still getting used to it, but when in doubt, don’t bring your car to Green Lake. You’ll have a better time on foot.
You might also enjoy going to the Fremont library with your kids. From Wallingford it is on the bus line for the #62 and also the #31 and #32. It is my favorite library. Compared to Greenlake it is a low key experience. I enjoy the atmosphere there , the friendly librarians, the easy checkout. There is a dedicated kids area and clean rest room. The bus stop is almost directly across the street going and 1/2 block east coming back. For walking, you can go down along the canal. In Fremont the PCC has a terrace with tables and chairs along the south side that is heated on cold days and sheltered by sreens on windy days. Warning though – Sunday is Fremont Sunday Market Day along the canal which is a scene in itself.
Abigail, this sounds like a great story idea for Wallyhood! Please consider writing it up!
For anyone who doesn’t already know, there is a handy app called One Bus Away that will tell you when the next bus at a particular stop is scheduled to arrive. It even tells you if it is running late or early.
Occasionally, there is a “ghost train;” when the app tells you your bus is at your stop NOW as you stare at the bare pavement wondering if you’ve slipped into an alternate reality. But for the most part it works great. It is a great way to see if you have time stop at the swingset or throw the frisbee a few more times.
Caveat: it doesn’t hurt to arrive 2-3 minutes earlier than the stated arrival time. It is frustrating to see your bus roll on past when you’re half a block from the stop.
http://pugetsound.onebusaway.org/
My son has been taking the bus to Ballard after school a couple of days a week. About 50 middle schoolers get on the bus with him. He loves it! It’s a far cry from the bus system I grew up with, which was stinky, dirty, never on time and often too full to pick up people.
I’m curious about why cars pull onto a street when this is already a car coming from the opposite direction. In other cities I’ve lived, cars typically wait at the intersection when there is already a car in the block. It’s seems faster that way. One finishes going and then the other goes. Instead, we get the dance described in the story. Why is it that cars don’t wait at the intersection?
Why don’t they wait when they turn on to the street and see you there? Because they are RUDE. Having lived here 46 years … I can assure you the “alleys” are not new. People are … either they don’t know how it is done, or they don’t care. Yes, a pet peeve of mine. ALSO, it is a courtesy to give a “Wallingford Wave” = a windshield-wiper left-handed wave, to acknowledge courtesy, on both drivers’ parts.
Great post though, about the bus and Green Lake. My friend wanted to meet me there at 8 AM last summer with her kayak. I asked her if she was sure about parking and she thought it wouldn’t be a problem. Hahaha. We went on to Mathews Beach. We managed to park because we were so early, but soon that too was impossible.
See this post in the forums: http://www.wallyhood.org/wallyhood-forums/topic/traffic-etiquette/#gsc.tab=0
Great post and good inspiration to get on the bus with our kiddos!
I’ve been a Wally-Hoodian for a long time. Then in the last year I moved off of 46th, a block west of 99, so technically I’m in Fremont now. But I without a doubt still prefer Wallingford for all my shenanigans!!
Navigating this area of North Seattle is something that takes precise and calculated maneuvering at most times, especially during peak hours and our beautiful summers. I love Seattle and hopefully we can still hold onto the last bit of community we have left before the tech giants snuff us out too. I’ve walked, commuted and driven every inch of of concrete which has allowed me to find the perfect route for any occasion.
I prefer to walk everywhere I go within reason, otherwise it’s my truck or the bus (Although the Metro system has made some huge changes including fares, so not as much for me these days). I even find myself walking so I don’t lose a good parking spot in front of my apartment 🙂 Maybe we could hire a parking attendant like Seinfeld had.
We are lucky to have so many beautiful landmarks in our neighborhood, but as the OP has said traffic has been on the rise in our area. I agree that Metro is a great solution to our commuting blues but I encourage more of us to use those sections of concrete between businesses and the streets and take in every bit of beauty that is our neighborhood. Say hi and smile at your fellow neighbor, look up from your phone and live in reality again, because with so much of these new developments popping up who knows how long we have till we look like Bellevue.
-Abstrakt Theories-
Traffic in Seattle can be quite hectic at times, especially during rush-hour or when the weather is nice and sunny and literally everyone happens to show up to a place like Green Lake on the same day. Speaking of which, have you heard of an app called “OneBusAway”? It’s a free app you can easily download on your phone and all you have to do is search up the stop number and it’ll provide you the bus schedule. Google Maps also works pretty well too.
Great Post! I’ve been taking various buses with my son and his friends for many years now. I think the best trip was taking him and twelve 10 year old boys on the old #16 to catch a movie at Northgate for his birthday. The bus ride was WAY more exciting than the movie.