Lake Union

XáXuדcHoo (Native American for “little water” compared with Lake Washington), was gouged out by a glacier more than 12,000 years ago. Now, Lake Union is an urban lake – supporting industry, recreation, transportation, houseboat residents, fish, birds, boating, aviation and tourism. Walk the 1880 electric streetcar rail lines on the western side to see reflective artwork and historical quotes.

Lake Union Park

Originally a trade landing for local natives, early Seattleite David Denny constructed the Western Mill here in 1882. The art-deco Armory (Naval Reserve Center) was built in July 1941, as WWII began. The area is now a park under major renovation that will be completed in 2009. Check out the portholes in the doors as well as the National Landmark Historic Vessels at the wharf!

Center for Wooden Boats

Once a world renowned site for wooden boat building, today the Center for Wooden Boats provides a place to experience timeless maritime traditions. The famous “Swiftsure,” one of America’s oldest lightships and the ship for which the international yacht race is named, is one of the many nautical attractions.

City Light’s 1914 Steam Plant

Now the headquarters of Zymogenetics and home to a coffee shop, the steam plant was completed in 1914 and was designed to serve as a civic symbol for City Light. The building reflected power and the future – a huge City Light sign on the roof gleamed across the lake and spotlights danced on the water.

St. Spiridon Orthodox Cathedral

Although the current church was built in 1938, the original St. Spiridon church was founded in 1895 by Greek, Russian and eastern European immigrants. St. Spiridon became a Seattle City Landmark in the 1970’s.

Cascade Neighborhood

Seattle’s second oldest neighborhood is now a meld of vintage Seattle houses and new “green” condos and businesses. Check out the Cascade Playground, the P-Patch and the People’s Center – the center and the heartbeat of the neighborhood. Don’t miss the ceramic tiles embedded in the sidewalks throughout the Cascade neighborhood.

Outdoor Bronze Ping Pong Table

The outdoor plaza of the Merck Rosetta Inpharmatics building sports a bronze ping pong table with legs that are profiles of eight famous scientists.

Akio Takamori Sculptures

Japanese watercolor in 3-D! Check out the mini-version of the sculptures under the staircase in the Pan Pacific Hotel lobby.

Street Cars Old and New

The new South Lake Union streetcar route (operation begins in December 2007) follows the historical routes of the electric streetcars that ran along Westlake and Eastlake in the 1880s. The new streetcar will connect SLU with the Metro tunnel at the Westlake Center Metro hub.

Denny Park

Originally Seattle’s first pioneer cemetery, Denny Park later became Seattle’s first Public Park in 1863 (all former residents were relocated).

Alley 24 Project

This site was once home to the New Richmond Laundry, built between 1923 and 1945. See how the handsome masonry of the three brick buildings has been preserved in the new Alley 24 building.

Immanuel Lutheran Church

The Immanuel Lutheran Church, recognized for its early wooden Gothic revival architecture, was completed in 1912 for a growing congregation of mostly recent Norwegian immigrants.

E. J. Towle Clock

The E.J. Towle / West Earth street clock still tells time, and looks much as it did back in the 1920’s and 1930’s, when street clocks were a fashionable feature of Seattle streetscapes.

Seattle Times Building

The Seattle Times itself was founded in 1896 and began to thrive, as did many early Seattle enterprises, as a result of the Klondike gold rush a year later. This building, commissioned by the founder’s son, contains two wings: a more ornate office wing and a utilitarian “plant” wing.

Troy Laundry Building

By 1948, the Troy Laundry plant was the largest laundry operation in the Pacific Northwest and one of multiple laundries in the hard-working South Lake Union area. The building contains many interesting details, including the figure of a woman’s head thought to represent Helen of Troy on the parapet.

Pacific McKay and Ford McKay Building

This group of buildings was home to both Ford and Lincoln auto sales and service. Take a peek at the elaborate display room inside and imagine it full of mid-20^th century automobiles.

The Lake Union Drydock Co.

Built in 1919, The Lake Union Drydock Co. is the oldest continuing boat yard on the Lake.

Seaplanes

His interest sparked initially by a joy ride in an airplane, Bill Boeing constructed an airplane hangar on east Lake Union and by 1916, was selling lessons and tourist trips. He went on to build airplanes for WWI and to run a large airmail operation. Today, Kenmore Air and Chrysler Air fly scheduled trips from the lake.

Mercer and Valley Streets

These streets have long played major roles as connectors. When plans were revealed in late 1969 for a proposed elevated freeway along this corridor, residents organized to oppose the construction. Today, plans exist to resolve the “Mercer Mess,” by turning Mercer into a tree-lined gateway to the city and by enhancing Valley as a quiet, pedestrian-friendly street.