I mean, what can be said about this strange abandoned art installation that hasn't been said…read morealready. It's not a great area, there's currently a homeless encampment right behind it. It has a chain link fence surrounding it giving it a 'We haven't torn this down yet' vibe. Being from the Bay Area and having seen pieces created at The Crucible I personally would call it exceptionally lazy art - if you're generous with the word 'art'. It's a sign, with some pointed cylinders around it. In my opinion the painted pieces at Gas Works are more interesting. I personally think it's only a matter of time before they tear it out and make it into another park so all in all, it's an easy skip.

At one point, I'm sure The Wall of Death was a very cool public art installation in Seattle. It's a…read morepermanently sited installation located along the Burke-Gilman Trail under the University Bridge along NE 40th Street. It was designed and built by Mowry Baden and his son Colin in 1993. While the exhibit sounds ominous, it's neither a memorial or some gothic art piece. Instead, it's a tribute to the structure used to perform "the wall of death," a motorcycle and miniature automobile stunt. While it looks like it was initially quite amazing, The Wall of Death has largely fallen victim to time and graffiti and it's really that graffiti that negatively impacts the appeal of the exhibit. The exhibit includes the cylinder itself on the south side of the Burke-Gilman Trail, as well as a concrete ramp to the north of the trail, which includes a "series of stylized metal chairs mounted to the existing concrete bridge columns and serves as the stands from which the stunts were viewed. The exhibit was originally intended as interactive with skateboarders intended to use it. However, after several skateboarding accidents including one involving a head-on collision between a skateboarder and a cyclist the exhibit was adapted, by Baden himself, to include 25 concrete parking stops. At this point, the exhibit is somewhat fenced in and much more difficult to access. However, it remains one of the more intriguing public art exhibits in Seattle and is still free to see. It's listed in Atlas Obscura. The exhibit was also reportedly damaged on 11/15/20 when a homeless camp tent caught fire. The exhibit is made of concrete, steel, and aluminum and measures 16' x 65' x 30'. It's easy to access the exhibit from the Burke Gilman Trail in the University District. It's near University of Washington housing and only a few blocks from Lake Union. The trail itself is wheelchair friendly and accessible quite easily.

It's a famous line from a mediocre movie: "That's not a knife, THAT'S a knife!"…read more The movie of course is Crocodile Dundee staring Paul Hogan. It is utterly forgettable and in fact, I have forgotten everything about it, except when I visit my neighborhood's biggest tourist draw, the Wedgwood Rock. "That's not a rock, THAT'S a rock!" Standing 19 feet tall and deposited by glacial ice sheets tens of thousands of years ago, the Wedgwood Rock is a humbling reminder of just how little control we humans have over our grand Mother Earth. According to Dr. Terry W. Swanson, of the UW Department of Geological Sciences, the Wedgwood Rock has its origins on Fidalgo Island, near Anacortes, about 75 miles north of Seattle. It was carried 75 miles and by ice sheets and then deposited in little old Wedgwood as the most recent ice age ended (source: http://bit.ly/WcjCNQ). Admittedly, the Wedgwood Rock doesn't quite rank up there with Seattle's top tourist draws, but it's always a lot of fun to take visitors on a drive by and watch their eyes bulge as we round the corner to 28th Ave NE and the rock comes into view. Kudos to the neighbors of the Wedgwood Rock who have assumed the role of caretakers for the iconic boulder, from enforcing the climbing ban, to gardening around it, to making sure graffiti gets cleaned up promptly. It's a bit ironic, of course, that the Wedgwood Rock isn't actually in the Wedgwood neighborhood, which is widely considered to encompass the boundaries of NE 95th St to NE 75th St, between 45th Ave NE on the east to a combination of Lake City Way, Ravenna Ave NE, and 25th Ave NE on the west (Source: http://bit.ly/Wcm6vI). Technically I suppose it would be the Ravenna neighborhood that the rock actually resides in. Still, that bit of trivia doesn't detract from the neighborhood's love for its most famous attraction, nor its appeal to young and old alike. Tip: While the Wedgwood Rock may be the neighborhood's largest and most famous glacial erratic, it is hardly the only one. Check out the Wedgwood Rock's modest sibling located in a tiny park known as Wedgwood Square at the corner of 31st Ave NE and NE 82nd Street.

I used to live several blocks away from the Wedgwood Rock and liked occasionally walking by it…read more I wouldn't drive a significant distance to come see it, but it's still pretty cool to have this this huge rock just sitting there in an urban residential neighborhood. I've read that this rock has a pretty rich history as a landmark for native americans, a picnic spot for families, a place for hippies to hang out and do drugs, etc... right now, however, it's just a big rock on the corner with houses all around... and apparently you get fined $100 if you're caught climbing it.

Quality/Quantity - A cute city, well at least the shopping district. See other reviews…read more Also see my Juanita Bay Park Yelp review. Also known for - Parks, trails, art, breweries (did not have time to visit as this was a wine trip for me), and of course, wineries. The city's downtown waterfront has restaurants, art galleries, a performing arts center, public parks, beaches, and a collection of public art that includes bronze sculptures. Ambiance - 22.66 square miles, 4.86 of which is water. Population 22k+ (2020). The sixth largest city in King County and the twelfth largest city in the state of Washington. Service - Good, as we spent our time in the city's downtown shopping and supporting small local boutiques. Price - Expensive since we (my wife) supported a few local boutiques... Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success 1888, incorporated in 1905.

I performed post-construction cleaning at Fire Station 21 through Quality Cleaning Services LLC…read more(hired by the City). I was promised $850, spent $150 on supplies, paid $320 to workers, and drove 90+ miles -- and I've been ghosted by everyone involved. No one from the City will respond, and the contractor has a history of not paying laborers. This is wage theft, and the City of Kirkland is responsible for letting it happen. I've filed complaints and will take this public until I'm paid.

The garden is beautiful and it's a nice activity to do end of fall/early winter. It used to be free…read morethen they started tickets and now they've increased the price just like anything else. But it's worth going around the holiday time each year. I suggest going on a week day of you can to avoid lines and parking craziness. The first slot 4:30 is less busy also.

Wonderful, festive and pretty affordable for the holidays. Ticket cost $10 per person over 11 years…read moreold. Kids 10 and your gets in for free. The lights were fun to look at and had many floral and crops themed ones. It was also larger than I thought cause from the outside you can see a portion of it. The cafe was also open and I wish I can try all their drinks. Their white hot chocolate with whip cream was so good for the cool weather. Also very glad it did not rain on that day.

I haven't done Crossfit (yet), but these stairs are the best HIIT that I have found. And they're…read morefree! The best part if the feedback they provide: If you gain 5 lbs, you will immediately notice it here, by how your legs feel. And conversely if you lose 5 lbs, you'll notice that too. Running these stairs is very hard work and I've seen some elite-looking athletes who could run the whole length from Lakeview to 10th Ave two times without stopping. I saw one guy who had the body of an elite endurance runner (long legs, zero body fat, very minimal upper body mass) run them three times. I've found walking them two steps at a time to be a killer workout that increases muscular endurance in the legs and boosts VO2 max like a boss. Just budget some time for sleep/recovery! If you think you're gonna bust your butt on these stairs and then go dancing the next night, you might find that you are wrong. One more note: Things do occasionally get stolen here, so the brand-new Patagucci jacket that you just dropped $450 on... do yourself a favor leave it at home.

Whether you do it just to say "we did it", or you do it once, go back down, and do it again a few…read moremore times to get your legs moving and heart pumping- it's a great experience. Seattles longest staircase, 388 steps spanning 160 feet. The history behind the stairs is pretty cool. We walked an hour from downtown, enjoyed the beautiful walk along Lake Union, got to the stairs, did it three times, and then headed toward Volunteer park. A hell of a way to get your steps in! Spring was in bloom, so the beautiful flowers and colorful trees was the icing on the cake.

Really enjoyed Rimini! We have two young kids, so a good family dinner for us is pretty…read moresimple--food everyone enjoys and a place where we feel comfortable. This was one of those dinners. Glad to have this spot in Kirkland. We'll be back!

My wife and I recently dined here for our 22nd anniversary. Greeted with that Italian style. My…read morewife ordered the lamb shank that falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. I had the halibut, great flavor and perfectly cooked. The service was excellent! This was a top notch dining experience.

We stopped by Prosecco Restaurant & Pizzeria around 5 PM and were actually able to find a…read morereservation right before heading over, which was a nice surprise! We had tried coming here before and it was completely packed, so getting a last-minute table this time felt lucky. We chose to sit outdoors, and the patio was beautiful and made the whole dinner feel extra relaxing. We started with the Caprese con Mozzarella, fresh and simple. For my main, I ordered the fish of the day, which was salmon served with couscous, and it was soooo good! What I especially loved was that the salmon was very well cooked with a slightly charred, crispy outside. So many restaurants serve salmon halfway cooked or too soft in the center, which I personally don't prefer, so this was perfect for me. The couscous paired beautifully with it too. My husband ordered the special of the day, gnocchi with smoked salmon in a creamy sauce, and he loved it too. My daughter ordered pasta with a side of chicken. Service overall was okay, but unfortunately the chicken didn't arrive until we had basically finished dinner, which was disappointing since it was meant to come with her pasta. I also tried the cappuccino, and that was probably the weakest part of the meal. From an Italian restaurant, I was expecting a really good cup of coffee, but this one just didn't hit the mark for me. Overall, the food was delicious and the outdoor atmosphere was lovely. The salmon was definitely the highlight of my meal, and despite a couple of misses with the service timing and coffee, we still had a really nice evening.

Enjoyable dinner experience near the Kirkland marina park! Our favorites were the flavorful penna…read morealla vodka, and we appreciated them making a dinner entree with their vongole appetizer. Even the table bread was a winner, fresh and hot. The baked gnocchi was a miss though, the sauce was not flavorful, it didn't have any basil, and the very thick cheese was like eating school pizza. There are tons of other things on the menu I'd like to try so I'll definitely be back, but perhaps I will read prior reviews more carefully to find the better ones. Service was decent and friendly, and the restaurant next door had an excellent guitar and cello duo playing live music to set the mood. Sitting outside was comfortable with the umbrellas. Parking can be challenging in the paid lot adjacent to the marina.

Secret?! i think not. ;) Although it can appear rather secretive if you consider walking through it…read morethe first time (w/o knowing it's a tunnel) and ask yourself upon exiting "I was in an underground tunnel?" Yup. And a super COOL one at that, too. :) Fine shops, great lunch options, and a jackpot of historic Seattle photos - everything from the early days of dumping Pill Hill fill into Elliot Bay to the early Boeing airplanes. Downtown? Take a stroll down this tunnel. It begins/ends in Rainier Square and ends/begins in One/Two Union Square. Happy strolling. :)

I haven't visited enough underground tunnels to know if this one deserves 5 stars or not, so let's…read morework this out, arithmetic-style! 1 star for keeping me out of the rain, cold, and wind and away from motor traffic and waiting for crosswalk signals. 1 star for neat photos of old-time Seattle 1 star for a display of upcoming shows from the 5th Ave 1 star for the convenience store selling cards and snacks. There are also some little deli type eateries, a salon, and an art gallery, though I haven't taken advantage of any of them yet. All in all, this is a pretty spiffy way to get from 7th and Union to 4th and University without having to set foot outside - always a plus when it comes to dealing with Seattle's variable weather.

A Seattle icon, the Fremont Troll is a must-visit. We went on a weekday and there were still a good…read morenumber of tourists coming around to take photos. Many of them even chose to climb onto the troll itself, but I didn't dare. Parking can be super hard to find as the troll is nestled in a residential neighborhood, but after circling around quite a few times, we finally found a spot. Even with the waves of people visiting, I still managed to capture photos of Newt with the troll without anyone in the frame, and my husband even captured a nice photo of us performing our iconic piggyback trick, as well as the cutest shot of me looking up at Newt as he sat on the troll's hand. Caveat: unless your dog is well-trained and can hold a distance AND duration sit-stay (especially on an elevated, uneven surface), I would not attempt to recreate that shot. When you visit the troll, don't forget to look behind you and admire the architecture of the overpass too. It's breathtaking in itself. While we were there, many of the tourists asked me to take photos of them with the troll with their phones or cameras, since they saw I had brought my DSLR with me. Of course I happily obliged. We did not spend too much time at the troll as there wasn't much to do outside of taking photos with it, and as we were leaving, another wave of tourists showed up. The Fremont Troll is a fun spot to take photos at/with, and a cool art installation. I wish we had something similar in the bay or Sac!

A fun experience, a bit off the beaten path in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle…read more We ventured from downtown to check out the troll. Very easy access via a city bus route. After a short stroll down a well-designed dirt path, we found the giant troll. The troll is great for photos and has a sign that describes the history of the troll. My kids enjoyed climbing around the area, too. Facing the opposite direction from the troll is a very cool bridge that creates some awesome cathedral-like architecture. There is lots to do in Fremont, and even though the troll is kind of a one-and-done deal, it's worth checking out simply to explore the rest of the neighborhood and awesome surrounding businesses. Enjoy your troll hunt!

Cool Landmark in Seattle, Washington…read more.. I've had "The Center of the Universe" bookmarked for a while. It's a good thing to look at the bookmarked items on the Yelp app once in a while. I totally forgot about this novel and unique piece of Public Art! I should have visited it when I saw the Troll and the blue Fremont Bridge yesterday... darn! Anyway... I parked across the street and got a good shot of this directional sign! As I drew closer, I saw places on the sign that I would like to see - such as Machu Piccu and Rio de Janeiro. Other interesting places include The North Pole and The Milky Way. What a fun tourist stop! Check it out when you have time! It's free, quick, and a good break from daily routine!

One of the few photo ops (like the Rocket, dinosaurs, the Troll, etc) in Fremont…read more I saw the sign. It opened up my eyes. Life is demanding without understanding. To reiterate, I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes I saw the sign. No one's gonna drag you up To get into the light where you belong But where do you belong? Now if you excuse me, all that she wants is another baby, and she's gone tomorrow, boy.