This is a small green space with open grass and two large maple trees right next to the Columbia…read moreBranch of the Seattle Public Library and the PCC Community Market. There's not many amenities other than some art, trash receptacles, and park benches (so no playground or bathrooms), but it's nice place to stroll through or sit down and enjoy ice cream from near by Molly Moon's or a sandwich from PCC. During the summer, the Columbia City Farmers Market, SEEDArt Summer Series, and Honk! Fest West use this space to hold their events, so this place can get quite busy. I did notice that parking appears to be limited to street parking, so good thing that this park is within walking distance from the 1 line light rail station (just a couple minutes walk).

Columbia Park is a nice little green space area right off of Rainier. Once you're in the park there…read moreare enough buildings to help block the road noise and it's a fairly nice place to be. This park definitely isn't a destination, but if you're already here it's a nice place to get some fresh air. The library borders the park so it can be nice to do both if you're in the area.

Small and intimate park with flowers where you can be quite and read a book. It is so small that…read morethere will be someone else with you. Come and take a quick "walk" around while you go along all the other neighborhood parks you will be visiting. Just go through the door. I'm guessing not too many people know about the place. A cross the street next corner you'll be on a good viewpoint of the city. On summer it would probably be a bit dry. Just sit on the bench and take a look and breath having a nice time :)

I proposed here! Super beautiful love the ambiance of flowers and the bench is beautiful.read more

Cowen Park is the small non wooded area that is to the west end of Ravenna Park. I'm not quite sure…read morewhy there's a delineation of the two parks as they're contiguous, but whatever. There's a grassy open field and a playground located here. The playground has the usual swings, climbing bars, slide, etc. There's also picnic tables and barbecues for a nice lunch or dinner outdoors. For washroom facilities, there are portable toilets. When it's nice, you can just set a blanket out in the grass and lie down. If you want to do some light hiking, check out the trails at Ravenna Park. There are a lot of birds and other wildlife, attracted to the nearby creek. I did see some tents set up today, not sure how temporary they are, but none of the parkgoers seemed to bother each other.

Cowen Park is located in a quiet neighborhood in the Ravenna area close to the University of…read moreWashington and Green Lake. It's the left portion of the park that is attached to Ravenna Park and the ravine that goes through it. It's smaller than Ravenna Park (only 8.4 acres compared to 50 acres) but there's still plenty of space for all your activities. There are lots of grassy areas for outdoor leisure and a kids playground. There's a path that goes the length of the park that many people use for strolls, jogging, and biking. It's a nice and peaceful park for relaxation and sunbathing.

Sunsets here are so dreamy!…read more This park is spread out along Magnolia Blvd W and has shoreline views throughout. There's ample green space and parking along the street, which is perfect for these sunnier days. My only gripe is that there's no restroom on site, but otherwise, it's a gorgeous lookout spot!

It's one of those Seattle parks tucked away in a neighborhood that you take for granted…read more It's big enough to not be crowded when there are 50 people there but small enough to let your kids and dogs roam free. A lot of tables, grills, a bathroom, and all the things you'd want when getting outdoors for some fresh air. There are a lot of old-growth trees that provide shade all year round. When it was 100+ during the summer of 2021, it was a good 20' cooler here. For the tourist looking at the dry grass, we are in the middle of an unusual drought here. Take care of your parks and they'll take care of you. There's a good bit of aerial acrobatics from the local hawks. I've seen them take out other flying friends.

A bite sized neighborhood park. Mainly just two benches, some trees and grass. Even though it's…read moresmall, it's cute to have some extra green space in a big traffic circle. Not necessarily worth a trip out of the way, but it's a nice stop if you're passing by and want to check out some views. The park is maintained by Seattle Parks and Recreation.

A cute neighborhood park, I love to sit on the bench and enjoy the city views. It's small, but a…read morenice green space and not too busy.

Steve and I were in Seattle's International District a few weekends ago and I had the community…read moregardens that are within Kobe Terrace (there is a separate Yelp entry for that) in my Yelp bookmarks. I didn't know anything about Kobe Terrace so it was a nice bonus as we were coming here just to check out the community gardens. The wavy chairs down at the bottom of the park is cool as well as all the woodwork around the bottom entrance which is right next to those chairs. As we went up the stairs that reach the top of terrace and through the community gardens we enjoyed all of the greenery and the informational plaques as we made our way. At the top of Kobe Terrace there is a beautiful stone lantern at the top. We definitely took some pictures of it. Apparently going off of some of the pictures other reviewers have made it's beautiful here in the Spring as many of the trees are blooming trees, it looks like cherry blossoms to be specific and it looks so amazing and enchanting strolling through those trees from those pictures so that's definitely something to keep in mind!

It is tricky to review Kobe Terrace. It is a tidy little park that if you come in late March, maybe…read moreearly April, it is heavenly. The place is FILLED with cherry blossom trees. Sure, UW has them, but this place doesn't have the crowds. We were there in late March. Some of the petals have fallen. With every breeze, more petals would fall as though it's raining petals. In Japan, the favorite viewing of cherry blossoms is not necessarily at the peak of the blossoms, but it's just a bit past the prime, exactly at this time of falling petals. We stumbled on this time at Kobe Terrace, and it was just the best. The ground is white-ish with the infinite petals. They also have wave benches and a lantern from Kobe, Japan. So, what's the catch? Well, this park attracts 'others', too. You are very likely sharing space with them. Hey, it's a public park; they can sit on the benches, too. With every breeze, you might pick up extra scent. Enough said. Just be mentally prepared. An Asian gentleman was doing tai chi at the park. Good for him. I am happy to see a local enjoying the park. A group of five young ladies were happily snapping photos of the cherry blossoms. Yay for them. I will likely return during cherry blossoms season. I doubt I would return during other times of the year. It barely feels safe in the daytime because this park is in a corner, backed up against I-5, away from any visible crowds or street traffic. It's always shaded from much visible light. There are several low-income housings nearby, but very few choose to spend time at this park. It is fine if you are in a group. Side note: Adjacent to the park is the Danny Woo Community Garden, tended to by several local communities.

A very nice, cozy park to relax and get away. Facing westerly with a sweeping view about 180 to 360…read moredegrees, you can come here a do nothing. Two benches. A lot of joggers. Even more people taking photos. I've live in Seattle nearly all of my life, and I've always know about Sunset Hill park. Aw, to have one of the houses on the other side of the street facing the same direction--this is on 34th Ave. NW where you can't drive any farther west. Not much else to say, except let the photos and the go-there do the talking.

The Sunset Hills strawberry shortcake is nothing short of spectacular: tender, buttery biscuits,…read moreperfectly softened and lightly sweetened, layered with juicy, sugar‑mac­erated strawberries, and topped with billowy freshly whipped cream. Each bite delivers bright fruit contrast and melt‑in‑your-mouth texture. It's elegant yet unpretentious--the ideal summer dessert. Astonishingly, it manages to outshine even the breathtaking view of Puget Sound and the soothing ocean breeze drifting in from the water. As the sun dips low and the air cools, the shortcake becomes more than just dessert--it's the highlight of the evening.

My friend Mike K. lives in Matthews Beach, and we walked over to Matthews Beach Park when we went…read moreto visit him a few weeks ago during a family trip to Seattle. It was a lovely, leisurely walk, even with an elderly dog and two small kids in the mix, one of them demanding to be carried most of the way. We strolled along the bike trail and got great views and a bit of summer mist--all in all a very Seattle excursion. There was a nice playground, well kept and spacious, where our boys ran around while the three adults hung out and one of them, impossible to say who, maybe caught a lot of Pokémon, the park being the kind of place where you might find a lot spawns on, for example, a Jangmo-o Community Day. The kids enjoyed the equipment: climbing the structure, riding the rocking whale, spinning around on the giant spinner. We went down to the water, to what I suppose was the beach part of Matthews Beach. It wasn't a beach in the California sense of the word--I can't really imagine going in my swimsuit and laying out a towel on that meager stretch of hard sand--but the water was pretty and serene. There was a lot of grass as well as plenty of goose poop. Mike and his husband and dog do this walk regularly, and I would too if I lived in Matthews Beach. I look forward to going again next time I visit.

After spending some time in the Wallingford neighborhood, I needed to take a few moments to relax…read moreand unwind. I love Seattle because of all of the beaches and natural beauty. The region is a water-lover's paradise. Matthews Beach Park affords stunning views of Lake Washington, and the heavily-treed neighborhoods that surround it. Although the beach is closed to swimmers due to high bacteria levels, nature abounds. I saw an eagle, lots of crows and bluejays, and plenty of native plants in bloom. There is ample parking not too far from the beach. You'll find restrooms, walking paths, and large grassy areas for dogs and kids to folic and run free. I visited on the weekend and discovered there are lifeguards on duty cleaning and patroling the park, and ensuring folks don't swim in the water. Paddle boarding and other water sports are still permitted.