Peace at 5:31 AM. This place is unusually loud but early in the morning brings a sense of peace.read more

"Excuse me, how do we get to the ocean?"…read more I was standing at a corner near Westlake Park waiting for the light to turn when a lady and her daughter came up to me and asked me this question. I pointed them towards Elliott Bay. We were definitely nowhere near the Pacific Ocean but I was pretty sure they wanted to get to the waterfront. I chuckled a little after they went on their merry way. It was an organic, human connection that happened during my lunch break. This wasn't the first time someone came up to me and asked me for directions. I kinda expect it when I'm around the retail/hotel district. I'm ok helping folks out; it's a test of my own navigational skills. When my cousins and I were kids we used to run through the park's water fountain. They shut the water off years ago though. They say it's broken but I think people bathed in it or used it as a toilet. Blech. Supposedly they're going to remove this art piece and make way for a redesign. Westlake Mall used to have an outdoor patio overlooking the park. You used to have an aerial view of the Salish basket weave pattern. Then the mall got rid of the top floor food court and decided to close off the patio section. Unless you work in a nearby building it's hard to view the public art's entirety. Kitty corner from the park on 4th & Pine is a building where The Bon Marché used to be. Every winter they would install a giant star on the SE corner of that building. It's lit up to brighten the dark days. Walking past this building always reminded me of the Day-O, One Day Sale jingle. They hold special events and activities year round. They also host food trucks during the workweek. It's easy to get here. Just take the bus to Westlake Center or the light rail to Westlake Station. Side note: If you have time, check out the 80-foot Sequoia Tree a block away. Man In Tree made it popular :) Also, if you're looking for free brochures and visitor guides they have stands at the Convention Center Arch Building, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Ferry Terminal, and King Street Station.

A block in the midst of a neighborhood, reserved for a park and green space, is about the best…read morething one can ask for. One with a playground, fields, picnic tables/benches and trees just add to the great use of space within a city. This park is very neighborhood friendly, with houses around it, easily walkable, and street parking along all four sides.

I played tennis there a few weeks ago and dominated! haha! I havent played in like 5 years. Im…read moresure we sucked but my friend was worse than me. Pretty decent courts, played there during the week and it wasnt busy at all. We were the only ones there at this 3 court set up. Nets are pretty good, no major cracks on the court. There is also a practice hitting board you can hit on too. Played soccer for the meetup.com thing at the soccer field and the field was in good shape. Nice upkeep of the field. There used to be a tennis court next to that but no more. Anyways, pretty nice park, a lot of people walking their dogs, kids running around etc. Nice environment and good place to bring your family. See ya at the park.....Ill be the one wearing TapOut gear! haha! Happy park'n!

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.

This park uses the namesake of a Philippine national hero. It's not Alki level busy but it's a…read morelocation where a lot of photographers set up their cameras for the worldly recognized Seattle skyline view. This space is a connection to culture and heritage. If someone from the Philippines is feeling homesick, they should be able to come to this space as a place of comfort. Unfortunately, it's a park that has been left unchecked for the past 10 years. The time capsule and metal plaques were stolen. I know the elders and descendants are frustrated with these disgraceful and disrespectful acts. I hope this park will be restored to a welcoming, clean, and safe environment again. I know the Filipino and Beacon Hill communities would want this. I know visitors from out of town would want this too. I took a direct flight from Sea-Tac Airport to Ninoy Aquino International Airport recently. Visiting Rizal Park in Manila was on my itinerary. Thousands of people were at the park. I had never experienced anything like it. The monument was guarded and barricaded. The open space was beautifully landscaped. If I can fly to Manila and feel good about visiting Rizal Park, I should feel good about visiting this park in my hometown too. This park has history with the Filipino community and I'm confident that with sincere investments and thoughtful attention it will flourish again.

Nice park with great views. Although, the parking can be quite scarce depending on how busy the…read morepark is. The parking at the park itself is limited but there's plenty of street parking surrounding the park. It's also located directly across from the bus stop for the 36/60! At night, it's not very well lit but the view of the city from this park is gorgeous.

This is a thin stretch of land that has been terraced into a small hidden park, which provides a…read morelayered view that includes Magnolia in the foreground, crowned by the Olympic peaks in the distance. If in the area, perhaps with children who would enjoy the creatively constructed playground or with a picnic style lunch, this is certainly a quiet sliver of green.

Sweet little park on the west side of Queen Anne, a lovely place for kids to climb around or play…read morehide and seek. Fun play structure, just a few blocks to Macrina for a nice outing.

Love this little park. It's just a couple blocks from my apartment. It's just enough space for my…read moredog to play in. Most of the time it's pretty empty but there can be times when a lot of people go here to hang out especially on a nice day. There are two bbq charcoal grills and a community garden too. Overall a nice spot to hang at. Only downside is in the summer time when the yellow jackets hover around the grass :( otherwise, my doggo and I enjoy coming here.

This is an area in pioneer square area that has lots of trees but I wasn't sure what was exactly…read moregoing on here as there were some homeless people gathering and there was open space and then some art stuff.

I love what this place wants to be-a central location for people to congregate, enjoy live music…read morefrom street performers, participate in yard games or sip on their coffee while people-watching. It's obvious that this is what it was intended for. However, we found it to be dirty and overrun with people whose intentions might not have been as wholesome. The stale smell of urine hung in the air and there was trash everywhere. I believe that public space should be open to everyone-regardless of their living situation. However, I also believe that illegal activity such as doing drugs, littering or panhandling shouldn't be allowed. Perhaps I visited on an unusual day. There really is a lot of potential here and I'd love to visit again and enjoy what it was meant to be.

Happy National Public Lands Day! Terminal 18 Park is a public park run/managed through the Port of…read moreSeattle. There is a parking lot if you choose to drive to this location. I walked here via the Duwamish Trail, West Seattle Trail on the Spokane Street Bridge, and the sidewalk along Klickitat Avenue Southwest. Just off to the side of the parking lot a trail leads down to the Duwamish River's edge. I saw once person walk that way with a fishing pole one morning. Paved walkways through the park provide access to picnic areas of both the uncovered and covered kind. Metal awnings covering picnic areas are painted, one even has a T 18 on it for Terminal 18 (Park) which I love. I came here two mornings earlier this month and was thoroughly impressed with the variety of birds I saw here, including osprey. On top of the diverse birds in the area there was a breadth of different wildflowers and vegetation lining the water and the walkways. Quiet place to sit and watch the traffic on the water, take in the beautiful views of the West Seattle Bridge and Spokane Street Bridge, and do some bird watching. A gem of a park on Harbor Island in the Port of Seattle to come and visit and enjoy the beauty of the Port. Enjoy public lands like Terminal 18 Park today and any day you can!