Chinatown-International District

March 14, 2019 (Downtown/Chinatown-ID)

Editor

Welcome to Seattle Close to Home — a weekly round-up of ideas for time-crunched Seattle-area residents, who want to get outside, volunteer, and eat good food, but don’t necessarily want to drive far (or at all).

Help out at the beach. If you enjoy (or think you might enjoy) spending summer weekends on the beach talking to people about marine life, the Seattle Aquarium begins its volunteer Beach Naturalist training on April 2. Find the details online.

Join your fellow theater fans. The Fern Shakespeare Company‘s production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream offers a bawdy, hilarious, and interactive take on the overlap between humans and the natural world (and its mischievous fairies). Tickets are available online; the show runs through the end of March at the Slate Theater (815 Seattle Blvd S).

Get out! on a run. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Dash takes place Sunday morning. The course starts at the Seattle Center, continues up-and-back through downtown, and finishes at the Seattle Center with a Post Dash Bash and Beer Garden. More info and registration is online.

If group running isn’t your thing, the trails crisscrossing nearby Olympic Sculpture Park offer not just views of the outdoor art, but also a stunning panorama of downtown Seattle, Puget Sound, and (weather permitting) the Olympics. Extend your walk (or bike ride) into Myrtle Edwards Park and beyond.

Fuel up with ramen. In a tiny space — but well worth the wait — Samurai Noodle (606 5th Ave S) serves steaming bowls of ramen in aromatic and delicious broths. We recently tried the mushroom ramen, which included one of the most flavorful slices of pork we’ve had. Open from 10am to 8:30pm (and until 9:30 on Friday and Saturday).

Leaving the car at home? Bus #24/19 goes to the the Seattle Center, as well as Olympic Sculpture Park. And buses #13/2 and #8 go to the Seattle Center. The International District/Chinatown light rail station is just a short walk from Samurai Noodle and the Slate Theater. Numerous buses travel to and from the C-ID, including the #7, #14, #36, and #124.

Weather forecast: Sun and clouds with highs around 60.

March 7, 2019 (Seward Park/Columbia City – plus the ID)

Editor

Welcome to Seattle Close to Home — a weekly round-up of ideas for time-crunched Seattle-area residents, who want to get outside, volunteer, and eat good food, but don’t necessarily want to drive far (or at all).

Help out at a park. Green Seattle Partnership is holding workdays at North Genesee Park (9:30-12:30) and Colman Park (10am-1pm) on Saturday. Check the preceding park links for details of and directions to each event.

Join others getting their bikes ready for Spring. BikeWorks in Columbia City’s Hudson Building (3709 S Ferdinand) will open its shop on Saturday from noon to 5pm for adults to use the tools and repair stands with the help of a professional mechanic and volunteers.

Get out! on an urban hike. On Friday, The Mountaineers are leading a seven-mile walk from Seward Park to Colman Park, and then along the Mountains to Sound Greenway to the International District for a dim sum lunch. Join online by Wednesday, March 6. The organized hike is one-way. You can take light rail from the International District Station to Othello Station, then catch Metro bus #50 back to Seward Park.

You could also do all or part of the hike on your own–on foot or bike. Here is the suggested route.

Fuel up at Bua 9. This Columbia City restaurant serves reasonably-priced, delicious Thai classics and is well worth a stop. Bua 9 is located at 5020 Rainier Ave S and is open for lunch and dinner from 11am daily.

Above Colman Park and the I-90 bike tunnel, QED (1418 31st Ave S) has really good coffee, as well as baked goods, including vegan and gluten-free options. Open 7am-6pm on weekends and 6am-6pm during the week.

Leaving the car at home? Metro bus #50 goes to Seward Park and Genesee Park and connects with several other bus lines. The #14 and #27 stop near Colman Park and the #14 stops within a 20-minute walk of Genesee Park. Ride Metro to Columbia City (less than a mile from Genesee Park) on the #7, #9, or #106, or avoid traffic entirely and take the light rail to Columbia City Station.

Weather forecast: Friday is forecast to be mostly cloudy with a high of 46. Saturday and Sunday should be mostly sunny with highs of 48-50.

September 6, 2018 (Chinatown-International District)

Editor

Welcome to Seattle Close to Home — a weekly round-up of ideas for time-crunched Seattle-area residents, who want to get outside, volunteer, and eat good food, but don’t necessarily want to drive far (or at all).

Help out with park restoration. Venture across the Jose Rizal Bridge (on 12th Ave S) to woodsy Lewis Park (1120 15th Ave S) and assist with fall planting and trail maintenance. Volunteers will meet from 10am to 1pm on Sunday and can register online.

Join your fellow night owls. The Chinatown-International Night Market happens Saturday from 4pm to midnight at the Historic Chinatown Gate (5th Ave S & S King St). The event features food vendors, a beer garden, an international market, live bands, break-dancers, and an all-ages dance party.

Get out! and ramble. Explore the reconfigured and newly-named Yesler Terrace Park (835 Yesler Way) and its expansive views of downtown, Elliott Bay, and Mount Rainier. As part of the Yesler Terrace redevelopment project, the park connects to the C-ID via stairs and a pedestrian pathway at 10th Ave S just north of S Jackson St.

Other nearby parks are Kobe Terrace and Gardens (), Daejon Park (near Lewis Park at 1144 Sturgus Ave S), and Hing Hay Park (), which hosts a ping pong tournament on Friday from 2pm to 5:30pm.

You can also bike to/from the C-ID — see our Mountains to Sound Trail and Chief Sealth Trail posts for details.

Fuel up at… well, there are so many options. Our favorites include the beef chow fun at the Uwajimaya food court (600 5th Ave S); really really fresh sushi at Maneki (304 6th Ave S); and pretty much anything at Tamarind Tree (1036 S Jackson St).

Leaving the car at home? The International District/Chinatown light rail station is just across the street from the Historic Chinatown Gate. Numerous buses travel to and from the C-ID, including the #7, #14, #124, and the #36 and #60, which go to Lewis Park and Daejon Park (the #60 also goes to Yesler Terrace and travels along 12th Ave S).

Weather forecast: Cloudy with a few showers possible; highs around 70.