They have opened the first segment of Bell Street Park (between 1st and 2nd). I walked through it the other night, and it looks pretty good. It’s concrete with some plants in between, more like sidewalk along the whole street rather than green. There were no benches; I don’t know if they’re coming later, or if the people who planned the park didn’t want it to attract homeless people or drug dealers (these were concerns of people I talked to before it opened).
It won’t compete with Seattle Center or Magnuson Park as a gem of the system, but it is nicer to walk through than it was before. Already it feels like a fit. I imagine that it will get heavy foot traffic, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when the sidewalks are already crowded throughout Belltown.
But of course that isn’t the only type of traffic in the area. I don’t drive Downtown when I can help it, but I’m sure people who drive in the neighborhood will miss the route and the parking. Bell has been closed there (and between 3rd and 4th) for a while, and people seem to have adjusted to it.
Tonight will be the first Friday night since it opened. It’ll be interesting to see if people use it.
but I’m sure people who drive in the neighborhood will miss the route and the parking.
Doubt I’ll get much agreement here, but we need to get out of the habit of driving (and parking) in neighborhoods and where access to the things that are necessary via only a car in a neighborhood exists, correct that.
The days of 4 passenger cars containing one or two people to get around a neighborhood is a viable solution are coming to an end. It simply does not scale.
And once you get in the habit of walking or biking in your neighborhood as your primary means of transportation you’ll be healthier and happier …. and so will your neighbors. :-)
Yey for Bell Street Park!
@1 You realize you have just expressed the greatest of Unspeakable Heresies? For your penance, you must immediately get in your car and drive to your next door neighbor’s house to borrow a stick of butter.
Where is Crackpiper Scott? I miss him.
OT
Speaking if biking, I had the pleasure today of being followed, honked at, flipped off and called an asshole by a fat fuck in a escalade for having the nerve to look behind me, arm signal and cross to the left hand side of the traffic lane before turning left in a green light while he was a good half block behind me.
Course its those damn cyclists who don’t know or flout traffic laws.
Looks like in the last few days they put in some bike racks and benches.