Wallingford Steps

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HOURS

24 Hours

ABOUT THE PARK

The Wallingford Steps, a wide concrete staircase, connect N 34th St. with N Northlake Way, the Burke-Gilman Trail, and Gas Works Park. The steps with railings, benches, plantings on either side of the Steps, and a circular mosaic on the lowest of three landings create a pleasant atmosphere in which to enjoy the southward view of downtown and Lake Union.

Pond, the brightly colored glass and etched-metal mosaic, by artists Benson Shaw and Clark Weigman, features a fanciful marine motif and other shapes based on artwork by local school children.

HISTORY

Where there was once a 40-foot-high slope of blackberry bushes, the Wallingford community envisioned a park-like, terraced staircase that would extend Wallingford Ave. N to N Northlake Way, and connect the neighborhood to the Burke-Gilman Trail, north Lake Union, and Gas Works Park. Community leader Vince Lyons imagined the Wallingford Steps as "a gathering spot, a space to watch the Fourth of July fireworks, and a place to stop for a brown-bag lunch and digest the skyline view." The project was funded by the 2000 Pro Parks Levy, the Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund, and community support.