Page 25 - FDCC Flyer Spring 2022

Looking Forward
Capitol Hill - so many personalities on one big hill Capitol Hill is the eastern backdrop to our downtown location. It is an uphill walk from the hotel (or Uber to the top and walk down). Start at the beautiful Volunteer Park where you will also find the Seattle Asian Art Museum, spectacularly newly remodeled. Nearby is the Volunteer Park Conservatory for a quick tour of some odd plants. The park is surrounded by lovely old homes and the area is filled with young, urban families many who send their kids to the four well reputed Catholic schools on the hill.
A mile or so south of this urban oasis is the area where the infamous riots of 2020 happened. If you
are curious, make your way to
the Seattle Police East Precinct
on 12th and Pine and let your imagination run. This part of town has always been a bit rundown but is now finding new life with a big restaurant and bar scene. As you
make your way back to the hotel, zigzag back and forth between Pike and Pine from 12th all the way to the freeway to see all the fun places to eat and drink. Finish your walk along Melrose Avenue, starting with the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, and a stop into Melrose Market for
a series of excellent food vendors including a favorite, Taylor Shellfish. Now you should be on Olive Street and it’s just a few blocks downhill to our hotel.
This is a big walk. You might drive it or Uber parts of it. Probably best for mature audiences.
Magnolia Boulevard and Discovery Park
I should mention the neighborhood Bob and I have lived in for forty years, Magnolia. It is just 4 miles from the hotel framing Elliott
Bay on its north shore. Magnolia Boulevard offers a beautiful walk following the bluff for several miles with views of Puget Sound and
the Olympics. If you follow the Boulevard to the end you will find yourself in Discovery Park. 534 acres of forest, fields, sandy bluffs and rocky beaches make up this city favorite for hearty walks or sunset strolls. Well-marked trails and high use make this a safe and easy place to find your greens and blues. This is very family friendly.
University Village, Shopping and Dining
“U Village” is a delightful place
to while away an afternoon with some shopping and dining in a very clean, very safe, very lovely setting. The flower beds here are
as impressive as the shops. There is everything from an Apple Store to Restoration Hardware to locally owned boutiques and even a brand new store opened by Macklemore. The food scene is vast and local,
no big chain restaurants here. My favorite is BaBar, a modern take
on Vietnamese. Or maybe the ice cream not made of cream at Frankie and Jo’s, but there is also a Shake Shack for traditionalists. Also, very family friendly.
1st Avenue Walk
From the Pike Place Market to Pioneer Square all along First Avenue are great places to stop in. This is urban, not so green but still worth an excursion. Lots of boutique and uniquely Seattle shops like Metzger’s Maps and Watson Kennedy for beautiful home accessories.
The Seattle Art Museum with it’s excellent gift shop and The Four Seasons Hotel with a comfortable view restaurant punctuate the middle of this stroll. SAM is a relatively small museum with
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spring | federation flyer 22