Location: North Seattle
Address: N.E. 43rd St. and 9th Ave. N.E.
Acreage: 0.1
I knew the time would come when I would struggle to muster up kind words for a Seattle park. Alas, Christie Park in the University District may just be that park.
It looks a little like an abandoned bus shelter, with a park bench under a small covered area. It was fitting when I discovered that this park actually was an abandoned transformer station.
But, every park has some redeeming features, so I’ll try to point those out.
Named after James Christie, who led an expedition in the Olympic Mountains in 1889, the park sits on a corner lot in a neighborhood filled mostly with student housing. I think students would find one of the benches to be a pleasant spot for a study break on a sunny day.
There’s also a basketball court, although the torn net and graffiti-decorated backboard looks like it hasn’t seen a ball in years.
See if you can spot the interesting mural by A. Fiske. That may be the park’s best feature.
#154 (Visited 4/10/10)