Location: Northwest Seattle
Address: 5420 22nd Ave. N.W.
Acreage: 0.2
Bergen Place, at the main intersection of Seattle’s Scandinavian-influenced Ballard neighborhood, opened in 1975 to honor Seattle’s sister city in Norway. The King of Norway himself visited that year to dedicate the park.
Some 30 years later the park was ready for a makeover, and in 2004 it was reopened. (No visiting royalty this time.)
The major new addition are the giant “trees” designed by artist Jenn Lee Dixon that tower over the park. They’ve drawn some criticism by true-blue Ballard residents who feel that they don’t represent the park’s Scandinavian history.
Have a seat on a bench at Bergen Place next time you’re in Ballard and decide for yourself.
#141 (Visited 3/23/10)