Living in the Rainier Valley

Life in the Rainier Valley

A lot of Seattlites have never been to the Rainier Valley and they are missing a lot.  Nestled below Beacon Hill is one of the most intreging areas of urban improvement and a spectacular life.  Driving down the main thoroughfare from downtown Seattle, Martin Luther King Way S., you’ll see a considerable amount of new housing, condominiums, urban parks and rapidly changing demographics.  This is truly the most diverse area in Seattle, where you can meet someone from most ethnic groups at your neighborhood Starbucks.  If you like diversity in dining, there are restaurants of every type on MLK or Rainier Ave, the other main arterial. 

One of the favorite places for people to visit in the valley is Seward Park, a 300 acre park on a small peninsula out into Lake Washington facing Mercer Island.  The park contains miles of jogging, biking or walking trails, picnic and barbeque areas and a small amphitheater for year round concerts.  Oh yes, there’s plenty of grass to lay out on those beautiful summer days to get a tan or play frisbee.  Not long ago, I also visited with some people that were fishing for catfish off of the shore near where my friends son was wading in the water.  This is just one of the many parks in the area, including small urban parks for children in neighborhoods to play in, ball parks for those that play softball or baseball and soccer fields.  And lest we forget…Sayres Memorial Park is just down the road from Seward Park and is the main hubbub during Seafair as the Stan Sayres Hydroplane pits are there and culminate Seattle’s Seafair celebration.  Having spent a day there watching the Air Force Blue Angels fly overhead and the Hydroplanes roar past, I can say first hand it is the place to be.   

Let’s not forget the new light rail system that was put in down MLK.  This state of the art system can be caught at different places along the route at beautiful new stations.  From there you can get to work in downtown Seattle in no time and guess what?  You don’t need to waste your hard earned money on gas and parking and it’s environmentaly friendly.  So save some money, save the environment, save the tension of battling other drivers and arrive relaxed at work or back at home.   And guess what, the light rail also goes by Safeco and Qwest fields when you want to go and cheer on our Mariners, Seahawks or Sounders. 

What is life in the Rainier Valley?  It is a glimpse into the future of how people may choose to live.  No cars, enjoying family and meeting many different people in all types of cultures.  Living in the Rainier Valley is a glimpse of our future.