Alakan Way Viaduct Closure Survival Guide

Ready or not, the Alaskan way viaduct closure is planned for October 21-31^st.  One of the well travelled roads and a great alternative to I-5, commuters of all vehicles are panicking even for this short nine day closure.  This is going to really congest the West Seattle Bridge to I-5 corridor, which is already unpleasant during the busy commute times.  Unless you are the lucky few that are either taking vacation time or working from home, there is no way around this so let’s look for a solution to the Alaskan viaduct closure.  The state and WADOT are recommending people to shift work hours to avoid busy commute times, carpooling, taking public transportation, and etc.  In order to avoid the commuter nightmare, if everyone does their part, I think we can alleviate some of the pain we will nevertheless endure. 

The Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed for nine days starting @ 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct 21, 2011!

The Alaskan Way Viaduct section of State Route 99

(Map provided by WADOT website)

There was ton of information out there so I wanted to streamline to what’s most important.  You will find following links useful in navigating the Alaskan way viaduct closure.

Nine-day closure of the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct, October 21-31 (what to anticipate and how to prepare yourself)

SR 99 – Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement (comprehensive information on the repair)

King County Metro Transit Alaskan Way Viaduct Construction Updates

Recommended Routes

Bicycle and Pedestrian Routes

Water Taxi Could Sail Through Viaduct Closure

ABOUT CHRISTY KIM

SEATTLE REAL ESTATE

Big orange starfish on Alki Beach

Our elementary school in Issaquah scheduled a field trip for the entire first grade to coincide with an extreme low tide at Alki Beach in Seattle. Teachers in other school districts had the same idea, because about 40 buses turned up and discharged hundreds of kids.  From the parking lot, the beach looked pretty dreary: rocks, seaweed, and gray weather.

Hundreds of kids at Alki Beach

But up close we found lots of things to interest us: big purple and orange star fish (I’ve found the same at Larrabbee State Park near Bellingham and out at the ocean at Point Grenville), drooping anemones waiting for the tide to return, and little one inch crabs under each rock that raise their claws in readiness to fight us.  The sun even peaked out at the end of the visit – a treat in Seattle.

Photo album

Kid picks up seaweed

Alki Beach is a popular summer gathering place for West Seattleites and the nearby neighborhoods are highly desirable places to buy a home.

Downtown Seattle from the pathway

The North Shore of West Seattle is a diverse and beautiful area.  As you travel along Harbor Ave SW, you’ll notice the landscaped area and winding pathway for biking, jogging, walking and skating near the water.  The view across Elliott Bay is downtown Seattle, Queen Anne, and Magnolia.  This pathway stretches all along West Seattle’s north shore and is nearly always in use.  The city has some grassy areas for lounging, stretching or so kids can play.  There are also restaurants and shops on both sides of the avenue.

Don’t have you own way to travel the pathway?  Well, they have that covered to with a rental business that can not only rent the equipment but also does tours of the waters by kayak.  This area is in the Alki Community Wildlife Habitat Project that is trying to maintain and grow additional areas to protect the native wildlife in the area.  If that’s not enough going on, you can take a water taxi to downtown Seattle during the Spring and Summer so you can avoid traffic and have a great boat ride at the same time. What a great way to connect West Seattle’s north shore with downtown Seattle.

Cove 2

Don’t be surprised if you see many scuba divers along the the north shore as there are three coves that you can dive in.  In fact, many divers final certification dives are in this area.  The underwater wildlife, plants and organisms are amazing.  If you go deep enough, you might even run into a six gill shark that roams the depths.  But, don’t worry it may be scary but it is basically safe, if you mind your manners.  Farther along the north shore is another dive site called the pipeline.

So if you have some time on your hands and want a great place to spend some time, West Seattle’s north shore is a great place to start.

Downtown Seattle

It’s amazing what you can find when you stop somewhere that you usually just pass by.  While tooling around West Seattle, I visited Hamilton Viewpoint instead of just driving by and what I found was a beautiful park with a fantastic view.  The panorama of seeing downtown Seattle and Elliott Bay while relaxing in a very peaceful setting was great.  With it’s setting on the north side of West Seattle, it is easy to get to from the waterfront from Harbor Ave or by driving down California Way SW through the neighborhood.

Lots of area to walk

With a park this size, there is always room for everyone to play or relax and still not infringe on others.  There were several people that parked and sat looking at the view while eating their lunches.  Others were walking and playing with their dogs or just strolling through the 16.9 acre park.  Can you imagine taking your kids to a park where they can run and run, play hide and seek or do all the things you don’t want them to do in the house?  Well this is the place.

For more information about the park or directions please see the Seattle Parks Department website.

1. The water! Less than a mile away is the peaceful and gorgeous Beach Drive. Just far enough from the bustle of Alki, yet close enough for a great run /walk with numerous scenic viewpoints and parks along the way. There is even a lovely Italian restaurant, La Rustica, for those nights you’d like to take a leisurely stroll to a memorable dinner.

2. The Alaska Junction offers a plethora of restaurants and pubs. A huge variety of foods are represented here. Mexican, Sushi, Steaks, Thai, pub fare and more! Not to mention our thriving nightlife. Monthly art walks feature local artists, there is live theatre at Artswest, as well as a handful of Karaoke and live music venues.

Alaska Junction Restaurants

3. The choices for your morning caffeine fix are nearly endless. If you’re on the run, Angelina’s has a drive thru. If you need some time online, Hotwire has free wi-fi to pair with your latte. Or, if you just want a cozy, lovely place to be,  C & P Coffee has unbeatable ambiance!

4. The Junction also boasts some excellent boutique shopping. Excellent values are to be found at Cherry Consignment and Funky Jane’s. Or if high end specialty clothes are your thing, Carmilia’s and Sweetie are sure to please. We even have specialty shoe stores, like Edie’s and Clementine, that feature the hippest new styles.

5. If antiques make your heart sing, take a walk through our spacious Antique Mall. The mall offers three floors of shopping delights, from antiques to chotchkeys. You should also check out Wild Rose’s Antiques just up the street. A relaxing Sunday could be spent just wandering through these treasure troves!

6. There are plenty of basic services available in the Junction:

• Automobile repair
• Dentists
• Post office
• Banks
• Hairdressers
• Spa services and more.

You can even pay your City of Seattle bills here. Our retailers include two major grocery stores (QFC and Safeway), plus GNC, True Value, Bartells Drugs, Petco and Next to Nature for your pets, the great Husky Deli and Bin 41 for wine just to name a few. And last, but certainly not least, our Sunday Farmers Market is not to be missed!

7. The Alaska Junction has several fitness options. We have Bikram Yoga , the family-minded YMCA, Fitness Together for one-on-one training, and the 24-hour gym, Snapfitness. My personal favorite is the colossal All Star Fitness just down the hill to the East, near the West Seattle Bridge.

Ercolini Park

8. West Seattle has some amazing parks. Lincoln Park is our most grand, set right on the Sound with a salt water public pool, miles of trails and numerous playing fields. There are also many smaller parks dotted throughout our neighborhoods that really strike me. In my neighborhood of Seaview, the newly built Ercolini Park is always alive with children playing. It is a popular gathering place for families in this area. And then, of course, there is Alki Beach, which provides a beautiful slice of Souther California, right here in our own back yard.

Queen Anne from Alki

9.  It is a quick commute to downtown Seattle for an urban adventure. It is great to live in such a quiet, convenient community, yet have all of the excitement and activity of the city available within easy reach. The West Seattle Bridge, Highway 99 and Interstate 5 keep West Seattle conveniently connected.  The Alaska Junction is also a major bus stop, making it simple and affordable to reach the rest of the city.  We also have a  foot ferry near Alki Beach that runs April-October for car free trips to downtown.

10. The people. Even with all of the breathtaking views, beautiful homes, and exceptional restaurants, it is the people that really make West Seattle great. Everywhere you go, there are friendly, outgoing people who are just truly happy to be a part of and share their community.  It is a common site to see our neighbors out for evenings strolls with their dogs and or kids throughout our neighborhoods.  I’ve been living here in West Seattle for several years, and I have many great friends here. There is a real sense of community here, and I absolutely love it!

Rob LeRoy is a Seattle real estate agent and social media marketing coach with eXp Realty.

Re-Posted from Dwellings Seattle News with permission from my friend and colleague Annette Grupido

Seattle Neighborhood market data is unique to each...

As of April 25, 2010, the statistic is that a median single-family home in “The Seattle Market” is $392,731.00 and I can say confidently right now, there is no move-in ready 3-bedroom house on Montlake, Capitol Hill, Mount Baker or Queen Anne for this price.  But in Maple Leaf?  Yes this price point will buy a house and yard, maybe a nice 2-bedroom mid-century home.  In West Seattle?  Yes definitely in some micro-neighborhoods in West Seattle this is possible.  In Beacon Hill?  Yes again, a mid-century or Craftsman bungalow at $392,731.00 is definitely possible.  So for buyers, it quickly becomes clear what neighborhoods your price point allows and this makes your search constructive and efficient.  And for sellers, be the best option in a certain bracket within your neighborhood, because even in this economy, we still see multiple offer situations if you’re priced right.  Buyers know a good residence when they see it!

Marybeth Cicirello * 206.214.6556 * marybeth.cicirello@exprealty.com * Downtown Seattle Real Estate

A client that moved here because of work sent me a link to her photos while taking a walk with her daughter recently.

Sailing Puget Sound

I love this one showing a sail boat on the Sound with the city and Space Needle in the background. Krista, thanks for sharing a perfect moment!

In the entry before you reach the order counter, there’s a bit of a museum with photos of a natatorium that used to be essentially right across the street.   Well if you are anything like me, you do not know what a natatorium is.  I’ll tell you.  It’s an indoor swimming pool arena.  Yes, there are photos of old time bathing beauties…..  Also on the wall are photos of Spud’s fish and chips, in the early years, with soldiers just home from the war, and signs for the fish and chips for 10 cents.  Oh, and just a clue, it costs just a bit more than that now.

At the other end of the room near the front window seats are copies of a newspaper ad where local land merchants (you know, real estate agents) were selling lots by auction, called Alki Point Beauty Home Tracts.  I’m sure some of them are homes that are still standing, but I wonder just how many. That might be a fun study some day.  Alki Point has mostly view condos along the street and across from the beach.  Also some older beach houses, some that grew like Topsy through the years.  (Wow–am I revealing my vintage!)

And then if you wander upstairs and have a seat to eat your fish and chips, you can watch the water taxi make it’s run across to the city, and enjoy the water views.   Take a look!

At the time these photos were taken, it was too cold for all the beach walkers to be out, but in the summer time, this is a very popular spot.