Pioneer Square & International District - Seattle - page 137

rose in the aftermath of the 1889 fire. Galleries and antique shops will catch your
eye, but be sure to descend, as President Obama recently did, to the Grand
Central Baking Co ( Click here ) for cakes and sandwiches. Pioneer Square
Park ( Click here ) is usually awash with tourists and homeless people, including
local characters selling the newspaperReal Change. The small triangular park
sports an Eiffel-esque iron pergola and the Richardsonian Romanesque Pioneer
Building. Leading east, Yesler Way ( Click here ) holds the dubious distinction
of being the nation's original 'skid row.' The appearance of the ugly concrete car
park on James St convinced the city to introduce greater conservationist meas-
ures in the 1960s. You can divert on the corner with 2nd Ave for a quick glance at
the neoclassical Smith Tower ( Click here ) , erected by LC Smith, a man who
built his fortune on typewriters (Smith-Corona) and guns (Smith & Wesson).
Head south on 2nd Ave S and go right on Washington St S; Occidental Park
( Click here ) , with its ivy-covered edifices, quickly opens out on your left. Cross
Main St into Occidental Sq before heading left on South Jackson Street , the
western terminus of Seattle's newest streetcar. In the 1890s S Jackson's stores
outfitted prospectors heading for the Klondike, Canada. Fill in your historical gaps
at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park ( Click here ) before pa-
cing one block back to King Street Station.
International District
WING LUKE ASIAN MUSEUM MUSEUM
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( www.wingluke.org ; 719 S King St; adult/child $12.95/8.95; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun; Chin-
atown/International District E) Relocated and refurbished in 2008, the Wing Luke exam-
ines Asian and Pacific American culture, focusing on prickly issues such as Chinese
settlement in the 1880s and Japanese internment camps in WWII. There are also art ex-
hibits and a preserved immigrant apartment. Guided tours are available and recommen-
ded.
UWAJIMAYA MALL
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