Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Neighborhood Top Five
Following the old trolley route down E Madison St to original Seattle seaside resort
Madison Park Beach
for a game of Frisbee, a brave dip in the lake, and some
wholesome restaurant food.
Learning about Seattle's little-known African American heritage in the CD's
Explore: The CD, Madrona & Madison Park
While individually distinct, the three neighborhoods sandwiched between Capitol Hill
and Lake Washington don't really form a coherent whole. Although they can be ex-
plored together, most nonresidents come here for a specific reason: eg the beach at
Madison Park, brunch in Madrona, or French food in Madison Valley.
Running down the east slope of First Hill, the Central District (CD) represents the
heart of Seattle's African American community and is relatively easy to reach from
downtown. The neighborhood's slightly down-at-heel arteries are 23rd Ave and Martin
Luther King Jnr Way, but it lacks any real nexus and can feel semi-abandoned after
Capitol Hill. You can initiate a stroll of its quiet streets in search of soul food and
Ethiopian cuisine starting from the top of the Pike-Pine corridor.
Keep walking east through the CD and you'll hit Madrona, one of Seattle's more eth-
nically diverse neighborhoods that is being gradually gentrified with some positively
opulent mansions overlooking Lake Washington. Madrona is worth a trip to indulge in
one of Seattle's most popular brunch places, the Hi Spot Café, followed by a walk
along the lakefront.
If the weather's good, Madison Park merits a separate visit for its cute beach, genteel
neighborhood vibe and the Madison Park Conservatory, a lauded sustainable restaurant.
It is best reached on bus 11 along E Madison St, following an old trolley line that once
bussed in knackered lumber workers for some weekend R & R. About a mile before
