It’s Sunday and after posting about Rhinestone Rosie and the Macrina Bakery I’ve been thinking a lot about the Queen Anne walking tour that was called the Promenade.
On Sundays, after church, people would walk around the top of Queen Anne, see the neighbors and take in the views of the city. To own a home along the Promenade was a coveted location. You can see some of the finest homes, with great attention to detail along with some more modest craftsman homes.
The most popular part of the Promenade is down 8th Avenue West to Highland Drive. This takes in the views of the City and the Grand Wall with lighted fish bowls on the South West side of the Hill. The walk is much longer and goes around the top of Queen Ann Hill. It is mostly flat with a few inclines and declines.
To follow the path completely you would continue East across Queen Ann Avenue, the counter balance and deviate a little to the right from 1st Avenue North to Prospect which will continue East before it gently turns into Bigelow. This is the longest part of the walk that is uninterrupted by turns. It goes North and South along the East side of the Hill.
The North side of the walk is the most confusing. From Bigelow you go left to West Wheeler which winds a bit up to Nob Hill West and you walk across the bridge. Now McGraw is a reoccurring street name and you will be following McGraw Pl to Smith Street and cross Queen Ann Avenue. Here another McGraw Place curves into McGraw Avenue to cross 3rd Avenue. The street gently curving to the right is again McGraw Place.
This next section is taking you past the cemetery which was a customary part of paying respects on a Sunday. So you are headed down 5th Ave to West Raye, right on 8th which takes you to West Fulton and finally a left to 10th Avenue West.
It gets a little complicated here because you are going to loop back into West Wheeler, over to 8th Avenue West and back up to McGraw Avenue, take a left and immediate right onto 7th Avenue West. This is where there is a little shopping area with Macrina Bakery and Rhinestone Rosie’s a block over, but you are headed down 7th.
As you head South on 7th Avenue West you will see the tree lined street give way on the right to the light poles with fish bowls on top. At the end of that wall you see West Blaine turning to the right and then a left on 8th Avenue West completes the loop down to West Highland Drive.
Of course now, with cars, you still see people walking, but not the fancy clothes of an afternoon stroll. Baby strollers and sweats are more normal. Still if you have the time, or you want some place other than Green Lake, you could spend a few hours in the afternoon walking around the Promenade that encircles the top of Queen Ann Hill.
Hi David- Enjoy your pithy comments on Rain City Guide- including today’s. Let this Seattle native tell you it’s Queen Anne- (with an e on the end). Keep writing. Jerry