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Wallingford has a walk score of 97, which means there is excellent access to amenities such as groceries, restaurants, and shops on foot. But Wallingford was once known as Wallingford Hill. A person walking from Lake Union at the bottom of the hill to the Good Shepherd Center at the top will experience about 160 feet in altitude change, which is a good hike and a contributing factor when deciding to walk or drive. Kudos to those who have mastered living without cars, but for many of us, there are occasions, considering a person’s age, time constraints, weather issues, and too much to carry, that you buck the potential guilt of driving in the neighborhood and find yourself running errands in a car. I do try to group my errands so each trip with the car accomplishes a lot. With driving comes the need to find parking, and in the rainy season in which we currently find ourselves, covered parking is a rare blessing.

Where might you locate such a rarity—covered parking—in Wallingford? Bedrooms & More offers free covered parking for their customers in two buildings: at the flagship store, park off 4th Avenue NE, and at the clearance store, enter parking off Latona Avenue NE. In lower Wallingford, the building at 39th and Stone Way, where Eltana Wood Fired Bagels resides, has entry to parking off N 39th Street. Tavolàta and Purple Café and Wine Bar, both in lower Wallingford/Western Fremont, have underground paid parking. A jackpot find is the Stonehedge Apartment building at 1220 N 45th Street, on the northwest corner of 45th and Stone Way. Here is a bit of trivia: this location was once the site of The Bounty, a dive bar that was painted black and had portholes for windows. Also, McDonald’s was located on the north part of this site. About twenty years ago, I was sitting at the light at 45th and Stone Way and witnessed the golden arches of McDonald’s being cut out of the awning as demolition was about to commence—I had never dreamt a McDonald’s could just go away. Today at this location you will find free covered parking for customers of five retailers and service providers. Enter the parking between Tousle hair salon and Zoom Care on Stone Way. You will find a great mix of businesses in this building: besides Tousle and Zoom Care, T-Mobile, Verity Credit Union, and Stone’s Throw Coffee & Market are located here. I recently received help with my credit card at Verity and appreciated the considerate personal attention. Stone’s Throw just opened this spring—have you checked them out? It is a fabulous place, with great people, service, and ambiance. Find your caffeine fix here in the morning, beer and wine later in the day, with tasty bites and to-go market items in a comfortable setting.

Parking may seem trivial to discuss, but the availability of parking is sometimes a factor in decision-making about where you will go. You might call out in the comments any other covered lots available as we shop in Wallingford. We appreciate all parking, such as the big lots at the Wallingford Center, QFC, and the various bank parking lots. Landing street parking near your destination can make your day as well.

The businesses in Wallingford contribute to the sense of place we enjoy here, and with the current economic issues in our country, they would appreciate your support. So, whether you walk or drive, Wallingford has a wide variety of shops, services, and restaurants in our small town in the big city. Let us support our local businesses and help them and our community thrive.