Walkability

Read more about the article The Tale of Two Streets: Why Have Stone Way and 45th Street Developed Differently?
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The Tale of Two Streets: Why Have Stone Way and 45th Street Developed Differently?

As a resident of Wallingford for my entire life (just over 17 years), I’ve always enjoyed walking down Stone Way and along 45th Street. Each street contributes to my home’s Walk Score of 95, making it a “Walkers’ Paradise,” where most errands can be done on foot. Lately, I’ve wondered why more housing has been built on Stone Way than on 45th Street.   This question led me to look more deeply into the knobs and levers that control a neighborhood’s…

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Read more about the article Retiring in Wallingford: Our Walk Score is Our Best Asset

Retiring in Wallingford: Our Walk Score is Our Best Asset

I recently read in an article in Seattle Magazine that Seattle has been named the most walkable city in the United States for 2025. That got me thinking about individual walk scores, which you can find by plugging in your address on Walk Score’s website. This came up after I commented in a Facebook group I belong to called “Retiring on a Budget.” I mentioned that I have a walk score of 99 because I live on the corner of Stone…

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Read more about the article Wallingford Walk: City Nature Challenge

Wallingford Walk: City Nature Challenge

Just a quick reminder, the Woodland Park Zoo will be coming to the library (well, the meeting room behind the library) this Saturday, April 28, from 10-11 to talk about the City Nature Challenge 2018. Afterwards, we will do our first Wallingford Walk of the new series, as we embark on a mini-safari seeking out wildlife to identify for the Challenge. Bring your smart phone or tablet, a sunhat, and ideas for future walks! See you soon, Dawn - your Wallingford librarian

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Save the Date: the Return of Wallingford Walks

As the new librarian for the Wallingford Library, I've been talking with folks and trying to get a sense of what sort of programming would work with our small library and amazing neighborhood. I decided to develop a series of educational programs that go outside the library, lead by people from the community, showcasing both local resources and library materials. Little did I realize that I was reinventing the wheel! I recently learned that Wallingford Walks previously was born as the…

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Read more about the article Wallingford Bicycle Excursion – Gasworks Park to Montlake Playfield

Wallingford Bicycle Excursion – Gasworks Park to Montlake Playfield

One of my favorite Wallingford excursions is taking the kids on the bike and going to Montlake Playfield. My route is almost all dedicated trail from my house and so I'm not too worried about the combination of cars and kids and bikes. My five-year old is hitched up to my bike on a Follow Me, and my two-year old rides on a co-pilot child seat. Montlake Playfield is a hidden gem of a park. The climbing jungle gym is a step up…

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Read more about the article Urban Nature Lovers Needed
Tree ambassadors get to do cool things like this at their annual picnic.

Urban Nature Lovers Needed

Have you ever walked past an overgrown, untended plot of the urban landscape and thought to yourself how much better that little bit of green space would be with some love and attention? You are not alone! In fact, Seattle is filled with noticers, and some of them have noticed that Wallingford has a few places that could use some love - like the neglected areas at 46th and Midvale, 45th and Midvale and Aurora at 46th. These lovely noticers have…

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Read more about the article Bootyland Moving to Wallingford Center

Bootyland Moving to Wallingford Center

I stopped by Bootyland, the hip children’s clothing and toy boutique which moved from Capitol Hill into the former slot of Paron’s Closet in Wallingford Center. Jordan writes: Hopefully, they'll do better than Paron's Closet (http://www.wallyhood.org/2013/07/parons-closet-closing-notes/) and Izilla Toys (http://www.wallyhood.org/2011/10/izilla-toys-closing/), the latter of which made a similar move from Capitol Hill to Wallingford Center, where it discovered the hard way that Wallingford Center's organic foot traffic is fairly sparse. Although their opening was March 4th, they weren't quite ready for show…

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