Green Lake
In 1855, a government surveyor discovered a small, foul-smelling, green lake, a product of the last ice age. At one time this whole area was covered with ice up to 3,500 feet thick. That is the equivalent of five Space Needles stacked atop each other. Now that is a lot of ice!
Today, that small green lake is surrounded by a park and vibrant neighborhood aptly named -- you guessed it -- Green Lake. This emerald jewel not only provides a place for entertainment, exercise, and enjoyment to tens of thousands of visitors and locals but is also the heart and soul of the enchanting Green Lake neighborhood.
Explore the unique shops for a gift for that special friend or a treat for yourself. Get your morning coffee and read the newspaper. Have breakfast, lunch or enjoy a fine dinner and beverage of your choice. Maybe buy something to go, and have a little picnic. Rain or shine, Green Lake is a place where people take off to have fun. And much of it is free for the doing. You can spend an hour, a day, a week, even years enjoying Green Lake the park and its surrounding environs.
Green Lake Park
map
7201 E Green Lake Dr. N
Seattle, WA 98115
206) 684-4075
website
The trail around Green Lake is a great place to ride a bike, roller skate, rollerblade, jog, run or walk. Once around the lake is 2.8 miles, perfect for that cardiovascular thing we all worry about.
Maybe you are a team sports or group activities person. Well, Green Lake is for you, too. Check out the Qigong classes, lawn bowling, boccie ball, par 3 golf, soccer, baseball, softball, roller hockey, rugby, volleyball, tennis, or swimming (lake and indoor pool – community center). If none of these is to your liking, start your own activities. Or rent a boat and paddle or peddle around the lake. Lots of people just like to lie on the grass, work on their tans, study the clouds, watch the nautical activity out on the water, nap, people-watch or (for the really self-contained) just read. Oh, you did not bring a book? Not to worry: the Green Lake library is located just across the street from the east side of the park.
Same if you forgot to bring your bicycle, skates, or boat. No problem, these items are readily available to rent.
Green Lake Boat Rentals
map
7351 E. Green Lake Dr N.
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 527-0171
www.greenlakeboatrentals.net
One of the best ways to enjoy Green Lake and the surrounding is actually on the water. Green Lake Boat Rentals has the necessary equipment to let you do just that. You can rent a kayak, canoe, sailboard, sailboat, rowboat or pedal-boat by the hour and explore the lake to your heart's content. The boat house is just adjacent to the Green Lake Community Center parking lot, right on the water. Just look for all the watercraft.
The Bathhouse Theater
7312 W. Green Lake Dr. North
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone 206 524 1300
www.seattlepublictheater.org
map
Box Office Hours: Tue - Sat 1 pm to 5 pm and 1 hour before show time.
The Bathhouse Theatre is, well, an intimate theater. That means small, no frills. But the Bathhouse showcases great performances by great actors. The theatre is operated by Seattle Public Theatre and is definitely one of the best smaller theaters in the Seattle area. I have never been disappointed.
Green Lake Small Craft Center
map
5900 W Green Lake Way N
Seattle, WA 98103
206 684-4074
Website
Not to confuse, but the Green Lake Small Craft Center accommodates both the Green Lake Crew and the Seattle Canoe and Kayak Clubs.
These clubs, and other area groups of similar interest, are the shakers and movers that drive the following annual events.
The Green Lake Spring Regatta (April)
The Spring Regatta is traditionally the year's first major rowing event in the region, with as many as 1,200 junior and masters athletes of all ages competing—right there on Green Lake, of all places!
The Milk Carton Derby (opening of Seafair events)
The Milk Carton Derby is one of the wackiest and most fun events of the year. Nearly one hundred boats (floating on or constructed from milk cartons) vie for $10,000 in prizes and prestige. Not to mention the delight of their backyard designers, captains and crews. Join thousands of derby-goers to watch children, adults, families and businesses try for a spot in "Milk Carton Derby" History. This is a great family event. The action all takes place on the southeastern shore of Green Lake.
Summer Rowing Extravaganza (August)
The Summer Rowing Extravaganza draws competitors from throughout the Northwest! In August 2006, Green Lake hosted the U.S. Rowing Masters National Championship Regatta. Over 2000 competitors attended, ranging in age from 23 to 86 years old.
Luminata (September)
If you are in Seattle in September, try to take in the Luminata. Join in on an enchanting walk around Green Lake after dark with lanterns and friends (if not now, certainly by walk's end). Most lanterns are homemade of bamboo, reed and tissue paper, but do not rule out various other charming/oddball materials and techniques.
The promenade usually pauses halfway around the Lake at the Seattle Public Theater hill, where everyone enjoys a hot beverage and cookies. Someone rightly said, "Luminata is the event with the greatest sweetness factor."
The Frostbite Regatta (November)
The Frostbite Regatta, a forty year-old tradition, shares the last weekend of fall racing in the Northwest with the Lake Washington Rowing Club's annual Head of the Lake Regatta. Participants race the 1000 meter course on Saturday at Green Lake, and then the three-mile mile head-race on Lake Washington the next day.
Northwest Puppet Center
9123 15th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98115
Phone: 206 523-2579
Offical Website
The Northwest Puppet Theater is not really located in the Green Lake neighborhood but right next door in the Maple Leaf neighborhood.
Directions & Map
Puppet Theater is believed to have come in to being with the advent of the shadow puppets centuries ago in China. But puppets and puppeteers have been around for centuries before that. People form all walks of life and social classes all over the world have enjoyed the performances of puppets and their puppeteers. And Northwest Puppet Theater keeps this ancient form of entertaining theater alive and well by presenting over 250 performances each year.
The Carter Family Marionettes have been featured performers at National and World Puppet Festivals from Scotland to Uzbekistan. The company has been awarded the "UNIMA/USA Citation of Excellence" (the highest award in American puppet theater) for three of their productions and are especially known for their mastery and preservation of the traditional Sicilian marionette theater known as Opera dei Pupi.
If you are entertaining grade schoolers or are a child at heart, this is a show you don't want to miss.
