A couple squares of green along the northern edge of Pike Place Market, this small park recently…read morereopened in March 2025 after some renovations to improve the structural integrity of the park grounds and the underground parking below it. This park provides a little bit of open air respite from the crowds within the market, on July 4th weekend it was pretty packed with loungers, picnickers, tourists taking a break or snapping the waterfront views. Some benches and picnic tables are available. The site of the park is south of what was once the Washington State National Guard Armory built around 1909, was partially destroyed in a 1962 fire, then almost turned into high rise developments and offices during a period when Pike Place Market was proposed to be demolished, but ultimately saved by protests by "Friends of the Market". The city purchased the land on which the armory used to stand and then transferred jurisdiction of a parcel to the parks department, which designated this as "Market Park" in 1982, then renamed in honor of Victor Steinbrueck, an architect, faculty at the University of Washington, and historical preservationist of buildings in Seattle. He was known for his work in helping to design the Space Needle and his advocacy for the restoration and preservation of Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square.

Great view close to Pike Place Market. Want to get away from all the hustle and bustle? This is a…read moregreat place to sit and look at the ferries go by and eat your Piroshki.

The newly updated Elliot Bay Trail is stunning! Many places to sit and enjoy the views. Also a…read morecouple areas close to the waters edge. If you're brave you could take a dip. Not me! I appreciate the designated pathway for walkers and one for cyclists. Not everyone follows the rules but mostly everyone does. A new coffee shop is also on the pathway with gender neutral bathrooms. Even an attendant making sure folks line up and the bathroom stays clean. Wow. Views are amazing too! Across Elliot Bay. And watching the cruise ships is always fun. What a wonderful way to spend the better part of the day. Do it! Live your life! SYOY!

Beautiful park right by the water. I enjoyed a nice run here with views of the water, mountains and…read morecity. I ran towards the downtown Seattle waterfront. Super clean

I can see why people would be a little off put by this park. It's got a lot of concrete, blind…read morecorners and (unfortunately) homeless people all around. The shortcut up the hill is way worth any of that though. And I think the park is beautiful in it's own way. I love the industrial look and how it melds with it's environment. Our experience was a good one. It was a bright and sunny day with minimal wind. We saw over 6 sets of homeless people and they didn't bother us one bit. Our hotel overlooked the park and we saw people in it with their dogs all the time, even when it was raining.

I'm not if they still run the water in the summer anymore. It's showing some neglect for sure…read morethere, a lot trash at the bottom but rest of park was chill there is an small homeless camp there

The view at this park is breathtaking. There are cool trails and a nice place to bike. I like…read morecoming here with out of town friends, have picnics and relax. This is one of my favorite parks in the city to bring food from Met Market. The playground is a little small and not the same size as Jefferson Park.

Bhy Kracke Park is a cute little park that has a children's area and a rock wall…read more It's on the teeny side and is really meant as more of a neighborhood place to bring kids and maybe have a picnic lunch as they play. We dropped in, giggled about the tiny rock wall and kept on our walk. Overall, a very cute park.

Peace at 5:31 AM. This place is unusually loud but early in the morning brings a sense of peace.read more

"Excuse me, how do we get to the ocean?"…read more I was standing at a corner near Westlake Park waiting for the light to turn when a lady and her daughter came up to me and asked me this question. I pointed them towards Elliott Bay. We were definitely nowhere near the Pacific Ocean but I was pretty sure they wanted to get to the waterfront. I chuckled a little after they went on their merry way. It was an organic, human connection that happened during my lunch break. This wasn't the first time someone came up to me and asked me for directions. I kinda expect it when I'm around the retail/hotel district. I'm ok helping folks out; it's a test of my own navigational skills. When my cousins and I were kids we used to run through the park's water fountain. They shut the water off years ago though. They say it's broken but I think people bathed in it or used it as a toilet. Blech. Supposedly they're going to remove this art piece and make way for a redesign. Westlake Mall used to have an outdoor patio overlooking the park. You used to have an aerial view of the Salish basket weave pattern. Then the mall got rid of the top floor food court and decided to close off the patio section. Unless you work in a nearby building it's hard to view the public art's entirety. Kitty corner from the park on 4th & Pine is a building where The Bon Marché used to be. Every winter they would install a giant star on the SE corner of that building. It's lit up to brighten the dark days. Walking past this building always reminded me of the Day-O, One Day Sale jingle. They hold special events and activities year round. They also host food trucks during the workweek. It's easy to get here. Just take the bus to Westlake Center or the light rail to Westlake Station. Side note: If you have time, check out the 80-foot Sequoia Tree a block away. Man In Tree made it popular :) Also, if you're looking for free brochures and visitor guides they have stands at the Convention Center Arch Building, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Ferry Terminal, and King Street Station.

Beautiful park right by the water. I enjoyed a nice run here with views of the water, mountains and…read morecity. Super well maintained.

Beautiful views throughout, nice , clean and would highly recommend for walking, jogging, biking…read more@etc.

quite awesome how there are restaurants within a very nearby walking distance when you are around…read morehere. Came here for the DJ Diesel block party after the World Cup soccer game for US vs Australia was hosted here. A really good time with my friends with couple of vendor stands for drinks, but I wish that there were more of them for food because you needed to be VIP to access the restaurants within the square. nonetheless, nicely set up stage where you are able to hear very well even to the back rows. How neat for residents living in the neighboring buildings were able to be of attendance with needing to pay the $75 to $85 ticket from that event. This place gets crowded, but the foot traffic is not so congested where you cannot move at all. If you feel nauseous or uncomfortable, the ground that borders around each restaurant building is actually very safe without people accidentally hitting you if they are rushing or not paying attention

Pioneer Square, technically a neighborhood, not just a 'square', is in the oldest area of Seattle…read more Two 'underground' tours originate from this area and take you below the streets for a look at newly settled Seattle. Very interesting - can recommend. In the paved, triangular center of Pioneer square you will find a lovely Iron Pergola serving as a bus stop. There is also a Tlingit totem pole here; the original apparently stolen by Seattlites from it's Alasken artisans, causing a bit of a tiff. You can read more here if you like: https://www.historylink.org/File/2076 This same area includes many businesses, trees, benches, tables and chairs. There are many businesses here, restaurants, craft shops, coffee shops, bakery, arts galleries. Smith Tower is not to be missed. Take in the views from the too and stop for a nosh or beve while up there if you have time. There are a number of homeless persons in Seattle and from time to time they will wander into Pioneer square. This may be uncomfortable for you. If so, remove yourself from the situation by taking a walk around the neighborhood or visiting one of the many businesses. It's worth a look, so wander around and enjoy the history.

Steve and I were in Seattle's International District a few weekends ago and I had the community…read moregardens that are within Kobe Terrace (there is a separate Yelp entry for that) in my Yelp bookmarks. I didn't know anything about Kobe Terrace so it was a nice bonus as we were coming here just to check out the community gardens. The wavy chairs down at the bottom of the park is cool as well as all the woodwork around the bottom entrance which is right next to those chairs. As we went up the stairs that reach the top of terrace and through the community gardens we enjoyed all of the greenery and the informational plaques as we made our way. At the top of Kobe Terrace there is a beautiful stone lantern at the top. We definitely took some pictures of it. Apparently going off of some of the pictures other reviewers have made it's beautiful here in the Spring as many of the trees are blooming trees, it looks like cherry blossoms to be specific and it looks so amazing and enchanting strolling through those trees from those pictures so that's definitely something to keep in mind!

It is tricky to review Kobe Terrace. It is a tidy little park that if you come in late March, maybe…read moreearly April, it is heavenly. The place is FILLED with cherry blossom trees. Sure, UW has them, but this place doesn't have the crowds. We were there in late March. Some of the petals have fallen. With every breeze, more petals would fall as though it's raining petals. In Japan, the favorite viewing of cherry blossoms is not necessarily at the peak of the blossoms, but it's just a bit past the prime, exactly at this time of falling petals. We stumbled on this time at Kobe Terrace, and it was just the best. The ground is white-ish with the infinite petals. They also have wave benches and a lantern from Kobe, Japan. So, what's the catch? Well, this park attracts 'others', too. You are very likely sharing space with them. Hey, it's a public park; they can sit on the benches, too. With every breeze, you might pick up extra scent. Enough said. Just be mentally prepared. An Asian gentleman was doing tai chi at the park. Good for him. I am happy to see a local enjoying the park. A group of five young ladies were happily snapping photos of the cherry blossoms. Yay for them. I will likely return during cherry blossoms season. I doubt I would return during other times of the year. It barely feels safe in the daytime because this park is in a corner, backed up against I-5, away from any visible crowds or street traffic. It's always shaded from much visible light. There are several low-income housings nearby, but very few choose to spend time at this park. It is fine if you are in a group. Side note: Adjacent to the park is the Danny Woo Community Garden, tended to by several local communities.