Seattle’s New Overlook Walk

 

10/14/24 Seattle waterfront and new Overlook Walk (note the Space Needle barely visible but peeking between buildings)

Seattle has a new public attraction: the Waterfront Park’s Overlook Walk. Under construction since shortly after the Alaskan Way Viaduct came down in 2019, the full Waterfront Park is not yet complete, but the newly opened Overlook Walk is a key feature and attraction in its own right. Now that the viaduct is gone, it’s possible to walk safely and easily down the otherwise steep slope from Pike Place Market to the waterfront without ever crossing traffic. The Overlook views are Seattle at its best – the kind you want to bring your out-of-town guests to see. And a big attraction to sketchers will be all the sheltered public seating that would keep us dry.

Scouting mission accomplished!

To plan a USk outing there, Kate, Mary Jean and I decided to have a mini outing first to scout it out. All three of us sketched from the waterfront looking up toward the new Overlook walkway and new aquarium addition, which also opened recently. After lunch, I sketched from the top of the Overlook looking down on the Big Wheel. In addition, I spotted some brightly colored maples on Alaskan Way where new landscaping has been planted near the old railroad tracks.

When I go again with USk, I might take a different approach and single out one view to make a larger sketch. For my first visit, though, I wanted to cram as much as I could onto one page with my comics style – an expression of being dazzled by so many fresh views.

My tax dollars were well spent on this new gem, and I plan to get my money’s worth with plenty of future visits.

Lots of public seating available under this shelter.

Sunny and Chilly at Colman Ferry Terminal

3/30/24 Seattle waterfront from the Colman Terminal pedestrian overpass

Sunshine made the stiff waterfront breeze tolerable when USk Seattle gathered at the newly renovated Colman Ferry Terminal this morning. Although we didn’t need them that day, the terminal would make a great all-weather sketch location because the many deep, wide overhangs above the walkways would shelter us from drizzle.

Looking for a sunny spot instead of the cold shade, I walked out to the middle of the pedestrian overpass crossing Alaskan Way (above). I bit off more than I should have been chewing, but I wanted to capture as much of the waterfront as I could. Those strange frame-like things in the foreground are probably remnants of the old Alaskan Way Viaduct that was taken down in 2019. Right now, they look weird and unattractive, but I hope there’s a plan for them. The yellow excavator is standing where the new waterfront park will eventually be. Since work began quite a while ago, I was surprised to see how unfinished it still is.

After that overwhelming sketch, I walked to the terminal and made a much more comfortable page spread of small scenes (below): a state ferry that had just filled with passengers; my beloved Smith Tower; the terminal entrance; and a sketcher.

It was also fun to fill a few pages with fellow commuters on the light rail trains to the waterfront and back home again. 

LINK light rail southbound train

Northbound train

A fresh view of the skyline from the new pedestrian walkway

Via-chunk

Back in August of 2013, Urban Sketchers Seattle had an outing specifically to sketch the Viaduct as it was to be torn down soon. Well...

Today we sketched at the waterfront where the viaduct is mostly gone. It has been demolished over many months and some Seattle Sketchers have documented the process. I have not visited there since the demolition started so I was surprised at how open the area is now.

There are some still sections left and it was a popular subject today. We had 13 sketchers who braved Friday the 13th as well as possible rain. At the end we gathered around a statue of Ivar and his beloved gulls (more on that later).




Most of the sketchers stayed to share lunch obtained from the walk up Ivar's Fish Bar. Some of us went out to feed french fries to the gulls. Here's Tina offering some to one of gulls perched there for easy pickings.

I sketched this viaduct section in front of Big Fish Games, in the Maritime Building across from the ferry terminal. Himself referred to it as a "via-chunk" when I showed him the sketch later.



As I walked down the way from the light rail station, I took note of some scenes I might want to sketch. This Ivar's running clams weather vane caught my eye, out at the end of a pier. The Ivar's Acres of Clams restaurant and the walk-up window are just around the corner. 

Good-Bye, Viaduct; Hello, Fresh View

9/6/19 The last stump of the viaduct coming down.

It seems like we’ve been saying good-bye to the viaduct for a long, long time. Kate recalled a sketch outing at the waterfront in 2013 when we first started hearing news about the viaduct’s impending doom. I missed that one, but I began my own good-byes last December, when a few other sketchers and I got together to sketch the viaduct. Then there was the official farewell party and closure in February, when I walked on the viaduct for the first and only time.

Once the action got under way, I went back to sketch various parts of the viaduct in March, April, May and June. Last week I went back yet again to sketch the last remaining stump (top of post), which is slowly being demolished even as I type this (viaduct demolition, it turns out, is not a bang but a whimper).

Enough already. I’ve said my good-byes, the viaduct is (mostly) gone, and it’s time to greet the bright view that is now visible after being hidden for decades behind that dark gray mass. Seattle USk did just that this morning, and it was refreshing to see familiar things in a new light – literally.

First I walked to the edge of a parking lot east of Alaskan Way to face west and sketch the Pier 55 building and some cranes behind it. Although this building is not particularly special to me, it’s the first time I’d seen it from that spot. Note the green Starbucks umbrellas in front of it . . .

9/13/19 Pier 55, Alaskan Way

9/13/19 Facing downtown from the waterfront

For my second sketch, I went to that Starbucks and faced east to sketch whatever buildings I could see from the outdoor table I shared with a couple of other sketchers (at right). It’s the same vantage point I had last December (below) – except now I could see the buildings. (And the same HUGE sale is going on next door.)

It’s a bright, new waterfront.

12/21/18 Here's how the same view looked last
December.

Special Order of Sunshine for Milan Visitor

6/15/18 Seattle skyline from Bell Harbor Pier

When Milan urban sketcher Riccardo Pastore contacted Urban Sketchers Seattle to say that he would be in town and wanted to sketch with us, we didn’t just organize a sketch outing for him – we also ordered up some summer weather!

Riccardo said he wanted to sketch the Space Needle (among many other things), so we met at the Olympic Sculpture Park, where I knew there’d be a great view of the Needle. Since I’ve sketched at the park numerous times, I decided to walk a few blocks south to Bell Harbor Pier, where I had sketched briefly last month on my way to an event. I’d made a mental note to go back someday when I had more time to sketch the fantastic view of the skyline and waterfront. That day was yesterday – 70 degrees and sunny! – and like last time, I had the pier nearly to myself. 

6/15/18 Needle (sans ugly hat) from Bell Harbor Pier

Although I had sketched the top of the Needle from the Pier last time, I couldn’t resist another sketch: It has finally ditched the ugly hat it wore for months! Renovation of the viewing deck is complete at last. 

After the outing at the Sculpture Park, Antonella, Sue and I took Riccardo to the Pike Place Market to grab some lunch and so that he could do more iconic Seattle sketching. We’re all invited to sketch with him and USk Milano! I hope to take him up on that someday.

Seawall Construction and the Waterfront

9/25/15 Two stadiums and three cranes

The waterfront is a busy place these days. Construction of the seawall had halted during the busy summer tourist season, but now that the dreary weather is back, so are the big, noisy machines and lots of action. Anne had suggested that the waterfront (if weather permitted) and the ferry terminal building (if it did not) would make the area a good sketch outing for the Friday Urban Sketchers, and indeed it did.

9/25/15 Ferry terminal pedestrian overpass and viaduct

David Hingtgen has some particularly terrific sketches of the seawall construction activity that I was hoping to take a crack at myself from the pedestrian overpass, but this morning’s drizzle was discouraging. Instead, I sheltered under the ferry terminal building’s awning to sketch the overpass itself (with the Alaskan Way viaduct behind it).

Chilled, I ducked into Caffe Apassionnato inside the ferry terminal building. The café’s window-facing table gave me a warm, dry view of CenturyLink Field, Safeco Field and a bright red seawall construction crane. If you look to the far left, you’ll see two yellow cranes from some other project (plus a tall black thing that looked like some kind of pump).

After the group shared its sketches, Kate and I stopped for lunch at Ivar’s fish and chips bar. Due to all the construction, the sculpture of “Ivar Feeding the Gulls” (which I sketched a couple years ago) is temporarily sequestered from the sidewalk with a chain-link fence. Kate was disappointed that she couldn’t sketch Ivar from the front, but we had a full view of the sculpture from the back as we ate lunch.

9/25/15 back view of "Ivar Feeding the Gulls"

Back in Seattle, above and below...

After being in Europe for 3 months, it is truly taking some time to adjust to life back in Seattle! 

These are sketches from 2 sketch outings--one was with the regular Seattle Urban Sketchers Sunday sketching a few weeks back, and the second was yesterday at the tail end of Gail and Frank's successful workshop. It was really nice to get to join the group!

I have found I really love doing these wide and tall, 2-page views.  Something about the expanse captures a sense of being in the space. It's always a challenge, but it is great fun to do...

Above the viaduct...

Below the viaduct...

August Sketch Outing - Under the viaduct, Seattle Waterfront

Join us for the August Sketch Outing

Sunday, August 18: Under the viaduct, Seattle waterfront

10:00 am to 12:30 

Meet at the Starbucks on Alaskan Way and Spring (map)

10:00 a.m. 

Seattle Waterfront

The barge and crane were moored just south of the Aquarium, the 'not so perfect' stuff at the tourist laden waterfront.

Sunday at Bell St. Pier

Sunday's sketch outing was fun...having the cruise ship docked was a great prop and gave the waterfront a more festive feeling! It was great seeing the work of all of the local Seattle Sketchers. And what a treat to get to see both Tia's and Gerard's work in person. It was inspirational!

Gabi really wanted to get some of us up to the upper deck area to sketch. Unfortunately that observation deck is closed when a cruise ship is in, so we sketched the waterfront and the skyline from the Bell St. Bridge. Here is my attempt using a Lamy pen. I also ended up doing a sketch at Anthony's Home Port Restaurant using my new Sailor Calligraphy pen 55 degree nib.

Lake Union

It is just another cold and rainy day in Seattle.

Washington St. Boat Landing

The Washington Street Boat Landing (1920) located just south of the ferry terminal is one of those structures you pass by in the car and don't really notice, to walk by it is a different story...

joys of the waterfront

Was a great day to connect with friends and draw in the cold outside or the warm inside! This was a view west from the streetcar station, a block from the bookstore.
And here is Ramesh's 46-second portrait of another sketcher -- we timed him!