Neighborhood focus: West Seattle
Violence Against WomenWest Seattle: Seattle done small
Growing up in West Seattle but spending my formative years in schools and with friends north of the Ship Canal, I quickly learned how ignorant people can be about life in the southwest – of Seattle, that is. Besides Alki Beach, which most people tend not to associate with the area, the Westside is a foreign place, a scary place, a place to go to when they have a very specific obligation drawing them there. Those of us who live there, sometimes even move back there voluntarily, must be either very brave or very out of our gourds.
What those people don’t realize is that West Seattle’s story is Seattle’s story, abridged. The city was literally born there. OK, so it was called New York Alki and was all but abandoned to industry when most of the Denny Party moved inland to what is now downtown, but it was the West Seattle shores where the schooner Exact dropped off those rain-soaked and (in the case of some of the women) heart-sick pioneers on Nov. 13, 1851.
It is also a microcosm of the city. We have our estates (Beach Drive) and our low-income housing (High Point – now under renovation thanks to a federal grant). We have our mom-and-pop stores and our gentrified, upscale establishments. We have sports, arts and entertainment, industry, parks, commercial and residential zones galore. In short, we have heterogeneity: West Seattleites from every walk and clime in life (and there are nearly 79,000 of us, according to the 2000 census) play, work and live in those 16-plus square miles.
Why do I point all of this out? Because West Seattle does not fit most people’s definitions of a neighborhood. It’s a city within a city. It has its own neighborhoods like Alki, Admiral, Delridge and Fauntleroy and the Junction, with sub-neighborhoods (Don’t tell the community councils I called them that) like Charlestown, Cottage Grove, Seaview, Highland Park and Westwood. And going back to my very first statement, we have reasons for living in and loving West Seattle, some of which could also draw a few north-enders south of the Ship Canal for a taste or a look – even without a specific obligation.
To narrow down West Seattle’s amenities into a neat, little list is a daunting task. So, I decided to look past the bigger draws, past the out-in-the-open, easy-to-find places. I went for the out-of-the-way and hidden treasures that even some locals may not know about. I also aimed to cover most of the area; these places may be nowhere near each other.
Food
Luna Park Café (2918 S.W. Avalon Way) – The Luna Park Café takes its name from the Coney Island-like amusement park that operated on West Seattle’s Duwamish Head (No, not Alki Point; that’s south of the main beach) from 1907 to 1913. The café pays homage to its namesake with its décor of amusement-park knickknacks and prints of old photographs. Adding to the kitsch is the collection of old-fashioned lunch pails lining the rafters. And what eclectic joint would be complete without a jukebox with programming capability in every vinyl-seated booth?
The food at the café is fairly standard: burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc. The breakfast menu is huge, with many an omelet or hobo (hash mixed in) to tempt any taste bud. I’ve never heard a review of the shakes that wasn’t raving. Quantities are large, but prices aren’t.
Hours of operation are also appealing: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, with an extra evening hour tacked on Friday and Saturday. Plus, the Luna Park Café is one of the first businesses a visitor could run across upon entering West Seattle, although it’s cleverly nestled just out of plain sight. Non-locals can take the Harbor Avenue Southwest exit off the West Seattle Bridge and turn left at the light. The café is just beyond the underpass, sandwiched between Java Bean and Avalon Glassworks. For more information, call (206) 935-7250.
Cat’s Eye Café (7301 Bainbridge Place S.W.) – The Cat’s Eye reminds me of one of those mom-and-pop stores you might pass on a road trip to Yellowstone, complete with the gravel parking lot and squeaky, wood-framed screen door. Once inside, visitors will see that the café was aptly named, as feline friendliness is in abundance. The décor is all about kitties, as is the menu.
Sandwiches are the café’s main fare, with selections like “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (reuben), “House Cat” (BLT) and “Cat in Heat” (tuna melt, of course). I gravitate toward the grilled foccaccia sandwiches, which ooze with creative concoctions. For a place that is unabashedly catty, there are also plenty of veggie selections to savor. I wouldn’t call the sandwiches cheap at $7 to $8, but they are filling and come with a hunk of pickle and Tim’s Cascade potato chips.
The café is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It is located along Fauntleroy Way Southwest, on the ferry route north of Lincoln Park. Call (206) 935-2229 for information.
Salvadorean Bakery (1719 S.W. Roxbury St.) – All right, the bakery is on the south side of Roxbury, technically outside the city limits and in White Center. I also admit that I haven’t been there in a while. But, its atmosphere was welcoming and the food inviting enough the last time I was there that is deserves a mention.
I usually go in during its laid-back morning hours, favoring its spicy breakfast sausages and eggs, while my companions have chosen beans and eggs with sour cream. The bakery also does a spry lunch business with its selection of authentic South American menu items.
My eyes always gravitate to the pastry counter, filled with many sweet or not-too-sweet goodies. I bought several slices of their carrot cake for a family birthday party one year, and they were worth it. They also do other traditional birthday fare, i.e. big gooey cakes.
The bakery is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. To get there, take the Fauntleroy Way route into West Seattle and turn left at the first light onto 35th Avenue Southwest. After what may seem like forever, turn left onto Southwest Roxbury Street. It’s about a mile east, in the strip mall just past Holy Family Church and School (can’t miss them).
Outdoor recreation
Schmitz Preserve Park (5551 S.W. Admiral Way) – A rarity in these parts, Schmitz Park is Seattle’s own old-growth forest. The Schmitz family donated the land to the city in 1908, with the provision that it would always be used as a park. Early amenities, aside from abundant trails, included a shelter house, restroom, rustic benches and bridges.
In 1948, the Parks Department committed in writing to preservation of the park’s native state, and over the years, often with human “assistance,” nature has reclaimed most of the land. Vandals burned the man-made structures decades ago, and the trails and bridges have become weathered with age. Up until recently, a parking lot was still part of the park, but thanks to some people’s bad behavior and poor drainage, Parks officials and the community decided to completely reclaim the park for nature. The parking lot was closed, and Schmitz Creek, which ran through culverts under the road, was day-lighted.
Today, it is a mass of natural beauty that, once inside, visitors can have a hard time believing is in the city. To the east is a ravine filled with old-growth evergreens and deciduous beauties that show off the seasons in all their glory. To the west is a boulevard which runs along the creek, under the Schmitz Park Bridge and feeds out by the Alki Community Center (just a block off of Alki Beach).
Schmitz Park is open from 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily. To get there, take the Southwest Admiral Way exit off of the West Seattle Bridge. Pass through the Admiral District, and the road will start twisting through a residential area. Signage for the park will be on the left, in one of the bends.
For more information, visit the Friends of Schmitz Park Web site, www.schmitzpark.org.
Camp Long (5200 35th Ave. S.W.) – Ever have a yen to do some camping but don’t feel like traipsing all the way into the foothills, attempting to pitch a tent on the apartment veranda or invading Mom and Dad’s back yard? Shocker of shockers, there is a place to camp in the city.
West Seattle’s Camp Long opened in 1941 as a place for scouts to learn camping skills. Today, the 68 acres just south of the West Seattle Golf Course are home to a variety of nature programs and recreational opportunities for the entire community. The camp boasts several classes, field trips and other events through its Nature Center. Private naturalist-led parties can also be arranged.
For visitors looking for a bit less structure, the camp is home to a vast network of walking trails, an observation pond and a large parade field, as well as 10 rustic cabins available for overnight rental. Each cabin has sleeping room for 12 people. The cabins are also relatively inexpensive at $35 per cabin per night, with a $50 refundable damage deposit.
And for the truly adventurous, the camp is also home to two climbing structures: the glacier wall and Schurman Rock. The latter, recently reopened, is widely regarded as the oldest man-made climbing rock in the country. Its 20-foot-high, asymmetrical face is a favorite in the Seattle climbing community; Jim Whitaker, famous for scaling Mount Everest, cut his climbing chops on the famous structure.
The camp is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. To get there, take the main route into West Seattle and turn left at the first light onto 35th Avenue Southwest. Pass through three lights, and the camp will sneak up on the left, at about Southwest Dawson Street. For more information, call (206) 684-7434 or visit www.cityofseattle.net/parks/environment/camplong.htm.
Indoor Entertainment
Hokum Hall (7904 35th Ave. S.W.) – Whoever said Vaudeville is dead hasn’t been to West Seattle lately. Hokum Hall, founded by Louis Magor and Hokum W. Jeebs in 1993, brings back the theatrical magic of the turn of the 20th century with fun-loving performances and events. Ragtime is central to the hall’s repertoire, with several musical performances scheduled during the year. The hall also hosts holiday extravaganzas, variety shows with magic acts and more, and guest performances from groups like the Cornucopia Concert Band and the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band. Silent-film nights are a special treat, since visitors can cozy up for showings of Laurel and Hardy, Chaplin, Keaton and more, all accompanied by the hall’s pride and joy: a 1929 Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ.
To get to the hall, take the 35th Avenue left turn and follow the arterial south. It is between Southwest Kenyon and Monroe streets.
Hokum Hall is currently closed for the Thanksgiving holiday but will be open in time for special holiday shows this winter. A schedule will be available shortly at www.hokumhall.org.
Liberty Deli (2722 Alki Ave. S.W.) – Don’t be fooled by the not-so-hidden location, because the Liberty Deli hides an after-hours treat for theatrically-minded patrons: Steeplechase Productions, Seattle’s only deli-theater company. The company puts on several witty or daringly evocative shows each year on a stage set up in the deli’s front dining area. And since it is an eating establishment, owner and operator Tom Ansart offers a dinner buffet to complement each show.
The deli is currently featuring “Huis Clos” (“No Exit”), an adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential play. The buffet features classic French cuisine. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 22. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. Cost is $29 for dinner and the show ($14 without dinner). Call (206) 935-8420 for more information.
To get to the deli, take the Harbor Avenue Southwest exit and turn right at the light. Follow Harbor Avenue around Duwamish Head (It will turn into Alki Avenue Southwest) to the main strip. It is between 60th and 61st avenues southwest, across the street from the Alki Bathhouse.
Log House Museum (3003 61 st Ave. S.W.) – To conclude this little journey to West Seattle’s little-known treasures, I will go back to the beginning – literally. Alki’s Log House Museum is a turn-of-the-century carriage house (the main house was converted more than a half-century ago into Alki’s Homestead Restaurant) which was bought, renovated and converted into a heritage museum by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society in 1995. Now, it houses annual displays depicting local historical figures, places and events. The current display is “Rich Traditions,” a look at the history of West Seattle High School. Past displays included “9/11 Memorials,” a collection of the keepsakes left at Alki’s Liberty Statue, and a sesquicentennial display, featuring artifacts from the local Duwamish tribe and the Denny Party, to mark Seattle’s 150th birthday.
The Log House is open from noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays and noon to 3 p.m. weekends. Be sure to stop into the gift shop, which offers many historical books, videos and local art treasures. For more information, visit www.loghousemuseum.org.
To get there, follow the same directions for the Liberty Deli. Turn left onto 61st Avenue Southwest. The Log House is about two blocks in, past the Homestead.
Much of the historical and statistical information for this article came from the West Seattle Herald, its 1987 history book, “West Side Story,” and www.historylink.org.