Neighborhood focus
SCC Library featureNeighborhood focus: Lake City
Quirky neighborhood with colorful past
Most Seattleites conjure up visions of car lots and Rick’s strip club when they think of Lake City. Auto dealerships like Bill Pierre Ford dominate the four-lane Lake City Way which runs from Northeast 85th to 145th streets. It’s hard to imagine anything else about Lake City. However, the area also has a charmingly eccentric shopping center and an interesting history that includes gambling, bootleg liquor and picnicking.
With no traffic, Lake City is about a 15-minute drive north of downtown Seattle. The area extends from I-5 to Lake Washington. Lake City Way is a main thoroughfare for commuters living in the northern suburbs of Lake Forest Park, Kenmore and Bothell.
The arterial cuts through the Lake City business district (which stretches from Northeast 120th to 127th streets). Trees on the median separate the street from storefronts. In summer, the branches reach across the street forming a green canopy. In fall, leaves cover the sidewalks in front of the businesses.
On the outside, the business strip looks neglected, as if the lease holders have lost all hope. Storefront signs are dirty, and deteriorating paint decorates the walls of many small businesses. There are also a number of empty storefronts.
Two major events led to a decline in commerce for Lake City. First, in 1927, Aurora Avenue became the main highway for northbound travelers and diverted business away from Lake City. Then, the Northgate Mall opened and drained more customers. As a result, many businesses closed. Abandoned storefronts remained empty while surviving storefronts fell into disrepair.
Lake City still holds on with tenacity, despite economic hardships. The neighborhood is undergoing revitalization. New commercial and residential construction is taking place, while anchor businesses like Starbucks and Subway have moved in. There are also established old-timers that have survived such as Baker’s restaurant and newer successful businesses like Toyoda Sushi and Cranium’s. This new commerce in Lake City reflects an awakened sense of hope in the local business community.
Shopping and dining in Lake City
As the saying goes, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” To really appreciate the full potential of Lake City, one must look beyond the arterial. The business district provides an eclectic mix of stores and restaurants. Included in this mélange are a ballroom dance studio, aikido school, old-fashioned barber shop, tattoo parlor and Mexican grocery. These are just a sampling of the odd business assortment offered to shoppers.
There is also unusual public art that was added to enhance the appearance of the business area. Motorists passing through cannot avoid seeing the infamous Lake City potatoes. Created by an artist from Iowa, the sculpture rests on the median and consists of two man-made rocks resembling giant, alien spuds that somehow landed in Lake City. Many locals have debated over the merit of this artwork.
Lake City may not be Cinderella, but it is a neighborhood with hidden appeal for people who choose to look beyond the surface. It is unassumingly hip and offers quirky retro charm without pretension.
Following is a short list of some noteworthy Lake City establishments.
Cranium’s Cool Collectibles and Internet Café
12302 Lake City Way N.E.
(206) 364-1924
Open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Locals and motorists can’t miss the purple and lime-green structure at the south end of the Lake City business district. Part café and part collectibles store, Cranium’s provides the community with delicious hot meals and espresso drinks accompanied by cool jazz. A popular item is the “Eggsperiment” breakfast sandwich. Served hot on either a muffin or bagel, these sandwiches are made to customer specifications. Other notable items are the homemade soups such as the salmon chowder, awesome salads including a goat cheese and cranberry salad, and hot sandwiches. Visit www.craniums.com for a preview of the restaurant.
Toyoda Sushi
12543 Lake City Way N.E.
(206) 367-7972
Open Wednesday through Sunday, call for hours
Located on the north end of the business strip, Toyoda is a popular destination restaurant in an unassuming location. Renowned for its sushi, diners come from all over Seattle to sample the cuisine. The cozy dining area is always busy, so be prepared to wait for a table. Also, the restaurant is hard to see at night because the strip is not well lit. Check out its cool, techno website, www.toyodasushi.com.
Pacific Market
12332 Lake City Way NE.
(206) 363-8639
Pacific Market restaurant and grocery specializes in Persian food and has been open for eight years in Lake City. The menu offers a tantalizing selection of exotic stews, rice dishes and sandwiches. There are both vegetarian and meat dishes. Persian cooking utilizes an abundance of fresh herbs and spices popular in the Mediterranean, such as parsley, mint and saffron. Other ingredients used are split peas, a variety of beans, lemon and eggplant. They also offer traditional desserts such as saffron ice cream, and provide takeout and catering.
Baker’s Restaurant, Sweet Parlor and Fountain
12534 Lake City Way N.E.
(Next to Value Village)
(206) 365-1888
Open daily, call for hours
Smoking and nonsmoking sections available
Baker’s is one of the original, old-time Seattle businesses. The business originally started in Seattle as a wholesale candy operation under the name of Baker Candy Co. The name changed to Baker’s Restaurant, and the business relocated to Lake City in 1938. Red wall paper and booths give the restaurant a Valentine’s Day look. Old photographs decorate the walls. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a hearty brunch menu perfect for those in search of hangover food. Those who enjoy sweets will appreciate Baker’s old fashioned ice-cream sodas and homemade pies. They still make their own chocolates. Check out the hard-to-resist selection of truffles. Gift cards and stuffed animals can also be purchased on site.
Video Theatre Movie Club
12320 Lake City Way N.E.
(206) 367-5100
Open daily, call for hours
Located in the business strip across from Taco Del Mar, VTMC is a small video store providing a decent selection of independent and foreign films as well as cult classics. Old releases rent for $1.50 and 75 cents on half-price days.
Value Village
12548 Lake City Way N.E.
(206) 365-8232
Open daily, call for hours
Value Village is the ultimate reusable experience. One could furnish an entire house cheaply at this mega thrift store. After shopping, go eat at Baker’s, which is located next door.
Whitey the Bulldog
12328 Lake City Way N.E.
Whitey is the gatekeeper at Don’s Collectibles. He is a black-and-white spotted bulldog who is occasionally seen sitting in front of Don’s store. From a distance, Whitey looks mean, but he is actually very friendly. Whitey is the son of Butch, the former bulldog mascot of Don’s. Butch was a Lake City icon who succumbed to cancer a couple of years ago.
Additional Information
Lake City also hosts a farmers market in the summer and the Lake City Summer Festival, celebrated during the first weekend of August. The summer fest originally began as an end-of-summer harvest festival. It originated before Seafair and was formally called Pioneer Days.
A Brief History of Lake City
Members of the Duwamish Tribe were the first residents of this area. They lived in long, cedar-plank houses along the banks of Lake Washington. During the 1800s, the pioneers also settled around the lake. In the 1860s, the Puget Milling Co. owned most of the land around the lake. In 1906, investors purchased parcels of land from the mill. They mapped out areas near the lake and called it Lake City.
Businesses and settlements sprang up haphazardly around Bothell Road, which later became Lake City Way. This main route was first paved in 1911. During Prohibition, many businesses in the unincorporated areas of North Seattle sold bootleg liquor and hosted prostitution and gambling. Citizens looking for a good time frequented clubs like The Jungle, The Plantation and Tusco’s Tavern.
The China Castle, built in 1929, was the most famous of these clubs. It was later renamed The Jolly Roger in the 1930s. Located on Northeast 87th Street and Lake City Way, the club had a watch tower where employees could look out for police. If trouble came, patrons and employees escaped through a tunnel that crossed under the arterial. The Jolly Roger became a designated Seattle landmark in 1979 but unfortunately burned down in 1989.
Today, the infamous clubs of the 1920s and ‘30s have been replaced by places like Rick’s strip club. Ironically, liquor is now purchased legally at various establishments along Lake City Way (including the Washington State Liquor Store).
After Prohibition, Lake City became a favorite vacation spot for affluent tourists seeking escape from the city. The former Lakeshore & Eastern Railway line advertised excursions to the shores of Lake Washington, and Lake City became known as a picnic stop for people traveling to the countryside. Tourist cabins and campgrounds sprang up to accommodate the vacationers.
The rural countryside of North Seattle was eventually populated by eager families seeking a suburban lifestyle. Little bungalows, many of which still stand, were built after World War II.
In 1949, the Lake City area was incorporated as a township and became the fourth largest community in the state. In 1954, the area from Northeast 85th to 145th streets was annexed into the city of Seattle.
Curious about this or another neighborhood’s history? Go to www.historylink.org. Also, check out “King County Snapshots” online to view historical images of King County.