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Published in The Seattle Times online on Feb. 13, 2025
and in Pacific NW Magazine of the printed Times on Feb. 16, 2025
Walks throughout Seattle can expand the mind and charm the soul
By Clay Eals
Mass transit always makes massive news. Well, what if the masses transported themselves more often by foot?
That’s a question implicitly raised by David B. Williams’ newly expanded second edition of “Seattle Walks: Discovering History and Nature in the City” (University of Washington Press).
Filled with colorful maps and photos, tips, trivia and bygone context, the 304-page pocket guide, revised since its original printing in 2017, reaches all corners of the city. The sequel allowed Williams “to rethink my interaction with the landscape” while providing updates and additional walks in three neighborhoods that he identifies as humming with historical diversity:
- The Central District, with deep roots in the Black, Jewish, Asian and Catholic communities.
- South Lake Union, with an archival mix of nationalities and industries.
- And Georgetown, with working-class ambience based on the Rainier brewery that once dominated the district, paired with what Williams calls a “dark” vibe stemming from an infamous legacy of drinking, gambling and prostitution.
Viewing any neighborhood from a pedestrian’s eyes, of course, can reveal striking alterations. “Even if you’ve gone someplace over and over again, you always find something new,” says the author, best known for “Too High and Too Steep” (2015), about Seattle’s transformative regrades. “The city is always changing, whether it’s different weather, different people, different plant life or different animals you might encounter.”
Or different building uses. For instance, Georgetown, a city from 1904 until its 1910 annexation to Seattle, erected a stately, second city hall in 1909. Its classic clock tower presides in both our “Then” and “Now” photos. (The steeple was pruned by a storm and kept that way to avoid low-flying aircraft.) Today the landmark serves as a Neighborcare Health dental clinic for low-income and uninsured people.
Throughout Seattle, Williams has charted routes meant to expand the mind and charm the soul, not to mention bolster the body. They range from 1.3 to 7 miles, flat where possible, and mostly on pavement, enabling explorations via wheelchair.
Along each path, Williams repeatedly finds validation for his long-held love of walking.
“It puts you at that slow level that allows you to pay attention to what’s around you,” he says. “It also allows you to stop and actually look at things. We never stop in our cars, or when we’re biking. It lets you interact with people and with the place that’s around you. You never know who you’re going to meet. For me, it’s really the best way to get to know a city or a neighborhood.”
We all probably can agree to toe that line.
WEB EXTRAS
Big thanks to David Williams and Molly Woolbright for their invaluable help with this installment!
To see Clay Eals‘ 360-degree video of the “Now” prospect and compare it with the “Then” photos, and to hear this column read aloud by Clay, check out our Seattle Now & Then 360 version of the column.
Below, you also will find a video interview of Williams, 6 additional photos and 1 historical clip from The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer online archive (available via Seattle Public Library), Newspapers.com and Washington Digital Newspapers, all of which were helpful in the preparation of this column.
