A (Surprising) Neighborhood for a Fitness Outing
It’s possible that when you think Great Neighborhoods for Exercise, these paired enclaves may not jump to the top of the list, but I’m here to make the case for Georgetown (on the East bank of the Duwamish River) and South Park (on the West Bank) as really cool neighborhoods for a run, walk, sport, playground scramble and other interesting exercise. And they’ve got a great history that’s core to our region and city. Let’s meet the pair.
This stretch of territory along the Duwamish River was an abundant spot way before Seattle was settled. Duwamish villages of large cedar longhouses lined the river. The people fished, farmed potatoes and gathered. These villages dated back at least a thousand years, one near present day Georgetown was called Place of the Fishing Spear. Another important village called Herring’s House, with a large potlatch structure and shaman’s home, was intentionally burned by white settlers in 1893. The Duwamish also had a sweat house nearby where they gathered to do bathing rituals. It was a vibrant center of culture before the neighborhoods we see today.
Georgetown is actually Seattle’s first neighborhood, as it was scouted by Henry Van Asselt a few months before the Denny Party (aka Seattle’s founding families) landed at Alki.
European and Asian settlers came to the G/SP areas in the early 1850s– South Park went in an agricultural direction as Italian and Japanese settlers supplied Pike Place Market with produce. Meanwhile Georgetown was an industrial, maritime and commercial hub from early on.
The once meandering Duwamish River was re-channeled, straightened and deepened in the 1910s so that it could accept large ocean-going ships. Industry continued to develop along the banks and Boeing eventually nestled in to the north. The river became severely polluted, and has been the focus on a major superfund clean up for decades.
With industry dominating the scene, these communities have had a struggle to build and maintain good quality residential infrastructure. In the mid-1900s South Park had it rough. A beloved decades-old Catholic Church closed and was demolished, and the neighborhood was bisected and disrupted by Highway 99.
High crime prevailed for a while and housing values dropped. The area attracted poor immigrants and others seeking inexpensive places to live in a pricey city. Those immigrants, many Hispanic, as well as artists helped to bring creativity and cultural energy to the area. Residents rallied in the 1980s and ’90s, building a community center, health center and refurbishing parks, schools and a library.
Today in G/SP you will find plazas, art galleries, retail, restaurants, breweries, vintage markets, as well as cool gritty vistas, big planes flying over, design/build firms and craft studios.
And yes! There’s plenty to do fitness-wise here. A run, walk or roll along the newly built protected bike lane will take you to lovely South Park Plaza, a public gathering and performance space along the river.
Georgetown playfield is your venue for field sports, tossing a frisbee, scrambling a cool playground, and also has a suite of fitness contraptions. You can make your own circuit. Skaters check out River City Skate Park on the far west side of South Park.
Both South Park and Georgetown have lovely residential streets lined with both Victorian cottages and contemporary rectilinear townhomes. A walk here feels like you’re in a small town, and can take you past the landmark Hat and Boots at Oxbow Park and pea patch.
Duwamish River People’s Park and Duwamish Waterway Park include launch sites for kayaks and SUPs. Keep in mind it’s an active waterway and a superfund clean up site, so it’s good to be aware of conditions and your surroundings. The River Access Paddle Program has an awesome mission: to Increase Duwamish River Access and Safety. They will help you explore.
While there are many restaurants to choose from, I love Jellyfish Brewing and Fonda La Catrina.
And a grand dining experience awaits you at The Corson Building.
Our launch points for run/walk routes are All-City Coffee in Georgetown and Good Voyage and The Scene in South Park. Meet us there to celebrate this classic niche of Seattle.
