Seattle's Capitol Hill Neighborhood | Seattle Running Groups

A Fitness & Recreation Tour of Another Great Seattle Neighborhood: Capitol Hill

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Here comes another installment in the Great Neighborhoods to Exercise series, but with a change this time. For some reason, when I think of this episode’s star enclave of Capitol Hill, I’m just overwhelmed at trying to summarize its history in a few paragraphs. I am on The Hill almost every day and love the varied neighborhoods–from gritty urban density to grand homes and gardens along millionaire’s row. In the interest of posting something brief but still relevant to you all, I’mma skip the history bit this time, okay?

So cutting right to the quick, here’s a tour of my favorite places on The Hill to workout, play and otherwise move.

Volunteer Park

I probably log more hours here than I do at my own home! One of the city’s grandest parks used to be a cemetery. They actually moved the bodies over to Lakeview in order to reclaim the area for park use. The regal Asian Art Museum with Camel statues and the Black Sun sculpture are iconic Seattle and serve as the backdrop for our 6:30am workouts. The water tower offers 107 steps to reach one of the best 360-degree views of the city. The gravel paths and circular dives around the reservoir are a great place to walk or run. And many are the training clients I meet there for playground workouts.

Seattle Running Groups | Capitol Hill Seattle

Interlaken Park

Don’t be surprised if a hilly hike here crosses paths with a couple of frolicking coyotes. It’s stunning to be in this forest in the midst of the city. The walk run group loves meeting here on hot summer evenings–it feels 10 degrees cooler under that canopy. It’s a great spot for short trail runs, and the location of the Icicle Dash 10K.

Cal Anderson Park

A play field for throwing the frisbee or a ball game, a playground for creative body-weight workouts, courts for basketball and bike polo, and a gravel loop for brisk walk or run intervals. This park is the epitome of a well-used city park. You’re likely to hear music wafting, and you can catch the farmer’s market there on Saturdays. I think of this as our equivalent to New York’s Washington Square.

Miller Playfield

The second home for our 6:30am workouts, this field is full of a variety of freelance exercisers on any given day. You’ll hear dozens of pickleball players start their dinking as early as 7am and keep at it well after dark. A decent flight of stairs and another fine playground and the water park (in warmer times) provide options for movement and play.

Seattle Running Groups | Capitol Hill Seattle

Russian Community Center

This theatre of old is the spot we’re always grateful to adjourn our class to when it rains. And I know many of you have also learned salsa and swing dance here.

Other Spots and Spaces to Move

Ritual House and Grinning Yogi are two of the city’s superb yoga studios. The second floor of the Oddfellows building is the current home of Troy Lucero’s Acme Yoga, where you can practice alongside some of the finest teachers of the form.

Dance Underground on 15th offers a full slate of classes from tango to blues, tai chi to Brazilian to hip hop.

Howe St and Blaine St Stairs⎯You can workout alongside hopeful Mount Rainier climbers here.

The mini neighborhoods of Capitol Hill themselves are a great setting to get out into– dense apartments living on the west side intermix with larger and grander homes and gardens by Cornish and in the Teens streets near St Joe’s. One of our annual rites is an outing along 21st Ave when the cherry trees are in bloom.

While you’re out and about on the Hill, don’t forget to check out these great places to eat, shop and hang out.

Take your fitness out on the town in Capitol Hill. This list is a small sliver of what is out there, so go explore and I’ll surely see you out there!

Check out Unstill Life on Heylo, a fitness community app. You’ll see our classes and runs listed, see photos, and chat us up.

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