"Rebuilding Seattle's Northern Edge" Ballard by glabah

Ballard has an industrial past, and was and is an industrial area of sorts with a number of commercial facilities located along the Lake Washington Ship Canal. In recent years, it has become a very popular place and is being rebuilt with many interesting restaurants, bars, and condominiums.

While it is separated from Seattle by the Lake Washington Ship Canal, the community is still incorporated into the city of Seattle. Thus, I suppose, it shouldn't be too surprising to find that there are some eccentric opinions (as seen on this bumper sticker) that express a somewhat less than ideal opinion about being part of the city of Seattle.

construction barge and tug boat in Ballard Locks

Probably the most famous tourist attraction here is the Ballard Locks (which are actually officially named the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks), with the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens being right on the grounds of the locks as well.

There are a large number of smaller parks in the area, and nearby you will also find Commodore Park (which is on the other side of the locks from the main entrance, and can be accessed using a pedestrian walkway at the locks) and Discovery Park (located a bit up the hill from Commodore Park but isn't that far away if you want to walk a bit).

Ballard is also very well known for its Sunday Farmer's Market.

Other interesting parks in the area include Golden Gardens and Carkeek (though Carkeek Park is really far enough north as to be in an area called Crown Hill rather than Ballard proper). For those who like to Eco-Tourism, you might also want to swing by the Street Edge Alternatives demonstration project on 2nd Avenue between 117th and 120th Streets, to see how some envision building more ecologically friendly streets.

Ballard neighborhood: restored and new buildings

As stated above, the Ballard area is a popular place for restaurants, new condominiums and appartments, and is otherwise turning into a popular destination place in its own right. Here you will find a typical ballard scene, looking down Leary Avenue from the intersection of Market Street and 22nd Avenue Northwest.

Here there are some historic neighborhood buildings, but also a lot of them have been replaced by new, modern structures of all kinds.

You will find a large number of restaurants in this area, should you wish to venture out of downtown Seattle.

• Pros:smaller community north of Seattle, interesting restaurants, Ballard Locks
• Cons:relatively busy connecting roads go through community
• In a nutshell:Worth a half day or so, if you want to visit the Locks and gardens