FLOURISHING FRELINGFORD: Building Up Stone Way Corridor
Affectionately named “Frelingford” (a portmanteau of Fremont and Wallingford), the bustling Stone Way corridor has seen a spate of new construction and development in the last few years, driven by growing demand and fueled by progressive upzoning in and around the Fremont Urban Village.
Long-term residents of the area already know what it means to be the beneficiaries of visionary urban planning. Two iconic 1970s public projects centered on the Wallingford/Fremont neighborhood became models of urban reclamation, widely imitated throughout the country: Gas Works Park and, of course, the Burke-Gilman Trail. Creative leadership and community collaboration transformed a toxic industrial waste site, formerly a synthetic-gas plant, into one of Seattle’s most recognizable landmarks, freeing its stunning location on a promontory over Lake Union to once again bring joy and solace to the city. Around the same time, Seattle launched the development of one of the earliest rail-to-trails, on another industrial vestige, the right-of-way of the Seattle Lakeshore & Eastern railroad, which became the Burke-Gilman Trail – named for two of the Pioneer-era sponsors of the original railroad. These are urban green spaces in the truest sense.
Also within jogging distance, 90-acre Woodland Park, known for its playfields, tennis courts, cross-country course, rose garden, and zoo, and the 50,000-year-old glacial reservoir, Green Lake, ringed by a 2.8 mile paved path for walking, running, cycling or rollerblading, establish the area as a recreational nirvana. Rent a canoe or paddleboard in Green Lake on a lazy summer afternoon; or run an invigorating autumnal 5K race at Woodland Park. When social distancing is necessary the many surrounding parks and green spaces relieve urban density and promise serenity and relaxation.
Other amenities, from gourmet markets to yoga studios, bakeries to boutiques, are all within easy reach. The European-style open-air Fremont Sunday Market attracts visitors from all over Seattle and beyond with artisanal crafts, vintage wares and tasty treats. The local restaurant scene deserves particular mention as a crucible for culinary and atmospheric experimentation. Adventurous restaurateur Renee Erickson’s rustic eatery The Whale Wins serves locally sourced picnic-style small plates; next door, Chef Rachel Yang dazzles with piquant Korean-fusion fare. Hamptons-inspired Westward, on Lake Union, charms with an outdoor bar and Adirondack chairs cozily arranged around fire-pits; you can arrive by boat. Both fine dining and casual eats are well represented in the neighborhood, as is global cuisine. Try Café Turko for Turkish mezze, Kabul for Afghan kabobs and basmati rice and Kamonegi for Japanese soba – cosmopolitan living in this deeply rooted, yet rapidly evolving, part of Seattle.
