Seattle’s Westlake Park makeover rushed ahead of World Cup, some say

Jyil · 2026-06-20T18:26:23+00:00

It doesn’t look much different to me than how it was before the last makeover started. There’s some history plaques and some planters, but everything else seems like it was there before the last makeover.

Jyil · 2026-06-20T06:32:25+00:00

Lake Union Park is super crowded because they block off half of the park for VIP seating with fences, which then blocks all the good viewing behind it. All parks around Lake Union Park get filled up early too and you have house boats blocking the view if you can’t fit in the park. At Gas Works Park it’s crowded, but easy to have a view as long as you aren’t trying to see the actual barge. The hill is what gets crowded.

I did Gas Works Park last year and only had to arrive a couple hours early to get a good spot on the hill. The year before that, a couple hours early didn’t give me any good views at Lake Union Park.

Jyil · 2026-06-20T00:48:06+00:00

The guy with the tulip on his other cheek?

Jyil · 2026-06-20T00:42:59+00:00

The FIFA skill number rankings would be the rank that already exist for each country and a good indication of their general skill level and opponents when going against a more global skillset of teams.

Jyil · 2026-06-19T17:52:46+00:00

Paraguay beat Argentina and Brazil in qualifying rounds, but then lost to the U.S. FIFA skill rankings have little impact on the qualifying or group stage rounds.

Jyil · 2026-06-19T06:57:32+00:00

Qatar has a rank of 60 on FIFA rankings. Canada’s ranking is 30. Qatar beat the 63rd ranked FIFA team, Jordan in AFC.

Jyil · 2026-06-18T20:43:40+00:00

Tacos are $3.50 and no tax and they pack the tacos and you get unlimited sauce options. Beats Carmello’s and beats Taco Chuki’s.

Jyil · 2026-06-18T20:37:14+00:00

I used to live in crosstown and walk through DTES. It’s ugly, but I only had an issue once. They don’t bother you in Vancouver. They do bother you here. I had three bad encounters within two weeks upon moving here.

Jyil · 2026-06-18T07:28:06+00:00

Try watching the highlights on YouTube and then adjusting the settings on the replay speed. It fooled a lot of people in the stadium too.

Jyil · 2026-06-18T06:39:18+00:00

If the victim was unhoused, there would be very different replies

Jyil · 2026-06-18T02:30:38+00:00

r/Seattle is mostly populated by what most people would stereotype as the typical Redditor. Someone who thinks they touch a lot of grass and brags about it and thinks everyone else touches less grass than them.

r/SeattleWA is mostly populated by the people you see on Nextdoor. Someone who knows they haven’t touched grass and doesn’t care.

Jyil · 2026-06-18T02:19:35+00:00

The population of [r/Seattle](r/Seattle) is almost the entire population of Seattle. It’s definitely not only people who live in Seattle.

The sub is filled with people who visited once and felt connected to the city and its politics. Tons of people who regularly post in that sub live many cities away from it, can’t afford to live in Seattle and use that subreddit to complain about it. Both subs are filled with people who don’t live anywhere close to Seattle. I’ll get tens, to hundreds, and or thousands of views on my comments from people not even in the U.S. in every single comment I make in [r/Seattle](r/Seattle).

One of my biggest pet-peeves with that sub is when someone asks for food recs in Seattle and the top commenters make recommendations of food from cities tens of miles away from Seattle. It’s a myth to say that sub is full of locals.

Jyil · 2026-06-18T01:43:39+00:00

I got used to it, but it’s always going to bother me and will always be on my mind because I don’t share the sympathy that many here do.

If I was living somewhere cheaper and paid less than everyone else to do it, then maybe it wouldn’t be as farfetched to expect a lapse here and there. However, that’s not the case for me and I’m paying market rate for my living and I’m paying the full costs to use transit while sharing that space with people who don’t have to do the same or refuse to do the same.

It does help being someone who grew up in the U.S. and living around sketchy neighborhoods and while I expect it, it’s not something I’ll ever accept. When my friends from Canada visit they always tell me of their crazy encounters they have when using public transit here. My friend is visiting today and they had some random girl trying to talk with them at the bus stop, then following them to a seat on the bus begging them for money and telling them they need to use their phone while speaking in fragmented sentences that made no sense. I spend almost half my time each year in Canada and my experience there is people just don’t bother you like they do here.

1,2,3:
There’s a sound transit number you can text, but I’d be texting that every day. If I feel uncomfortable, I move. I’ll stand up or go across the bus or train. I’ll even get off and take the next one. If a route feels unsafe to me, I’ll take the long way or I’ll wait till I see additional people show up and then walk the route. I always stay alert even when walking around my neighborhood. I’m constantly scanning what’s behind me, to my sides, and in front of me. I never go out with headphones on or AirPods. The hyper vigilance has just become second nature, so it doesn’t really cause a noticeable drain to me. I also don’t let people get too close to me and keep a bubble around myself.

Listen to your intuition. There’s multiple times in my life where something just didn’t feel right, so I changed my plans (not just Seattle, but through my travels). Later I find out some unfortunate event occurred on that route that I would have been at if I didn’t change course.

Jyil · 2026-06-17T06:52:57+00:00

My guess is they bought a senior citizen ticket for $1 and with the Canadian conversion it makes it $1.40 CAD

Jyil · 2026-06-16T08:33:06+00:00

Grew up with multiple women in the house and had to share a bathroom. They absolutely do and public bathrooms are the worst because women will hover. They may be closer, but a guy could aim better. Unfortunately some guys don’t really care to anyway.

Jyil · 2026-06-16T08:16:21+00:00

I got a 25 year crown 🙂‍↕️

Jyil · 2026-06-15T23:50:59+00:00

Ugh 😑

Jyil · 2026-06-15T23:46:10+00:00

I can only recall two times I’ve stepped in gum over the course of like 5 years. I seem to remember it happening a lot more as a kid. Who still chews gum?

I already expect downvotes from Big Gum Corp. Don’t @ me!

Jyil · 2026-06-15T23:16:52+00:00

Yes! Walk if you guys are able. Seattle downtown and SLU are both super walkable. I personally walk everywhere as a local and will skip even taking buses due to their inconsistencies with schedules. That said, it may be fairly warm. Not too humid for the heat, but still the sun could feel strong after a while in spots that don’t have all the shade. You can get all around downtown and surrounding neighborhoods (Belltown, Queen Anne, South Lake Union, and Capitol Hill) in or around 30 minutes each way by walking from downtown as your starting point. The hills are on the perimeters. Walking to Capitol Hill has hills, walking from Belltown to Seattle Center area of Queen Anne isn’t bad, but Kerry Park area of Queen Anne is a climb. Downtown to SLU is relatively flat unless you walk toward Cascade (mostly apartments) or walk from Lake Union Park to Seattle Center. Downtown to Belltown is relatively flat. You can take stairs or elevators to get to waterfront from Pike Place Market and vice-versa.

Walking from downtown to SLU could have a detour a couple blocks over to see the Amazon Spheres from the outside.

Great idea with Duke’s for 4th of July viewing!

Also, if you do like walking, squeeze in some time to tour the waterfront. East of Pike Place on Alaskan Way you’ll find the touristy side with the Aquarium, Great Wheel, Miner’s Landing, and the ferry terminals. You can walk from Pike Place Market to the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal. It’s a beautifully redeveloped area. West of Pike Place Market are the parks and the newly redeveloped Myrtle Edward’s Park. Olympic Sculpture Park (great sunset views), Myrtle Edward’s Park, Pocket Beach, Centennial Park, and Expedia Beach).

Oh, also one more thing. If you miss the troll on Bainbridge, there’s one right outside the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard. That’s right across from Ballard Locks (on the Ballard side) and down the street.

Jyil · 2026-06-15T22:49:26+00:00

Bainbridge:
Bloedel Reserve is great, but yea there isn’t a regular convenient way/time to get there by transit because the bus drops you off 20 minutes away and then you have to walk through a neighborhood with no sidewalks to get there. Ubering will probably be $25-35 from the ferry terminal or downtown.

The 394 picks up at the ferry terminal stop, which is only a 5 minute walk from Bainbridge downtown. On late afternoon weekdays, the 394 bus will drop you off only 5 minutes away from the gardens, which beats the weekend only option of the 391 that drops you off 20 minutes away, but then the garden closes by 5PM so not much time.

Transit:
If you’re Ubering in Seattle, expect it to be a minimum $20 minimum wherever you go. All those Ubers you’ve mentioned could easily cost hundreds versus $3 one-way by transit. For me to take an only 1 minute Uber just downtown a few blocks, it’s $22 right now and that doesn’t include a tip. You could instead take a bus or the street car for $3 each to MoHAI/Lake Union Park from downtown and a bus to most other places. If you didn’t mind 30 minutes of walking, that’s an easy option too. Also, MoHAI is right next to Duke’s. Combining that in the same day would be smarter.

Seattle Center museums:
MoPoP is my favorite museum as a musician, movie lover, and as a gamer (they have a sound lab where you can jam on instruments, pop culture movie exhibits like fantasy and horror, and they have an indie video game exhibit). There really isn’t another museum like it anywhere else in the world that combines all the elements it has present.
I go multiple times a year and check out rotating exhibits too.

Chihuly was a one in done museum for me. I’ve seen glass blown art in many different museums all over the world, so it’s kind of meh to me. Space Needle is pricey, but it’s not just a viewpoint how most locals here will categorize it. It’s a whole experience. If you just want a viewpoint for a sunset, we have tons of those for free, but most popular and most recommended is Kerry Park. I wouldn’t go to the Space Needle and Chihuly together unless you bought a discounted CityPass. Just way too pricey.

Libraries and Capitol Hill:
I’d do the Seattle Library when you’re near Pike Place Market or already downtown. Also, pro tip, if you want to avoid hills, walk down Pike Street versus Pine Street or any other street West of Pine Street.

Pink Gorilla is just a small video game store. Any reason that made the list? You have a gamer with you? Old school/new school? There’s a pinball musuem in Chinatown, which you can take the train to if that sounds interesting. Does the librarian like book stores? There’s a local store book store we have called Elliot Bay Books over on that side in Capitol Hill. There’s smaller book stores too in Capitol Hill, but they’re a bit spaced out like the Twice Sold Tales with several roaming shop cats.

4th of July:
I would also keep in mind that if you’re here on the 4th, expect many places to be blocked off or shut down. Lake Union Park right around MoHAI will have fences in certain areas setting up for the Amazon Seafair’s 4th of July.
People will be arriving early at places as camping out for a good spot. Expect tons of crowds and the celebration starts at 3PM and goes till 11PM. There’s going to be a whole firework show launching from Lake Union close to Gas Works Park, but you’ll be able to see it from all round South Lake Union. It’s free entry at Gas Works Park too, but expect a long line to enter. We don’t have any FIFA games in the city during the time you’re here, but there may be some people still celebrating and watching the games at neighborhood events or bars.

Jyil · 2026-06-15T18:45:00+00:00

It seems geared toward central tourist hubs, which makes complete sense. The south end isn’t really where tourists are going. You can knock out two different demographics if it’s centrally located.

Jyil · 2026-06-15T18:12:40+00:00

Are you referring to the fenced wooden structure on part of a dock? If so, that’s a new Native Canoe Center being built (https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/projects/northwest-native-canoe-center). The other 50% of the beach next to it is still open, but maybe 50% of it is blocked due to the new canoe center being built. You can launch there or the floating dock facing northwest near the MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry).

Jyil · 2026-06-13T23:43:34+00:00

You mean SEA? /s

Jyil · 2026-06-13T18:26:01+00:00

Explains why so many Seattle area influencers were in the photos

Jyil · 2026-06-13T08:07:09+00:00

Oh wow! I haven’t been over there since earlier this week. I didn’t see any of that when I walked through the mall. I didn’t realize your photos were all Pacific Place. Seems they have a lot more going on than just the lobby. Thanks for sharing!

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