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August 25, 2003
Grassy Knoll
It was a beautiful sunny day in Seattle today, and I couldn't justify staying indoors. So I grabbed the book I'm currently reading and walked down towards Pike Place market.
Just north of the market is a small grassy area overlooking Elliot Bay, as well as Seattle's two sports stadia and Mount Rainier. There are benches, a dried up fountain and two totem poles around the unexpected downtown green space. It's a great place to sit down and relax when the weather permits.
One of the more interesting aspects of this park-ette is the social atmosphere. You have almost equal parts tourists, locals and homeless people sharing the space, but there's an unspoken rule everyone understands that this area is for hanging out only. No one panhandles, no stray market merchants hawk their wares, and no one gets uptight about the present company.
Whether I'm there to read, write or simply people-watch, it's one of my favorite inner-city getaway spots.