Climbing First Hill
The southern end is a two-lane street, with streetcar rails and a protected bike lane running along its east side. As you climb, Harborview Medical Center rises on the west side. At the top of First Hill, between James and Madison streets, Broadway runs between the Swedish Medical Center campus on one side and Seattle University on the other.
Into Capitol Hill
Cross Pike Street and you are in Capitol Hill. Seattle Central College lines the west side for several blocks, followed by Cal Anderson Park and the Capitol Hill light rail station at East John Street. The blocks between Madison and Aloha streets form the busiest part of the whole corridor, carrying about 13,500 vehicles on an average weekday when the city counted in 2013.
Getting There Without a Car
Leave the car behind and let transit do the work, since the city designates Broadway a major transit street from Pine to Roy. Step off at the Capitol Hill light rail station at East John Street and you land right in the middle of the action, beside Cal Anderson Park.
- First Hill Streetcar: Running since January 2016, it glides along Broadway between Yesler Way and East Denny Way, linking the hospitals, Seattle University and Capitol Hill.
- Route 49: Catch this frequent trolleybus at stops on Broadway between Pine and Roy for connections to downtown and the University District.
- Route 9: Stopping between Boren Avenue and Roy Street, it offers limited-stop service toward the Rainier Valley and several light rail stations.
- Route 60: Board between Madison and East Mercer streets to head for Beacon Hill, Georgetown, White Center and West Seattle.
On two wheels, ride the protected bike lane on the east side of the street, and watch the streetcar rails, which can catch a bike tire at a shallow angle. Before you set out, check King County Metro and Sound Transit for current schedules, since service can change.
Parks and Green Space
Cal Anderson Park
Start at Cal Anderson Park and Bobby Morris Playfield, right beside the light rail station. This is the neighborhood's natural meeting point and a fine place to begin a walk.
Volunteer Park
Stroll a short way northeast to Volunteer Park, 48.3 acres designed by the Olmsted firm. Climb to the observation deck of its 1906 water tower, then step into the Seattle Asian Art Museum. At the park's north end, the city-owned Volunteer Park Conservatory, dating to 1912, invites you through five display houses, from carnivorous bog plants to a jade tree grown from a 1916 cutting.
Smaller Spots Worth Finding
Near Boren Avenue and Pike Street, Plymouth Pillars Park shows off four columns saved from a downtown church damaged in the 1965 earthquake. Walk its path over I-5, or let your dog run in the 0.6-acre off-leash dog area. Then wander through Tashkent Park, dedicated in 1974 and named for the capital of Uzbekistan, which threads through an apartment block with shade, a lawn and plenty of benches.
Keep exploring and you will come across pocket parks and community gardens such as Thomas Street Gardens, Summit Slope Park and St. Mark's Greenbelt. The East Republican Street Stairway and Lincoln Reservoir round out the public spaces close by.
Fresh Food at the Farmers Market
Browse the Capitol Hill Farmers Market at East Denny Way and Broadway East, just one block from Cal Anderson Park. It sets up on Sundays and Tuesdays, so check the market's official listings for current hours and seasonal changes before you go.
Libraries and Landmarks Off the Main Drag
Capitol Hill Branch Library
Head one block west of Broadway to Harvard Avenue East and Republican Street, where the Capitol Hill Branch of The Seattle Public Library fills a 2003 building by Cutler Anderson Architects. It replaced the 1954 Susan J. Henry Branch on the same corner, so readers have been coming to this site for decades.
Historic Buildings
Spend an afternoon admiring the many City of Seattle landmarks packed into the blocks around Broadway. Highland Apartments on 11th Avenue East stands less than a tenth of a mile from Volunteer Park, and First Covenant Church on Bellevue Avenue has held landmark status since 1985. Look too for Egan House, a 1958 Northwest Regional style home by Robert Reichert that is Landmark No. 329.
Other designated sites nearby include St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, First African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Bullitt House and the Gaslight Inn, also known as the Singerman House. Several landmarks carry names from the early motor trade, among them the Kelly-Springfield Motor Truck Company Building, the White Motor Company Building and the Eldridge Tire Company Building. Most are private property, so enjoy them from the sidewalk.
