Arriving by Light Rail
Hop on the train for the easiest arrival. Northgate station opened in October 2021 as the end point of the Northgate Link Extension, putting the neighborhood a quick ride from the rest of the city. Watch for more growth around it, since dense mixed-use buildings are planned near the station and height limits in the area have been raised to 85 feet.
The Mall That Started It All
Start your visit where Northgate itself began, at the shopping center now known as The District at Northgate. It opened in 1950 on 55 acres beside Interstate 5, and it is often described as the first covered mall in the United States as well as the oldest shopping center in the Pacific Northwest to use the word "mall." Back then it sat outside Seattle, and the city later annexed the land into Maple Leaf.
A 2009 remodel added dozens of new shops, and today the site blends retail with other uses. Browse further at nearby strip malls and the Northgate North center, where you'll find a Best Buy and a two-story Target. Store lineups and opening hours change, so check the mall's official site before you head out.
A Civic Hub Across the Street
Cross 5th Ave NE from the mall to reach the park, library and community center the city opened in 2006. The Northgate Branch of The Seattle Public Library sits right beside Northgate Park, an easy place to pause between errands. From here, two Thornton Creek natural areas are just a short walk away.
Native History and Licton Springs
People have called this land home since the end of the last ice age, roughly 10,000 years ago. Lushootseed-speaking Coast Salish groups came to the springs at Licton Springs for healing, and they gathered cranberries from a large marsh and bog where the college parking lot, the freeway interchange and the mall now stand.
Spend a quiet moment at Licton Springs Park, at 9536 Ashworth Ave N, which protects that natural spring today. In 2019 it became the first Native cultural site named a Seattle city landmark. It is a meaningful place to picture what the land was before the mall and the freeway arrived.
A Landmark Mosque in Pinehurst
Head to Pinehurst to see the Idriss Mosque, built in 1981 as the first mosque in Seattle and the first west of the Mississippi built in a Middle Eastern style. Look for its copper-clad octagonal dome and minaret, red and buff brick walls and glass-block windows framed by Moorish-style arches.
Parks and Trails Along Thornton Creek
Thornton Creek threads through the district, and several small natural areas follow its course. Wander into Kingfisher, Licorice Fern and Beaver Pond natural areas for patches of green tucked between houses and busy roads.
Northacres Park
Over in Haller Lake, Northacres Park packs a lot into 20.7 acres. Walk its wooded trails, catch a game on the sports fields, spread out at the picnic area or let the kids cool off at the family play area with its splash pad. Dog owners make the trip for the off-leash area.
Jackson Park Golf Course
Tee off where golfers have played since 1928. Jackson Park Golf Course is a public course with an 18-hole layout, a nine-hole par three and a driving range, all with Thornton Creek running through the grounds. Serious players and beginners after a shorter round will both feel at home.
Smaller Neighborhood Parks
Stop by Mineral Springs Park, at 1500 N 105th St in Licton Springs, close to the library and the landmark spring. Sacajawea Playground in Maple Leaf sits within walking distance of several creek natural areas. These are the everyday parks where locals walk their dogs and kids burn off energy.
Northgate holds an unusual number of P-Patch gardens run through the City of Seattle program. Several have been tended for decades, a sign of how deeply rooted this residential area is.
- Jackson Park P-Patch in Pinehurst has 51 plots and has been gardened since 1974.
- Pinehurst P-Patch is a small one, with 17 plots on 5,000 square feet, dating to 1976.
- Haller Lake P-Patch has 52 plots and joined the program in 1998.
- Licton Springs P-Patch is the newest, opened in 2014, and the largest here with 67 plots.
- Maple Leaf P-Patch on NE 103rd St started in 2007 and sits steps from Beaver Pond Natural Area.
Plot holders tend these gardens, so stroll through respectfully. Check with the City of Seattle P-Patch program for current details on plots and access.
Hockey and Getting Around
Northgate is home to the headquarters and practice facility of the Seattle Kraken, who began play in October 2021, and the Kraken Iceplex has become one of the district's signature places. Check the team's official channels for practice schedules and public skating details.
Between the light rail station, major arterials and the freeway, Northgate ranks among the easiest north end neighborhoods to reach. Ride the train in, browse the mall, walk to Licton Springs and spend an afternoon by Thornton Creek for a full, satisfying day.
