Seward Park and Bailey Peninsula
Spend an afternoon in Seward Park, which covers the whole of Bailey Peninsula as it reaches out into Lake Washington. Of its roughly 300 acres, about 120 are a remnant of old-growth forest. Stroll its paths and you get a sense of how parts of the lakeshore looked before the city grew up around it.
Meet the Old Forest
Some of the trees towering over you are more than 250 years old. That may sound ancient, yet by local standards the forest is fairly young, since the woods that stood here before the city reached 1,000 to 2,000 years. Look up and you will see mostly softwoods, led by Douglas fir, with Western hemlock, Pacific madrona and Alaskan cedar mixed in.
A Glimpse of Early History
The story of this area reaches back to the mid-1850s. E. A. Clark, one of the earliest settlers, played an influential role in the life of Cheshiahud, who was a young man at the time.
More Parks and Ways to Reach the Water
Beyond the main park, you can explore several smaller green spaces and spots along the water. Head to Martha Washington Park, a city park at 6612 57th Ave S, a short way from Seward Park and from the Seward Park Inn/Annex, a designated landmark.
Boaters have choices too, with city records listing the Ferdinand Street and Adams Street boat ramps in the area along with Lakewood Moorage. For sports and open lawns, Lakewood Playfield and Genesee Park and Playfield are close by, and Stan Sayres Memorial Park sits right on the lake. Before you set out, check with Seattle Parks and Recreation for current rules, facilities and hours.
A Center of Orthodox Jewish Life
Seward Park is home to the largest concentration of Orthodox Jews in the Seattle area. The community took shape here after the Jewish population of the Central District moved together in the early 1960s. Today an eruv surrounds the neighborhood, which supports five synagogues and a kollel.
On Shabbat and holidays, the main street fills with families walking together, one of the most distinctive sights in the area. If you are passing through, keep that rhythm in mind and be respectful of worshippers on foot.
Historic Congregations
Bikur Cholim Machzikay-Hadath, known as BCMH, is the oldest Ashkenazi Orthodox congregation in Washington State. Its campus includes the local mikveh, a summer camp and Derech Emunah, a high school for girls.
The neighborhood is central to Sephardic life as well. Sephardic Bikur Holim follows Turkish tradition, while Congregation Ezra Bessaroth traces its roots to the Island of Rhodes. Together they anchor Seattle's Sephardic population, the third largest such community in the country.
Local Schools
City maps show no schools inside the neighborhood's official boundaries, so students attend nearby public schools, including Graham Hill, Hawthorne and Dunlap elementary schools. The alternative Orca K-8 sits just a few blocks beyond the neighborhood's edge.
