Green Lake Neighborhood
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Named by a surveyor who happened to visit the area during a late summer algae bloom in 1855, Green Lake gets its namesake from its primary attraction—a postglacial lake that sits in the center of the community.
Today the neighborhood, home to some 16,000 residents, is nestled between Phinney Ridge to the west, N 85th Street to the north, the I-5 corridor to the east, and Wallingford to the south. The geography of the inland beach community made Green Lake a popular place for settlers in the late 1800s, when local papers ran advertisements for the neighborhood that read, “Green Lake will be Seattle’s choicest suburb.”
The lake itself was meant to be part of a larger park designed, like so many in its time, by the Olmstead Brothers. However, by the time their master plan was approved by city council in 1903, much of the lake’s shore had already been developed. In order to build a park around the water, in 1911 John Olmsted suggested the city lower the lake, adding 100 acres of dry land for public space.
Green Lake quickly became a bustling community, and to this day the neighborhood still buzzes and thrives with business and activity, much of which surrounds the lake. One of the most popular outdoor destinations in Seattle, on any given day (weather permitting, and even some days when its not), Green Lake is filled with bicyclists, joggers, skaters, and walkers navigating the paths, while outdoor enthusiasts use the grassy lawns for everything sports, to from bird-watching, afternoon reading, and picnicking.
To learn more about Green Lake, visit the neighborhood’s blog, MyGreenLake.com.
