Jason V.
Yelp
How lucky Seattle residents are to have this boardwalk beach park so close by! I'd never been to Alki Beach before this past weekend, but I am sure glad I did, because I think we happened by on the first perfect day of the year! 75° and not a cloud in the sky!
The approach we took to the beach was snarled by traffic, which bottlenecked at a few intersections and exchanges where the only route slims down to a single lane, which is nowhere near enough to accommodate all the beach-hungry tourists and residents intent on capitalizing on the perfect weather. I imagine this congestion occurs on any decent-weather weekend, so it would be nice if Seattle could expand these roads or add new routes. Once we arrived though, it was easy to see why it's so popular!
The area I think of as "the boardwalk" stretches about two miles from the lighthouse down south, to the northern tip of the promontory. Along this stretch are several restaurants, pubs and shops, as well as some gorgeous houses and apartments/condos for people rich enough to afford seaside property in Seattle. The whole area gives off a vibe that is half La Jolla (San Diego), half New England: seafood and sangria, chowder and chimichanga! Further inland, the neighborhoods are filled with tightly-packed colonial-style cottages, private and community gardens, and claustrophobic streets filled with parked tourist vehicles. Don't expect to find a parking spot along the boardwalk, unless you're planning on being towed or being issued a ticket (but really, could the ticket be all that much more expensive than parking elsewhere in Seattle)?!
My wife and I met up with some friends, snagged a patio table upstairs at a local seafood restaurant, had some drinks, soaked in the sun, and later took a stroll down the beach and dipped our toes in the water. A temperate breeze from the Sound was enough to dissipate the heat of direct exposure. The beach itself isn't as idyllic as others on the Pacific coast, as it is rather narrow, and there are are bands of gravel and slimy kelp and seaweed, but the water was surprisingly warm for a mid-April day, and the length of it leaves plenty of room for privacy and social distancing.
It may be a tad difficult to access despite its proximity to the city, crowded, difficult to find parking, and subject to the PNW's fickle weather, but when you're here, and everything falls into place, Alki Beach is utterly fantastic! The next time I'm in Seattle on a warm spring or summer day, I know that call of the sea will be luring me back here like a siren...and not the one on the Starbucks logo (it's not a mermaid, FYI)!