Freeway Park

Love this park. Dispite the looks it’s safe. Just be kind say hi to people and they’re gonna say hello back. Everyone has a story and some of the individuals here have amazing stories and are great people but do remember to be aware of what is happening around you. It’s a good spot to relax and enjoy the sun. Has many diffeeent events and things for everyone to participate in

Attended a free concert with free drinks and vegan burgers between 13th and 14th Jul, 2018. I miss Seattle so much. Get well soon, USA. 🙏🏻💜

Nice green space. It's kind of trippy, it's very visually pleasing, and you can't see any cars, but you can hear the sound of traffic cruising by.

Interesting park but heavily occupied and slightly full of litter. Decided to stop exploring it near sundown. Might go back during the day after a brief encounter with a brown rat followed by nearly walking into a cookout some temporary residents were having. Don't take this as an insult to the local campers. I'm suspect I was completely safe. However it seemed rude to interrupt their chance to spend some time relaxing.

Freeway park is one of the more unique parks I’ve been to. Located above the interstate in a terraced garden, it is full of plants, city views, and peace & quiet. Being Seattle, there are obviously the occasional homeless people, but also being Seattle, there’s nothing to really worry about. This is a great place to take travel pictures, senior photos, or anything of the sorts

Loved this place! The architecture is so cool, reminds me a bit of the Keller fountain in Portland, but without the water. What a great idea to slap a park on top of a freeway! Only in the northwest would they come up with something like this. Chances are pretty good that you'll encounter some homeless but I mean it's a major city, whaddayagonnado.

Freeway park is so cool and has alot of potential. The fountains are not running and have been used as garbage catchalls for the local homeless. It is what it is. It reminds me of a labyrinth or a maze. So many different trails to walk on and around. Artistic expressions displayed in the trees etc. Lots of seating and places to picnic. Big enough for ceremonies and discreet enough at night for cruzing. I love freeway park!

If the water was switched on to the water features, this place would be amazing. Unfortunately, no doubt, city budget restrictions have limited its gorgeousness. It is still well maintained, but this place would be an oasis of calm off the freeway, f the water was turned back on.

I can see why people would be a little off put by this park. It's got a lot of concrete, blind corners and (unfortunately) homeless people all around. The shortcut up the hill is way worth any of that though. And I think the park is beautiful in it's own way. I love the industrial look and how it melds with it's environment. Our experience was a good one. It was a bright and sunny day with minimal wind. We saw over 6 sets of homeless people and they didn't bother us one bit. Our hotel overlooked the park and we saw people in it with their dogs all the time, even when it was raining.

I'm not if they still run the water in the summer anymore. It's showing some neglect for sure there, a lot trash at the bottom but rest of park was chill there is an small homeless camp there

I'm pretty sure it is a nice spot on summer when the waterfall is on. We went recently for a winter celebration. It was a bit difficult to find it but after walking at night through the park, we made it :) This walk gave us the opportunity to explore more. You can park at the Convention Center and come out through one of the elevators. You'll have to climb various stairs. We couldn't find a ramp for one person of our party :S Stick to the right. You don't have to walk over the bridge. But if you do, you can always take the stairs in the middle of it. Below that bridge were some people sleeping. Just one was euphoric. On one side of the park we could notice lights on yhe trees. Seemed nice but even when it wasn't late, it was dark and felt unsafe with kids. Very dark at some points with no visibility of whom could be on a corner. I felt deep under all this concrete. Most of the activities are performed on the Seneca plaza. It was clean and no visible needles to be concerned for dogs as far as I can say.

Oasis amid chaos. This architectural marvel connects over a dozen points of the city like a web. The flora, waterfalls, city views and the brutalist canyon are glorious. There are a few broken people here seeking refuge - they won't bother you. Park hours prevent it bring overrun. Plus, "Crime maps" will confirm this little slice of sanity is real. I'd urge visitors to explore the endless ways to enter and exit the park. Bring your dog, bring a snack, read a book. Don't miss out on this rare gem of a park. Thank you Jim Ellis.

This park straddles the freeway below and offers people walking the hill up Seneca a respite along the way. It is also commonly used as a respite by homeless people, or bar goers who are just trying to get back to a transit option. During the daylight this park is quite pleasant as long as things have been recently cleaned. During the night things may actually look better because you can't see the things that have been missed. Haven't personally seen many needles around this area, so at least that is a plus. There are many concrete structures in the area that give this park the unique look. The other parts of the park are pretty standard for any Seattle park. Beware heavy traffic in the area, as the on and off ramps for I-5 are right by here, but some times it will seem like a remote area. Most people probably only go here on purpose. I'll be back.

This was a cool place to see while we were in town. There were a few homeless people around, but they didn't bother anyone. The water at the bottom looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a few days. Cool place to take some pictures though!

Freeway Park is a unique Urban Park in a great spot.from all points in the park you can hear the hissing of the Interstate 5 freeway. It's a nice stop if walking from waterfront up Seneca Street to Broadway.

There are some truth to the negative reviews, but c'mon- it's a FREEWAY Park. Be thankful there is something here besides an overpass or parking lot. I work in the building here, so in the summer this is a nice getaway for a few minutes when you can't really get away. The landscapers always do a great job and keep this place up- considering all the colorful locals who hang out. They also offer Tai-chi and have book sales here in the summer, which is pretty cool to sit and people watch in the courtyard.

So many beautiful places to see but also graffiti and homeless population in certain parts as well. If you are looking by for a quiet stroll to talk about your day or even propose your hand in marriage this is not your park. It's called the freeway park for a reason. It's next to the freeway. It's loud.... if you don't want to hear what your partner, friend or kids have to say this is definitely the place for you. Look at the scenery and enjoy the beautiful nature and sculptures without words.

HAIKU REVIEW These are pretty trees! These are pretty flowers, too! Oh, hmmm, a drug deal. :/

Walking through Freeway Park makes me feel like I've stumbled into a condemned video game. Like a surly Q-BERT, I must trudge up (or down) to my desired location. The perils of panhandlers and urine puddles must be adeptly evaded to gain maximum points.

This is my favorite pathway to get from the Hill to south of downtown area and Pioneer Square. Since springtime I have been walking to work and always go through the Freeway Park. There are stairs leading up there from Pike street. It's a great work out and nice scenery change after the neighborhood feel of cap hill and before tall buildings and traffic of downtown start emerging on the other side. It's definitely a city park. The concrete path is wide and you can hear the freeway noise. But at the same time there are flowers, trees and green grass surrounding you. They also have very soothing water features. The park has a pretty good signage system. I always take Seneca street "exit", but once took other path thinking that I will end up somewhere downtown anyways. Unfortunately I saw that it would take me quite far from Seneca and towards pike market without chances to cut through too soon. I didn't have time to continue that path during my morning "commute" so be aware where are you choosing to go. Also don't come through here in the evenings. Again, it's a city park and you can approach some sketchy characters here and there. You should be fine between 8am and 6pm though. Happy walking!

Freeway park, or Convention Center Park is a Hidden Gem in Seattle. It is not very well known for a park of its size. It encompasses a large area of downtown, it stretches from 6th Avenue to 9th Avenue and from Seneca Street to Pike Street. It's beautifully manicured with accents of concrete and cubicle design. It also has waterfalls and Wide Open Spaces. Being right next to One Union Square, 2 Union Square, and the Convention Center, during the week it can get a lot of traffic especially during lunch time. However, on the weekend it is mostly families and people enjoying the sunshine. And I guess it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, there can always be some sketchy people around in a park in the downtown area. Keep your eyes out for Riff Raff.

This place feels like an urban terrarium... I laughed at some of the negative reviews of this place as there is a lot truth to them :) Despite this, I still like this place for several reasons. It serves as my shortcut to get from First Hill by Virginia Mason to the Downtown via the Washington Convention Center. It is a really interesting blend of concrete and green space that spans over the I-5 although you wouldn't know it. There are also water features that are cut kind of like the ballard fish ladders and other interesting uses of water. The bathrooms are always padlocked I guess to prevent mischief from occuring which probably would happen. As I previously said, it pretty much connects to the Convention Center which I like to cut through since they have escalators which can cut at least 3 stories off the hike back up to First Hill (little quick tip). There are the occasional sketchy characters that you might run into so I try to avoid after dark as there are plenty of little nooks and crannies to get jumped. A quirky little corner of our fair city!

Yes there are sketchy characters in this park, but usually the building next to the park has a security guard out, and sometimes there are police officers patrolling the park. Dogs are allowed on a leash which is nice. I love the huge waterfall in this park when it is running in he summer it hides the street and highway noise. At night the trees are lit up with sparkling lights that makes for a cool place to walk around. The park is huge! Every time I have walked through it I find a different way to go.

I got the regular hamburger and wow... its so good. I really recomended to go eat here

On Pinterest, this place looks so serene and beautiful. So I was so excited when I happened upon it one day. While a picture is worth a thousand words, it can also represent a few minutes of editing. What I saw looked nothing like what I pinned. The concrete was there but there were lots of homeless people and junkies hanging around, and yes, I know that Seattle has a huge homeless problem. I wanted to stay and explore more but the sight of some people doing heroin in a corner made me flee. I'm sure this park has and can be beautiful, but ,it just wasn't the day I visited. I'd love to come back and give it a try another time.

A cute little concrete jungle near a freeway entry point. Not exactly the type of park you go to spend the day in, but if you're in the area it's not a bad place to stop for a little while.

I'd heard about this park being vastly improved, so I finally walked through on a Saturday afternoon. There were three instances when I was terrified. What's scary is you can't see what's going on around the corner. Once in a while I would be relieved to find normal people. Too many creeps there. We found the nearest exit and vowed to never return.

This is part of my PNW stay in late April 2012. I finally had some time to reflect on where I'd visited: This beloved park was born in 1976. The late and influential American landscape architect Lawrence Halprin was its creator. This series of parks stretches over I-5 which seems an unlikely place for a park. It is noisy and you'd need a massive series of waterfalls to drown out the freeway noises. + However, for the most park, after some 30+ years, the various North West tree species are mature, grand and screen the freeway and define the spaces well. The understory of shrubs and groundcover feels lush as Northwest gardens should- azaleas, rhododendrons, ferns, and more. I also liked the bright pops of furniture although they were wired together. - However, portions of the hardscape are showing their age, in particular, the defunct fountains that you can climb down to view could serve as homeless shelters since they are empty and places to hide. Also, various large planters were left empty and visitors can see the unattractive waterproof liners. Not pretty. In addition, since the parks straddle over the freeway, there are several narrower routes which may feel isolating and dark even though there are "eyes" on the park (the high rise apartment complex next door). Part of a successful park design is being able to see through to the other side of the park and not providing places for people to hide. However, from what I've read, Halprin didn't want to change his designs. Despite its shortcomings, it's a great bold piece of urban park design that should be treasured, enjoyed and maintained for years to come. A must if you are in Seattle.

The waterfall thing is spectacular! Feels like a dwarven fortress! And I love how you can sit and climb all over it (be careful!). There are lots of benches, lots of different levels and grassy areas and it is centrally located. Beautiful place to relax and eat lunch or read.

This is the coolest park in downtown Seattle (and there's no shortage of great Urban parks in Seattle)! Freeway Park is literally built over Interstate 5 as part of the Washington State Convention Center complex!

This is not the biggest, cleanest, most savory park in the City. However, I find it refreshing and it definitely adds character to the area. I like a variety of parks in the city. I like the concrete (grass is overrated sometimes) and the waterfall (there aren't enough of those in the world) here. Now, I'm not hanging out on a blanket, reading a book here. I'm working during the week. It's a great place to have lunch. Funny thing is - when you do, you're not alone. Sometimes I just feel like being around people without talking to them since I think I talk way too much at my work. Peace and quiet is greatly appreciated. Just like other places downtown, sometimes you may run into people who are not exactly like you. That's cool with me - I find most people harmless and it adds diversity to my life.

Yes Freeway Park is full of some interesting characters perhaps some unsavory, but it's a park putting a lid on the freeway thru downtown which is a remarkable blessing. There are trees and fountains and varied paths criscrossing from downtown to First Hill. The ideal park? No. Safe at night? probably not. But it's a hell of a lot better than an open freeway and a nice little repose from the city while still very, very much in it.

This is a nice break from the buildings of downtown Seattle as you cross over I-5 in to the First Hill area. It is actually very well maintained considering its location which one might think would lend to neglect. Always nice to have a bit of green to balance out all the grey concrete. On a side note, this is also where Jen B. lives so please stop and say hello if you see her. She may let you stay to watch her 9" TV...if you're lucky.

I've walked through this place a couple of times. It feels like the urine soaked version of a set from Logan's Run; all concrete, stairs, and bum habitat.

I love central Washington... I love plazas and parks... and I love novel ideas. Oh and I love good architecture. Now that you know me a little better, you can see why I give this park 4 solid stars. REASONS TO HATE THIS PARK: * There's a 50-50 ratio of vagrants to regular citizens enjoying this park at any given time. * Hardly any grass: it's mostly concrete with little grass patches, waterfalls and gardens. * No Playground. * People are often passed out or stumbling around like they just awoke from an uncomfortable slumber. * Lots of steps and stairs. WHY I LIKE FREEWAY PARK: * Novel & inspirational design: there should be more examples of turning awkward urban spaces into parks. * The fountains, steps, gardens and especially the texture of the concrete remind me of Central Washington basalt formations. * The park covers up the big pit that houses I-5. Can you think of a better use of the air above an 8 lane freeway?! * It's essentially a fancy sidewalk from the central core of downtown to either First Hill or Capitol Hill. * Tall office towers border the park on the downtown side, providing a great contrast between horizontal and vertical man-made environments.

Could they ever stop renovating this park? It pains me to think of all the taxpayer dollars that go into repairing the fountains, and removing, planting, and replanting the trees! Not to mention the day to day maintenance of this park! I walk through here every day, (twice a day) I suppose I should be thankful for the renovation because it certainly makes me feel safer with all of the homeless people and street kids around, but it is getting annoying. Despite my complaints, I love this weird little park.

Meh. The waterfall end of the park is pretty damn awesome, and perhaps a new route for heading to/from downtown if I want a scenic, water-filled detour. The cons are: the people. I am very much accustomed to downtown and the lower parts of the hill, but up close, there is most definitely a high concentration of crazies in the park. Nothing about which to be alarmed, really, but not the place you want to be at night alone (that's coming from a 6'4" gentleman friend of mine, not me.) However shady it is, I do think it's a nice use of space. Great for some dog walking or jogging, or waterfall viewing, but it's only about 6 blocks or so to Cal Anderson for real park activities.

On the days that I walk to work, I usually cut through Freeway Park. Freeway noise? Sure, but downtown is loud anyway. Scary people? Yes, but most of them are finished raping and killing by 8am. It just seems faster and nicer not having to wait at crosswalks when I'm heading towards work in the business district. If it's a nice day out, it's not a bad place to bring a lunch to. Plus, there's something about the blocky design of Freeway Park (and the Convention Center) that reminds me of Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and that really makes the geek in me smile.

Most natives to seattle, do not even know of this park. Located in downtown seattle, it has waterfalls...flowers..and some bums hanging out...smoking some weed.... I think a great place in the summer....u will have music in the park...and they sell books down there at a little stand for cheap.... Plenty of food options close by......so grab your lunch and enjoy during the day....the park could be abit sketchy late at night.....

I tend to agree with Victoria L. on some level. Though I would barely call this a park, but more like an interesting pass-through in the middle of the downtown urban jungle that many of us find our jobs nearby. I pass between the Convention Center and the Union Square Buildings and find the greenery a nice addition to all our cold hard concrete. At the least; there can be a bit of exercise up and down the stairs and you can look up and see the sky and sometimes birds, or look ahead and see drunk bums or... look down and see poo or maybe someone's partly abandoned lunch on a bench. I've seen much worse, but I've seen much better too. It is what it is... a city corner with some benches and some plants, flowers and trees (and possibly bums).

Cool place! Very good and nice design Park, me and my wife very lucky the place! We will back again this place!

If you love getting stabbed or just watching people slam junk, this park is for you. So much heroin, so little time, so fucking gross.

A great place in the center of town to take a walk in a lunch break or just walk there passing by this place! Very quiet, little people

I used to love walking my dog here as it's next to my apartment and because dogs are leashed, I can easily work on my dog who tends to be dog-aggressive. However, over the past few weeks, there has been an increase of people using it as an off-leash area and they carelessly let their dogs approach mine, who does not take to it well, to say the least. They have also been leaving land mines of poop behind them adding to the used syringes and graffiti. It is a nice park when it's not overrun by sketchy men street harassing me and getting annoyed that I don't acknowledge their advances. It is also a nice park when the entrance by Hubbell doesn't smell like urine. Strangely enough, I'm more annoyed by the careless dog owners who seem to be extra careless when canine influenza is spreading in the area than I am by the typical urban characteristics of the place.

Great place to play croquet. I was a little hesitant about going after I had heard about it being an unsafe place for women. However, it is very lovely and green, with several concrete fountains and water features, and wide range of places to sit in the shade. There were a few randoms passed out on the lawns, but that is like just about any downtown park you will visit. I would love to play hide and seek in this park. Visit and see if you agree!

For one reason or another, it has remained beyond me that one has the opportunity to review public parks on this website. In any case, the park is a five acre property with winding paths flanked with various portions of greenery and water features that span over a portion of Interstate-5 that runs through downtown. The problem with the park is that there are numerous places, especially later in the evening, where transients set up camp and several of the darker corners of the park become makeshift restrooms. Overall, the concept of the park is rather ingenious to have created a pedestrian connection to bridge a major vehicular route that cuts through the city. Honestly, back in the day, it used to be quite nice when all the water features were in working order and the public was aware of its existence. However, since the initial set of construction projects, Freeway Park has been seemingly experiencing a perpetual cycle of renovation with its gathering areas fenced off and water features dried up.

All you need to know about this park, you can figure out by the need to have big, red emergency buttons every 50 yards or so.

Well kept park, okay, more of a plaza. There is no playground, a big huge plus, it means no screaming children. This place is quiet and clean enough to seat on. If it isn't so cold outside, this would be a nice place to hang out. I imagine coffee drinkers could buy a hot drink then come here to have a nice lengthy chat with a close friend. You could totally bring lunch here and enjoy some peaceful alone time too. The only issue with this place is smokers, you cannot tell them to go away because they got there first, or sometimes you will see a loner in the park, who behave suspiciously like a homeless/wanderer. This place is well lit at night, but I still didn't feel so good walking through it by myself. We should all go use the park and reclaim it!

For many years I have traveled through Freeway Park on my way to and from Downtown. The place is a charming jewel and over the years the plantings have aged and become bountiful with lots of interesting species. A real respite from the city. As other reviewers have mentioned, like ANY urban park in this country there are "issues." You may see a homeless person sleeping in a couple of places, but they keep to their tribe and have never once bothered me. The druggies seem to have been more or less driven out, and I have come across security guards on patrol. Mostly the homeless and addicts don't frighten me, I feel sorry for them. As the saying goes, "There but for the grace of god go I!" However, I probably wouldn't go to the park, or any park in this country, after dark, although I have walked through a few times without problem. The place is actually quite beautiful in the evening.

How could you not love a park that covers the interstate? This park is close to my building and one of my favorite routes to get down First Hill via Union or University streets. The park attendants do a wonderful job of maintaining the grass and gardens closer to the Convention Center and the Tully's at Two Union is the BEST. The corridor with smaller waterfalls that leads back up to First Hill is the #1 hangout for misplaced youth that have gotten their hands on some weed, but I've never been bothered. My only complaint is the architects made many nooks and crannies that make for excellent urinals for the homeless.

Go eat a takeout lunch here in the middle of the day, but don't approach it as the sun goes down. Yeah, you can walk over the freeway, and the landscaping is lovely and the fountain nice and the waterfall very cool, but every once in a while they still find a dead body stashed in some corner of this park. Great for daytime downtown workers and shoppers, not so good for anything else.

great spot to pop a squat for the hospital folks. our job can be stressful. some days i'll eat lunch here, if it's not raining. it's a nice place to go and decompress a bit, good people watching. there are stairs and ramps. a baby hill climb on the way back towards virginia mason. it is a city park, built over a freeway..so there's a lot of everybody. you never know what you might see. i've never felt unsafe though. the water feature is down for fall but when up and running is really beautiful.

It's a nice grassy pathway from downtown to first hill. I've seen the occasional person sitting, but mostly people just walk on through.

This place is a unique, urban-yet-natural, labrynthine, multi-leveled oasis built over Interstate 5. My ex-boyfriend and I used to love coming here to just walk around, since it was quiet but not TOO quiet, and right in the middle of downtown. Great place for a mid- or after-date stroll. Romantic, in a urban/modern sort of way.

I see pictures of a waterfall posted, but I didn't see any when I went last year. The only waterfall I saw was urine flowing down the concrete steps/stairs. The people chilling out here don't look like your usual park-goers and the "park" lacks some much needed grass. Even in broad daylight, this place gives me the creeps and I would be careful about bringing friends here. If you're gonna go, I would suggest walking as fast as you can, because there is no reason to stay.

3.5 stars I think this is a pretty creative concept and spot for a park actually. There's cool parts and its a nice place to sit and eat your Juicy Cafe food, grab your friends from around downtown to bring their lunches down on a nice workday or wander through to get to work in Union Square or the Convention Center. I imagine its mostly for people working in the area- I know I have never been otherwise, so I haven't experienced this bum issue a lot of people have talked about. It's a nice spot for its purpose, but I wouldn't catapult it to 4 stars because it def. isn't in the same league as some of the North Seattle or quieter/greener parks.

Lunch in the park during a conference... Lots of space to claim as your own... Sprawl out. Lots of interesting people walking through... Elderly, professionals, and LOTS of homeless. Great for a picnic lunch. Not so sure I'd be hanging out here at night... Alone.