Friday Roundtable: cherry blossom season

The Cherry Blossoms at UW are transit accessible and extremely popular (Nathan Dickey).

Cherry blossom season typically heralds the end of winter, and it returns this weekend. The U-District Cherry Blossom Festival starts today with special events now through March 29. While the groves at the University of Washington's campus in Seattle are the most popular destination for blossom-seekers, The Seattle Times ($) offered five alternative urban cherry tree destinations to consider visiting for blossom viewing. Last year, the Urbanist created a map of each of Seattle's17,000+ cherry treesand 27,000 other blooming arbors.

Here are some transit-accessible cherry blossom viewing suggestions across Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma:

Kobe Terrace, Seattle

Nestled on the north end of the Chinatown International District in Seattle along I-5 is Kobe Terrace park (650 South Main Street). Just a few blocks northeast of the International District/Chinatown Station of the 1 & 2 Lines, one block north of the 7th and Jackson station of the First Hill Streetcar. Youtuber Yao Ocean walked the park during blossom season last year:

By Transit:

• Link 1 and 2 Lines: International District/Chinatown Station
• First Hill Streetcar: 7th and Jackson
• Sounder & Amtrak: King Street Station
• Bus: Several ST Express and King County Metro routes

Bigelow Avenue, Queen Anne

Off the beaten path is the cherry-lined Bigelow Avenue on the west side of Queen Anne. From Galer Street to Newton Street, the avenue is lined with numerous mature trees.

By Transit:

• King County Metro: Route 4 has stops on the north end of the tree-lined segment of Bigelow Avenue at Boston Street. The trolleybus stops at Taylor Ave N & Galer St are near stairs leading to the south end of the cherry-lined stretch, but be prepared for a workout.

31st Ave South, Mount Baker

East of MLK and south of I-90 lies a half-mile stretch of 31st Avenue South densely lined with Spire Flowering Cherry trees. The north end starts at Colman Park and a mild but noticeable downhill slope brings you to South McClellan Street. Start at the south end and reward yourself with a pastry from The Dream Bakery. For a shorter walk, head to 30th Ave and South McClellan and check out the Cascade Snow Cherries lining the block of 30th Ave between South McClellan and Mount Baker Boulevard.

By Transit:

• King County Metro: Route 14 serves the length of 31st Avenue. If boarding at Mount Baker Transit Center, be sure to catch the Route 14 bus headed in the right direction (downtown Seattle for 31st Ave; Mount Baker for 30th Ave).
• Link 1 Line: Mount Baker station is across Rainier Ave from the Mount Baker Transit Center and a short walk down Mount Baker Boulevard from the cherry blossoms on 30th and 31st avenues.

Bellevue Downtown Park

On the west side of downtown Bellevue is Bellevue Downtown Park (10201 Northeast Fourth Street). Ironically, the park tends to offer better cherry blossom viewing than the Bellevue Botanical Garden, although the garden offers a wider variety of blooms to enjoy.

By Transit:

• Link 2 Line: Bellevue Downtown Station
• RapidRide B, multiple Sound Transit Express routes, and several King County Metro routes: Bellevue Transit Center

Wright Park, Tacoma

Although the Japanese Garden in Point Defiance Park is probably the best location for cherry blossom viewing in Tacoma, Wright Park (501 South I Street) hosts the W.W. Seymour Conservatory which is easier accessed via by bus or streetcar. Check out the News Tribune's map for other cherry blossom viewing locations.

By Transit:

• Link T Line: Division Ave & S I St Station (north end of Wright Park); 6th Ave Station (south end of Wright Park)
• Pierce Transit Route 1, 11, and 16 (see route maps for specific stops)

Where would you suggest taking transit to see some cherry blossoms?

This is an open thread.