Cascade Playground — Attraction in Seattle

Nice park. The half court basketball court usually has guys showing up about 3:30pm every week day in spring thru summer to play. They have public bathrooms if you need that the city keeps pretty clean. There are a couple of tables off the ball court with chairs and two pick nick tables on that side of the park on a gravel trail under the trees. The play ground has a jungle gym set up and a "stay out of the lava" game kids can play on it. For little kids they have a couple of old school bouncy horses, small climbing object and sand box. The sand box has a mechanical shovel that is operated with two handles to move sand. A paved trail goes around the park with a baseball sized grass space in the center. The grass field is too muddy to use in the winter and after more than 4 days of rain but in the summer can be used for things. I have seen groups that meet for yoga, hula hoop, thi che, and other activities in the summer. Right beside the park is the Cascade Pea Patch Garden (it takes years on the wait list to get a spot). The Cascade/South Lake Union Center building has programs for kids in the summer. Currently three homeless people live in tents in the corners of the park but they keep the area clean, stay out of the way and don't...

Not the best place to go to, but ok if you live close and don't want to go far. There is a food bank every Sunday that starts at 130pm, there is no wage cut off and they get their leftovers from PCC mostly. Worth checking out! The restrooms are kinda run down and creepy, but everything works when I was last there.

There are some homeless people hanging around, but that's almost everywhere in Seattle nowadays. I didn't see any drugs, but it doesn't mean there isn't any. As far as cleanliness goes, I think the parks department has their hands full with all the parks around. But people tend to clean up after themselves so it's not trashed. Not really a dog park, but people do bring them and let them run around.

Trails aren't bad, a lot of greenery (trees,...

Overall, Cascade Park is a fabulous city park in South Lake Union. Pluses: substantial grassy playfield, basketball court, separate playgrounds for preschool-age and bigger kids, bathrooms that aren't disgusting—the soap dispenser is always full, and one water fountain. Coffee and good close by. Minuses: check for dog poo in the field before running around, and check bathrooms for nefarious activity before sending your kid in there alone. The city has done work to help the field drain better, but it can still get a little soggy. Sometimes, the fountain is off. There are a few shady areas, but not a lot. I think you could bring a small...