A Guide to What's Around the Mount Baker Light Rail Station

Hyperlocal blog-stars, Wendi and Jason of Beacon Hill Blog, agreed to let us republish a portion of their guide to the Mount Baker station for your reading pleasure. Thanks, BHB!

The area [around the Mount Baker station] is a relatively automobile-focused district containing fast food and big stores like Lowe’s, Rite Aid, and QFC, mostly surrounded by large parking lots, with cars speeding by on Rainier Avenue. It’s not a pedestrian-friendly environment, but the intent is that the new station, and the potential transit-friendly development it will attract, will improve that.

East of the station rises the imposing neoclassical façade of Franklin High School, which opened in 1912 and was renovated in the late 1980s.

Northeast of Lowe’s on MLK, between South Walker and South Bayview streets, you’ll find the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Park, a tiered, grassy amphitheatre-like space containing a reflecting pool and a 30-foot-tall granite sculpture by Robert Kelly, inspired by King’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech.

There is good eating to be found near the station, even if you have to dodge a few cars to find it. Thai Recipe is located in the same strip mall as Domino’s on McClellan, and it is the only Thai restaurant we know of that even borders on North Beacon Hill. The very friendly staff serves good, reliable, and tasty Thai food, available for take out or to eat in the small dining room.

Perhaps your current craving is for a cheesesteak sandwich instead. If so, there’s The Original Philly’s, almost in the shadow of Mount Baker station at the intersection of Rainier and McClellan.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By MvB in Food on August 10, 2009 1:10 PM

Comments [rss]

billionbillion

Sorry, I have to disagree about Thai Recipe. The staff may be friendly, but their food is not. The tofu pad see ew made me sick. Old, rancid tofu. Do not recommend.

litlnemo

I have not had that experience there, and I usually have the tofu. It's been good every time.

todbookless

The Seattle Scout Shop is also across the street, next door to the Wells Fargo bank. Getting to, and home from, the Scout Shop is a hassle from the South End, but now we can ride the light rail from the Tukwila Station.