East Queen Anne

Starting from Westlake, most of the climbing comes early on this stairway walk: more than 500 steps up the east side of Queen Anne Hill. Quick gratification is ahead, though: some of the finest views in Seattle are seen at little-known Bhy Kracke Park. That's followed by a stroll along graceful tree-lined streets, with extraordinary residential and public architecture - and a tour of some of the oldest and grandest Seattle stairs.

Note that the "www" icon above the slideshow indicates additional content referenced in the book. Scroll below that for even more scenes from this stairway walk.

 

Crossing the footbridge over busy Aurora Avenue

Almost there: topping the Galer stairs (they keep going, but you turn to the left)

Looking back: the stairway that leads down to graceful Bigelow Avenue

The base of the classic old 2nd Avenue stairs, heading up to Highland

Heading up the Galer Street stairway, to 1st Avenue

So who is John Hay?

There are three “John Hay” school buildings within 7 blocks of each other on East Queen Anne. The man began his career at age 22 as Abraham Lincoln’s personal secretary. He died in 1905 as Theodore Roosevelt’s Secretary of State. That was the same year “Old” John Hay School (above) opened. Inside this fine woodframe structure are wide wooden hallways, lined on either side by cream-colored arches that spring from delicate columns of beautifully-worked dark wood. 

By 1922 a growing school-age population had outstripped the original building, so a new brick structure was opened a half-block north. The expectation was that the original 1905 building would be demolished, but somehow that never happened. By the early 80s the younger building was judged to be seismically unsound, so a bond was approved to build a completely new elementary school across from Queen Anne High. That school was opened in 1989.

It’s been well over a century since the original John Hay building went up. Today it's a designated Seattle Landmark. The neighborhood’s needs have changed many times, but all three buildings are still in use. In 2010, after seismic retrofitting and other improvements, the historic 1905 and 1922 John Hay buildings were reopened as Queen Anne Elementary School, an “Option” school drawing kids from all over the city. The 1989 building carries on as John Hay Elementary, drawing local Queen Anne kids from the south and east sides of the hill, as far as downtown.