Pier 58 Waterfront Park Finally Opens!

 

8/10/25 Pier 58 Waterfront Park

After many years of planning, designing and rebuilding, the much-anticipated Pier 58 Waterfront Park is finally open! The first part to be completed was the Overlook Walk, but that didn’t open until fall last year. The new Pier 58 renovation opened while we still have plenty of summer to enjoy it.

Although Roy, Mary Jean and I had gotten a sneak peek of the waterfront in June before it was officially open, I knew that USk Seattle would eventually meet there, so I resisted sketching the new park. Last Sunday when USk finally had its outing, I tried to capture as many new elements as possible.

Statue of Ivar Haglund and a live human 
borrowing Ivar's chair

The meetup location was the eye-catching jellyfish climbing apparatus, which is the focal point of the new playground. It became a popular subject for many sketchers. Other highlights I had fun capturing were a bride being photographed on the Overlook, the giant swings (with the most comfortable seats of any swing I’ve used as an adult), a caricaturist (though her client got away before I could sketch him), and a man wearing a huge sombrero while singing in Spanish.

While I typically wouldn’t sketch a public restroom, this one seemed important enough to capture: My whole life, I’d heard (and have myself uttered) complaints about the lack of facilities anywhere near the long stretch of the waterfront between the Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. At last, a clean, safe public restroom!

When I ran out of space in my orange Uglybook spread, I opened my smaller blue one to catch a couple more scenes: A weary human resting in the seat attached to the statue of Ivar Haglund feeding his gulls, and a magician dazzling his audience.

With temps rising toward the upper 80s on the mostly shadeless waterfront, I thought I would run out of steam quickly, but it’s funny how sketching can keep me going. I just walked from one bit of shade to another, covering several blocks and back again. As a native and lifelong resident, I’m happy to say that Seattle finally has a waterfront worthy of my tax dollars!