Cruising Puget Sound through Ballard Locks to Lake Washington

You enter Lake Washington from Puget Sound through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, commonly called the Ballard Locks. There are two locks and pleasure boats can use both. There are numerous stories and rumors about problems and difficulty with the locks but these stories are overrated. I have been through many times with both novice and experienced (with the locks) captains and never encountered a problem. A larger boat requires two people that are alert and have basic common sense to handle the lines and engine. You need two 50 ft lines if you are going through the large locks. One person can handle a small boat that usually ties to the side of a larger boat inside the locks. I have been through the locks alone on my ten foot WaveRunner.

Adjacent to the Locks is the dam that controls the level of the fresh waterways. The dam includes fish ladders. The locks and dam are open to the public and are a popular tourist stop. There is public parking and access on both sides of the canal.

After passing through the locks you travel through the Lake Washington Ship Canal to Lake Union. The canal takes you past much of the area’s historical and modern boating and boat building industry.

Fisherman’s Terminal and Salmon Bay are on the south side of the Ship Canal just east of the locks. Fisherman’s Terminal has a lot of commercial activity and a marina for pleasure craft. You may see here some of the boats used in TV’s popular “Deadliest Catch.” The Terminal also has guest moorage for its shops and restaurants.

After Fisherman’s Terminal you pass under the old Ballard and Fremont draw bridges. On the east of Lake Union there are an additional two drawbridges. The vessel clearance without opening the bridges ranges from 30 to 46 feet. Tall vessels navigating these waterways should be familiar with Seattle’s DOT “Bridge Openings” website. A vessel may request an opening during daytime operating hours (which vary) with a one long and one short whistle signal.

On the northwest corner of Lake Union you pass the famous “Sleepless in Seattle” floating home.

Lake Union and Portage Bay are known for their floating home communities. The largest of these communities are on the northeast end of Lake Union.

Lake Union offers fabulous views of the Seattle skyline and the Space Needle. At the south end of Lake Union are numerous excellent waterfront restaurants with guest docking.

Bill Gates keeps his floating helipad in a marina in southwest Lake Union. The helipad motors to the shore of his Medina mansion and convention center when he wants to use it.

On the north end of Lake Union is Ivar’s Salmon House with guest docking for up to twenty vessels. This is a popular place to dock and enjoy some refreshments and the view. Dale Chihuly’s Studio is adjacent to the east. The studio was much more interesting before it was remodeled.

After Lake Union you pass under the I-5 Bridge and another drawbridge into Portage Bay. This is the home of the Seattle Yacht Club and Queen City Yacht Club. Next is the Montlake Cut. The University of Washington borders the north shore of Portage Bay and the cut. The cut was completed in 1917 and had the most expensive construction cost of the canals that connect Lake Washington to the Sound. The opening of the cut lowered Lake Washington nine feet. Prior to the cut, LW water exited at the south end of the lake where the Cedar River now flows into the lake.

You enter Lake Washington in Union Bay and into the largest open section of the lake. State Route 520 Floating Bridge is to the immediate south. The bridge crosses the lake near the north-south center. The north end of the lake is less populated than the south end.

The University of Washington Husky Stadium is adjacent to Union Bay just north and across the water from SR-520. Many fans go to the UW Huskies home football games by boat and have “sailgate” parties on the water. These parties were featured in a 12/28/11 Seattle Mansions post.

The two floating bridges crossing Lake Washington were built in 1940 and 1963 and promoted development of Mercer Island and the area east of the lake known as “The Eastside.” The northern 1963 (state route) 520 bridge, also know as “The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge,” at 7,578 feet, is the longest floating bridge in the world. This bridge connects Seattle to Medina and points east. The west end of the bridge is in Madison Park, a Seattle neighborhood, and the east end is in Medina, the heart of Billionaire Row. The vertical clearance for boats is 45 feet at the west end and 75 feet at the east end of the bridge. Looking at the center of the bridge you see two wide sections. The outside sections are floating and the roadway is suspended between these sections. This part of the roadway can be lifted by the floating outside structures and the roadway in between floats under the raised roadway creating a drawbridge opening for large ships and barges.

(This is the second chapter [go to next chapter, “Cruising Seattle’s LW Emerald Coast”] of our “Lake Washington Cruising” article/series. The chapters are being posted in reverse order. When all chapters are posted they will be in order in this blog with the first chapter at the top. You can read and print an abbreviated pdf version of the entire article/series.)

Cruising Seattle’s Lake Washington Emerald Coast

The northeast shoreline of Seattle on Lake Washington is known as the Emerald Coast of Seattle, the Emerald City. Seattle’s Lake Washington Emerald Coast neighborhoods are Madison Park, Harrison/Denny Blaine (commonly just “Denny-Blaine”) and Madrona. The Madison Park neighborhood includes the Seattle LW waterfront from the SR-520 Bridge to the north edge of the Seattle Tennis Club (p25 LW 130 Homes). Denny-Blaine is to the immediate south and includes the Seattle Tennis Club and the waterfront past the McCaw mansion on p38 of LW 130 Homes. Madrona is the next waterfront to the south. It includes Rob Glaser’s 3 lots and 2 mansions and the last (southern most) Seattle mansion in the book. That mansion belongs to Peter Rose and is on p40 of LW 130 Homes.

These are the prime Seattle neighborhoods. Before the floating bridges were built this was the area for the mansions of Seattle’s movers and shakers. Now the area is a diverse mix of old and new money along with some medium priced housing. There are many fantastic mansions, in addition to the shoreline, on the hills and surrounding the Broadmoor Golf Club. The Golf Club was founded in 1924 and overlooks Union Bay. The gated entrance to the Broadmoor Club and community is less than one mile from Madison Park’s waterfront park.

Madison Park (The Park)

Downtown Madison Park is one block inland

Madison Park pier/dock

Judge John J. McGilvra was the pioneer-founder of the Madison Park area in the 1860s when he acquired 420 acres in this area. A street is named after him. McGilvra built a road through forest from Seattle to his property and named it Madison Street after President James Madison. McGilvra set aside 24 acres for a public park at the end of Madison Street. The neighborhood was the home of “Madison Park” and assumed the same name.The Madison Park commercial district starts one block inland and covers about ten square blocks. It is an eclectic community of about 60 businesses including restaurants and coffee shops with sidewalk patio seating and various independently owned shops.

Reed Estate (left) and Washington Park Tower (right)

The 23 story Washington Park Tower is our landmark. It and the adjacent condos are to the immediate south of Madison Park (The Park). Washington Park Tower has 53 condominiums and was built in 1969. This is the highest residential building on Lake Washington.

At the Washington Park Tower Dock

The five waterfront homes south of here are in an exclusive gated community of nine homes. This is the 8 acre Reed Estate where Howard Schultz lives and where Gary Reed grew up. It was established in the early 1900s by Gary’s grandfather, Mark Edward Reed. It was that era’s version of the current Gates and Allen estates. It was subdivided in the 1940s into a private gated community of nine homes. The only homes here of the 1940s era are on LW 130 Homes pages 20 and 22. When the property was subdivided one of the mansions was cut into 3 pieces and barged to Mercer Island. It is the house on page 72 of LW 130 Homes and in the 2/16/12 post. The mansions (Schultz, Reed, Diamond, Alvord et al.) on Madison Park’s waterfront are featured in the 4/22/12 post.

Entrance gate to the Reed Estate nine home community

Mansion on Mercer Island that was barged from the Reed Estate

Denny-Blaine Waterfront with the Seattle Tennis Club in the foreground

Viewing Denny-Blaine in the spring

Denny-Blaine and Madrona have many fabulous old mansions with gorgeous grounds on the waterfront and on the hills above. Plus there are many newer modern mansions. The mansions (Ackerley, Horowitz, Ragen, Keister, Chesnut, Moll et al.) on north Denny Blaine’s waterfront are featured in the 4/20/12 post. The mansions (McCaw, Kurt Cobain, Blume, Robbins et al.) on south Denny Blaine’s waterfront are featured in the 4/19/12 post. The mansions (Glaser – Rose et al.) on Madrona’s waterfront are featured in the 4/14/12 post.

View from Denny-Blaine looking east

Rob Glasers Madrona 3 lot and 2 mansions compound

Where President Obama had lunch in 2010

(see Seattle Mansions 9/27/10 post)

(This is the third chapter [go to next chapter “Cruising NW Mercer Island”] of our “Lake Washington Cruising” series. The chapters are being posted in reverse order. When all chapters are posted they will be in order in this blog with the first chapter at the top. You can read and print an abbreviated pdf version of the entire series.)

Madison Park Waterfront Mansions

Schultz, Reed, Diamond, Alvord et al.

The 23 story Washington Park Tower is our landmark. The building has 53 condominiums and was built in 1969. This is the highest residential building on Lake Washington. It is very unlikely any more lake-front buildings close to this height will be built in the future because of zoning regulations. The residents enjoy incredible views. The three upper floors have two 2,200 sq ft, two bedroom units on each floor. The estimated value of each of these units is $2.2 million.

This mansion was featured in a Seattle Mansions 4/19/10 post. The listing price was $12.8 million. The home was purchased by Frederick Beau Gould and Julie Pigott Gould. Frederick is a Seattle attorney. Julie is active in numerous local charities with other members of the Pigott families. The former owners, Jack and Carol Briggs, were also active in charities and the home was featured as a wonderful site for many fund raisers. The home has a pool, two kitchens and three fireplaces. From the Ewing & Clark listing: “The home is wonderful for entertaining inside and outside. Inside there are large entertainment rooms with French craftsmen detailing. The outside features the pool, beautiful, well-maintained landscaping, sculptures and fountains.” The mansion has 7,470 sq ft of living space on 0.7 acres with 135 feet of waterfront.

This is the mansion of Howard D. and Sheri Schultz. Howard, his $21.7 million 2010 pay-package and the mansion were featured in a 11/3/11 Seattle Mansions post. Howard is the Founder, Chairman, President and CEO of Starbucks. The first Starbucks roasted and sold coffee beans and opened its first store in 1971. In 1985 Howard founded a new coffee and espresso company which, in 1987, acquired the original Starbucks’ assets and its name. Starbucks now has more than 15,000 stores throughout the world with $10 billion in annual sales. Howard was the lead investor of a group that purchased the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA from Barry Ackerley in 2001 (4/15/12 Seattle Mansions post). Howard’s group sold the team to Oklahoma City in 2008. The mansion and the one in the previous paragraph are in an exclusive gated community of nine homes that are on the property of the Reed Estate. (More information on the Reed Estate and Gary Reed is in the next paragraph.) Howard drives through the Estate’s gate and then another gate to his property. His mansion and property, with 16,880 sq ft on 1.8 acres with 248 ft of waterfront, are the largest in the Estate's community.

William G. “Gary” Jr. and Victoria Reed moved from their Medina home (LW 130 Homes page 100) in 2009 to this mansion. The Reeds and their mansions were featured in two 10/1/10 Seattle Mansions posts. This first post features his former Medina mansion that he sold for $22 million and the second post features this mansion. The new mansion has 7,700 sq ft on 0.7 acres with 60 feet of waterfront. The 8 acre Reed Estate where Howard Schultz lives (see previous paragraph) is where Gary grew up. It was established in the early 1900s by his grandfather, Mark Edward Reed. It was that era’s version of the current Gates and Allen estates. It was subdivided in the 1940s into a private gated community of nine homes. The Seattle Times labeled Gary “the most powerful Seattle business leader you’ve likely never heard of.” He is or has been on the Boards of Microsoft, Paccar, Safeco, The Seattle Times Company and Washington Mutual. Mark Edward Reed who joined Simpson Logging in 1897 was named president after the company’s founder, Sol Simpson, died in 1906. The Reed family bought out the Simpson family and the company is now one of the largest private, family owned companies in the state. It is now Tacoma-based Simpson Investment Company. Gary served as Chairman from 1971 to 1996. Gary’s nephew, Colin Moseley, who lives in the neighboring Reed Estate, is now Chairman and the fourth generation of Reed/Moseley family management.

$6.7 Million Sale 10/16/10. The mansion was listed for $7.9 million by Wendy Lister, CBBain. From the listing: “Beverly Hills glamour at waters edge. A curving wall of glass captures the constant change of reflections of water and sky ~ every turn an adventure of extravagance used with great restraint. Exquisite details with powerful moments of drama. Lavish master suite ~ his and her salons. French doors in the guest house cabana open to the black bottom free form pool. Significant entree for strong art collectors. 120' frontage. Brilliant azure lake hues...Bellevue city skyscape...Cascade mountains.” The sellers (the home was custom built for the family) were Joel and Julie Diamond. Joel is Chairman and CEO of Diamond Parking and is the son of Josef Diamond who was known in Seattle as the father of self-serve parking lots. Diamond Parking, founded in 1922 by the Diamond family, is the world’s oldest parking company and operates over 1,000 locations throughout the western United States. The purchasers were Ellsworth C. and Eve Alvord. Ellsworth is with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in their Seattle office. The Seattle Center Eve Alvord Theater is named after her. The Alvord family members are well known Seattle area philanthropists. The mansion is on page 23 and is 6,420 sq ft on 0.4 acres with 120 feet of waterfront. Ellsworth and Eve Alvord also own the mansion on LW 130 Homes page 26 that is about 0.2 miles south of here and three properties south of The Seattle Tennis Club.

The Seattle Tennis Club is just south of Madison Park in Denny-Blaine. The Seattle Tennis Club was founded a few blocks north of its present site as the Olympic Tennis Club in 1890. The name was changed to Seattle Tennis Club in 1896 and it moved to its current site in 1919. An $11.5 million renovation was completed in 1999. The club sits on 8 acres and offers its 3,000-plus members 19 tennis courts (including 6 indoor hard and 3 outdoor clay courts), a fitness center, squash courts, locker rooms, several dining rooms, banquet facilities, pool, beach, boathouse and pro shop. The club is popular for society wedding receptions. A non-equity membership is about $20,000 and monthly dues are about $250 plus a $100 per month dining minimum. There is a waiting list for memberships. Many members are the fourth generation of family members. This is the most expensive and prestigious tennis club in the PNW.

The tour of Seattle’s Emerald Coast waterfront mansions continues with north Denny-Blaine, south Denny-Blaine and Madrona posts.

Blogs Seattle’s Lake Washington Waterfront – The Emerald Coast

My favorite blogs featuring Seattle’s Lake Washington Emerald Coast (Madison Park, Denny-Blaine and Madrona) are Madison Park Blogger and Seattle Waterfront Homes.

Madison Park Blogger is by Bryan Tagas. He posts articles about 10 times per month. From his 4/22/12 post: “Today marks the third anniversary of Madison Park Blogger. What began as something of a lark has morphed over time into a cross between a labor of love and a duty. My goal has been to provide Madison Park with a timely source of news and (very occasionally) commentary, about the things that impact this .9 square miles of lakeside turf that we are lucky enough to inhabit. I remain dedicated to that mission. . .” Bryan is a longtime Seattle corporate banker who is at heart a frustrated journalist. He graduated from Roosevelt High School and UW (where he served as editor of The Daily) and has been a Madison Park resident since 2002.

Seattle Waterfront Homes is by Sam DeBord. He posts articles about 15 times per month. From his 4/21/12 post: “Waterfront home sales in Seattle were up 57% from February to March, with the seasonal rise in sales being bolstered by an even stronger rise in home buyers’ confidence in the market. Eleven Seattle waterfront homes were sold last month, with the top prices reaching $1.5 million for a waterfront condo in Madison Park and $1.95 million for a waterfront home in Laurelhurst. . .” Sam is a Realtor and Managing Broker in the Northgate office of Coldwell Banker Danforth. He is a Puget Sound native, has a business degree from USC and has worked in the real estate industry, including technology/web development, for the majority of his life. He has been interviewed as an industry expert by such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Realtor Magazine, Money Magazine, and Seattle Homes and Lifestyles.

Seattle Neighborhoods Lake Washington Waterfront – The Emerald Coast

Seattle’s Lake Washington Emerald Coast neighborhoods are Madison Park, Harrison/Denny Blaine (commonly just “Denny-Blaine”) and Madrona. The Madison Park neighborhood includes all the Seattle LW waterfront from the SR-520 Bridge to what would be the extension east of Prospect St (the north edge of the Seattle Tennis Club, p25 LW 130 Homes). Denny-Blaine is to the immediate south and includes the waterfront to Howell Pl, just south of Denny Blaine Park, Viretta (Kurt Cobain) Park, and the McCaw mansion on p38 of LW 130 Homes. Madrona is the next waterfront to the south. It includes Rob Glaser’s 3 lots and 2 mansions through the last LW 130 Homes Seattle mansion, Peter Rose’s on p40. The Leschi neighborhood is to the immediate south of Madrona.

The Seattle City Government web site is the basis for these boundaries. Some real estate sites, Google and Wikipedia have different definitions of the neighborhoods and boundaries. For example, some list a “Washington Park” neighborhood but the City does not list any neighborhood by this name. Wikipedia and Google define, but each differently, Washington Park as a small 5 acre neighborhood in central Denny-Blaine, with no waterfront, adjacent to the south end of Broadmoor Golf Club and the Washington Park Arboretum. Some real estate listings have some Madison Park and Denny-Blaine waterfront homes listed as being in Washington Park. Neighborhoods apparently don’t have “official” boundaries because I am told, by residents and Realtors, the city officials are not “official.” Realtors, residents and neighborhood associations like to say their homes are in the neighborhoods that they think are the most prestigious. They may be right.

People who don’t live in the area often refer to the entire Emerald Coast area as Madison Park (as I do in the above map) because it is the best known and has a business district.

North Denny-Blaine Waterfront Mansions

Ackerley, Horowitz, Ragen, Keister, Chesnut, Moll et al.

$6.4 Million For Sale. The listing agents are Betsy Terry and Jane Powers, Ewing & Clark: “Impeccable Olson Sundberg residence on the shores of Lake Washington in Washington Park. Glorious sunrises and moonrises from nearly every room through the numerous floor to ceiling windows. Tall ceilings, numerous art walls and niches, custom millwork throughout. Open concept floor plan and design for indoor/outdoor living. Level waterfront with terraces, level lawn, dock with boatlift, and professional landscaping. Expansive master suite with dual bath/closet and large balcony.” The property is owned by Juno Investments LLC whose agent is James Wishaar (Seattle Attorney) and member is Elizabeth Runde (President of Seattle based RB Hooper & Co, financial planners). The home is 4,000 sq ft on 0.15acres with 60 feet of waterfront.

$6.8 Million For Sale. The listing agent is Jane Powers, Ewing & Clark: “Glorious waterfront setting in Prime Washington Park location. Level parcel w/ outstanding views of Lake, Cascade Mountains, and Bellevue skyline. Original design by Harrison Overturf, complete 1999 remodel by Ralph Anderson. Floor to ceiling windows taking in the beautiful Lake vista. Gracious scale, open floor plan, front hall atrium. Private and expansive master bedroom suite, office, media room. Sound syst. 1999 dock w/ new boatlift. Fantastic opportunity to enjoy stunning Lake Washington!” The owner of the home is John Keister. He is a Co-Founder, with neighbor Russell Horowitz (page 31 and two paragraphs down), of Seattle based Marchex and Go2Net. He and Horowitz were top executives of the two companies and Bellevue based InfoSpace. The home is 4,101 sq ft on 0.17 acres with 60 feet of waterfront.

$9.6 Million Sale 12/28/09. This is the former home of Brooks Ragen (the seller) and the buyer is listed as an attorney acting as a trustee. This is one of Seattle’s fine old waterfront mansions, built in 1925, that has not been torn down for a modern home. Ragen co-founded Seattle-based Ragen Mackenzie Group, a full service brokerage firm. The firm grew to 300 employees with offices in Washington, California, Oregon and Alaska managing over $11 billion in assets when it was acquired by Wells Fargo in 2000. Nearly simultaneously Ragen left the firm and co-founded McAdams Wright Ragen in Seattle and the firm is now one of the region’s largest brokerage firms. The house is on page 30 and is 4,020 sq ft on 0.6 acres with 153 feet of waterfront.

This mansion was purchased for $20.0 million in 2000 by Russell C. Horowitz. Russell is a Co-Founder (with neighbor John Keister, two paragraphs up) of Seattle-based Marchex and Go2Net. Horowitz was Chairman and CEO of both companies. Marchex is a search and performance advertising company with products that are used by more than 70,000 advertisers nationally. Go2Net is a provider of online services to merchants and consumers. Go2Net was acquired in 2000 by Bellevue-based InfoSpace. Horowitz oversaw the successful completion of the merger and was President of InfoSpace until 2001. The mansion is on page 31 and is 7,010 sq ft on 2.4 acres with 60 feet of waterfront.

$3.7 Million Sale 6/14/11. The mansion was listed for $5.0 million ($9.6 million in 2009) by Betsy Terry, Ewing & Clark, “Idyllic waterfront home in prime neighborhood location. 1910 residence with gracious floor plan, elegant scale and classic detailing, such as covered terrace, french doors and windows, marble fireplaces, columns, cornice moldings, sconces and beamed ceilings. Gently sloping lawn to the waters edge and weeping willow tree. Dock with rare covered boat house and beach house with fireplace make for endless enjoyment of Lake Washington and all it has to offer.” The mansion was sold by Dr. Charles H. and Anna Chesnut to Alan McMillan. Dr. Chesnut is a prominent physician, specializing in nuclear medicine, metabolic bone disease and orthopedics with UW Medical Center. McMillan is VP of Engineering at International Telcom Ltd in Seattle. The mansion is on page 32 and is 7,990 sq ft on 0.4 acres with 63 feet of waterfront.

View From Dock

This is the former home of Barry and Ginger Ackerley. The mansion was purchased from the Ackerleys 6/11/2008 for $13.3 million by Dr. Frederic Hutchins Moll. The property was listed for sale for $15.0 Million in 2009 (Betsy Terry, Ewing & Clark) and later taken off the market. The property was featured in a 4/15/12 Seattle Mansions post. Barry Ackerley (1935-2011) is a former owner of the NBA Seattle SuperSonics. He was the founder and former Chairman/CEO of The Ackerley Group. The Ackerley Group owned television and radio stations that were purchased by Clear Channel Communications in 2001.Dr. Moll graduated from Seattle’s Lakeside HS and UW Medical School. He was a surgeon at Virginia Mason in Seattle and became a noted Silicon Valley medical device entrepreneur. The mansion is on page 33 of LW 130 Homes and has 6,580 sq ft on 0.46 acres. It is a prime lot on a point with 146 feet of waterfront and two docks, a tennis court and swimming pool.
The tour of Seattle’s Emerald Coast waterfront mansions continues with south Denny-Blaine and Madrona posts.