Sometimes I forget that I have only experienced just a fraction of what makes up Seattle… I lived in this city since summer of 2004, now I finally feel like a “local”.  I remember the first time some called me a “local” about several years ago and I was like… “what??? no way!”  But now I think about it, at that time, I was one and I didn’t even realize it!  It’s a weird feeling that a place you are living in a independent adult life is not the city you grow up.  The the nostalgia of emotions and memories of your childhood is not here. However, I have new memories and experiences in this city.  A friend suggested blogging some of the things I love about the city and I thought… why not?  It’s my humble (formal mid-westerner) opinion!

I think my first up is my neighborhood.  Eastlake.

I am enjoying my life in Eastlake.  My current place is just few blocks from Lake Union.  I absolutely love the water.  I think my whole life, I have never lived more than 30 minutes from some sort of body of water.  I lived in Busan, north Chicago suburbs, Jacksonville (FL), and now Seattle… Although, South Lake Union is not the biggest body of water, but it is lovely.  During the summers, there are lots of sail boats floating on the lake no different than downtown traffic jam.  You can hear the roaring water planes landing on the lake.  In 2010, the South Lake Union park opened and that was when I had moved into the area.  The addition of the park brought improvement in the area with lots of seating, water feature, pond for miniature boat launches, and boats!  I try to run few times a week along the lake and I love it!  My favorite is the wooden boat festival!  I think a stroll along the lake on a sunny day is great.  During the summer there is a Farm Boat which is a famer’s market on a historic boat!  If you have a day off during the summer and/or visiting, I think it’s worth your time.  On Sundays, there is 40 minute boat ride around the Lake Union called Sunday Ice Cream Cruise (used to be at Fremont).  Be sure go on a nice sunny day as it gets a little cold on the water.  They sell ice cream, hot cocoa, and enduring narration from an old ferry captain.  The cruise is $11 and a nice little tour of Lake Union sites.  I feel the restaurants along the lake is a little stale, but with rotating food trucks there, it’s getting better.