North of Broad Street, where much of Seattle's 'working' waterfront ends, are a series of connected small, narrow public areas that run along the shores of Elliott Bay. From south to north they are the Olympic Sculpture Park, an extension of the Seattle Art Museum, Myrtle Edwards Park and Centennial Park. These green spaces are sandwiched between the BNSF railroad tracks and Elliott Bay.
The parks sit on what was an industrial area that included oil and petroleum operations. Material from the excavation of some portions of Interstate 5 had even been dumped here. The land was purchased in 1972 and work began in 1975 to transform it from a rubble strewn toxic brownfield to the gem of a green space that it now is.
In 1976 "Adjacent, Against, Upon" was installed. The art installation partly in view here, is made of three concrete plinths and three huge granite boulders quarried in the Cascades. One is 28 tons and the other two weigh 45 tons.
The shoreline was restored to provide public access to the water as well and to improve the marine habitat with pocket beaches and kelp beds. Walking and biking trails run through the parks and connect with the rest of the Seattle waterfront.
Across the railroad tracks, is the landmark globe and eagle Seattle Post Intelligencer. The Seattle PI newspaper is longer in paper form, but the globe remains.
