West Seattle weekend scene: Bicycle ride explores history of community gathering places

Thanks to Don Brubeck of West Seattle Bike Connections for the report on and photos from today’s Cycle History ride that WSBC sponsored with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and Cascade Bicycle Club:

The theme this year was community gathering places that were initiated and build by neighborhood groups in West Seattle, starting with Highland Park Inprovement Club.

Kay Kirkpatrick filled us in with the club’s 100-year history and current life.

Then we visited Puget Ridge Playground and the Puget Ridge Edible Park, where Helen Shampain met us and showed us their neighborhood’s one-acre permaculture food garden and gathering spot.

At the Disabled American Veterans Hall on Delridge, historian Judy Bentley told us about its former life as the Youngstown Improvement Club, and the place of those clubs in local history.

Then on to the Delridge P-Patch and to Greg Davis Park, where the neighborhood successfully blocked expansion of the West Seattle Golf Course (and removal of their houses), and wound up with a nice little park instead.

Finally, we received a warm reception and refreshments at the Vietnamese Cultural Center on SW Orchard.

Many of those places have community events we feature in our calendar and daily highlights list, as we did for today’s ride – for example, you’re invited to visit the Vietnamese Cultural Center (2236 SW Orchard) a week from tomorrow for the Children’s Moonlight Festival.

1 Reply to "West Seattle weekend scene: Bicycle ride explores history of community gathering places"

  • Kathy September 1, 2019 (11:26 am)

    Thank you Don for leading us and Kay, Helen, Judy and Linda Biu for making this a very interesting and educational experience. Also thanks to the other WSBC and Cascade volunteers who provided ride safety.  I will definitely visit the Vietnamese Cultural Center again now that I know about it. Congratulations to Highland Park Improvement Center on their anniversary.

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