and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Website Design by Blaser Consulting Link light rail will extend north beyond Seattle for the first time on Friday, and Lynnwood Link anticipation is reaching a fevered pitch Sound Transit hosted The Urbanist and other media members for a tour of Lynnwood City Center station earlier this month along with artists who crafted the station art The greater station area was a hive of preparation The entrance is graced by an attention-grabbing signature sculpture work dubbed City Hummingbird and Kitchen Window Curtain which artist Claudia Fitch says “honors the rich history of neon road signs that once lined Highway 99.” Sound Transit also incorporated two existing sculptures into the station design repurposing them from their original location at the old transit center entrance “Claudia Fitch’s Shift originally graced Lynnwood Transit Center’s entrances intended to promote pedestrian safety by marking key crosswalks,” the agency noted the two sculptures help guide passengers to the south station entrance.” With the start of service, Lynnwood will become the northern terminus for Sound Transit’s light rail system until an extension north to Everett opens by 2037. Tri-county voters approved the Lynnwood Link extension as part of the Sound Transit 2 ballot measure in 2008, while the Everett extension was part of the Sound Transit 3 measure approved in 2016 Lynnwood Link will bring four more 1 Line stations online: South Shoreline, North Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood City Center. An additional infill station at N 130th Street in Seattle (eventually to be accompanied by a zoning overhaul to grow a neighborhood around it) will open by 2026 Lynnwood Link’s addition should push the system well above 100,000 daily boardings so riders will notice an associated station number next to the name on signage with the old pictograms south of Shoreline all removed Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell noted half of Snohomish County’s buses end up at Lynnwood City Center “People are going to be able to get from here to where they want to be whether it’s for entertainment or for work or for family and it is just going to be a game changer for all of us,” Frizzell said “The new Lynnwood Transit Center is part of a comprehensive vision for how our city operates That’s why our city planners have collaborated with affordable housing developers and businesses to ensure that this transit hub is a center of a vibrant new community as well We are the most diverse city in all of Snohomish County.” Not all of the station access improvements have been entirely transit focused. Lynnwood recently wrapped up a major expansion of its main east-west corridor of 196th Street SW with the goal of moving more car traffic but also providing more reliable bus trips and adding pedestrian space 1,670-stall parking garage next to the station a new Scriber Creek Trail provides a scenic boardwalk through a meadow for people walking providing a cut-through to the south or direct access to Scriber Creek Park the trail system follows Scriber Creek westward eventually hitting the larger Scriber Lake Park to the northwest Frizzell recommended sampling the diverse cuisine the city has to offer “Check out our restaurants,” Frizzell said “We have such diverse restaurants in Lynnwood That is a kind of a microcosm of who we are in Lynnwood we’re the most diverse city in Snohomish County We love that people feel comfortable to bring their families here to create space for them as maybe they’re relocating from another country The new transportation infrastructure serves a growing population. The last state estimate from April put Lynnwood’s population at 41,500 which is up nearly 3,000 residents from its 2020 census figure Most of Lynnwood’s housing growth has taken place farther afield than the immediate station area which continues to be largely parking lots and construction staging Lynnwood has more than 3,000 homes in development in its “City Center” neighborhood with a faster permitting track for up to 6,000 units Frizzell pledged that the Lynnwood Comprehensive Plan would continue to support efforts to add housing near light rail for people at all income levels Frizzell said adding housing density at the Lynnwood City Center has been the City’s plan for a very long time going back to the 1993 Legacy Lynnwood Project “I have a document that I keep on my desk that reminds me,” Frizzell told The Urbanist “It was 200 community members that came together over a long period of time that said: ‘these are our hopes and dreams for our city It shows Sound Transit right where it’s at We are doing what our community is asking for.” Frizzell said nature and green space is core to Lynnwood’s identity and that the city intends to grow in a way to preserve that identity “We don’t want to push people together,” Frizzell told The Urbanist “This was a single family neighborhood for many years single family neighborhoods were more on one side of the city and we were permitting and allowing multifamily housing on the other so we encourage people to be out towards the mall And that has been the plan for a long time.” Lynnwood City Center is not just a few token apartment buildings but a true growth center and actually fledgling urban neighborhood “Are there going to be some people that are naysayers or or they’re concerned and we want to be considerate of all of those views and make sure that people have space to live play here in Lynnwood,” Frizzell said “And we’re so proud of our parks and I’m a big proponent of having green spaces and I love to be out in our parks all the time We need that green space to help us thrive in our lives and I think we have to find that balance of green space and housing.” has meant it has leapfrogged the full opening of the 2 Line That leaves Sound Transit’s new maintenance base in Bellevue inaccessible from the 1 Line forcing Sound Transit to launch Lynnwood Link with fewer trains than it hoped Initially, Sound Transit warned this could mean severe crowding on the 1 Line, but the agency was able to adapt its plan to squeeze some additional frequency out of the system Among the tweaks that made it possible was storing some additional trains (36 vehicles to be exact) at elevated stations supplementing the capacity of its SoDo train base With extra vehicles on hand, Sound Transit is improving scheduled frequencies to every eight minutes during weekday peak hours using four-car trains. Last fall, the agency had forecast service levels closer to every ten minutes during weekday peak hours with some trips only having three-car trains The three-car trains were expected to contribute to crowding issues considering the demand being added to the system with the four Lynnwood Link stations Once fully provisioned, Sound Transit aims to have trains arriving at Lynnwood Link stations every six minutes or better during peak hours, but the agency may have underestimated how many trains it needs to achieve desired frequencies as the system expands riders will be excited to ride the 1 Line to Lynnwood and point between starting at noon Friday and see the changes the light rail line has already brought to fruition along the way and a mass-timber building spree to end our housing crisis He graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington in 2019 He lives in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood and loves to explore the city by foot and by bike The Urbanist hosts social hour meetups every month. In April, we’re hosting four social events and kicking off our urbanism-themed walking tours starting in Kirkland on April 26 we’ll be hosting a booth at the opening celebration at Downtown Redmond Station Check our urbanist events calendar to see everything happening this month, including events hosted by partner organizations. You can submit your event for inclusion and vibrant the downtown areas are before choosing a specific travel destination If the downtown area doesn’t have a lot going on there’s a chance your trip will end up being a tad more boring than you might've hoped Some of the most important things to keep an eye out for when deciding if a downtown area is worthwhile are the historical landmarks Once you settle on a town that checks everything off this list, you know you’re on your way toward a vacation or relocation plan that you can wholeheartedly get excited about. There’s much to look forward to when narrowing down incredible towns in Washington that have the most enticing downtown areas ever. Here are nine Washington towns with surprisingly cool downtown areas that shouldn't be ignored One lovely Washington town to consider visiting would be Bremerton it’s certainly not a Washington town that's overly crowded The downtown area of Bremerton is full of exciting things to do including frolicking through the city parks and checking out the many performing arts centers The golf course where players book tee times is called Gold Mountain Golf Club visitors and locals are welcome to enjoy entertainment at the Admiral Theatre Several special events happen in downtown Bremerton every year as well including the BYC Lighted Boat Oarade and the Annual Daddy Daughter Dance not many people have discovered the magic and bliss of this particular Washington town Filling an itinerary in Lynnwood is simple enough with exciting things to do in the downtown area visitors and locals in Lynnwood wouldn’t want to miss out on the chance to explore the Interurban Trail the beautiful pathway along Scriber Lake Park or the breathtaking views at Lunds Gulch-Meadowdale Beach Park Dining in downtown Lynnwood is always a treat with delicious eateries like BittyFish Sushi Folks who crave a divine shopping experience will enjoy retail therapy at places like Alderwood Shopping Center Edmonds is a town in Washington that deserves to be on your radar even though it has a smaller population of 42,701 Edmonds is the perfect place to go for locals and visitors who consider themselves to be coffee lovers It's also fabulous for people who enjoy total relaxation and anyone who's stoked about the prospect of supporting woman-owned businesses some of Edmonds' top options include Cafe Louvre If finding yourself in a super relaxed state of mind sounds ideal Edmonds has a multitude of salons and spas Some of the woman-owned businesses to check out in Edmonds include a gift shop called The Wishing Stone a stationary shop called The Paper Feather and a women’s clothing boutique called Rogue Puyallup is a town in Washington with around 42,179 residents as it stands today There’s plenty to do in their blissful downtown area which means this is one of those lesser-known towns that's certainly worth exploring The enticing attractions in Puyallup include a handful of gorgeous murals bars where adults can order their favorite alcoholic beverages people in Puyallup can lay eyes on the Greetings From Puyallup Mural painted by Richard Moreno the Smile You Are in Puyallup Mural painted by Bryce MacDonald and the Wings of Welcome mural by Curtis Ashby The bars in downtown Puyallup available for adults of legal age include Perry’s Cocktail Bar There’s delicious food for just about anyone’s pallet with options like Fiesta Taqueria & Tequila Bar The downtown area is bustling with locals and visitors alike It’s been estimated that Lake Stevens has a population of 40,521 residents in the state of Washington Its vibrant downtown area is a big reason why locals and visitors have such a pleasant time there and the annual community events are just a few examples and Kiyama Sushi & Bar are suitable for people who have varied taste buds and cravings Outdoor activities like splashing around at North Lakeshore Swim Beach and taking an evening stroll through North Cove Park are also special Brilliant community events you might stumble upon in downtown Lake Stevens include the Annual Polar Plunge Lake Stevens Health & Wellness Festival A small town in Washington with 38,977 residents might not be on your radar but that could possibly change once you uncover these details about Issaquah The topic of art is a very big deal in Issaquah which means this town is filled to the brim with exciting stops the artists of the world can make Whether you’re the type of artist who likes to paint or create music there are places where you can spread your wings as a true creative in Issaquah We’re referring to places like the Chopin Academy of Music the outdoorsy and recreational options in this Washington town are also quite impressive Simply consider Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park the cuisine in this lovely town is welcoming to people with different taste buds interested in fulfilling their cravings Locals and visitors can dine in at Fins Bistro Downtown Longview is the perfect Washington city to visit if you’re comfortable with its population of 37,925 residents Loads of people might not call Longview home but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a stunning place to visit or relocate based on the entertainment options and the consistent events that keep both locals and visitors excited about filling up their calendars Some of the best entertainment options in Longview include taking in shows at Columbia Theatre and enjoying games at Cowlitz Black Bears Baseball field Retail therapy is always readily available in Longview with places like Broadway Antiques Consistent activities in downtown Longview include Antidote Tap House Trivia Nights George Washington’s tomb is also located there Stepping through these places will give you a chance to lay eyes on specific zones that were once heavily meaningful in Washington’s life before his death The Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant is the best place to go for dinner while spending time there That’s because the menu is full of savory items like vegetable risotto The hiking trails in Mount Vernon are also delightful for the adventurers of the world We’re referring to gorgeous pathways like Little Mountain Park Loop The downtown areas in different Washington towns are just as impressive as they seem Bremerton offers top-of-the-line city parks and performing arts centers for creative individuals to get excited about Lake Stevens is chock-full of outdoor activities and community events that would make sense on just about anyone’s calendar and trendy retail spots are beyond appealing as well The artsiness of Issaquah maintains its own special appeal for individuals who appreciate creativity These small towns in Washington might not have the biggest population when it comes to the residents permanently living in each place but it's now been revealed that they each still have so much to offer photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com 2012 at 8:06 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Snohomish County Fire District 1 responded to 392 calls the week of July 5-11: 314 emergency medical aid calls 10 service calls and 25 automatic fire alarms firefighters responded to a fire in a portable toilet at Mountlake Terrace High School firefighters extinguished a fence fire at 162nd Street SW and Manor Way north of Lynnwood firefighters extinguished a Dumpster fire in the 14500 block of Admiralty Way E north of Lynnwood firefighters extinguished a fire that was intentionally set in a vacant house in the 28000 block of 3rd Avenue W east of Lynnwood firefighters extinguished a Dumpster fire in the 1800 block of Filbert Road east of Lynnwood firefighters extinguished a Dumpster fire in the 4700 block of Picnic Point Road north of Edmonds The cause of the fire is believed to be fireworks-related firefighters extinguished a car fire that caused heat damage to another car parked nearby in the 16300 block of 36th Avenue W north of Lynnwood The fire was determined to be intentionally set a motorcycle and a truck collided at the intersection of 212th Street SW and Highway 99 in Edmonds Firefighters transported the injured motorcyclist to Harborview Medical Center firefighters extinguished a Dumpster fire in the 12600 block of 8th Avenue W south of Everett a two-car collision occurred at 5th Avenue S and Edmonds Way in Edmonds Firefighters transported one patient to Swedish/Edmonds Hospital a motorcycle and a truck collided in the 21700 block of 66th Avenue W in Mountlake Terrace Firefighters transported the injured motorcyclist to Swedish/Edmonds Hospital Fire District 1 is the largest provider of fire and emergency medical services in Snohomish County with full-time staffing at 12 fire stations The department serves nearly  200,000 residents in unincorporated south Snohomish County Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A moderate magnitude 3.8 earthquake hit 31 km (19 mi) away from Port Angeles, Washington,  United States 2025 at 4.18 pm local time (America/Los Angeles GMT -8) The quake had a shallow depth of 42 km (26 mi) and was felt widely in the area The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would A moderate magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit 37 km (23 mi) away from Bremerton, Washington,  United States 2023 at 8.14 am local time (America/Los Angeles GMT -7) The quake had a shallow depth of 52 km (33 mi) and was felt widely in the area The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.