Howe Street Stairs, Public staircase in Capitol Hill, United States.
The Howe Street Stairs are a public staircase in Seattle connecting Eastlake Avenue to Howe Street through 13 flights and 388 steps covering a steep vertical rise. The stairs cut through the I-5 Colonnade park area and provide direct pedestrian passage between the Eastlake and Capitol Hill neighborhoods.
Built in 1911, these stairs were created to connect different streetcar lines as Seattle developed its early transit system. The stairs represent how the city addressed the challenge of moving pedestrians across its hilly terrain during rapid growth.
The stairs serve as a gathering point for people who use them regularly for fitness training, creating an unplanned social space where locals build community through shared activity. This everyday use has made the stairs part of how residents experience their neighborhood.
The stairs are open year-round and attract visitors at any time of day, though early morning offers the most peaceful experience. Wear sturdy shoes with good grip, as the concrete can become slippery when wet.
This concrete staircase ranks among Seattle's longest public stairs and is one of more than 650 staircases throughout the city. Few visitors realize the city intentionally built this extensive network of stairs to navigate its naturally hilly landscape.
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