Seattle train station??? good bad???

[only1deejay]

Im docking at canada place vancouver bc, then taking the amtrak from canada to seattle...I've heard the seattle train station is old and dumpy looking...any reviews??? thanks.:)

[Potstech]

The Seattle train station is old and dumpy. No question about it. If you are going from BC to Seattle and then to the airport you will niot be there long. It has no eating place and only a few vending machines.

 

Now for the good part. It is a short walk out the train station and one block up to get to the lite train?? to the airport. No need to hang around the station at all. It is rundown but perfectly safe area. cost of the train is not too much but will get you there.

[Vexorg]

Im docking at canada place vancouver bc, then taking the amtrak from canada to seattle...I've heard the seattle train station is old and dumpy looking...any reviews??? thanks.:)

 

There's been a major restoration project underway at King Street Station for a number of years now, with quite a bit of work to go still. To be honest, the place has definitely seen better days (mostly the ones back before the place underwent a radical stylectomy back in the mid Sixties) and it's not much to look at now, but since you really won't be spending any time there anyway unless you plan to catch another train in Seattle (all the customs stuff happens on the Vancouver side), I wouldn't worry much about it. I rode the Cascades from Seattle to Vancouver in September to catch the Sapphire Princess there, and found it to be a reasonably good way to go.

[Dan G]

its pretty much the only unrestored train station on the west coast but that is changing pretty quickly. As mentioned most people don't hang around the train station too long but its far from ' Scary". The Vancouver train station is pretty close to skid row as well but they are both safe to walk around.

[zephyr17]

Definitely old and dumpy, in the middle of a restoration. Most of the work done so far is behind the scenes (structural, electrical, etc). They removed most of the drop ceiling so you can see the original ceiling again, but left the light fixtures from the drop ceiling for the time being, hanging on the now visible drop ceiling support wires. The next round, which just got funded, should address the waiting room.

 

It isn't dangerous or a problem, just ugly. No food service other than vending machines as others have pointed out.

 

Cabs are plentiful at train time, and the light rail is a short walk away. To get to the light rail, walk south out of the station towards the stadiums. There is a pedestrian overpass over the tracks with an elevator to your left (Weller St. Overpass). Take that, cross 4th Ave S. at the crosswalk that will be right in front of you and keep walking straight into the Union Station complex. The International District light rail station will be on your left.

[Gardyloo]

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/kingstreet.htm

[SeattleCruiselover]

Im docking at canada place vancouver bc, then taking the amtrak from canada to seattle...I've heard the seattle train station is old and dumpy looking...any reviews??? thanks.:)

 

King Street station is undergoing a major renovation/restoration to take it back to its heyday. It will be several years yet before it is finished, but it already looks MUCH better than it did when I moved up here in 2001. As for old, yes, it is nearly a century old and is part of the Pioneer Square National Historic District.

[Urban trekker]

It was definately better when i was there in October than on my previous visits - it is actually starting to look like a railway station - yes the old original ceiling looks much better - will get to see more of the restoration next year after my cruises.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Putterdude]

It's definitely a work in progress but it is not as though you are spending any amount of time there and the work that is going on is not going to impact anyone's vacation.