In the heart of a Kirkland tech campus, an old railway path becomes a fun public park

Sketched April 11, 2019

A nifty skybridge connects two low-rise office buildings in Kirkland. On this drizzly early afternoon, I see many employees going back and forth as I hurry to sketch the view before it starts to rain harder.

Can you guess where I am? The buildings are part of Kirkland’s Google campus, but the wide-open stretch between them is a fun public space known as Feriton Spur Park. It includes a sand volleyball court, a basketball court, a playground and that eye-catching red caboose that features prominently in my sketch.

You won’t miss this location if you bike, walk or run through the nearly 6-mile-long Cross Kirkland Corridor, a former rail pathway that was converted into a sand-and-gravel bike and pedestrian trail a few years ago and passes right through the Google campus.

Tech companies often get blamed for ruining the character of the region, but you have to appreciate their contributions when they help create cool spaces like this one where anyone can have a good time.