Am setting out on a lo-fi experiment in which every meal (plus coffee and cocktails) eaten today is the result of a recommendation from a stranger on the street. It’s tentatively (and poorly) titled “RECOMMENDED!” and the results will appear in full in the paper next week. Meanwhile, I could use a recommendation for the best route driving from Capitol Hill to beautiful downtown Ballard, my starting point. I’ve lived here off and on my entire life and still don’t know the fastest way. I-5 to 50th, past Green Lake, and over the hill? Around the bottom of Lake Union and over the Fremont bridge? All the way down Denny and out over the Ballard bridge?

28 replies on “RECOMMENDED!”

  4. I go to Ballard a lot and I still can’t tell which route is best. It depends on the time of day and I don’t know what the traffic is like in the mornings, but I’m gonna guess that the Lake Union/Fremont route will work. Or pass by UW hospital, skirt the north edge of the ship canal (past Ivar’s Salmon House), and take Leary.

  7. North on Broadway and 10th down to Roanoke, cross the U bridge then follow Northlake Ave to Fremont, transfer to Leary and you’re there.

  8. If you’re going to south Ballard, I like: over the University bridge. Just after the bridge, cloverleaf to the right onto Northlake. It’s a little squirrely, but you follow Northlake and 34th to Fremont. Right on Fremont. Angle left at the big intersection onto Fremont Place/36th, which becomes Leary Way. Don’t know if it’s fast, but it’s low-key.

    For North Ballard, I say I-5 to 85th.

  11. Driving? Then bomb down Denny until it goes through Queen Anne and snakes around and goes through Interbay and past the golf driving range and mop, you’re there.

  12. I second Denny to Aurora. I made that trip several times last week and never ran into bad traffic. Denny can be a clusterfuck depending on the time of day, so definitely don’t take the Denny to Interbay to Ballard route.

  15. there is no fastest way. it will always take at least 20 minutes. i say nix the light rail and build a big gondola lift from ballard to the hill over the giant lake you have to drive around.
    but i usually go denny to interbay, or westlake through fremont.

  17. From Stranger office, driving – Pine, right on Boren, left on Stewart, right on 4th, left on Denny, right on Elliott/15th into Ballard. If you hit the lights right you don’t have to stop on Stewart, 4th is pretty light on traffic, and you will have skipped most of that bottleneck nonsense on Denny.

  18. I usually use Denny to Leary and then Market unless its between 4-6, then I go up Aurora and turn left on Winona and then cut over to go down 65th.

  19. Over the fremont bridge, then hang a left at the 2nd light after the bridge. Follow that road, until you see the Fred Meyer, turn left on the road just past Fred Meyer, drive straight (it’s the road behind Hatties, not sure the name…) and that way you avoid Market, which has tons of lights and lots of traffic.

  20. I’d be biking/on bus, but part of the experiment is to go immediately across town if that’s what someone recommends… Went Denny all the way down, through Interbay, over the Ballard bridge—no traffic to speak of, so it was quick. Funny there’s no consensus here; there is no best way, apparently.

  21. Low fidelity experiment? Does that mean you won’t necessarily be taking peoples advice or your reporting will be sub-par and possibly untruthful? Can someone explain as I apparently am unaware of one of the definitions of fidelity.

    The fastest way for me on a bike to Ballard is to take Dexter Ave to the Fremont Bridge and then the Burke Gilman Trail.

  23. obviously cap hill to ballard routes are controversial… I like Fremont Bridge to Leary but it seems like they’re all the same, except for one thing: I avoid Market St. aand I-5.

  26. I like reading these comments based solely on the fact that they are giving directions to somewhere I drive often. I tend to take the Denny/Interbay or Westlake/Fremont routes, depending on my whims. It’s pretty much a pain to get to Ballard from the hill no matter what route you take. I must admit though, the Denny to 99 and off at Stone way is my least taken route and is probably the fastest, upon consideration. Unless it’s rush hour(s) – in which case you should just stay home.

  27. Any time other than rush hour: Denny to Dexter, but don’t cross the Fremont bridge — keep going west along the north edge of Queen Anne and pop across the Ballard bridge.

    Rush hour: cross the Fremont bridge if there isn’t a backup there, and then head up Leary. Fremont is reliably slow, but reliable.

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