Waterfall Garden Park

Cars trundle past. Pedestrians of all stripes carry on with their day or their business. Once a wayfarer steps into the park, all this seems to become irrelevant. Droplets from fountains clatter like a rain stick's seeds. Waters tumble down from tall rocks, frothed white in its progress. The commotion creates a curtain which shelters the park's visitors from the city's clamor. Workers on lunch break or passers-by seeking a moment of relaxation make use of the several tables in the park, flowing in and out like the rivulets.

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Before you see it, before you even realize it's there, you hear it: the unmistakable sound of a waterfall standing out from the discordant chorus of urban noise. At first glance, there don't seem to be any parks or streams here in the Pioneer Square area just south of downtown Seattle. But there it is, hidden behind a tall wooden fence and seemingly shoehorned into the streetscape: the tiny-but-lush Waterfall Garden Park. Walk in—it's free—and you'll find inspiration and tranquility in equal measure, with spare, Japanese-inspired landscaping; a multi-level brick terrace with plenty of places to sit; and a 22-foot cascade of water pouring over granite boulders. It seems tailor-made for contemplation and relaxation, a sort of filling station for the urban soul—spend a just few minutes here and you'll feel rejuvenated, the cares and bustle of city life seeming to wash away with the water.

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