So last Tuesday I gotta head to Northgate area for a meeting near 2111 Northgate Way. Totally new spot for me. Figured I’d try public transit since downtown traffic’s a nightmare. Grabbed my phone, duh, thinking this’ll be easy. Opened my usual transit app first thing.
Typed in “2111 Northgate Way”, hit search. Boom. Nothing useful popped up. Just showed me a random pin kinda near Northgate Station, way too vague. Tried again with “Northgate Way & NE 105th St” cause that intersection rang a bell. Still messy. App kept suggesting bus stops blocks away. Annoying. Felt like the address was playing hide and seek.
Switching Up the Plan
Okay, scratch that app. Hopped onto another one I barely use. Same thing happened! Different app, same headache. Pin kept landing somewhere weird, not right at 2111. Figured maybe using the exact destination name would work better than the street number. Went old-school and searched just “Northgate Transit Center” instead. Bingo! That finally gave me a solid starting point.
From there, it was smoother. Picked my current downtown location. App spat out options:
- Link Light Rail straight to Northgate Station – fastest they said, about 15 mins.
- A couple of bus routes taking closer to 30+ mins with transfers.
- Even saw an express bus option that was faster than the local buses but slower than light rail.
Light rail won. Simple, fast, no transfers. Headed towards Westlake Station underground. Found the platform quick. Train rolled in like, 3 minutes later. Sweet timing. Hopped on, found a seat. Nice and clean inside. Checked the map screens – clearly showed Northgate as one of the stops. Cruised through the tunnels, popped out above ground near the stadiums, then zoomed north.
Off the Train & Finding the Spot
Hit Northgate Station dead on time. Walked off the train into the big station. Followed signs upstairs to the bus bays. Now, to find 2111 Northgate Way itself. Walked outside the station entrance onto… yup, Northgate Way. Checked my phone map again. App was finally cooperating now that I was close. Saw that 2111 was just a few blocks west, past the big parking garages.
Started walking. Crossed 1st Ave NE. Passed a gas station. Street numbers climbing slowly. Phone said “5 minutes walk”. Legs agreed. Finally spotted the building numbers – saw 2100s. 2111 was right there on the left, a solid brick place. Took me exactly 22 minutes door-to-door using Link Light Rail. Would absolutely do that again.
What I Learned the Hard Way
- Destination name beats street address sometimes. “Northgate Transit Center” saved my bacon.
- Light Rail from downtown is stupid fast compared to buses for Northgate.
- Apps get confused by specific street numbers near big transit hubs.
- Wear comfy shoes. That last bit walking is unavoidable.
Real talk? Next time someone asks for Northgate Way directions near that station, I’m just telling ’em: “Take the damn Link to Northgate Station and walk west.” Saved me a ton of hassle after that initial app-fail mess. Phone battery survived too!
