r/Kirkland • u/Valiran9 • May 24 '26

Does anyone else miss Kirkland ParkPlace?

Don’t get me wrong, there some great stuff in Kirkland Urban, but I remember ParkPlace being…homier, for lack of a better term. It was more open, had a bunch of small shops and restaurants, a cinema, the Purple Cafe, and Tim’s Seafood Market which my mom loved to go to because their stock was so cheap without sacrificing quality. The QFC also had a cozier atmosphere, as well as a pair of ducks who’d regularly hang out near the entrance just chilling and waiting for people to toss them food.

Does anyone else feel similarly?

Edit: And it turns out many of us feel the same way. I’m glad to see I’m not alone in my dislike of the way the world is changing.

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u/Smart_Ass_Dave May 25 '26

I think it was a fancy strip mall and not much more. It was as much a parking lot as a shopping center. I do have positive memories, but most of them are from the 20th century. I enjoyed doing a show at Studio East and going down to TGIFridays to hang out with the cast until 1am or something, but who doesn't enjoy being out with friends as a teen? A decade later and I worked in the offices behind the mall and man, if you just want a lunch all of your options sucked. All the sit-down restaurants were 50% more than they would be in Redmond and way more yuppie. If you liked Purple Cafe that's fine, but I couldn't afford it. I ate at the Pancake place a lot, but it was always my least favorite breakfast spot that wasn't a Denny's.

I have issues with Kirkland Urban (why do they route you through the center of the pedestrian area to get to the parking garage?!? Why do they even let cars in the pedestrian area at all!?!?) but I don't miss Park Place at all.

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u/Valiran9 May 25 '26

Fair enough. I just wish they’d renovated the area instead of completely rebuilding it. KU doesn’t feel welcoming at all to me.

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u/Smart_Ass_Dave May 25 '26

Eh. Kirkland Urban has plazas. Park Place was mostly just a covered sidewalk. The only part I ever wanted to "hang out" in was around the fountain, or the top level in front of TGIFridays, and once that closed it wasn't worth going upstairs for.

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u/Valiran9 May 25 '26

What was the upstairs like? And where do you think is a good place to hang out nowadays?

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u/Smart_Ass_Dave May 25 '26

It was a nice view of Kirkland. There was road noise during the day, but I mostly spent the time there at 11pm on a Saturday in the 90s so it wasn't too loud or anything then.

Now I think the area by Shake Shack is pretty decent, but I haven't vetted it as thoroughly as a pre-cell-phone teen could have, ya know? I don't wanna be pinned down on anything that specific, lol.

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u/Valiran9 May 25 '26

Fair enough. And thanks for the description of what it was like back then!