Mercer Island
Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington.
Get in
By car
The only access to Mercer Island is by I-90: from the west, a pair of floating bridges connects Seattle with Mercer Island, and from the east I-90 provides access to the Eastside.
Get around
Mercer Island has a Park and Ride near Downtown and I-90. From the Park and Ride, you can take three bus routes to the South end of the Island, near the Mercer Village Shopping Center. There are two major routes that many people use to go to the South end of the island. There is the direct Island Crest Way, which passes through the center of the Island. There is also the more scenic Mercer Way, which is divided into West Mercer Way, East Mercer Way and North Mercer Way. This route goes on the side of the Island and has many curves.
- King County Metro, ☏ +1 206-553-3000. Operates bus, streetcar, and monorail routes in King County. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Kirkland, Mercer Island, North Bend, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, Tukwila, Vashon Island, White Center, and Woodinville. This is the main operator of routes within Mercer Island and it operates routes along the I-90, which passes through Mercer Island.
- Sound Transit provides frequent service along I-90 through Mercer Island, connecting it to Seattle and the Eastside.
See
Luther Burbank Park is the most notable park on the north part of the island, followed by Pioneer Park in the middle of the island. The former park offers views of Bellevue and Medina, and has public docks, and the latter park is a nature preserve serving as a nexus for the many miles of trails on the island. There are horse stables just south of Pioneer Park if you are in the mood for horse riding lessons.
Many of the greatest views can be seen from the smaller parks which dot the island. These include Groveland Park, Clarke Beach Park, and the westernmost edge of Lid Park, which sits on top of I-90.
Buy
There are multiple places to go shopping on Mercer Island. The Mercer Village Shopping Center is at the south end of the island, having a grocery store, several coffee shops, a drug store and other shops that mostly cater to the locals.
Eat
- Pom Proem Thai (78th Ave).
- Anise Thai (On Mercer).
- Yuzen (Middle of the island). Japanese.
Sleep
Mercer Island has no hotels or motels to stay at, so if you need to find one, your best bet is to hop on I-90 either into Seattle or Bellevue, as both cities have multiple, varied options for overnight stays.