Ballard Commons Bowl - Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Nice homage to the original Ballard Bowl, but I think I liked the old one just a wee bit better.

This is a really nice place, don't get me wrong, but I feel the design is just a wee bit too open. Almost feels like the tighter radius' of the old days made keeping speed up just a bit easier. With a 5 foot shallow and 10ish feet in the deep end, there's plenty to enjoy for anyone who's comfortable dropping in at head height, the pool coping is just the right size, and the transitions themselves are really smooth. Maybe I'm just too old and/or out of shape to pump hard enough in the deep end, but the space between the walls is the closest thing I could have to a complaint. Close to a lot of cool Seattle spots, worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood.