In the early 1900s, ferries left the city dock at Marina Park for Seattle 18 hours a day. That made the foot of Kirkland Avenue the transportation hub of the Eastside until the Lake Washington Floating Bridge opened in 1940. A burger restaurant called The Slip opened on that same corner in 1996, and it is open again this season after closing in September 2025.
The timing works out well. For the rest of the fall, Kirkland's main walking and biking route is broken. King County closed the Cross Kirkland Corridor between NE 52nd Street and 108th Avenue NE on September 8 for about three months. With the southern trail section offline, October's center of gravity is the downtown waterfront and the neighborhoods north of it. That is where the reopened restaurant is, where the newest tables are, and where almost every event on the city's fall calendar takes place.
The gap in Houghton, and what's behind it
The closure isn't routine trail maintenance. A culvert runs under King County's Eastside Interceptor Section 14 sewer pipe, and it is damaged. That pipe carries untreated wastewater from city systems between Kirkland and Renton to the county's South Treatment Plant. The county had already repaired six joints inside the 84-inch pipe after finding a leak and a sag, using a temporary sewer bypass about 3,000 feet long. This phase deals with the 24-inch culvert under that pipe. Crews will fit it with an 18-inch liner, repair damaged sections, grout voids, build a wall and outlet drop structure downstream, and stabilize the streambank. The city calls the stream Houghton B1. County documents call it the Unnamed Houghton Slope B Stream.
The county's August 25 bulletin lists what neighbors near the site can expect:
- Construction on weekdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Heavy equipment noise during those hours
- Lights and pumping around the clock for a temporary diversion pipe, plus noise from the generator that powers the pumps
- Odors at the diversion sites
Three months from September 8 puts the end of the work around early December. The county hasn't announced a specific reopening date, and its project page shows no schedule update since August 25. The county's detour map routes trail users along NE 52nd Street, Lakeview Drive, Lake Washington Boulevard, 106th Avenue NE, and 108th Avenue NE, and it flags a steep section. The map has no turn-by-turn directions, and the county asks people to follow the posted signs.
The north end of the corridor got better this year. The CKC crossing to Eastrail at Slater Avenue NE and 132nd Avenue NE now has a signalized pedestrian crossing and a protective median, and the city reported the signals working on April 24, 2026. So this fall, the corridor's southern link is closed and its northern link is better than it has ever been.
The Slip, under new owners
The Slip's former owner announced the restaurant's closure in a farewell Facebook post in September 2025, according to WhatNow Seattle. In April 2026, the same outlet reported that Ricky and Maria Eng, the owners of BeachHouse Bar + Grill in Kirkland, were taking over, and that the new liquor license had been approved. At the time, the plan was a spring reopening. By late summer, the restaurant's own site said it was open under Ricky Eng's leadership and called it "a new chapter" for the waterfront at Marina Beach Park. The Slip hasn't published an exact first day of service.
Burgers are still at the center of the menu. Current items include a Banh Voyage burger, a salmon burger, a fried-chicken sandwich, bao, hot dogs, salads, and shareables. The restaurant says longtime favorites are coming back as well.
| The Slip, 80 Kirkland Ave. | As posted September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Sunday through Wednesday | Noon to 8 p.m. |
| Thursday through Saturday | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Weekend brunch | Listed as coming soon |
| Gift cards | Listed as coming soon, any amount up to $500 |
The waterfront around the restaurant will look the same all fall. The city's renovation of the Marina Park dock and shoreline is still in design and environmental permitting, with construction scheduled from July 2027 to spring 2028. The city's April project update said public feedback asked for beach access to stay open through summer 2027. For this season, the dock, the beach, and the burger counter at the end of Kirkland Avenue are all open.
A short walk up Lake Street
The Slip has new neighbors. Noii Sushi, a contemporary Japanese restaurant at 107 Lake St., was announced in August 2025 with no opening date. It is now taking reservations through its booking page. A few blocks inland, Café Sabah is serving Turkish food at 456 Central Way, and its site says it is now open in Kirkland. Neither restaurant has published an opening date, but both are operating as the season turns.
Farther north, Secret Burger Kitchen opened in Juanita Village at 9739 NE 119th Way. It serves smash burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings, and tenders. Public records date the location to July 3, and a grand-opening event followed on July 11. The Seattle Times' June roundup of Eastside openings included Sumo Sushi & Grill's Kirkland branch at 12207 NE 116th St., an all-you-can-eat restaurant serving sushi, hand rolls, and Japanese grill dishes. At The Village at Totem Lake, Lime Social Margarita is listed as coming soon to Suite 166 at 12670 120th Ave. NE, with margaritas and fresh tortillas.
None of these spots is south of downtown. Neither is anything on the October calendar.
October and early November, by date
Each city and community event between now and mid-November is downtown, in Juanita, or at the north end.
- Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m. to noon. Free Costume Swap at City Hall, 123 5th Ave. The city is collecting costume donations October 5 through 9.
- Saturday, October 24, 2 to 4 p.m. Free Día de los Muertos celebration at Peter Kirk Community Center, 352 Kirkland Ave., with traditional activities, food, and music.
- Saturday, October 24, 5 to 8 p.m. Free Treat Street at Kirkland Urban's 425 Urban Plaza, with trick-or-treating at participating businesses, entertainment, a corn maze, and a dance party.
- Friday, October 30, 10 a.m. to noon. Pee Wee Monster Bash at North Kirkland Community Center, 12421 103rd Ave. NE. It's for ages 1 to 5 and costs $18 per child.
- Sunday, November 15, 9 a.m. Kirkland Turkey Trot from Juanita Beach Park, with 5K, 10K, and children's races and a post-race gathering at Moss Bay Hall.
October 24 has two downtown events back to back. Día de los Muertos at Peter Kirk wraps up an hour before Treat Street starts at Kirkland Urban, and Peter Kirk Community Center sits on Kirkland Avenue, the same street as The Slip.
The season's first two large events are already over. The Umbrella Fringe Festival brought music, theater, comedy, and visual art to downtown and The Village at Totem Lake September 25 through 27, hosted by Kirkland Arts Center. The city's sixth annual Harvest Festival filled Juanita Beach Park North on October 3, with a shuttle running from North Kirkland Community Center. Downtown's holiday dates for 2026 haven't been posted yet. The Kirkland Downtown Association's ice rink page still shows last season's schedule.
When the corridor reopens
The county's three-month estimate means the Houghton section should come back around early December. Until then, people heading south on foot or by bike have the signed detour along Lakeview Drive and Lake Washington Boulevard. People heading north have the Slater Avenue crossing onto Eastrail. Near the culvert site, the work continues on weekdays until 8 p.m., and the diversion pumps run through the night.
If the CKC closure or the Marina Park plans have you rethinking how your part of Kirkland works day to day, Latifa Sciore is glad to talk through what's changing near your street and what's on the city's schedule next. Let's Connect.
