northeast corner of the park, and a wading pool (which originally was part of a Japanese stone garden). By the 1970s, according to the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, "the playground site was somewhat bleak and known by locals as the 'Sahara Desert'". A 1971 renovation included a mural on the retaining wall, funded by the Seattle Arts Commission and designed by Mike Love and George Shayler. This was followed by another round of improvements in 2005. Landmarks and historic sites See also the listing of Landmarks and historic sites in the South Lake Union neighborhood, most of which fall within what are considered by some to be the borders of the Cascade neighborhood. In addition, the surviving portion of the East Republican Street Stairway that once connected Cascade to Capitol Hill is a designated Seattle landmark. However, the portion of it that remains is separated from Cascade by Interstate 5. References Additional references Fiset, Louis (9 April 2001). Seattle Neighborhoods: Cascade and South Lake Union – Thumbnail History. HistoryLink.org Essay 3178, April 9, 2001. Retrieved on 2007-09-09 from Seattle Neighborhoods: Cascade and South Lake Union -- Thumbnail History. . This document discusses many individual buildings, past and present, as well as the people of the neighborhood at various times in its history. It also has an extensive bibliography. External links