Avenue. The QFC grocery store on the north side of this intersection has a large, neon "WALLINGFORD" sign made up in part from letters in the old "FOOD GIANT" sign which adorned QFC's predecessor for decades. On the southeastern corner of this intersection is the Wallingford Center, a 53,000 square foot elementary school built in 1904 that has been renovated and converted into two floors of shopping and dining establishments with 24 studio apartments above. History John Noble Wallingford Jr. (1833–1913) was a major local landowner and real estate speculator; at one time his holdings included most of what is now Wallingford and extended north as far as Green Lake. He traveled often up and down the West Coast of the United States and lived for a time in Alaska. Neighborhood character Wallingford's business district extends along N 45th Street from Stone Way N in the west to Sunnyside Avenue N in the east and features the QFC grocery store, many small shops, three banks, three pharmacies, a few taverns and bars, the Wallingford Center (the former Interlake Elementary School, now turned into shops and apartments), and numerous restaurants (including the original Dick's Drive-In, founded 1954). Notable structures and places Public spaces include Gas Works Park, Meridian Playground, Wallingford Center shopping mall, Wallingford branch of Seattle Public Library and Wallingford playfield. Gas Works Park on Lake Union borders the Burke-Gilman Trail and provides a panoramic extension into Lake Union, with a playground in planning as part of the 2009 parks levy. The nearby North Transfer Station, a waste sorting center, was rebuilt in 2016 and includes a small park and playground. Meridian Playground features a former Roman Catholic home for wayward girls called the Good Shepherd Center, now a shared community space run by Historic Seattle. Major tenants include Tilth Alliance, Meridian School, the Wallingford Senior Center, and the Chapel performance space which features the Wayward Music Series. Wallingford playfield borders recently renovated Hamilton International Middle School and features views and a wading pool open in summer months. To the north lies Lower Woodland Park, which features athletic fields, a skate park, tennis courts, and connections to the Woodland Park Zoo and Green Lake. The University of Wallingford began in 1984, to provide religious training and Social Gospel Care to the neighborhood. It is located in the Seattle First Church of the Nazarene, behind Dick's on 45th. Wallingford is home