There’s a new waterfront park with a rocky beach in Seattle, squeezed below the University of Washington, along Portage Bay. The 3.5-acre space opened discreetly Wednesday without an on-site celebration.

Visitors can walk the beach, check out a pier that juts into the water, launch kayaks and canoes, or rest on yellow chairs arranged across the grassy, terraced park. There are smooth boulders for kids to climb on, too.

The view to the west includes the University Bridge and Interstate 5’s Ship Canal Bridge, which span the skyline. Straight ahead, across the slate-colored bay, clusters of houseboats are moored.

The low-slung vantage on Northeast Boat Street is unique among the city’s public spaces, placid compared to the hustle and bustle on the bridges in the distance. “It’s a pretty spectacular spot,” said David Graves, a Seattle Parks and Recreation planner who worked on the project.

Most of the city’s waterfront parks face east or west, receiving sun (on sunny days) in the morning or afternoon, Graves noted. The new space, named Fritz Hedges Waterway Park after a longtime Parks Department employee, faces south and should receive sun all day long, he said.

Several people with jobs in the neighborhood stopped by the park around lunchtime Thursday, as did some mallard ducks. UW Medical Center is located nearby, as are UW buildings devoted to marine and genetic research.