I took the bus there last year from Everett and did not have to criss cross Route 1. Got dropped off less than a block away. Finding the bus stop to return home was more difficult, though, since it was far away and hard to find. Just follow the instructions from Google Maps or the Transit app.
I believe the closest you can get is the Square One Mall. Then you have to walk over the bridge to get on the other side of Route 1.
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