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Published: January 11th 2009
I had planned on publishing this blog quite a awhile ago, until life inevitably intervened and I got sidetracked with other travels. The following is a collection of some favorite photos from our time in Seattle, taken all over the city. It is important to me as we spent a lot of our spare time exploring, walking all over (in all kinds of weather) in search of bookstores and good eats.
I hate to generalize, but Seattle seems to have a very specific city-centric culture. True to the stereotype, Seattleites tend to be highly educated, good readers, and very fond of coffee. It's a great place to support the arts, and boasts a collection of wonderful museums, as well as everything from community theater to opera.
The Emerald City is beautiful, set sandwiched between Elliot Bay and Lake Washington. On a clear day it is possible to see the jagged Olympic Mountains to the west, and the stunning Cascades to the East. Overall, Seattle is also very clean, and with its modern glass skyscrapers it truly seems to sparkle.
From a business standpoint, Seattle is also extremely influential. The city and it’s surrounding area has given birth
to a number of well-known companies, including Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, Nordstrom, Starbucks, and the now-defunct Washington Mutual. Undoubtedly, when I think of Seattle, a plethora of images jumps to mind: the Mariners, microbrews, Washington State Ferries, the Space Needle, perpetually gray skies, Nirvana, and salmon being chucked over the heads of bewildered tourists at Pike Place Market. I’m not going to give much more of a long-winded explanation, you probably see my point. Seattle is an incredibly unique city, and a great place to live.
Of course, I do have a few complaints, mostly centered around the skyrocketing living costs and abysmal public transportation system. The bus (which is the only type of public transit in downtown Seattle) is extremely unreliable. I did not own a car and thus relied on it for everything, so I can safely say it is chronically late, generally packed, and tends to break down frequently. The city council seems to have a hard time trying to rectify this dilemma, though at the moment a new light rail system is being built. We’ll see…
By this point I likely sound like a lame copy of an outdated travel guide; but the unique traits
of a city are nearly impossible to capture in a few poorly written lines. The best I can do is give a sort of haphazard overview and let the photos speak for themsleves. Part of Seattle's distinction seems to come from it's different neighborhoods, each with it’s own individual character. The real joy in discovering a city is exploring some of these areas at length. Having grown up int he Pacific Northwest, I have been visiting Seattle since I was a child. However, it surprises me that despite these many trips, I never truly got a sense of the city's character until I lived here. With that in mind I want to briefly mention a few of my personal favorite corners of the city:
South Lake Union: This is where I lived, and I found it extremely interesting. Back in the annals of Seattle’s history, Lake Union was a working community, filled with shipyards and sawmills. Now, the industrial aspect has mostly been replaced by marinas and shiny yachts. It is also home to the city’s famous houseboats, a la “Sleepless in Seattle”. I predict in the next five years this area will boom, and all the derelict warehouses
that remain will be torn down and replaced with expensive condos. But for the moment South Lake Union is in an odd phase of transition, and some areas, filled with hollow buildings waiting for demolition, feel downright empty. It is a great place to stroll, you never quite know what you will find- intricate graffiti, views of the lake, a blue heron, a Russian Orthodox Church.
Gas Works Park: Another Lake Union favorite, not far from Fremont and Wallingford. This large park was once the home of the Seattle Gas company, and to this day its large, rusted towers once used for gas production remain. One of the favorite activities in this park is kite-flying, generally from atop the large central mound. It also boasts a great view of the Seattle skyline across Lake Union. It is connected by the Burke-Gilman bike trail, and also hosts the annual 4th of July Fireworks and Fremont Summer Solstice Festival.
The International District:: Also known as Chinatown, this diverse area is full of very old brick buildings covered in faded Chinese characters. Chinatown was initially established closer to Pioneer Square in the late 1800s, by Chinese immigrants who were working on
the railroad and at the docks. I worked in this area during my time in Seattle, and greatly enjoyed poking around. It has many small Asian markets, cultural performances, some great restaurants, the Wing Luke Asian Museum, and a fortune cookie factory. Still, this area is starting to change as well, with the addition of the nearby baseball stadium and a new office complex.
Capitol Hill:There’s just something great about the vibe on Capitol Hill. It has a number of bars and restaurants and a lively night scene. It is also home to Seattle Central Community College, which sits next to Cal Anderson park. I used to love to get coffee at Vivace, sit in the park, and wander around admiring the gardens in the beautiful old neighborhoods nearby. There’s also a branch of my favorite Seattle used bookstore there-Twice Sold Tales-complete with a collection of furry felines. Capitol Hill also features the large and beautiful Volunteer Park and Conservatory, the Asian Art Museum, Lakeview Cemetery, St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, and Boren Park, with it’s stunning views of Lake Washington. At the moment, much of it is being torn apart to make room for the new light rail
track, but hopefully when the dust settles this area will still be an excellent place to spend an afternoon.
The Waterfront: I can't help it, the fun of watching the ferries chug across Elliot Bay remains. But even if the boardwalk, aquarium, or admiring mummified Sylvester in Ye Old Curiosity shop isn’t your thing, the waterfront can still be enjoyable. The outdoor Olympic Sculpture Park (part of the Seattle Art Museum) is an interesting place to wander. Farther down, Myrtle Edwards Park is a wonderful area to hang out in sunny (or not so sunny) weather, and the bike path continues on all the way to Magnolia.
Woodland Park Zoo: Located in Green Lake and a favorite haunt since childhood, it just never gets old.
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