Seattle Daily Photo

Friday, May 17, 2013

Syttende Mai Parade Today

Syttende Mai Parade by Seattle Daily Photo

Every year the Ballard neighborhood gears up for the biggest Syttende Mai parade outside of Norway. This Seattle neighborhood that has deep Nordic roots pulls out all the stops for this fun community event, much enjoyed by young and old alike. The parade route is always crowded with thousands of onlookers who come out to celebrate. Today many City Daily Photo Blogs are also honoring Norwegian Constitution Day, so visit around and check out a celebration gone global :-).

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Contemporary Conversation

This is typical of groups of friends out doing things together. They are interacting, yet multitasking on their mobile devices at the same time. "It's a typical situation in these typical times. . ." :-) How we talk to each other today.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Driven to Abstraction Wednesday #12

Shape, line, shadow, light, reflection, transparency, intersections

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Floral Mural

When it's winter in Seattle and the gray just won't quit, I will take vivid color wherever I can find it. I can find no information on this floral tile mural and its companion piece (not shown). Both consist of 12 square tiles with sumptuous realistic floral designs and are affixed to the exterior aggregate walls of a building near the sports stadiums. If you have any information on these or the artist that created them, please share it in the comments section.

Monday, January 21, 2013

University & 5th in January

20th Century design in the 21st Century on a gray winter day at Rainier Square. See yesterday's post for more information on this downtown Seattle scene.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

. . . And Day

Rainier Square in the heart of downtown Seattle features two buildings catty-corner from each other that were both designed by native son, architect Minoru Yamasaki: the 1963 IBM Building which features these six globed lighting fixtures all about the public access area, and the Rainier Tower across the street with its inverted pedestal (curve seen in the background). These lighting fixture scream 1960s design to me, yet reminded me of the Pioneer Square globes of yesteryear in yesterday's shot. Tomorrow I will show you a shot of the whole street scene.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Night. . .

Here are our own golden globed cast iron beauties pictured here as night descends. These distinctive cluster street lamps grace Pioneer Square and illuminate the street with charm and period details from the late 1800s. They are one of Seattle's early expressions of civic pride. The first street lights in this area of Seattle were powered by coal gas. I can't find specific information on these lovely street lamps' history or designer, but I do love them.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Here Boy! Here!

Only it won't be here anymore. . . I took this shot some time ago inside Easy Street Records, a place you could see, touch and experience music. Love that cover art. How long since you've bought something because the cover art drew you in? Oh, I forgot. . .I may be one of the few folks who still "buys" music :-). And I've bought a lot of it since moving to Seattle at Easy Street Records. It's one of those places where you can discover amazing new music or find old faves. They also featured in-store concerts with great artists. So it was a real let down to drive past the revolving sign last week and see the notice that their last in-store concert would be tonight, Jan 18, yet great to see it would be Yo La Tengo. Check out this video. They will close of their Uptown/Lower Queen Anne storefront. It's because of the landlord's change in rent, I heard. Life is always full of moving on. They will hold a sale of inventory, auction off a zillion cool artifacts like the signed Eddie Vedder Into the Wild poster below and the neon sign above and their revolving sign outside, and will become a stand alone business at their West Seattle location. Very sad for me, but I'll travel the distance, as will thousands of other Seattlites. Easy Street is one of the wonderful things that makes Seattle SEATTLE.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Great Wheel on the Pier

The Great Wheel peeks over one of the Seattle waterfront's most popular restaurants, The Crab Pot on pier 57, a place famous for Pacific Northwest seafood and where they mound heaps of crab legs and corn on the cob onto the middle of one's table, give you a bib and pair of metal crackers and let you have at the feast. It's chilly in the 40s with partly sunny days this week and The Seattle Great Wheel is casting a watery reflection.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Driven to Abstraction Wednesday #11

Driven to Abstraction #11 by Seattle Daily Photo

Reflections on my way up the Central Library elevator blend with geometric patterns and colors to create an interesting abstract.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Are Your Lights Still Up?

The historic cast iron pergola in Pioneer Square was still festooned with ribbons and garlands when I went by a week after Christmas. Most folks in my neighborhood have removed their decorations by now, but even this week there are still a few twinkling LEDs about. Are your lights still up? :-)

Monday, January 14, 2013

Emerge: an ode to dedication

In 2007 fire gutted the historic Metropole building built by Seattle pioneer Henry Yesler. For years bare plywood surrounded the site. Artist Jeff Jacobson decided to do something to liven up the eyesore and involve the community. This enormous and colorful mural is the result. You can read about the project here. I like the salmon in the sea swimming deep (see detail below).