Thursday, May 31, 2007

Evening Magazine Seaplane Aloft


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I was standing on a hillside at sunset when TV's King 5 Evening Magazine seaplane flew past. Seaplanes are a common everyday sight in Seattle skies, and throughout the Pacific Northwest's Puget Sound region and especially up in Alaska. I remember being quite amazed the first time I noticed these years ago. My college roommate's dad took us all to dinner at a Lake Union restaurant, and a seaplane landed on the lake at sunset, drove right up to the restaurant's dock, and a couple got out and came in the restaurant to eat. . . Pretty exotic stuff to me at the time. I thought this sighting of something commonplace here might seem similarly exotic to some outside the region. Evening Magazine is a long-running and popular local television program, and this plane is a prominent feature. ' "Maggie", our Kenmore Air Seaplane, allows us to expand our daily destinations to a 300 mile radius. Once a week [host] John Curley flies off to spectacular locations. . .'
Well, I don't know if that is John the host looking out the window with a hand shielding his eyes, but I was thrilled to be able to see someone looking back my way so clearly on a beautiful evening.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Twenty In Three Hours?


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

The "happy hour" at Twist bar on 2nd Ave. in Belltown is apparently 3 hours long. So, if you can get 20 Heineken beers for two dollars a piece during "happy hour," does that mean you have to drink them all within the 3 hours? ;^) Seattlites love their brews, but unless your whole posse is with you, I don't think this offer is one many can take advantage of.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Ballard Annexed to Seattle 100 Years Ago Today


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

And not everybody is happy about that! You can see bumper stickers and t-shirs that read "FREE BALLARD," or "Visualize Ballard." All in good fun, though. This bust of Leif Erikson sits in front of the Sons of Norway's Leif Erikson Hall in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle , Ballard was an independent city just over the northern border of Seattle until it was annexed to Seattle in 1907. Those that settled Ballard were primarily northern Europeans who made their livelihood from the fishing and boat building industries. One can still hear Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish spoken in the streets and in shops. The flags of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland all fly throughout the neighborhood, and the Nordic Heritage Museum is located there. Ballard has seen rapid gentrification of it's historic shopping district in the past few years. There are several music clubs and lots of restaurants and specialty bars that make it a very popular destination for nightlife. But most of Ballard is made up of quiet residential streets, parks, and schools. There are a couple of exotic dance places on the main avenue that cuts through the area and there are taverns and chili dives to counter balance the fine cuisine of it's famed seafood restaurants near the large marina at Shilshole Bay. The Chittendon Locks take boats from the Puget Sound to the level of Salmon Bay and Lake Union, linking the salt and fresh water bodies through the long ship canal that forms Ballard's southern border. Puget Sound is on the west and north, and Phinney Ridge forms the eastern edge of this neighborhood.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Bus Shelter Paintings


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

You may recall that Seattle's bus shelters are decorated by people in the neighborhoods in which they stand. Musical instruments and flowers in orange, yellow, red and green on a purple background adorn this First Hill bus shelter interior. I loved the vivid colors and the artistic yet folksy feel of the paintings in this shelter. For a view of the entire shelter, see my More Seattle Stuff page. This Memorial Day weekend, Seattle's popular Folklife Festival is taking place. Musicians, artists, caftspeople, entertainers, and food abound.

Today in the USA we observe Memorial Day in honor of those who have died in military service. Schools and businesses are closed, and this weekend is often thought of as the kickoff for the summer months.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Orca


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

A painted mural on the north face of a Western Ave. building of a killer whale leaping. Recently an orca had disappeared from the T pod and researchers were worried for her fate. Rightfully so, as her severed dorsal fin was found a couple days ago and she is presumed killed, probably by an unfortunate collision with a ship. When people are out in boats on the Puget Sound they know to keep a healthy distance when observing the pods, and that distance will now become a law, as I understand it. But even so the whales will approach boats and swim under and very near them, which is thrilling for the boaters, but probably not all that safe for them or the pod members.
I love the proportions of this building and all the giant ducts it has.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Lovely Setting on first Hill


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

The Gainsborough Condominiums (a 1930s 14 story apartment high rise) sits on a quiet tree lined street on First Hill. It is full of period charm. A large one bedroom recently sold for $305,000, and a two bedroom plus den with a custom remodeled kitchen went for $555,000.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Cafe Palma Seating


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I liked the textures and patterns of the Sorento Hotel's Cafe Palma sidewalk seating. It seemed a very pleasant setting in the quiet First Hill neighborhood to relax over lunch or coffee and enjoy the warm sunny day. For a larger view of the cafe and of the hotel, see my More Seattle Stuff page.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Crab Feast Pacific Northwest Style


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

We had a big family occasion this week and celebrated, at the honoree's request, at the Crab Pot on Seattle's waterfront. Thought of as a tourist dive, it's really more frequented by locals, and this is why: the food is super fresh, super simple, and most everything is served family style, with the crab, shellfish, seafood, corn, and potatos plunked right in the middle of the table on sheets of butcher paper. Diners are given wooden boards, mallets and claw crackers, donned by the wait staff with plastic bibs and told to have at it. Large metal bowls are placed on the floor next to the table for shells. It's messy, fun, and kids love it. We dined on king crab, dungeness crab, snow crab, and salmon.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Trainer Working in a Great Setting


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This trainer was working with a group of athletes who had run to this location at Kerry Park. Pretty inspiring view, but these women were seriously focussed on the work at hand. Wouldn't you love to have a workout class with that as a backdrop, feeling the warm sun and the cool breeze?! Ah, the blue sky months are beginning, and even the mountain is out (best viewed large in Flickr--become my contact to access all sizes button). Yippee!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Let the Festivals Begin!


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

From May to October, Seattle is one big festival town, with multiple events happening every weekend. With a lot of significant milestones and reopenings this year, the calendar is especially packed: Pike Place Market turns 100 and will have "Pigs on Parade," the Space Needle is 45, SAM reopened, it's the Olympic Sculpture Park's first summer, it's St. James Cathedral's 100th year, and record crowds are expected for this year's Bumbershoot. The daylight goes on and on and people revel in the beauty outdoors and enjoy the never ending party. These two girls were enjoying summer corn from a festival street vendor at last year's Ballard Seafood Festival, part of the citywide Seafair neighborhood events.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Limo View


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

A view of traffic on Elliott Ave. and the giant grainery that dominates the landscape of the Interbay area, seen from a stretch limo window on a rainy evening,

Sunday, May 20, 2007

What Remains


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

You may remember a photo from last month of a 1927 apartment building, across the street from the famous viewpoint at Kerry Park. The vintage building was going to be razed to make way for a contemporary multi unit structure (click here to view). The recycling team has demolished the building, salvaging all the windows, and most of the brick and the terracotta period ornaments and fixtures. This was all that was left on my recent visit to the site--just an entry to nowhere. . . only this staircase and doorway remained. See my Flickr page for more photos.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

How To Avoid Parking Fees


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Bianchi Boy is heading home on a Friday evening and obviously knows how to save money and gain health benefits through commuting by bike. Here in Seattle we had "Bike to Work Day" and were encouraged to leave behind our motor vehicles and get to work on two wheels. I noticed a lot of increased bike traffic, but it could be due as much to the turn of the seasons and the nicer weather conditions as anything else.

Threading the Needle?

This just in: At about 4:30 PM today Greg Novoa of San Francisco, California was the 45 millionth visitor to Seattle's 45 year old icon, The Space Needle. His prize is a 5 day 4 night trip for two to Paris and dinner at the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower. He was surprised and thrilled to win and said he and his family have not been to Europe and are looking forward to visiting le Tour Eiffel! Ah, if it were only me, Eric!!!!



Friday, May 18, 2007

Austin A. Bell Building


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

The Bell family were among the first European American settlers in Seattle, and they held 320 acres overlooking Elliott Bay in the area now called Belltown. They built two wood frame houses in this area. The last one they occupied in the late 1800s was in the space that is now a parking lot on the west side of 1st Ave not far from this building. Austin Bell thought he was beginning to experience symptoms of the same debilitating dementia that had afflicted his father, William, and took his own life to avoid a similar decline into the ill health he had seen his father experience. Just the day before his suicide by gunshot he had discussed with his nephew how excited he was about plans he had in place to build this structure. His wife had it built and named the structure in his memory. This facade is now among Seattle's historical landmarks.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Not Your Average County Jail Courtyard


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

If memory serves me correctly, I was standing in the courtyard of the King County Jail in downtown Seattle when I shot these sculptural forms and elaborate tile work and paving. There was a sphere, a column, an "X," a cube, a circle, a stair step, and many other geometric forms. Someone had a lot of fun designing and making this permanent display for public space.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Fabulous Hat!


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This fellow sits proudly outside the University of Washington's Burke Museum entrance, wearing his distinctive hat. I can't explain why I love seeing basketry hats. Perhaps it's their proportions or the way they fit the wearer. Whenever I see someone wear one or see them in a carving or painting, it's just really special to me. From the Burke Museum's description of this Tlingit style carving: "Replica of Tlingit Mortuary Pole (cat. no. R-299). A chest at the top of the original mortuary pole held the remains of a Tlingit chief. On this replica pole, the figure of a high-ranking man wears a prestigious ringed basketry hat and sits on a carved bentwood chest. The original pole stood in the village of Old Wrangell (Kasitlan), near present-day Wrangell, Alaska. The noted artist Kadyisdu.áxch probably carved that mortuary pole. This replica was carved by Bill Holm, 1972 based on photos of the original pole, which no longer survives."

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Beyond Cool


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Belltown neighborhood, warm evening, streets alive with people. I couldn't figure out if this was a film shoot or real life, the people seemed tres cool. Which of these folks would you vote into the cast of the Grey's Anatomy? ;^) (Best viewed large--to access the All Sizes button you need to become my Flickr contact).

Monday, May 14, 2007

Bracelets


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

You could almost call Seattle "Crow City" instead of Jet City or Emerald City, there are so many crows about. But this one, spotted in Belltown, is special. I hadn't spotting a banded crow since last summer in the Central District. I had photographed a crow which was sitting on a roof. It wasn't until I uploaded the photo that I noticed colorful leg bands. I Googled "crow Seattle leg band" and found out about an ongoing University of Washington study. If you ever spot a banded crow, UW researchers ask observers to pay attention to the colors and placement of bands on each leg and to report the info via their website. These crows were caught as babies, banded, and released. They are studied for their movement and for disease research.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Listening


Listening
Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.
She was expressing something important while he carefully took it all in. Perhaps they were discussing gift ideas and plans for taking mom out for mother's day (celebrated here in the US today). Busy Belltown neighborhood corner on 2nd Ave.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Square Inch Gardening


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I love seeing urban gardening, even on a minute scale. Seattle at present is embracing an urban model of density based on the successes of Vancouver, BC Canada. The hope is that more and more people will live in small dwellings within the urban center, making less impact upon the environment (as I understand it). That means a push toward highrise apartment and condo living. . .something our European and Asian city dwelling friends understand well, but which cuts across the stanard grain of "the American dream of home ownership." Older apartment buildings like this one do not offer small balconies like the plethora of new condo buildings, and those who live within who wish for a bit of seasonal greenery must make do with window ledges. I admired this lovely offering outside a second story window.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Graphic Intersection


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I liked the design made by the curves of the curbs, the curb cut markings, and the cross walk lines. Even the shadows of overhead wires street section lines add something. This intersection is at Seneca at about 10th in downtown Seattle. I was on the 17th floor of a building across the street, looking out a north window to take this shot.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Dancin In The Street


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This is as close to being a Broadway dancer as I'll ever come! The Broadway Dance Steps are a series of eight sets of bronze sculpture intallations embedded in the sidewalks along Broadway in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. For many years people have found much enjoyment (and impromptu dancing) through these whimsical works of public art underfoot. To see the whole pattern of bronze dance steps for this Foxtrot Weave installation, please click my More Seattle Stuff page.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Reflective


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

A lone figure is viewing the Sound from the end of a pier. Our sunny weather and hot temps did not hold for more than one day, followed by soupy fog and now clouds and cooler temps. Still, the rhododendrons are in glorious bright bloom everywhere, the boats are thick along the lakes, ship canal, and sound, and the flower baskets are blooming everywhere, including on this pier. Anticipation of more lovely days to come. . . Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday in your city!

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Warm Evening Street Scene


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

We have had a LOOOOONNNNGGGG WINTER. It is officially over. Last weekend marked the opening of boating season with a festive boat parade, and most of the backyard and balcony grills in town are starting to herald outdoor cooking season, as well. The sun is smiling upon the Emerald City, and our sap is running! In this shot it is 6:30 PM Monday evening and the streets are alive with people out and about. This is the view down 15th (one of the shopping streets in the Capitol Hill neighborhood) from patrons seated in front of Cafe Ladro and looking further south past Coastal Kitchen (super seafood!). Shorts and sandals abound, and even the stooped elderly lady with bag in hand behind her is wearing just a light sweater. And all the mountains, including Mt. Rainier were OUT.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Table Worship


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This is a very common sight at Seattle outdoor cafes. Chairs bowing to tables, paying some strange homage? Well, really its just to keep the rain from puddling up in the chair seats on shower prone days. This cafe is on 15th in the Capitol Hill area.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

May Flowers


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I was stopped at a light in the historic Pioneer Square district when I noticed the flower baskets in the area were blooming again. May heralds the beginning of the sunnier months here in the Pacific Northwest, and these baskets signal this shift in our mindscape. I had just seconds before the light changed to whip out the camera and shoot this. Visitors to Pioneer Square are treated to an abundance of gorgeous blooms in prominent hanging baskets from most buildings and street poles in the area.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

In Front of the New Restaurant


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Seattle is a city full of wonderful restaurants, and they face their challenges as restaurants in all cities do. Five restaurants and cafes within a few blocks of each other in this neighborhood seemed to all go out of business at about the same time and their locations stay vacant for awhile. I suspect rent increases along the popular shopping street may have been the main reason for this coincidence. Three of the sites have since been occupied by new businesses after remodeling. This site on Boston Street was an Indian restaurant and has now reopened with a significant interior face lift as "Opal." It's been full of patrons every time I've walked past. . .a sign of good food within. As I stood across the street I noticed the woman waiting outside the restaurant and a patron inside the restaurant who was laughing. As I was taking a shot, two other figures walked into the scene, a Metro Transit bus driver carrying his coffee break items from a nearby Starbucks, and the leather jacketed gentleman near the door. A slice of Seattle neighborhood street life for you.

Have a great Saturday, everyone! Here in Seattle today is the opening of boating season with a big boat parade on Lake Washington, and the long awaited opening of the Seattle Art Museum's completely rebuilt and expanded downtown digs. Sadly, I can attend neither, but that won't stop me from enjoying both a little later.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Seattle Rooftop Pool & Putting Green


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I was kinda shocked to look out a 17th floor window downtown and see that an apartment building across the way offers an on-site outdoor swimming pool (very rare in Seattle!) and a small lawn / putting green for its residents. Oh yeah, it all happens to be on a rooftop. Not as charming as the roofs of Paris, but interesting, none the less. Best viewed large (become my Flickr contact to access the All Sizes button--just click on the image to go to Flickr). A gardener is hard at work doing some maintenance. Meanwhile, down on the street, a pedestrian and traffic go by, unaware of the other world above.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Rainier Beach Bus Stop After a Rain Shower


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

These riders were all huddled under the bus shelter as a morning shower subsided and the sun peeked out. This bus stop is in the Rainier Beach neighborhood in the south of Seattle. The diverse backgrounds of people in this area are well represented in this grouping. There is more apparent ethic diversity in the south than in the north end of town, which was heavily settled by northern Europeans early on and remains more homogeneous than the south. Many bus shelters throughout Seattle feature art work that represents the neighborhood or that was done by artists or residents of the area under the bus shelter mural program of the city and county transit programs. This shelter honors local heroes.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Optometrist Display


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

She's making a fashion statement, or a number of them. Can you read her dress? If so, you don't need what she's selling. This optometrist's window display in the Queen Anne neighborhood was so appealing, I couldn't pass it up without taking a shot. Dedicated to my dear friend since 2nd grade, Suzanne, a way cool optometrist.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

May Theme Day: Where in the World Could This BE?


Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Happy May Day! Today is theme day for City Daily Photo bloggers around the globe. We've been asked to post a photo of a place within our city that looks like it could be from another city (at least that's what I THINK the theme is--seems to be some confusion, so some folks are publishing photos from other cities, so this should be fun!).


Whenever I glance at this recently restored cupola on the campus of the University of Washington, I'm always reminded of the morning silhouette of a similar bell tower visible from my third story window above the roof tops near the Sorbonne in Paris. This was the first structure on UW's current campus, so perhaps in that era architects were looking to European historic styles.


Now please take a world tour of the 80 other destinations below to see how other CDP members interpreted this month's theme. Sure to be fun and fascinating. Try to leave a comment wherever you visit, and remember time zone differences affect when photos are ready to view.


1 Monte Carlo, Monaco -
2 Rome, Italy -
3 Singapore, Singapore -
4 Tenerife, Spain -
5 Rotterdam, Netherlands -
6 Montréal (QC), Canada -
7 Melbourne, Australia -
8 Naples (FL), USA -
9 Bastia, France -
10 Hong Kong, China -
11 Mazatlan, Mexico -
12 Buenos Aeres, Argentina -
13 Manila, Philippines -
14 Arradon, France -
15 Madison (WI), USA -
16 Evry, France -
17 Seoul, Korea -
18 Shanghai, China -
19 Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia -
20 Sequim (WA), USA -
21 Singapore, Singapore -
22 Budapest, Hungary -
23 Baziège, France -
24 Hamburg, Germany -
25 Toruń, Poland -
26 Nelson, New Zealand -
27 Madison (WI), USA -
28 Vantaa, Finland -
29 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -
30 Mainz, Germany -
31 Dubai, UAE -
32 Saint Paul (MN), USA -
33 Cork, Ireland -
34 Stockholm, Sweden -
35 Menton, France -
36 Tel Aviv, Israel -
37 Albuquerque (NM), USA -
38 Kitakami, Japan -
39 Stayton (OR), USA -
40 Szentes, Hungary -
41 Stavanger, Norway -
42 Grenoble, France -
43 Villigen, Switzerland -
44 Paris, France -
45 Hyde, UK -
46 Moscow, Russia -
47 Joplin (MO), USA -
48 Jakarta, Indonesia -
49 Greenville (SC), USA -
50 Cape Town, South Africa -
51 Asheville (NC), USA -
52 Not Strictly Seattle (WA), USA -
53 Kyoto, Japan -
54 Tokyo, Japan -
55 Madrid, Spain -
56 Auckland, New Zealand -
57 Oulu, Finland -
58 Lubbock (TX), USA -
59 Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina -
60 Baton Rouge (LA), USA -
61 Sydney, Australia -
62 Maple Ridge (BC), Canada -
63 Vancouver, Canada -
64 Seattle (WA), USA -Kim -
65 Selma (AL), USA -
66 Chandler (AZ), USA -
67 Sharon (CT), USA -
68 Manila, Philippines -
69 Lyon, France -
70 New York City (NY), USA -
71 Los Angeles (CA), USA -
72 Brookville (OH), USA -
73 Hayle, UK -
74 Wailea (HI), USA -
75 Saarbrücken, Germany -
76 San Diego (CA), USA -
77 Boston (MA), USA -
78 Saint Louis (MO), USA -
79 Cypress (TX), USA -
80 Anderson (SC), USA -
81 Torino, Italy