Seattle Daily Photo: February 2009

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Zenn Electric Car

It passed me silently and I glimpsed the word "electric" written in green on the door. It is a two passenger all electric car that you can plug in to recharge. I heard one owner interviewed say her total fuel and insurance costs for a year were $200. I spend that in 3 months or less on our little gas fueled car. Washington state residents get a tax credit through 2010 for purchasing an all electric vehicle. The local dealer also sells another brand which seats four passengers. I like the styling of this one. . .nice lines. What sorts of alternative vehicles have you seen in your area? Are they as cute as "SPARK-E"?

Friday, February 27, 2009

Seattle Hood Ornament

Perhaps only in the Pacific Northwest would a car owner replace their hood ornament with a leaping salmon. :-) I did a disbelieving double take as we pulled up alongside this black car, then hurriedly whipped out the camera and tried to focus. We were at a stop light and I was riding shotgun and poked the lens under the poor driver's chin! Happy blue sky Friday everyone!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

King Street Station Tower Facelift

Snow last night and bright sun today! This is a typical Seattle scene: a ship on Elliott Bay, the Olympics and Bainbridge Island in the distance, the International District in the foreground, and the King Street Station clock tower. But you'll notice the shrouded clock tower roof is finally being refurbished after years of serving as a repository of multiple unsightly antennae and receivers. It should improve an already great view. The main station roof has already been retiled, and the once beautiful station interior will begin seismic upgrades and a restoration this spring. I love this station and look forward to seeing its new and sparkley version. I've shown you the station before here, here, here, and here.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Deco Amazon.com Doorway

The details of the brass and copper Deco doorway of Amazon.com's headquarters are really fun to look at. The etched glass in the transom above is casting shadows inside the entryway. This building was originally a hospital, and part of the campus still houses the Pacific Medical Center and its imagining services. I had just purchased some books on line the day before I took this shot and thought it was too bad this wasn't a distribution center and I could just pick them up. More shots here.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Did She Wear Her Matching Coat on Purpose?

A woman walks over the green-railed bridge, dedicated to Dr. Jose P. Rizal, which connects the International District to Beacon Hill. (You can peek through the railing here.) In the distance are the many hospital buildings on First Hill, also lovingly referred to as "Pill Hill."

Monday, February 23, 2009

Malvina Was Right

. . .except these are granite instead of ticky tacky, more like Monopoly houses. I loved the secondary patterns the shadowed ends of the structures created in the morning sun.

This sculpture installation at Sturgus Park on north Beacon Hill is called "Equality" and was created and sited in 1995-1996 by Beacon Hill artists Rolon Bert Garner and Ken Leback. There is a granite house missing in the left of the frame, but not far away on a pedistal on a raised knoll there is a bronze house overlooking these houses with the city skyline beyond. You can read a thought- provoking quote from Alexis de Tocqueville’s "Democracy in America" on an embedded bronze plaque. An overview of the entire installation is here.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Come On, Cut It OUT!

. . .stop already, wouldja! Is this redundancy, or just the place where they grow all the signs (as one of my Flickr viewers guessed)? These signs are used in the Sounder train yard in the SODO district, just behind Safeco Field.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Land 'O Giants

We have blue skies. Took this with my iPhone coming out of SAM (the Seattle Art Museum) where there is an exhibit called Edward Hopper's Women through March 1. That's the giant scale "Hammering Man" I've managed to behead on the left (full image here), and the Washington Mutual Tower on the right, its windows throwing back the blue of the sky and Elliott Bay. Hope you have a nice Saturday!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Kurt in the Window

It's been 15 years since this 27 year old Seattle musician left the scene by his own hand. I passed this black and white poster of Nirvana band member Kurt Cobain displayed in the first floor apartment window of an Uptown building. He's staring at us from the other side. February 20th is Cobain's birthday, and 28 years ago today he received his first guitar as a birthday gift from his uncle. There will be remembrances and parties here in Seattle and even this one in Russia. Were you into the Seattle sounds of the 90s? My daughter was just a baby during that era but can play a cool version of Smells Like Teen Spirit on her guitar none the less.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

First Cherry Blossoms

The very first blossoms on my neighbor's cherry tree (we cut ours down three years ago. . .sigh). Soon Seattle will be awash in spring colors. For now, the trees are still bare against the blue skies and snow crowns the mountain ranges in clear view.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Floor to Ceiling

Here is a complimentary lobby entrance view to yesterday's photo. It features one of two glass sculpture chandeliers designed by glass master Dale Chihuly specifically for the block-long lobby of Benaroya Hall. Seattle's 10 year old symphony hall is just down a block on Third Avenue from Seattle Tower, but world's removed in its aesthetic differences, non? Perhaps in 80 years we will find it quaint and charming like Art Deco seems now.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Seattle Tower Front Doors

The Seattle Tower is a 27 story Art Deco office building. It was originally named the Northern Life Tower after the insurance company that owned it, and came to be called the Northern Light Tower by locals because it was illuminated by flood lamps at night. Like the 14 year older Smith Tower, it has an elaborate period elevator lobby of marble and bronze, complete with a multistory glass mail chute through which letters descend directly into the large and ornate lobby mailbox. The metal screen of the front door transom reminds me of the doors at the Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park, also an Art Deco era building. I overheard one of the building officials say it would cost millions to replace the lobby floor that features many colors of marble in a patchwork of square-on-point chains. When you step into this 1928 building you really feel like you've gone back in time. Other details of the building are here at my More Seattle Stuff page.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Metro Transit Tunnel University Street Station

Seattle has no trains running underground like Paris, London, or New York, but it does have something of a rarity among big cities: a dedicated bus tunnel, installed in 1985, that runs underground in a portion of the downtown area. If you'd like to experience the bus tunnel, click here for a YouTube clip of its first day back in action after its recent retrofit. These commuters are heading for the escalators down to their buses; and, in just a few more months, they will also be able to access a new light rail transit system (think Portland's MAX system or San Francisco's Muni Lightrail) that will go southward all the way to SEATAC airport, and eventually also link to a line going north to the University District via Capitol Hill.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Drunkard's Path Redux

The curve of Benaroya Hall, seen through a window in the lobby of the famous downtown symphony space, reminded me of the patchwork shape known as Drunkard's Path. If you'd like to see a really inspirational series of abstracts of building shapes against the sky, take a look at Bleeding Orange's current shots at Grenoble Daily Photo. Happy Sunday, everyone. Hope your Sunday is looking up!

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Table for Two

Happy Valentine's Day!
If your favorite little cafe was overbooked today, perhaps you'd like to draw up a couple red stools at Red Mill on the Ridge and enjoy a conversation and maybe my fave, the Verde Veggie Burger. Oh, and don't forget a strawberry or boysenberry shake, made from scratch and very PINK! (I showed you the exterior sign in this 2006 shot, and the interior of their Magnolia location in 2007.)

Friday, February 13, 2009

3D Seattle Valentine

I saw her on a cold but sunny downtown street yesterday evening, apparently on her way home from her job as a 3D Valentine greeter for Scandia Jewelers. Midway through the crosswalk she closed her eyes momentarily. Hope all of you have a little celebration planned with your sweetie tomorrow. The most fun valentine I ever received from mine was a heart-shaped tin that he had the sushi chef from our local restaurant fill with all my favorite kinds of sushi. It was wonderful! What would you most like to receive for Valentine's Day?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

A Seattle View You Won't See in 2010

Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

When I took this shot of downtown's historic Ranier Club and the round domed First United Methodist Church, they looked like miniatures nestled among giants. So I thought this tilt-shift treatment might be fun to emphasize the obvious. These landmark buildings will have a new neighbor of glass and steel next year right where the light colored brick building is: the 43 story Fifth & Columbia Tower. It will be multifaceted and smallest at its base (a concept seen in yesterday's photo) to help these historic buildings maintain some sense of space around them. (See this amazing design here and this exact view two years from now here.)

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

On a Pedestal

Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This 40 story Seattle high rise always elicits a "wow" from visitors seeing it for the first time. In sunny months the 11 story pedestal of Rainier Tower serves as an outdoor movie screen and all through the year symbols of colorful light are projected on it at night. The architecture shows such an innovative and refreshing design idea. But tell me truthfully, would you think twice about working everyday in a west coast building shaped like this?

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Heart on Display

Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Downtown , 4th & University, Luly Yang Couture display windows featuring wedding attire and a valentine heart. A Seattle Academy school bus passes by the busy corner. It has turned a bit cold and we had some hail and snowfall last night and the night before. Perhaps the groundhog was right!

Monday, February 09, 2009

Jackpot!

Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved including reproduction or republishing.

I've always felt I was lucky in love. I think a home owner on Queen Anne Hill feels the same way. This is just a small peek at some of the festive and bright Valentine's Day decorations I noticed displayed in their front yard and just had to stop and photograph (more here). As we start this week I want to say how much our hearts go out to the folks in southeastern Australia in the wake of the devastating fires, and to the thousands of families that are heartsick from their losses in war torn DRC and Gaza.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Atomic Neon

Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction and republishing.

A little neon atomic energy to torch up your Sunday! These tall lamps adorn the upper courtyard behind the DuPen Fountain. Since they are in such great shape, I'm not sure if these are original space age era fixtures or something new and nostalgic that's been more recently installed. I thought they were super cool, whatever.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Looking the Other Way

2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All Right Reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Here is a peek to the left of yesterday's view. The DuPen Fountain featuring large rocks and bronze sculptures by Seattle artist Everett Du Pen sits between Key Arena and the north conference building. The Space Needle is in the background, completing the mid-century vision of what folks at the time thought OUR day to day world in the 21st century might look like.

Friday, February 06, 2009

DuPen Fountain at Night

2009 Seattle Daily Photo, All Rights Reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Also called the Fountain of Creation after the subject of this bronze sculpture, the DuPen Fountain and its surrounding architecture on the Seattle Center campus speak of a time and place: west coast, mid 20th century. Built as part of the Century 21 Exposition and incorporating multilevel vantage places in a serene setting, this fountain's large wading pool is wildly popular with families of young children in sunny months. Their and other Seattlites' outcry saved the fountain from city council's unanimous vote to tear it out in their search for a replacement space for SeaSk8t, the popular skate park that was displaced by construction of the Gates Foundation/Seattle Center parking structure finished last July (I showed you here). Everett DuPen, a sculptor from the University of Washington, had designed the fountain specifically for its site in 1962 and consulted on its refurbishing in 2003, two years before his death. The setting looks to me like a page out of a 1960's Sunset Magazine.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Surging Curves

I thought you might enjoy seeing a bit more nighttime color. This was just a few blocks from yesterday's photo and is of the breezeway at the north entrance to Seattle Center's campus. These waves of neon echo the shape of the portico just outside this passage (which I showed you awhile back here), and if I'm remembering correctly, this may have once served as the north entry gate for the World's Fair. Hope you find some vibrant color wherever your day may take you today.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Counterbalance Park: An Urban Oasis

This pocket park on the site of a former gas station in the Uptown neighborhood is six months old. During the day it doesn't seem like much more than an extremely tidy vacant lot surrounded by an artful wooden walkway on two sides, a few saplings planted here and there, and several benches lining two tall concrete walls. The center of the park is covered with gravel rather than grass or plants. There is a concrete slab at an angle in the back corner to serve as a stage area, and the architect's drawing shows intentions for tables and chairs to be introduced under the trees at some point. At night, though, the tiny park becomes a jewel alive with bright moving vertical bands of color illuminating the two tall walls at the back. What the park needs if it is to live up to its hoped for "urban oasis" status, though, is water: a low pool, a rocky fountain. . .even cobblestones that would reflect when they are wet with rain. . . something natural and fluid.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Historic District Tile Entryway

I often notice art underfoot as I'm walking and see these types of entryways all over Seattle. Some are tile with mosaic dates, addresses, names of businesses, art tiles and designs, and others are terrazzo or cement with embedded bronze letters, numeral, and artwork.. This one is in Seattle's Columbia City historic district and is the first I recall seeing with a floral border.

Monday, February 02, 2009

The Couple

Babooshka mentioned wanting to see further down yesterday's passage in Post Alley, and this is just out from under the passage (across from the figure of the woman in yesterday's shot). This was taken on a different day and I was tucked in across the alley from the Alibi Room's sign. The couple emerged from the darkened doorway just as I was shooting a bit around the corner of the gum wall, he with rose in hand, she moving in a hurry toward the Market. I guess they are used to people with camera's ogling the gum wall across the alley. Around that sticky color splotched corner is the Market Theater and the main gum wall's ever-changing spontaneous participatory "exhibit" which I showed you here and here before.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Theme Day: Paths & Passages

The Alibi Room and the Market Theater gum wall are just beyond this passage in Post Alley, Pike Place Market. Post Alley runs through and below the historic 101 year old sanitary public market and got its name from the hitching posts, now gone, where vendors would secure their horses when bringing goods to market back in the day. One of my fellow Seattle Flickrites, Mary Wit, upon seeing this photo wrote, "This is my favorite spot on earth...the bellybutton of our fair city. The cobblestones were once ballast for ships returning from trips to faraway lands. Listen carefully and you can hear stories whispered on the wind that blows through the Alley."

City Daily Photo Bloggers from all over the globe are featuring other famous and not so famous paths and passages to peer down and enjoy in their cities. Please visit as many as you can, and be sure to leave us a comment about what you find. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Pages