Autumn light and foliage sparkle against the backdrop of the Seattle Central Library. Did you know that the Central Library as well as 15 other branches offers free Wi-Fi? But hey, there's no java joint inside. . . Seattle+autumn Seattle+fall Seattle+LibrarySeattle+Central+Library+photo Seattle+Library+Wi-Fi Seattle+exterior+photoSeattle+street+scene
A skyward view of the reflected lights caught on an odd angled steel overhang, a glimpse of a plane full of sky travelers, and the reflected tendrils of a garden in the air. All from street level, 5th Street, near the county jail, with the glow of the sun above and a nip in the blue fall air. (Click the photo for a larger view.) Seattle+building Seattle+highrise Seattle+5th+StreetSeattle+exterior+photo Seattle+architecture
This is the entrance that greets workers and visitors to the Seattle Municipal Tower. A freeway onramp to the I-5 express lanes runs through this building and is located just to the right of here around the corner. Just inside the vaulted lobby there is a Starbucks. While in line there I had a pleasant conversation with someone who had traveled internationally and is a photographer. It was fun to relay that there are over 100 of us around the globe who are transported to each other's cities everyday without ever having to go to the airport. The friendly people behind the City Daily Photo sites can take you almost anywhere.
Sunset at Boylston Avenue E. and E. Aloha. The light reflecting from the side of the apartment building caught my eye. It wasn't until I'd walked a block closer to check out the glowing building that I noticed a familiar form peek out from the background. Capitol+Hill Seattle+susetBoyleston+Avenue+E. E.+Aloha Seattle+street+scene sunset+reflectionSeattle+neighborhood+photo
Color, pattern, line all caught my eye as I was decending some north facing stairs at Seattle Center. To see another view, click More Seattle Stuff. Have a great Sunday! Seattle+CenterExperience+Music+Project Gehry stainless+steel+shingles Grass+Blades yellow+curbSeattle+abstract
A drop from an oar hits the surface of the water. For a complete view of the rowers I was photographing in this shot, click More Seattle Stuff. One of the joys of shots like this is that I don't see them while I'm shooting. They are surprises waiting to be found. It is when I take a closer look at some small detail that a whole new world suddenly fills the screen. There is a way of seeing through a lens that affects the way one starts to see everything. Even then, we don't really see until we have a chance to reflect upon what is there. Seattle+rowingPocock+Rowing+Center crew rowing Lake+Washington+Ship+Canal Seattle+boatingSeattle+boats oar drop
Books are surprisingly the only things being looked at by the sidewalk cafe patrons of Joe Bar on East Roy Street at Harvard on Capitol Hill. I found out after I took this shot that they limit their wifi hours, and that's why this scene differs so radically from other coffee houses in Seattle. If you visit this neighborhood, this is the place to come for crepes and and other menu items with a decidedly European bent. This year they added wine and beer to the offerings. It is across from a popular theater and is a wonderful place to people watch, rain or shine. There is also an art display within. joe+bar Seattle+cafe East+Roy+Street+cafe Capitol+Hill crepes+Seattleindependent+coffee+houses+Seattle Joe+Bar+Seattle
I've been told, but never seen it substantiated in print, that this underground cafe served as the set model for the fictional Cafe Nervosa frequented by the Drs. Frasier and Niles Crane of the long running "Frasier" television program. It is actually known as The Elliot Bay Cafe, and sits beneath the Elliot Bay Book Company at the corner of 1st and Main Streets in the Pioneer Square district. The fictional Cafe Nervosa was supposedly at the corner of 3rd and Pike, quite a distance away, but quite near the Seattle Symphony's home, Benoroya Hall, and a short walk from the famous Public Market. cafe+nervosa frasier+Seattle elliott+bay+cafeSeattle+underground+cafe frasier+cafe Seattle+cafe Seattle+coffee
Taxi! Here in Seattle or around the globe, today you can hail a taxi in over 43 cities by clicking on these City Daily Photo sites. (Remember these are in many time zones, so photos will be posted on Sunday, October 1, 2006 starting with Australia/New Zealand and then around through Asia, Europe/Africa, South America/North America, Hawaii).
See More Seattle Stuff for my other taxi shots and to check local fares.
Your taxi ride around the globe starts here: 1 (Porto ) 2 (Albuquerque ) -3 (London ) -4 (Seattle, WA (USA) [Kim] ) -5 (Edinburgh ) -6 (Stayton, OR ) -7 (Greenville, SC ) -8 (Budapest ) -9 (Antigua Guatemala ) -10 (Alexandria, VA ) -11 (Manila ) -12 (Twin Cities ) -13 (Szentes ) -14 (Paris ) -15 (Portsmouth ) -16 (Ryde ) -17 (Sydney ) -18 (Oulu ) -19 (Singapore [keropok] ) -20 (Santiago ) -21 (Melbourne, Aust ) -22 (Dubai UAE ) -23 (Bandung (Indonesia) ) -24 (Copenhagen ) -25 (Sequim ) -26 (Singapore ) -27 (Tenerife ) -28 (Sharon, CT ) -29 (Tuzla, B&H ) -30 (Jakarta (Indonesia) ) -31 (Rotterdam ) -32 (Brussels ) -33 (Stavanger (Norway) ) -34 (Aliso Viejo, CA ) -35 (Oshawa, ON, Canada ) -36 (Vantaa, Finland ) -37 (Trier (Germany)) -38 (ewcastle upon Tyne ) -39 (Hong Kong ) -40 (Shang Hai ) -41 (Brussels ) -42 (San Diego, CA (USA) ) -43 (Sydney (Nathalie) - Also be sure to click St. Paul MN in the links for City Daily Photo sites (in column to the right and down) and others who may have been a bit late getting their links in.
With her parents permission, I took this photo of a toddler who fell asleep in her stroller at the fair midway through a corndog. Apparently the excitement of the day was just too much! Me, I'm freaking out that this beautiful kid is going to aspirate part of her lunch when she comes to. . . Seattle+fair corndog child+sleeping Seattle+county+fair food+aspiration
All summer long the city of Seattle seems to be one big festival town. But, when September rolls around, city folks head for the country, and the Puyallup Fair (a Native American word that most people pronounce as Pew-al-up). This young gent seemed pleased to have won his fair lady a huge prize through some feat of skill or blind luck in some game on the midway. PuyallupPuyallup+Fair county+fair+Seattle Seattle+fair county+fair+prize I+won
If you drive anywhere in Seattle, you will find a scene similar to this at nearly every residential street intersection. Seattle's traffic circles, it has been said, are "as common as Starbuck's and rain." They were created to slow traffic at blind intersections to 15 mph. Since their widespread use here, traffic accidents at blind intersections have been reduced by over 70%. Neighbors keep up the landscaping (or not. . .). See more pics at More Seattle Stuff. 
Seattle+traffic+circles trafic+calming round+about blind+intersection slow+traffic no+stop+signs Seattle+circles circles traffic+circles
This is what you glimpsed near the top of yesterday's photo. For 4 blocks along Broadway on Capitol Hill you can follow the lovely tile trails on either side of the street to find 8 wonderful bronze sculptures embedded in the walkways. These eight different dance steps (pictured here is the Lindy Hop) are the work of artist Jack Mackie. In 1989 the city tore up the sidewalks on Broadway to put overhead wires underground. Mackie created these very popular, whimsical pieces to be included in the neighborhood "redux." Read more about the Rumba, Mombo, and other Broadway Dance Steps by clicking the link. Broadway+Seattle Broadway+Dance+Steps Jack+Mackie Mackie+Dance+Steps Seattle+Sidewalk+Art Seattle+Public+Art Dance+Steps Seattle+Dance+Steps Broadway+tile
This eclectic tile patio is in the triangular plaza behind the Lenin statue (featured a few days ago). There are outdoor tables for a gelato shop and a seafood taco restaurant. It's an inviting place to sit and people watch, chat, eat, read, let your toddler find ponies, salmon, seashells, and cupboard door handles in the cement. It's huge, and one could spend hours looking at all the wonderful embedded tidbits. Click here for some fun detailed views. I had thought for a long time that I would like to photograph this; then one day I was telling someone about SDPhoto and he said, "You know, there's this tile patio in the Fremont that would be really cool. . ." That cinched it. Seattle+art+tile Fremont+patio Fremont+plaza Taco+Del+Mar+patio Seattle+tile+work art+tile Fremont+tile+work Lenin+statue Fremont+Seattle
I didn't notice the bridge in the window until I downloaded the photo. I liked the way the reflection's line angled across the window and the line continues to be carried by the roofline. This strikingly designed 1 bedroom 1 1/2 bath houseboat built in 1991 is for sale. Can you guess the asking price? Would you believe only $998,800--but hey, it comes with a kayak! :^) Check out more views of its other features by clicking here, and dream.
Aurora+Bridge George+Washington+Memorial+Bridge Lake+Union Fremont Seattle+Houseboat Lake+Union+Houseboat Floating+Home+Seattle Bridge+Reflection
He's seen you, watch out! Yes, that is a real VW Beetle in his grasp. The Fremont Troll doesn't hear The Three Billy Goats Gruff up on his bridge. Instead, he hears the hundreds of cars that zoom overhead on Hwy 99 (Aurora Avenue). He has plucked one of them down for lunch. You're NEXT!
You can read about its history and how the Troll's artist creators constructed it by clicking here. The Troll is another of Seattle's unique takes on Nordic traditions. The open air Duck Boat Tours (you may remember from here) used to drive by the Troll in years past, but not anymore. Some local tours in enclosed vans do drive right up for a close look, brave souls. If you'd like a close up from a safe distance and a more complete view check my More Seattle Stuff page.
Actually, make that a grey whale, a three-masted tall ship, and some salmon against the sun and sky beneath the Aurora Avenue (George Washington) Bridge in the Fremont district. I took this shot of a whimsical handcrafted fence at History House of Greater Seattle, whose motto is " giving every neighborhood a place to tell their story." You will find the unusual and unique on display, and all of it really interesting. For instance, you can learn about one of those 50's roadside attractions called Hat and Boots that has distinguished one south Seattle neighborhood, which, like Fremont, is also known for its artistic community.
Seattle's condo and apartment dwellers generally gravitate toward the popular Capitol Hill and Belltown neighborhoods. But should you wish to have a really distinctive address complete with gigantic free-form sculpture enveloping the building's corner tower, the EpiEpi epi+apartments Fremont building+sculpture Seattle Fremont+district Fremont+apartment Seattle+apartment Burke+Gilman+Trail PCC+Seattle PCC+Fremont Coldstone+Seattle Peet's+Coffee+Seattle
This colossal and controversial bronze sculpture of Lenin sits in front of the Toco Del Mar restaurant plaza in the heart of the Fremont district's commercial zone. It is huge and it is for sale for $150,000. Last Christmas season I noticed it was strung with red lights! The story of the sculptor, the statue's toppling in the former Chechoslovakia in 1989, and how it came to Fremont can be viewed here. It is believed to be the only depiction of Lenin among flames and rifles instead of more common statues of him carrying a book and such. To give you an idea of its size, if you click on the photo to enlarge it you can better see a man's foot (wearing a flip flop)just visible to the left behind the statue. Lenin Fremont Lenin+Statue+Fremont Lenin+Statue Lenin+Sculpture Seattle+Lenin+Statue
Seattle's Fremont neighborhood marches to the beat of its own drum. Even Fremont's 53-foot tall real Korean-built salvaged cold war era Rocket mounted on a corner shop carries the neighborhood motto: "De Libertas Quirkas." It marks The Center of the Universe. What was once a thriving progressive counter-culture has tamed into more of a barrista-counter culture. The fun, quirky cultural icons of the self-proclaimed Republic of Fremont are left. Fremont Fremont+Rocket Seattle+Rocket Center+of+the+Universe
After yesterday's doorways from around the world (46+ locations), perhaps you would enjoy seeing some windows from the "Center of the Universe." I spied these arched windows while peering up an alley in Seattle's much celebrated Fremont neighborhood. I loved the repetitive pattern in the brick arches and changing sizes of the windows, the blue painted surface, the alley's incline, and the found art outside a shop doorway. The Fremont district borders the shipping canal that runs between the Sound to Lake Union and beyond to Lake Washington. It's been known as the epitome of artsy fartsy since the 50s and has attracted creative free spirits and boho wannabees in the decades since. Now it's still smart and hip and funky, but has gone a lot more upscale since my college days when it was more a blue-collar-meets-crunchy-granola sort of place.
Many people here in Seattle live on board their houseboats and boats. This shot is of the port door of The Compass Rose which was in a slip on Lake Union (that's the Aurora Bridge in the background). This cabin door was just so sweet, I just couldn't resist! (For a view of the entire boat, click here) 46 City Daily Photo bloggers around the globe are participating in the September 1st theme day: Doorways. Please use the links to below to visit them. (Due to time zone differences and other factors, the theme photo may not be displayed until later if you are viewing early in the day.)
1 - Porto (Portugal) -2 - Copenhagen (Denmark) -3 - Trier/Treves (Germany) -4 - Hyde (UK) -5 - Greenville, SC (USA) -6 - Trondheim (Norway) -7 - Manila (Philippines) -8 - Willamette Valley, OR (USA) -9 - Cottage Grove, MN (USA) -10 - Alexandria, VA (USA) -11 - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) -12 - Guadalajara (Mexico) -13 - Szentes (Hungary) -14 - Sydney (Australia) -15 - Wellington (New Zealand) -16 - Sharon, CT (USA) -17 - Albuquerque, NM (USA) -18 - Washington, DC [Passante] -19 - Chattanooga, TN (USA) -20 - Antigua (Guatemala) -21 - Rotterdam (Netherlands) -22 - Portsmouth (UK) -23 - Ryde (UK) -24 - Saarbrücken (Germany) -25 - London (UK) -26 - Newcastle (UK) -27 - Singapore -28 - Aliso Viejo, CA (USA) -29 - Seattle, WA (USA) [Kim] -30 - Sandiego, CA (USA) [Felicia] -31 - Jakarta (Indonesia) -32 - Vallauris (France) -33 - Brussels (Belgium) -34 - Seattle, WA (USA) [Susan] -35 - Stavanger (Norway) -36 - Paris (France) -37 - Sainte Maxime (France) -38 - Hong Kong (HK) -39 - Oulu (Finland) -40 - Trujillo (Peru)-41 - Berlin (Germany) -42- Vantaa (Finland) -43 - Melbourne (Australia) -44 - Delta, CO (USA). This just in: For 45 and 46, click the links to the right for Parma, Italy, anEdinburghghScotlandnd.
