Looking across Elliot Bay to downtown (from West Seattle), view
from Edgewater Hotel restaurant to...West Seattle (Peter Kittas
photo); and at right, Public Market and other neighborhoods.
SEATTLE, 2005...(Seattle 2004 - click here).
CIRCULATION
Seattle isn't too large, as metro areas go (@1,000,000 pop.). Its
central city is under 500,000 population. The hub of vitality
that is its downtown favors walkers. You never have to keep
walking straight uphill--there is always an "alley" cutting through to
allow you to catch your breath.
PIKE PLACE MARKET AND DOWNTOWN
You can't really
understand modern Seattle without visiting Pike Place,
the public market. This is urban renewal the way it should be
everywhere--funded by individual contributions and a determined
industry (fish, fowl, fruit, flowers, farmers) - this groundswell did
not flounder! Fish-flingers at left. Three tiers of
marketplace/restaurants, cascade down to Elliot Bay. Just as is
done in Weston, supporters of projects get to donate funds and get a
brick engraved (no picture of Seattle brickwalks).
MULTIPLE MODES
"Do you know the way to...Seattle?" Cars, boats, planes, trolley,
cruise ships, ferryboats and possibility of commuting trains. But
it doesn't yet get coordinated too well, according to local
source. In fact, some might say Seattle is...floundering in its
efforts to coordinated all modes...
FLIGHT
This is a Boeing city, and our visit to the Museum of
Flight (see retired British Airways Concorde) happened as the Blue
Angels took off--the thumping bass of the takeoff was
louder than the engine noise! Another plane. Seattle
has a most interesting other side...the locks and park system look like
excellent topics for visiting in 2006!
SEATTLE IS SALMON CITY...
SALMON CITY has a series of...locks (is this a pun?)
Photos above (the good ones) of Hiram Chittenden Locks and (at right) a very weary, smokey salmon,
by Peter Kittas - webmaster's finger in the non-Kittas shot!
LOCALS
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, its view, and our tour guides, day one (formerly of Southwestern CT)..
NEIGHBORHOODS
Above is one neighborhood typical of the others--walkable, funky shops,
bookstores, restaurants and trolls...yet, a statue of a troll under an
overpass (right).
MORE NEIGHBORHOODS
Seattle's strength as a city comes
from its neighborhoods. "P-Patch" parks dot the map (there was
one in Belltown we visited on the way to the drugstore from our
hotel). In addition, people ride bikes all around. Above is
one of the white-painted bikes that had been involved in a fatal
accident - their ghostly presence dots every neighborhood.
Neighborhoods have been arranged so that as many people as possible get
to see Elliot Bay - the older neighborhood (center) has a view if you
stand on the sidewalk and remember to look! Big trees, miles long
jogging/biking trail though the city, here paralleling the canal...and
related guides.
AND THEN WE CHECKED OUT WHIDBEY ISLAND (all aboard WSF)...