Seattle Tours

The first installation of the new-style blog: obituary for the five-story Stanley Apartments, which used to look over the freeway at the southeast corner of 7th and Madison. As you can see below, it was demolished recently, at the age of 95. I took the picture of its demolition on August 30; the picture of its non-existence is taken 17 days later. Just below these is an aerial of the building, plus some info about the Stanley.





























According to tax records it was built in 1910, though other sources suggest 1912. It was first listed in the city directory of 1913, when it was advertised as having "Seattle's most exclusive apartments." It was built by and named for Frank M. Stanley, originally of New York, who was a Seattle real estate man for over half a century. Stanley built several apartment houses around town, which all (besides the Stanley) still exist, including the Lenawee Apartments at the southwest corner of Harvard and Olive. Mr. Stanley lived in the Lenawee at the time of his death in 1940, at the age of 86.

I remember the Stanley Apartments vaguely, as one of those old bricks that make up the First Hill tapestry. The entrance to the apartments faced 7th, which was not a street you walked up, since it is basically an I-5 offramp right there. It was more common to walk past the Stanley along the Madison side, which had several little businesses on the street level. I recall walking deafly past here, and not really wanting to stop because I-5 was so darn loud. I recall wishing that there were better awnings there on a rainy day. There was a little shoe shop, a vietnamese restaurant and a cleaners there. Turns out the space most recently used by "First Hill Cleaners" and "Downtown Cleaner and Tailoring" had been occupied by a clothing cleaners dating way back to at least the Depression, with ownership changing many many times. Here is a picture taken of the street level in 2005. To the left is Madison and to the right is 7th.






















The building once hailed as "seattle's most exclusive apartments" could not maintain its lofty status. Its owners were cited for many housing code violations in the 1980s and 1990s. It was the type of place that the Tenants Union took city and county legislators on their annual tour of run-down rental housing (Seattle PI, January 18, 1989 page B3). However, it was housing, and I think relatively cheap. It is being replaced by commercial space, no housing.

There is a complaint pending; appears that they might have destroyed the Stanley without permits. The developer is wallace properties. I dont know know the details of the development and financing, but below you can see what they plan for this site. Compare the first picture to those farther above (you can see Harborview in far right in these photos); then compare the bottom two photos, which were sort of taken from the same angle. The old one dates from 1914, right after the building was constructed, captured here during regrade work on First Hill. The new building will be much bigger than the Stanley. And glass, not brick.




























RIP stanley apts 1912-2007

For three months (April May June) i kept some notes about the doings, but then the computer got too boggy. Now i learned some ways to do this faster, so here are some photos taken during July August September.

My friend V, crossing through the ditch brambleberries and leaving the train yard in Eugene, Oregon. She and I rode to Eugene on the blue Golden West grainer you see in the background.
















Your humble correspondant, in Vancouver, hugging chicory and razor-wire.

















My friend T drives me up the Columbia River and to Wyoming.

















My friend C looks out at the sagebrush-steppe in eastern Idaho, on a boxcar bound for the Hinkle classification yard in Oregon. We only made it to Nampa -- ran into Johnny Law.



















View from left side of double stack train NE of Pasco, Washington, headed to Spokane, late afternoon of August 24. This was a trip around the state of Washington that jonah and i did one weekend.

















Enjoying the sun near Stevens Pass on a west-bound double stack. We boarded in Wenatchee and got off the train within 100 yards of the Seattle amtrak station.






















Below, taken during a hike up to mailbox peak (middle fork snoqualmie) on a foggy day in September. Red huckleberries, as seen in the foreground, were plentiful, as were at least two other types of huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.)


















Not much to see from mailbox peak on this day, but we checked the mail. On the walk there were still several flowers in bloom, or hanging on: indian paintbrush, gentian, yarrow, blue bells, pearly everlasting, penstemon (seen below right), and others. We even found two ripe thimbleberries -- i was amazed, since the peak for these was mid-July, as far as I could tell. But elevation and aspect does some things, I s'pose.


















On the south fork of the snoqualmie near North Bend, in mid-September. See similar photo from five months ago in my "Cottonwood collecting" post of April.























Back in the city: one of my new favorite places within a fairly easy bike ride: Grandmother Hill. The best collections of native madrones and hawthornes that i have seen in seattle. Plus exposed bedrock and a view of the Duwamish river. This hill has a lot of stories connected to it in native tradition but they (the hill and the stories) are guarded for fear of exploitation.

















Back in the city city: T & A Supply moved from Westlake Avenue; you'll have to get it elsewhere.

















Spirit still exists in Fremont: these people located within view of the Burke-Gilman trail have a cool readerboard.


















The below side-by-sides show views of my garden in late June and mid-September.









































Now you see it, now you don't: and thus ends summer. Already we are nearing October, the nights are longer than the days. It is time to gather things in, and celebrate passings.

And so I introduce the next chapter of this website. No longer will it be the scattered wanderings of a summer sin rumbo. This winter we will have a focus: a celebration of the buildings that are being destroyed with frightening frequency in our city. See the next post.