Seattle, WA

UPDATE: Since I wrote this post Seattle has out done itself not once, but twice. The fruition of an edible forest (pun definitely intended), and doing away with Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples Day.  The latter alone had me cranking another anchor for a new total of eight. (Note to self: what the hell are you doing on the east coast?!)

Mention Seattle and people still ask about grunge in 2013. Frankly, I can't imagine it starting anywhere else when even the chicken-scratch graffiti had my gears windin' like C+C Music Factory. Sorry, Kurt :/ 

On a residential street

It says "Hush"...

That renegade grunge ethos may not be as loud as Mr. Cobain, however it has yet to quiet down. After the 1999 World Trade Organization protests, it's no surprise to see residents ardently backing both green movements, and since 2012, you can lay on the grass overlooking Mt. Ranier and muse on its height in relation to your induced nirvana. (I swear that pun wasn't intentional.)

What I really love about Seattle though is that their sweeping gestures aren't just for show, it's the real deal. Most cities don't care about manhole covers enough to have them commissioned, Seattle does*. And instead of neglecting the area under bridges which eventually becomes a "dumping ground and haven for drug dealers", they literally made art instead of waging that dumb war. In 1990 the Fremont neighbourhood's Art Council sponsored a competition to rehabilitate the derelict area. The winner was a sculpture of a troll inspired by the troll under a bridge in the Scandinavian fairytale Three Billy Goats Gruff. Shrek only wishes he looked this cool with Chia hair...

* The curmudgeons may say money put to waste because it's not like Seattle is a walkable city -- public transportation sucks. Oh, and those mountains hills...

Length of Stay

Weekend visits at least once a month from Bellingham, WA

Docking Index

      

Seven anchors, and not because my teenage angst is still raging. You need a car in this city, and for me, that's an oxymoron. If I'm going to live in a city I don't want the added expense and headache of a car.