Friday, July 4, 2008
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The Sunset Bowl is gone. What's next and how can we save it?
Ballard's Sunset Bowl, a neighborhood fixture for half a century, is closed for good. End of the lane. The George Benson Waterfront Trolley and the Fun Forest are all but doomed, and rumors abound that Archie McPhee may be closing up shop within a few years. I put it to you, Lesser Seattle: Which city institution would you chain yourself to, in order to defend it against forced extinction?
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Post a commentWhat would I chain myself to? The Fun Forest. No doubt about it. I'd chain me and my three sons to it.
The day they tear down Gasworks Park is the day I leave this place. Gasworks is one of the most beautiful and unique place in the entire country. I love it with all my soul, just like I did when my grandparents would take me there when I was ten.
The Tractor Tavern in Ballard. We already lost the Backstage in Ballard, and that was a big mistake.
Frederick and Nelson!! So, I guess I would have been chained up for quite some time! While change is inevitable, it is often a sad parade.
Victrola on 15th Avenue East. It's hard to find a coffee shop with such consistently good music, cute people and delicious sandwiches. (The coffee and tea aren't bad, either.) It's a great place to play Scrabble, too. Victrola makes me feel better every time I'm there, or even just walk by. Runners-up: Scarecrow Video and Beecher's.
--Neal Schindler
NWsource staff
The Marque messages at the entrance to the "Lusty Lady" on 1st Ave. The good natured, tongue-in-cheek humor is especially refreshing as high-rise, luxury, multimillion dollar condos continue to darken the downtown sky.
Some examples:
"We never clothe."
"Ohh, SAM's expanding"
"Spring is in the bare"
"Our world isn't flat"
The Lockspot Cafe in Ballard. As much an institution of Ballard as the neighboring Locks themselves. The day I can't snarf down a plate of their divine fried clam strips with a couple crown-and-cokes is the day I bid farewell to thee, Ballard.
Fredrick and Nelson should have never closed shop. They had the best holiday displays, and the best Santa's for pictures. (A lot of childhood memories were in the making when Christmas came around). Not to mention their infamous chocolates.. as well. Another memory spot that I would have chained myself to was Never Never Land, located in Tacoma at Point Defiance Park. As for the current places that have not dissapeared yet..I will go with the Olde Curiousity Shoppe on the Waterfront, though.. there really are too many local haunts that make Seattle what it is, to choose from!
Beth's Cafe. The real deal! And I still miss the Hasty Tasty. PS. I didn't know I had to take the WASL to post on here.
Woodland Park Zoo, and Greenlake area for that matter. I grew up in Phinney Ridge, and my babysitters husband was the zookeeper at that time. He basically let us go behind the scenes in the cages, and let us pretty much run that zoo in the 70's. To this day, I have such fond memories of that place, and always tell kids how I got to help with the animals. Greenlake is also special, as I have been swimming there all my life, and we'd always have spud's for dinner at the end of a day at greenlake.
I would chain myself to The Showbox. There's so much history there. I would've done the same for the Croc, but its already gone.
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