1927 Apartment Building To Make Way for Condo Complex

Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

We used to live in a 1908 vintage 3rd floor walk up in San Francisco, so I have a soft place for charm over convenience in living spaces. Construction of vintage apartment buildings in Seattle differs in details from SF, but doesn't lack its own charm. The brick and terra cotta facade apartment building on the far left of this photo is loaded with charm, although its not ornate or upscale. It's major appeal comes from period details and a convenient, attractive location on the south slope of Queen Anne Hill. It is directly across the street from where tour vans and wedding party limos let people out at Kerry Park to enjoy the unobstructed postcard-perfect views of Elliott Bay, the Space Needle and Downtown. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the main character from TV's "Grey's Anatomy" supposedly live on Queen Anne?

I took this shot during a lovely sunset when these buildings seemed to be glowing with warmth. When I had finished taking some shots a woman who had lived in the far left building 40 years ago struck up a conversation with me about it's appointed demise. The lot to its left had been suddenly cleared of a beautiful old home last year, and neighbors became concerned about plans for a proposed high rise condo building. Click here for full details. And click my More Seattle Stuff page for a close-up view of the building's entrance details, taken in the rain the day before this shot. Seattle, taking the lead of Vancouver, BC before it, is embracing the value of density in urban planning. The city is awash in cranes and construction sites. This will become one of those, and in its place will come new units to house new generations of Seattlites. I wonder what a new building will look like in sunset light like this? SeattleSeattle+Daily+Photo Victoria+Apartments brick+&+terra+cotta 1927 "apartment building"view obstruction neighbors concerns historic+landmark Greys+Anatomy condos condominiumshigh+rise density Queen+Anne+Hill debate concern

45 Millionth Space Needle Visitor to Go to Paris!

Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

It's 45 X 45! To celebrate its 45th anniversary this month, the Space Needle will be awarding its 45 millionth visitor a 5 day trip to Paris for two, featuring dinner at the Jules Verne Restaurant in the Tour Eiffel. Visitors to Seattle always love to go up to the top of this 1962 World's Fair icon and enjoy the 360 degree vista of beautiful Seattle and the surrounding Puget Sound and mountain ranges. Even if you can't try to be the 45 millionth person to ride the elevators to the top, you can take a guess at when that visitor will come and still win a prize (click here). And you can save the $14 to go to the top and visit the Space Needle Web Cam for free at any time. It's controls allow you to see the view in any direction on the compass (really fun).

This is a shot I took of the reflection in the exterior Observation Deck window at the top of the Space Needle--a little different orientation since everything is reversed! In the panorama one can see the blue waters of Lake Union surrounded by the neighborhoods of South Lake Union, West Lake, and East Lake, Wallingford and University District at the top of the lake, and the snow capped Cascade range in the distance. Seattle Seattle+Daily+Photo Space+NeedleObservation+Deck 45+X+45 45th+Anniversary 45+millionth+visitor Seattle+Center1962+World's+Fair Paris Tour+Eiffel Eifflel+Tower contest prize

Crows Defending Nest From Young Bald Eagle

Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Best viewed large. Two big crows boldly dive-bombed a young bald eagle that was eying something they had in a madrona tree on the Magnolia neighborhood's north shore. I'm guessing it was their nest of eggs, but didn't see it from my vantage point. We were out for our evening walk on Tuesday and noticed all this up-close bird action in a madrona tree in the parkway that overlooks the bluff. This was just after we had watched a Cooper's hawk circling on the evening wind. For those of you who are birders, during our two evening walks through the Magnolia neighborhood this week we saw two mature bald eagles, two young bald eagles, a Cooper's hawk, a spotted towhee, black capped chickadees, crows, gulls, and sparrows (you can see their photos at my Flickr page). I've been on the lookout to show you a great blue heron, Seattle's official city bird, but haven't had a camera when I've seen them. SeattleSeattle+Daily+Photo Bald+Eagle crows birds madrona Magnolia nature Plants+&+Animals

City View From Magnolia

Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

The Seattle city and waterfront skyline as viewed from the Magnolia neighborhood, a penninsula between Uptown and Ballard, just west of Queen Anne Hill and Interbay. This view is from the northern edge of Magnolia looking east-southeast. The tree in the far right foreground is a lovely old Madrona. Seattle Seattle+Daily+Photo Magnolia skyline cityscapeview waterfront Space+Needle Amaz+Building Amazon.com Smith+Tower WaMu+BuildingMunicipal+Building

Bald Eagle Over Magnolia Bluff

Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

While out walking on the north side of the Magnolia neighborhood at sunset I saw a pair of eagles circling overhead. This one with a full white head, the other all brown mottled, which I think was a youngster. Kind of thrilling for me. I'd only seen wild bald eagles from the vantage point of a boat before, standing on beaches in the San Jaun Islands close to their nests or diving into the waves to catch some dinner. To see them soaring high on the evening wind was exciting. Seattle Seattle+Daily+Photo eagle bald+eagle Magnolia sunset animals birdsbird birds+of+prey flight soaring

Over, Under, Around, Through

Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Surface streets, freeway off ramps and the I-5 make a prepositional noodle work through downtown Seattle. The I-5 splits the city in half length-wise, making cross town traffic challenging at peak travel times. Diamond lanes for carpools of 2 or more people are incorporated, and there are express lanes that can run north or south to help ease long-range travellers through the downtown areas. There are no toll roads in the system, and even bridges are toll free.

Joy!

Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

A very happy Easter and Pesach to everyone in the City Daily Photo Family. In a week rich in family celebrations and the loveliness of the emerging spring, may each of us remember we are as beautiful and loved as this laughing child being pursued by her mother. Have a wonderful Sunday! Seattle Seattle+Daily+Photo Easter Passover Pesach child running joy moms playchase tag freedom abandon spring City+Daily+Photo