The Eitel Building is currently going through major restorations. Making all the necessary seismic…read moreupgrades/ refinishing the exterior masonry/ reconstruct street level store front/ and adding the 8th floor. When all said and done this building will be known as "The State Hotel." A 90 room hotel with restaurant & bar plus an roof-top terrace ! The Eitel Building was completed in (1905). The developers were two brothers (David F. Eitel and Fred J. Eitel.) The original building was only six story's with 93 offices for medical professionals and a pharmacy. It was one of the first buildings in Seattle to have concrete floors and the largest elevator in the Pacific Northwest. The "terra-cotta" exterior was designed by architect (William Dory Van Siclen). The building was then sold to J.A. Livesley Company in 1906. There was a time when the building was in such bad shape that the City of Seattle threatened to have the building condemned. Many thanks to "Lake Union Partners" for their vision in restoring this historic building ,

I can not wait to come back to Renton and explore more. The quaint downtown area gives a "small…read moretown" feel in contrast to the booming urban landscape of nearby Seattle. I regret not patronizing the alluring shops, as many closed before 7pm. I fell in love with the uniquely situated library. Think, "A River Runs through It"! The city has had tons of restaurants, bars, parks, and larger shopping centers where you'll be sure to find something to do. Or just enjoy the quiet. I'll be back!!!

The City has been great for us, but most lately very helpful and friendly with our small…read moremodification building permit this year. Steve T was very patient discussing our needs, and the process before we submitted our application. Scott was great at the inspections. The Renton Senior Activity Center has one of the best facilities and programs around. I have compared senior centers to other municipalities when I visited, such as the Olympia area, and now I know even more what a wonderful city I live in. Renton has wonderful green parks that make use of the Lake Washington lakefront and of the Cedar River which runs through town. Lots of bicycle paths are available and some outdoor exercise equipment.

Bellevue is a beautiful city that incorporates a deep respect for nature within it's booming…read moretechnological growth. You will find stunning, sprawling skyscrapers amidst lush green spaces. There are plenty of parks and trails to explore, as well as high end shopping and play. If you're around in winter's holiday season, the Annual parade is worth visit. The Bellevue Aquatic Center was a favorite spot of mine. The facility has a lovely warm springs pool great for achy joints after a week of exploring.

I saw this listing for Bellevue, WA. I've been there! I can write about it…read more Bellevue is east of Seattle and takes roughly twenty minutes to drive between the two cities. I remember going over a bridge and seeing Lake Washington. The water was blue and picturesque. I was in the area back in 2016. I miss it. My employer has an office in Bellevue. Back in 2015, our team was working with a team there. It's how I started to know about the city. I was on vacation when I visited Seattle. I never checked out my employer's office in Bellevue. I was a tourist figuring things out. I remember going into a Best Buy and having a bunch of different associates ask me if I needed help. They were trying to be helpful, but it was almost too much of a good thing. My favourite memory was visiting Thai Ginger. I loved this restaurant so much that I dined at this eatery twice. I hope it's still there so I can enjoy the crab fried rice and yellow curry again. It was excellent and I often think about the food that I had here. Bellevue is a nice city. It's pretty and beautiful. I loved dining and shopping here during my brief visit. I truly need to return and revisit everything. (246)

If you ever been to Pikes Public Market in Seattle Washington, you surely walked pass the "Silver…read moreOkum Building ". The three story brick building was built by "Ben Silver" in 1910. Ben Silver manufactured and sold okum on the first floor. The upper floors were apartments and a hotel. Okum is a type of fiber. When mixed with tar, it is used as caulking in shipbuilding. Unlike naming the building after himself, Mr. Silver encorporated his product "Okum" in the building's name. Silver Okum Building is also registered in the National Registry of Historic Places. Thanks for reading! Live/Love/Travel !

The Globe Building also known as the Bee-be Building was constructed in 1901 by James Clise for two…read moreSyracuse New York investors (Clifford Bee-be and William Nottingham). The buildings architectual style was Italian Renaissance, designed by architect Max Umbrecht. The building was the center of James Clise business empire. The Globe Navigation Companys ( ship building operation offices) were located on the upper floors as well as offices for "Clise Investment Co./ Washington Trust Co/ New York Commercial Co./ & the architectual offices of Max Umbrecht. In 1917 James Clise moved his operation into the the new Securities Building Downtown. This gave small local businesses an opportunity to secure retail space on the lower level. The upper offices became hotel rooms of the Windsor Hotel which soon became the Globe Hotel . The Globe Building was one of the first structures to be restored during the Pioneer Square Revival which began in the 1960's. After many years of neglect, the Globe Building was finally registered in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1982 and then fully restore in 1996. Today the lower level retail space is home to many local businesses "Storyville Coffee, Art Gallery & Hotel Bar & Cafe . The upper floors remain rooms of the now "Alexis Hotel." Thanks for reading ! Live/Love/Travel !

It's a famous line from a mediocre movie: "That's not a knife, THAT'S a knife!"…read more The movie of course is Crocodile Dundee staring Paul Hogan. It is utterly forgettable and in fact, I have forgotten everything about it, except when I visit my neighborhood's biggest tourist draw, the Wedgwood Rock. "That's not a rock, THAT'S a rock!" Standing 19 feet tall and deposited by glacial ice sheets tens of thousands of years ago, the Wedgwood Rock is a humbling reminder of just how little control we humans have over our grand Mother Earth. According to Dr. Terry W. Swanson, of the UW Department of Geological Sciences, the Wedgwood Rock has its origins on Fidalgo Island, near Anacortes, about 75 miles north of Seattle. It was carried 75 miles and by ice sheets and then deposited in little old Wedgwood as the most recent ice age ended (source: http://bit.ly/WcjCNQ). Admittedly, the Wedgwood Rock doesn't quite rank up there with Seattle's top tourist draws, but it's always a lot of fun to take visitors on a drive by and watch their eyes bulge as we round the corner to 28th Ave NE and the rock comes into view. Kudos to the neighbors of the Wedgwood Rock who have assumed the role of caretakers for the iconic boulder, from enforcing the climbing ban, to gardening around it, to making sure graffiti gets cleaned up promptly. It's a bit ironic, of course, that the Wedgwood Rock isn't actually in the Wedgwood neighborhood, which is widely considered to encompass the boundaries of NE 95th St to NE 75th St, between 45th Ave NE on the east to a combination of Lake City Way, Ravenna Ave NE, and 25th Ave NE on the west (Source: http://bit.ly/Wcm6vI). Technically I suppose it would be the Ravenna neighborhood that the rock actually resides in. Still, that bit of trivia doesn't detract from the neighborhood's love for its most famous attraction, nor its appeal to young and old alike. Tip: While the Wedgwood Rock may be the neighborhood's largest and most famous glacial erratic, it is hardly the only one. Check out the Wedgwood Rock's modest sibling located in a tiny park known as Wedgwood Square at the corner of 31st Ave NE and NE 82nd Street.

I used to live several blocks away from the Wedgwood Rock and liked occasionally walking by it…read more I wouldn't drive a significant distance to come see it, but it's still pretty cool to have this this huge rock just sitting there in an urban residential neighborhood. I've read that this rock has a pretty rich history as a landmark for native americans, a picnic spot for families, a place for hippies to hang out and do drugs, etc... right now, however, it's just a big rock on the corner with houses all around... and apparently you get fined $100 if you're caught climbing it.

I love Seattle for all its little quirks - especially the neighborhood of Fremont, which has many…read morecolorful murals and amusing sculptures. I used to pass by this all the time in college, so it was nice to come back and appreciate it. The rocket is at the corner of the "Burnt Sugar" store. There's a plaque nearby with information on how it came to be there, and you can see how it looks from the bottom with the space themed cutouts. It's something better seen from across the street so you can see it in its entirety. Is it a must see when visiting? Not really... but if you're visiting that troll down the street, you might as well go up a few blocks and see the rocket as well. It's a quick stop, plus at the right angle you can see the Saturn sculpture attached to one of the nearby apartment complexes. I do recommend walking around the area though to take in the other art installations around Fremont! Plus the storefronts around the area are very cute to look at to.

Is it worth a trip to Fremont? No, but, like the Fremont Troll, it's one of a few photo ops in a…read morequirky city with a decent shopping district (especially on Sundays during the market). This rocket sculpture, made from an old aircraft tail, was purchased in 1991 for $750 (or 10 nights of downtown parking) from an army surplus store by the local business association, who erected this rocket sculpture (made from an old aircraft tail) at 35th and Evanston. It took 3 years to erect it, which never happens to me, I swear.

Innis Arden is not a gated community, something the abundant non-resident walkers, runners,…read morecyclists, and drivers passing through can attest to. It is a community with covenants and by-laws that seek to protect and preserve the land and nature of Innis Arden, yes there are even rules about cutting down/not cutting down trees. My family moved to Innis Arden in 1994, I lived here full-time until 2010, then intermittently 2010-2012, briefly again in 2015, returned full-time in October/November 2019 and am still living here. In total this comes out to a total of approximately 18 years of my almost 28.5 years of being alive that I have lived here in Innis Arden. Zoomed out, Innis Arden is a neighborhood in the City of Shoreline. This is not to be confused with the City of Seattle because as a registered voter living here in Innis Arden I am not given the right to vote for City of Seattle ballot items such as the Mayor of Seattle. The Innis Arden community has a pool that serves the residents of Innis Arden and their guests as well as people who live outside the community and attain membership. The waitlist to be a member at the pool can be long, something to keep in mind if interested in getting a pool membership. There is also a Tennis Club and a Clubhouse. The Clubhouse is the venue for the annual Rummage Sale. There is a trail system for residents of the Innis Arden community and their guests as well as a nature reserve. I love living here and the nature-centric lifestyle it entails. It brings joy to my life getting to be a steward to the Earth and its inhabitants, both human and non-human alike, especially when I can do so in the yard. The natural landscapes and wildlife Innis Arden has worked hard for decades to preserve is becoming scarcer in the City of Seattle. Living here for me provides a chance to fight for the little critters and big trees and everything in between as Seattle's urban sprawl continues to threaten much of the greenery in the eastern Puget Sound area.