Landmark in Seattle, Washington…read more.. Driving around, I saw a blue bridge in front of me. I remembered seeing something like this on Yelp, so I turned the corner, parked along the side of the road, and hopped out for a photo! After doing a bit of research, I found out that my friend, Marcus S., was awarded Review of the Day (ROTD) for his review of Fremont Bridge in 2022... maybe that's when I bookmarked it? The Fremont Bridge is a draw bridge that is popular because it opens many times a day to let boats pass through. It's a Historical Landmark as it was first used in 1917. I just thought that it was striking in appearance, especially with the orange-colored lettering!

We got to cross the Fremont Bridge while in Seattle. The bridge connects the neighborhoods of…read moreFremont and Queen Anne and was built in 1917. The corner parts of the bridge stood out to me the most with their detail and beauty almost resembling an old blue Police Box (UK). Fun fact, it not only is it a pretty blue color and is the most frequently opened drawbridge in the United States opening roughly 35 times a day.

Ever get tired of seeing neat older buildings in once one-house neighborhoods razed and boring…read morecondos and townhouses replace them? Wonder why the City of Seattle does so little to protect them? You have not be familiar with it, but Historic Seattle shares your concern(s) and been saving buildings of historic/aesthetic value for some time now: (1) Queen Anne High School (now condos, but they saved the outside and preserved the integrity of the interior), (2) the oddly modernist Egan House (which I saw as part of a Historic Seattle-sponsored tour) above I-5, (3) Cadillac Hotel (now the Klondike Gold Rush Historical Museum run by the U.S. Parks Service), (4) Church of Christ (now Town Hall!), and (5) the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. Both the Egan House and Good Shepherd Center are actually owned by HSP. Sometimes to save a historic building, HSP has had to actually move them! For example, it was instrumental in moving a group of 1890s-era workers' cottages from Chinatown to the Ballard Avenue Historic District. The beautiful Italianate house near Half Price Books on Capitol Hill, now an attorney's office, was originally at Pike and Boren. Washington Hall was one of the focus of its efforts (and was as of mid January 2009 was designated as a Historic Landmark by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board), thus hopefully being saved from the demolition ball. Currently the organization is trying to save bungalow courts on Capitol Hill from being razed. The non-profit organization is housed in the 102-year-old Dearborn House mansion on First Hill and sponsors tours and lectures throughout the year. There is a library in the basement that is open to the public (which I have not had the opportunity to visit). Late this month, an exhibition on the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest at MOHAI will open. One of the major annual events its sponsors is the Bungalow Fair (the next one, in late September 2009, will offer a tour of Ravenna bungalows as well as a contemporary Arts and Crafts exhibition and related lectures at Town Hall). Other events include tours of notable houses ("tea and tour") in the area. I am not sure how large a membership base it has, but there are a number of volunteer openings, apparently, at this very active but not very well-known--to the general public--civic organization. http://www.historicseattle.org/default.aspx http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2009197262_historic100.html http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008609127_pacificpbuilt11.html http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/landmark-theater/Content?oid=813227 http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/01/09/washington_hall_is_now_a_histo

We unexpectedly found ourselves here as a result of needing something to do later at night. We…read morearrived 30 minutes before the cut off for that night at 7:30pm. We rode up to the 73rd floor with a few other people and an "elevator operator" who was friendly. When the doors opened we were greeted with spectacular views of the entire city! We arrived before sunset and we were able to take our time moving around the 73rd floor as it wasn't crowded at all. We were able to take tons of photos at a leisurely pace and we got to see some great sites such as Mt Rainier, Space Needle and the stadium where the big FIFA game was playing. A few days later, we went to the Space Needle which is a completely different vibe. We enjoyed both experiences ultimately but the Columbia Observation Deck was especially nice because it wasn't crowded and the sunsets views were just breathtaking. We also like the relaxed feel of having drinks and bites at the observatory. The Space Needle was so crowded and much louder and more rushed. Definitely plan to come here to watch the sunset when you're in town.

My visit to the Columbia Tower Observatory on the 73rd floor was nothing short of amazing. The…read moreviews are absolutely breathtaking--truly one of those experiences where you find yourself stopping just to take it all in. Seeing Seattle from that height gives you a completely new appreciation for the city and its surroundings. What made the visit even more enjoyable was the staff. Every employee I encountered was incredibly welcoming, friendly, and genuinely pleasant. Their warmth made the experience feel even more special, and it was clear they take pride in creating a positive atmosphere for visitors. One observation I did have relates to the elevator experience. It has been two years since my last visit, and unfortunately, the elevator's video system is still not functioning. I remember when the observatory first opened, and the video played during the ride up--it added an engaging and memorable element to the experience. Without it, the ride feels noticeably less enjoyable. Interestingly, others seemed to feel the same way. I mentioned how long the video system has been out of service while riding up, and a couple riding up with us--visiting from Australia--commented that it would have been nice to have something to watch during the ascent. As an alternative, it might be a wonderful opportunity for the elevator operator to share a few interesting facts during the ride up. A brief, engaging introduction--highlighting that this is the tallest building in Seattle, along with a bit of history about when it was built and facts about its tenants--could really enhance the experience and help pass the time in a meaningful way. Additionally, with all three video screens currently not working and visibly cracked, addressing this issue would make a noticeable difference. Either repairing or replacing the screens--or even temporarily covering them--would create a much more polished and welcoming feel for visitors and help elevate the overall experience.

The Historic Chinatown Gate is an iconic Paifang archway that marks the western entrance to…read moreChinatown in the International District of Seattle. Ming Zhang of MulvannyG2 and Paul Wu designed the gate, and materials included steel and ceramic ornaments with 8,000 tiles that were manufactured in China. Construction experts that visited from China stayed in Seattle for the duration of the construction in order to supervise its completion; furthermore, it's noted that, as part of the design of the gate, the phoenix and dragon are included - along with the colors of red, yellow, green, and blue of the gate to reinforce good luck, happiness, optimism, harmony, and good fortune. As a plaque near the gate notes, "Dedicated on February 9, 2008, this gate is a testament to the unity and will of the Seattle Chinese community and a lasting remembrance of all those who have preceded us."

Visiting Chinatown was a little bit different. There are a lot of different stores and a…read moresupermarket around the area. Plenty of parking all around but didn't feel safe since there were quite a bit of homeless people all around here. I like to visit different Chinatowns around America and even in different countries to see how they are.

Absolutely stunning interior design with a simple palette of natural wood, limestone and white…read moreterrazzo at 2 Union Square in Seattle. Curved wall with beautiful limestone cladding envelops the multi bank/cell elevator core. Generally and obviously an orthogonal concrete core in most High-Rise buildings gets boring with predictable layout created for structural criteria. Sure, it's value add rather than value engineering that always leads to scope reduction! Finally, interior and architectural design and owner attitudes and values are moving towards human experiences rather than ROI. At 2 Union Square, developer is creative to address it by creating something unique in form of rounded form surfaced with beautiful natural limestone finish with open joints and 3D effects at the top of the wide and grand stairs surfaced with simple terrazzo with white cement and aggregates. Creative lighting design and wood ceiling form adds tremendous value to one's experience of traveling short distance between entrance to elevators. Sometimes simple is beautiful.

This huge building with the huge USA flag on top is worth 2 Stars for not falling down, but that's…read moreit. It is out of scale with the surrounding skyline, the plaza at the bottom is inhospitable to pedestrians, and it looks like a gaudy Las Vegas hotel. I'm guessing it is inspired by a yacht or some Nautica clothing advertisement. A yacht can be elegant, but a 700ft building meant to look like a yacht is tacky. It is a shame Two Union Square and some of the biggest characters in the Seattle skyline look better suited for Houston, Miami or a freeway office park in the suburbs. Seattle is a progressive city...it should have more progressive architecture! But as far as amenities are concerned, this building does border Freeway Park, which is a fantastic place to take breaks and lunches, so as much as I detest this building's dominance of the east-facing skyline of Seattle...I would probably enjoy working there.

Walking through the International District of Seattle which includes Japantown as well as Chinatown…read morewas very enjoyable. But I did notice that a large majority of the buildings were a bit run down . The majority of the buildings were made of red bricks. There were an few occasions we would come across a building that stood out from the rest. A fine example of this was the "Freedman Building " located on Maynard Avenue South Seattle. It was quite unusual for me to see a non Chinese name on a building smack in the middle of Chinatown. Even the color of the facade was different than the neighboring buildings next to it. This four story ornate building stood out like a gem ! The building was commissioned by businessman Louis Freedman of Portland Oregon in 1909 and designed by an local architect William P. White. Adam's Hotel occupied the upper floors while business occupied the ground floor.The hotel offered low cost lodging for the average working person from 1910 - 1972. The building was renovated in 1980 and reopened as the Freedman Apartments in 1983. Today it is still serving the average working person with low cost housing ! Thanks for reading ! Another beautiful day in the neighborhood ! Live/Love/Travel !

The Leif Erikson Statue (now located at the Shilshole Marina) is a fun statue demonstrating…read moreBallard's Scandinavian past standing tall for all its immigrants (primarily Danes, Finns, Icelanders, Norwegians, and Swedes). Leif Erikson remains the first recorded European to set foot on American shores and represents all immigrants who travelled to new lands for freedom, opportunity and a hopeful future. The statue was a gift to the city of Seattle from the Norwegian-American community during the Seattle World's Fair in June of 1962. At the base of Leif Erikson is a large granite stone six feet in height. The circular plaza is encircled by "Stonehedge-esque" upright, runic-like stones. Each stone features a Viking carving and plaques with the names of 1,767 immigrants, accompanied by their hometowns and years of immigration. The tribute display was designed by Jay Haavik. The statue is a unique piece of Ballard's past worth a visit to the Shilshole Marina with gorgeous views of the Olympic Mountain Range.

The Leif Erikson statue is one of the many cool yet slightly odd statues that you'll find all…read morearound Seattle. It's a tribute to Scandinavian immigrants across the United States. Leif Erikson was the first Scandinavian to come to North America (he didn't actually come to Seattle though). This 16 foot tall statue was first unveiled during the 1962 World's Fair. For many decades after, the statue was a kind of touchstone for the Scandinavian community here. The King of Norway even visited! In 2002, the Port of Seattle announced that they were going to renovate the Shilshole Marina, where the statue is located. By 2007, Scandinavian groups had raised enough money to commission local carver Jay Haavik to add a new base to the statue, as well as new stones to surround it. The stones have plaques on them which include the names of Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, Danish, and Finnish immigrants, their home towns, and when they immigrated to America. It's really pretty neat. As of right now, there are almost 2,000 names, and they're still adding more. If you're interested in Seattle's history or even just the vikings in general, this imposing and unique statue is a must visit.

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.