When you decide to build a large city around water, you're going to need a few bridges. The…read moreUniversity bridge was originally built in 1919 and has been allowing us to move between University and Eastlake neighborhoods ever since. The fun and bad thing about it is that it's a draw bridge and marine traffic has right of way so the bridge gets opened a lot, especially in the warmer months when people are out playing with their boats. One of those things that can be nice to watch on the condition you're not stuck on the wrong side. Not exactly a destination stop or anything, but I do appreciate seeing historical structures still in use and I enjoy the flare they add to our ugly, dying Seattle.

U Bridge is SLOW but it's an alternative way to get over to the eastside when I5 is even slower…read more The view of the U District and the water is nice to stare at while parked on the bridge. One of the few draw bridges around, be prepared to wait even longer if there's a boat! But if it saves you some time, it's worth it.

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.

This place is your go-to spot to rent a space for whatever occasion or purpose you may be needing…read more Newly renovated with lots of cool amenities! Definitely check 'em out!!

This building is OLD and super dirty…read more Using the elevator, I was betting my husband $50 we would get stuck. It is the oldest elevator I've ever seen. A lot of the crown molding is chipped and worn. The wayfinding signage is confusing and the numbering of the suites isn't in numerical order. The interior is covered in dirt and dust like it hasn't been cleaned in decades. There are six floors and it's currently being used for small office spaces. I learned this building was built in 1892! Holy cow! It was the tallest building in Seattle for a few years. No parking available.

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

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.

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 only real reason for me to write a review about this bridge is the neat Fremont Troll that…read morelurks underneath it. The website www.roadsideamerica.com describes it best: The Fremont troll took up residence under the north end of the Aurora bridge on Halloween 1990, and hasn't left since. He was sculpted by four Seattle area artists -- Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter and Ross Whitehead -- for the Fremont Arts Council. The head-and-shoulders sculpture is 18-ft. tall. The shaggy haired troll glares southward with his shiny metal eye -- a hubcap? In his left hand, he crushes an old style Volkswagen beetle (which originally contained a time capsule of Elvis memorabilia; removed after the car was vandalized and the California license plate was stolen). There are plenty of places to pose, and interaction with the troll is encouraged. Troll. The community pays tribute to the troll every October 31st with a mobile "Trollaween" party, starting under the bridge and wandering to other funky art sites and events in Fremont. Of which there are plenty: Fremont is also home to the Largest Lenin statue in the US. The troll achieved more notoriety in 1998 when the a man shot a bus driver and ran the bus off the Aurora bridge, crashing on top of an apartment building. The building is adjacent to the troll, and was reported to get as much attention -- for a while you could still see evidence of the impact. I have attached photos of this neat concrete monster under the end of the bridge. If you are looking for this "landmark", just head towards the Fremont Library and look for Troll Ave.

In and of itself, the Aurora Bridge, which connects Queen Anne to Wallingford and Fremont, doesn't…read moreseem to be anything particularly special. Concrete, steel, paved, elevated. It wasn't until I crossed it on foot on Christmas Day 2005 that I found an appreciation for it. Deceptively tall, spanning both land and water, the Aurora Bridge is unnerving and exhilarating both. There is an amazing view to be had from the middle of the span, with the Cascades far to the east, the Olympics far to the west, a long finger of the Puget Sound below, and sky stretched above. You'll be hard pressed to find a more expansive place to stand and appreciate the beauty of Seattle and its cradle. For me, the waist-high wall separating pedestrians from short-lived aerial showmen served to remind just how thin the margins can be between life and the absence of it. Indeed, the so-called "Jumpers' Bridge" is deserving of its title. As I reached the Queen Anne end of the bridge, a single piece of faded and wind-torn 8 1/2" by 11" printer paper was taped to the railing. On it was the name of a 38 year old man, Victor A. Mitchell, his birth date, the date of November 5th, 2004, and the promise that he now slept in the arms of God. Leaning over the railing from that place and looking down to the concrete parking lot far below was strange. The Aurora Bridge would be a perfect conduit for quiet contemplation, if not for the steady stream of cars flying noisily by. A clear and moonlit midnight hour would be an excellent time to cross. Or indeed, perhaps, Christmas Morning, when most automobiles are resting idly, the streets are quiet, and your own crystallized breaths dance in front of your face.

The "Interurban Building" in Seattle's Pioneer Square Historic District was also known as "Pacific…read moreBlock" or the "Seattle's National Bank Building" but the historic name of the building is "Seattle's National Bank Building. I was quite captivated by the brick masonry and exceptional stone carvings especially the Romanesque columns at the front enterance. The building was commissioned by an wealthy prominent businessman by the name of William Rankin Ballard back in 1890 after the great fire of 1889. The "Queen Anne Richardsonion Romanesque" Style Building was designed by an British born architect by the name of "John Parkinson." The Interurban Building housed the offices of the first Interurban Railway, hence the buildings current name. The ground floors remain retail business space while the upper floors are occupied with offices and apartments. The Interurban Building to this day remains one of Seattle's Historic Treasures ! Enjoy , Live/Love/Travel !