April 14, 2018
Stage Struck: Films featuring Lake Union
Not everyone gets to live on a movie set. Here, living around Lake Union we do, both literally and metaphorically.
In the literal sense, going up on the top deck of the building where I live in Eastlake, I can gaze down on the lake where Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles paddled a water cycle in 10 Things I Hate About You, the 1999 adaptation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, many years before playing the Joker in The Dark Knight killed Ledger.… More
February 10, 2018
A little marine biology that caught our eye
Eastlaker Craig MacGowan’s name popped up at the top of Danny Westneat’s Sunday Seattle Times column about a Garfield High School marine biology field trip forced to go rogue due to some bureaucratic red tape. MacGowan, a celebrated science teacher, long retired, also occasionally gives popular science talks about Lake Union for Eastlake Community Council public meetings.… More
February 4, 2018
The new firehouse has art, sustainability features, but no fire pole
After a couple of years of construction at Tenth Avenue and Roanoke St., the new Firehouse 22 opened its doors to the public Saturday afternoon for two hours, and although it was an ordinary gray and misty day, it was like a rare snow day seeing so many neighbors out walking to and from the event.… More
December 27, 2017
Beautiful snow picture has not one but two surprises
A couple of days ago someone put up some exciting, if ominous, news on the Eastlake Social Club Facebook page: “Two bald eagles actively hunting lakeside today. They don’t limit themselves to wild animals so it is a good idea to bring small pets inside.” But there was no photo, so it was difficult to judge how true that post was.… More
November 24, 2017
A quasi-annual walk around Lake Union
After pie for breakfast and Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch a walk around Lake Union seemed a good idea. We started by dropping off some books at our local Little Free Library then headed down the hill. A long block of new construction at Fairview and Hamlin was a surprise to see finished. … More
June 10, 2017
Eastlake’s Own Seattle Chess School Reinvigorates, Inspires Community
Many people walk by, stop and do a double take. There are young people sitting at tables, looking serious, deep in thought. In front of them is a chess board: an unusual sight in the era of smart phones and virtual reality, but a welcoming one nonetheless.… More
June 8, 2017
Dick Wagner, 1933-2017: Champion of Lake Union
Eastlake and Lake Union lost a dear friend and great champion with the April 20 death of Dick Wagner. The Seattle Times obituary by Claudia Rowe tells how it all started: Wagner grew up in New Jersey and was trained as an architect. … More
March 28, 2017
Susan Kaufman: An Open Heart
Last year became notorious for so many famous and exceptional people passing away. Even Eastlake wasn’t immune. One of its stars, Susan Kaufman, founder of the restaurant Serafina and its “bratty little sister,” as Susan called Cicchetti, passed away last July due to complications from cancer.… More
March 10, 2017
Robin’s Nest will be built at old Red Robin site
Last month the Daily Journal of Commerce reported that development of the old Red Robin site was moving forward with a 61-union residential structure containing space for a restaurant or pub on the ground level and 21 underground parking spaces. The new construction will play homage to the old site calling itself Robin’s Nest — quite a nest it will be too with rooftop decks all around.… More
January 7, 2017
Second Notice: New York Times highlights Eastlake real estate
The New York Times seems to have discovered Eastlake. For the second time in less than a month another Eastlake property, this time an Italian hillside villa condo, part of the Siena Del Lago complex, with shared greenhouse lap pool and views of Lake Union, was featured in the Times’ real estate section last Sunday under the column “What You Get.” The asking price?… More