The wonderful Yesler Swamp Trail with amenities such as a boardwalk and benches, will celebrate its completion on Sunday afternoon, October 16th, from 1 to 3 PM.
Representing Wedgwood: the Community Council
The new Seattle City Council Districts
In the year 2015 the City of Seattle reorganized City Council representation. The City now has a councilmember for each newly created geographical district. Districts were equalized to about 90,000 people in each.
The Wedgwood neighborhood in northeast Seattle has NE 85th Street as its centerpoint. In the district divisions process, Wedgwood got cut in half with NE 85th Street set as the boundary between District 4 (blue section on the map) and District 5 (pink). This has worked out to have some advantages in more interaction with more City representatives, since Councilmembers Rob Johnson and Debora Juarez each have part of Wedgwood.
Looking for the Seattle Experience: Betty MacDonald
If you have ever encountered tourists at Snoqualmie Falls and North Bend who are looking for Twin Peaks sites, or visitors from around the world who flock to Forks in search of Twilight, then you have had a taste of the international romance with the Pacific Northwest experience. A new biography, Looking for Betty MacDonald, will debut this week as the story of a Pacific Northwest author whose writing caught the imagination of people in many other countries.
Posted in Events and holidays
Tagged book publication, Neighborhood History, Pacific Northwest memoir, Seattle
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Tour of Modern Sacred Spaces in Wedgwood
On Saturday, September 10th, there will be a tour of two modern architectural churches in the Wedgwood neighborhood: Our Lady of the Lake and University Unitarian.
Posted in Architecture, churches
Tagged modernist architecture, Neighborhood History, Seattle
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Making the Cut: Centennial of Seattle’s Ship Canal
A continual passage of boats of all sizes traveled through the Ballard Locks on SeaFair weekend 2016.
Seattle’s Ship Canal crosses the city like a waistline, joining the freshwater Lake Washington to the waters of Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The building of the Ship Canal was one of the biggest events in the history and development of Seattle, creating economic opportunities and advantages for maritime and for industries of all kinds.
This 2016-2017 centennial year of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks) is being celebrated with a wonderful series of events and historic research projects. A special website, Making the Cut, features all the historic info and event announcements commemorating the Ship Canal a century after it was completed.
Posted in Events and holidays
Tagged Ballard Locks, maritime industry, Seattle, water transportation
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Looking, Listening, Birding
Northeast Seattle has wonderful natural areas where you may see birds and other wildlife, including Magnuson Park on Lake Washington, Meadowbrook Pond at NE 107th Street on the east side of 35th Ave NE, and the Union Bay Natural Area. While the trails in the UBNA are currently closed for construction, another good option for birdwatching is on the adjacent Yesler Swamp Trail which also looks out over Union Bay.
Wedgwood’s Business District in 1958
All of the Wedgwood neighborhood came into the Seattle City Limits in 1954, and then all of Wedgwood’s businesses were listed in the Seattle City Directories. The business listings are a fascinating look at the economics and lifestyle of the 1950s.
By way of contrast, a listing of the present-day businesses along 35th Ave NE shows the changes in economic conditions in Wedgwood over the decades and changes in the types of goods and services which are wanted. The business listings are different now, but the buildings themselves are much the same, dating from the 1940s and 1950s during Wedgwood’s period of growth and development.
