Where To Watch Seattle-Area July 4th Fireworks, 2015 Edition
Due to heat and drought conditions across Washington, Governor Jay Inslee has urged people to limit their use of fireworks or forgo them altogether this Fourth of July. Washingtonians have proven themselves a willing people to make sacrifices in the name of the greater good, but, let's face it, there's still going to be a whole lot of fireworkin' going on this Fourth. Maybe it's best to just leave it to the professionals and that means loading up the car with blankets & streamers, drugging up your skittish pets and figuring out how early you have to get to your spot in order to have a great view from your chosen Puget Sound area location. Most of the usual hotspots are back in 2015, including Lake Union's famous show, now called Seafair Summer Fourth. If the idea of braving Seattle traffic in order to cram yourself into Gas Works Park doesn't fit, find a fireworks show closer to you in the map below. Whether you're in Renton, Bellevue, Bainbridge Island, Kirkland or Edmonds, you've got plenty of options for big, bright sparkly lights in the sky.
Cornerspotter: The Perfect Weekend for a Baseball Game
Cornerspotter is the Curbed Seattle feature in which we show you a historical photo taken somewhere in the city and you identify the location. Impress fellow Curbed readers with your knowledge by leaving guesses in the comments or send them to our tipline: seattle@curbed.com. We'll post the answer on Friday. And hey: no cheating!
Image: Seattle Municipal Archives
The Fourth of July is nearly upon us and it's prime time to get out on the diamond and play some baseball. You can still play on this field if you like. Pictured in 1915, it now shares the grounds with a football field, tennis courts and a community center. There's a high school right across the street that makes good use of the place during the week, but this weekend, it's all yours. Bring your mitt and enjoy the holiday. So, any idea what field we're looking at?
Waterfront Re-Opens For Summer; Affordable Housing Battles
· Union pressure kills affordable housing in mega Seattle hotel project[PSBJ]
· Seattle waterfront piers, original Ivar's, re-open for the summer [SPI]
· The magnificent new UW Burke-Gilman Trail opens [SBB]
· 'Art gallery' for pianos opens in Seattle Tower [DJC]
· Inslee: I can't impose statewide fireworks ban [K5]
· Are real estate developers shortchanging Seattle's affordable housing fund? [PSBJ]
· Bids due for first phase of Burke-Gilman trail upgrades [DJC]
· Seattle Mayor 'cautiously optimistic' about NHL expansion [K5]
· New Bike Runnel Connects Redmond's Willows Road and Kirkland[RTrip]
· Seattle waterfront piers, original Ivar's, re-open for the summer [SPI]
· The magnificent new UW Burke-Gilman Trail opens [SBB]
· 'Art gallery' for pianos opens in Seattle Tower [DJC]
· Inslee: I can't impose statewide fireworks ban [K5]
· Are real estate developers shortchanging Seattle's affordable housing fund? [PSBJ]
· Bids due for first phase of Burke-Gilman trail upgrades [DJC]
· Seattle Mayor 'cautiously optimistic' about NHL expansion [K5]
· New Bike Runnel Connects Redmond's Willows Road and Kirkland[RTrip]
Jerry Traunfeld's Lionhead Opens Soon; El Chupacabra Coming to SLU
This week's top hits from Eater Seattle, Curbed's sibling bar, restaurant, and nightlife blog.
VITAL UPDATES -- Eater reported on a new project from Poppy owner Jerry Traunfeld back in December, and we have word that Traunfeld is aiming for an end-of-July opening. He's looking to complete the space's build out in two weeks and then take time to train staff and do trial runs. Lionhead will open next door to Poppy on Capitol Hill, in the former Confectional space. "The menu will have about 25 Chinese dishes, some familiar and some not so familiar, focusing on Sichuanese flavors, freshness, and quality ingredients," Traunfeld says.
EXPANSIONS -- Punk rockers, rejoice: El Chupacabra is setting up its third shop on South Lake Union by the end of this month, probably sooner. This will be the third outpost for the Day-of-the-Dead-spirited cantina since it first opened in Greenwood ten years ago, then expanded to West Seattle in 2011. At approximately 4,000 square feet, the new El Chupa at 901 Fairview Ave N will be about five times the size of the other two locations, seating about 200 and maintaining the same festively dark decor and loud music. And bonus: you can rock outside, too, over tortas and carnitas, on the restaurant's waterside patio overlooking MOHAI and more.
FIRST WORD -- While owner Lex Petras says, "It's still a little early for details," Eater has the first word on a new restaurant/bar coming to the Central District. Petras, who also owns Altstadt in Pioneer Square, is opening the new venture at 2519 S. Jackson Street, roughly across from Standard Brewing."The name derives from the Atlantic neighborhood, where it is located, and where I've called home for 12 years," Petras says. Permits are currently in progress, so we don't have information on a projected opening date, but we'll update as details are available.
1922 Central District House Gets a Contemporary Makeover
Project Name: Bogun House Renovation
Location: Cherry Hill (Central District)
Timeframe: November 2013 - March 2014
Cost: $123 per square foot
Professional: Dialect Remodeling Inc
Description: This was a full renovation on a very outdated house. Dialect removed walls within the house to open up the floor plan, giving a 1,030 sq ft main floor a much more spacious feel. By installing two-tone, piano finish, kitchen cabinets along with bamboo hardwood floors, they converted the 1922 home into something more contemporary. The work included replaced plaster with new drywall; insulated walls up to code requirements; upgraded electrical and mechanical systems; adding an additional 910 sq ft to the living space in the form of a furnished basement; new interior and exterior paint; new vinyl windows; and lastly, touched up on landscaping to make the home more welcoming.
Location: Cherry Hill (Central District)
Timeframe: November 2013 - March 2014
Cost: $123 per square foot
Professional: Dialect Remodeling Inc
Description: This was a full renovation on a very outdated house. Dialect removed walls within the house to open up the floor plan, giving a 1,030 sq ft main floor a much more spacious feel. By installing two-tone, piano finish, kitchen cabinets along with bamboo hardwood floors, they converted the 1922 home into something more contemporary. The work included replaced plaster with new drywall; insulated walls up to code requirements; upgraded electrical and mechanical systems; adding an additional 910 sq ft to the living space in the form of a furnished basement; new interior and exterior paint; new vinyl windows; and lastly, touched up on landscaping to make the home more welcoming.
10 Cold War-Era U.S. Embassies That Did Modernism Right
The U.S. Interests Section in Havana, originally designed by Harrison & Abramovitz, will regain its embassy status thanks to a recent move to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. Photo by Terry Feuerborn/Creative Commons
Hailed as a huge diplomatic step forward, President Obama's announcement that the United States will re-open its embassy in Havana stands as one more concrete sign that relations between the two countries will be restored. A symbol of U.S. might in a closed Communist country, the building's curious history mirrors the two nations' relationship. "Closed" by Eisenhower in 1961 and demoted to a U.S. Interests Section, the modernist tower designed by Harrison & Abramovitz, the architects behind the UN Headquarters, has been the site of political gamesmanship. Embassies have always provided a potent way to project U.S. power, especially during the Cold War. Whereas in previous decades, the State Department had purchased existing buildings in foreign capitals, by the '50s, diplomats felt it was in our interest to commission a series of Modernist buildings that presented America as forward-thinking and idealistic. On the occasion of the 4th of July, here are some of our favorite examples.
Puget Sounders Among Least Likely in U.S. to Say Home Is Ideal
We've been told that Seattle's current residential issues are all just a figment of the media's imagination, but, if that's true, the people of Seattle sure don't seem to think so. A recent Gallup poll asked adults in the 100 most populous U.S. metropolitan areas whether or not their house or apartment is ideal for them and their family. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region was among the ten lowest rated. On a scale of one to five, only 68.2 percent of those polled rated their current living situation a four or five. That's tied with residents of Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News as the ninth-lowest.
Watch the Fourth's Fireworks From Westlake For $455K
Buy an east view, get sunrises, and sit in the shade during the heat of the day. With this 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment, you also get to watch the world of Lake Union with its boats and planes, and fireworks - probably not all at the same time. For $455,000 you get a 1,312 square foot apartment that was built in 1985, which may explain that particular shade of porcelain in the bath - or maybe that's just back in style again. Wait long enough and it happens. The kitchen looks updated. Appliances usually don't last three decades, so that's a refreshing upgrade. The layout is unchanged, for good reason. A sunken living room means the wet bar behind it gets a better view too. No reason for the bartender to miss the show. The rest of the time, the place is conveniently located to the lake, downtown, and Fremont - and maybe that traffic corridor explains the bars on the windows.Gotta be secure. Right?
Big Reveal: $395K For This Portage Bay Floating Home
Tuesday, we asked you to guess the asking price for this 1-BR, 0.75-bath floating home in Portage Bay. We saw guesses of $275K, $375K and $400K. It was Kalakalot's guess of $400K that came closest to the actual asking price...$395K. Clearly, someone thought that was a fair price, or close enough, because the floating home went pending five days after listing. The cozy home includes hardwood floors, cedar framed-insulated windows, bonus room for guests and room for a planter garden outside. So now that you know, do you think that asking price makes sense?
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See What The 24-Story Tower at 403 Dexter Might Look Like
Wilshire Capital Partners' third Seattle project is going before the design review board tonight and they've posted plans and renderings with the city so you can get an idea of what they're thinking. Plans call for a 24-story residential tower at 403 Dexter Ave. N. with approximately 248 units, 2,000 sf of retail and 100 parking spaces. Those numbers could rise to 280 units and 160 parking spaces if the lot at 401 Dexter is incorporated as well. This project was initially intended to be seven-stories but the recent South Lake Union rezoning makes a much bigger tower possible now. According to renderings, residences will range from open 1-BRs to 2-BRs. The preferred design by architect Via Architecture envokes a "wrapping" look of two distinct sections wrapping around one another. The project would be located right next door to Modera Apartments and just across the street from the new King 5 site development, which is also going before the board tonight for review. Wilshire Capital told DJC early this year that construction could begin by this fall but there's no recent confirmation on that or when it might be completed.
Seattle Photos Burning Hole In Your Pocket? Join The Curbed Seattle Photo Pool
Joining the Curbed Seattle Flickr Pool gives you the perfect outlet for all your photos of the Space Needle, Puget Sound, Gas Works Park or even just a photo of your new bathroom (tastefully, please). Just go to Flickr, click this Curbed Seattle Flickr Pool link, and select "Join This Group." You add photos, we use them (with credit & link) and boom, instant fame ensues. Guaranteed. [Curbed Seattle Flickr Pool]
Mapping 14 Imperiled Modern Buildings Being Rescued by the Getty Foundation
It hasn't been an easy year for 20th-century architecture. The world bid adieu to Tokyo's Hotel Okura, mourned the loss of Paul Rudolph's Orange County Government Center, and said a tearful farewell to Josep LluÃs Sert's Martin Luther King Jr. School. And that doesn't even begin to account for those perishing under the weight of abandonment, neglect, and water damage. So who is going to come to the defense of our many embattled midcentury structures? The Getty Foundation's Keeping It Modern program, of course. According to a recently released announcement pledging over $1.75 million to the conservation of imperiled landmarks, everything from Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Hill House to Walter Gropius' residence can breath a sigh of relief, at least for this year.
Take a Look at the Two Towers Planned at the Old KING 5 Site
We'd already seen the shell of Kilroy's plans for the old KING 5 site at 333 Dexter in South Lake Union. Tonight, the design review board gets a good look at improved renderings and we can take a peak as well. The proposed set of 12-story towers will include 582,000 sf of office space, 15,000 sf of retail and roughly 700 underground parking spaces. Each building has its own distinct look based on where it's facing. The south tower would feature a concave shape that allows for a public plaza and Space Needle views. The north tower seems to be much more straight-forward, though the proposal does call for "a robust architectural statement." It looks like heavy usage of criss-cross columns will be used to jut the buildings out while keeping sidewalk space clear for pedestrians. The two towers would connect on three levels so some floors could stretch as big as 60,000 sf. The Miller Hull Partnership is lead architect on the project, which is expected to cost $375M and be completed by the middle of 2018.
Tukwila Group Submitting NHL Application; Pot Reform Bill
· Tukwila group to submit expansion application to NHL [ST]
· Expect Crowded Transit & Unusual Schedules July 3-4 [STB]
· American Express Opens The Centurion Studio in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport [AMEX]
· Governor signs pot reform bill to ease zoning restrictions, streamline taxes [CHS]
· Workers unearth centuries-old artifacts under Seattle bridge [SPI]
· 1,900-unit storage project rising on former Mastro property in South Seattle [PSBJ]
· Growing up Muslim in the Northwest [CC]
· How Seattle Is Reclaiming Its Waterfront From an Elevated Urban Highway [CL]
· Expect Crowded Transit & Unusual Schedules July 3-4 [STB]
· American Express Opens The Centurion Studio in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport [AMEX]
· Governor signs pot reform bill to ease zoning restrictions, streamline taxes [CHS]
· Workers unearth centuries-old artifacts under Seattle bridge [SPI]
· 1,900-unit storage project rising on former Mastro property in South Seattle [PSBJ]
· Growing up Muslim in the Northwest [CC]
· How Seattle Is Reclaiming Its Waterfront From an Elevated Urban Highway [CL]
Ever since it was announced, it seems as though trouble follows 8th & Howelleverywhere it goes on it's path to becoming Seattle's tallest hotel. The latest bit comes in the form of an investigation by the Seattle city auditor over claims that planners were going to allow the hotel project to move forward while contributing millions less than it should have to the city's low-income housing fund. The investigation comes at the behest of City Councilmember Mike O'Brien. Planners have since said the decision was a mistake while developer R.C. Hedreen claims it's all part of a union scheme meant to help their side in an ongoing conflict between the two. [ST]SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
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