Site Report #1: The Deep Read

Everywhere we go, there is always history among us. Yet, we never seek to discover it because why should we? Would it change anything? Yes, it could. it could change how you view things and understand the history of it. In block 13, it may look like a simple alleyway with an construction going on. But, there is more to this case and the truth that beholds block 13 history. It may started out just an alleyway filled with trees and nothing else, but, as more people arrived to start a new lifestyle. Houses were built creating history to begin during the 1930s. Over the next 100 years, nothing changed dramatically in the block 13, but, that is okay. Its always the littlest things to appericate in life and the details that we have uncover helped us understand the story of block 13. The story of block 13 always remained an family residence area and hopefully, it continues to be that way for another 100 years. 

In the block of between 11th Ave NE and 12th Ave Ne and NE 43rd St and NE 42nd St, it contains several apartment buildings and complex along with some small houses. On October 7th, 2016, the Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development wrote, "In the next 20 years, 40-275 homes will be demolished, with or without zoning chnages. Many of these have low rents. Under existing zoning, no more than 20 affordable homes would be created through incentives." This would explained why majoiry of the apartment buildings and complex have not been remodeled because if it were to be remodel, it would raised the rent. Majority of the rent for the buildings in the alleyway are affordable and have low rent compared to the buildings that are updated and more modern. The alley way remains quiet yet for the construction work that is happening. Some of the apartment buildings are outdated and some are decent yet not in its best shape. When you first walk in the block, you will notice the tall building that is being done, yet this is the only one that will be newer building than the rest on the block. However, the block is also an area for resident's to park their car and also throw out their recycle and garbage. I did not find an distrubing odor in the block, but, I did find it irritated because of the construction work. The only business that does occur in this location is the estate housing or for college students to rent out during the school year. Based on the structure from majority of the apartments, the area was always an block for people to stay, live, or rent for the time being. People who live in this block either lived alone, shared with someone, or has a small family based the size of the some apartment from the outside, it look very compact to fit atleast four people in one household. 

The connection that I see and who may have lived in block 13 is that it be an area for families and possible college students since it is very close by to University of Washington. The reason why I believe it may contain families because some apartments tend to have one to two rooms which is perfect for small size of families on a budget. I believe the changes that may have occured in the alleyway would possible be the cost of renting, physical apperence of the buildings, and the environment itself over the years. None of the houses seem to look fairly new, it looked very old indicating that it could possible be still from the 1930s or later, but, not likely from the year 2010 and up. 

However, the questions I have during my visit in my block are, is the construction almost done? It looks half way almost being done. Are the resident able to handle the construction noise for the time being? I was very irritated as I was looking in my block because of the noise, I could not hear myself think. Why did someone threw away an mattress out in the open? It was a bizzare thing to see in the block, but, I was not surprised because it is an alley way and most people throw or dump weird things. Why was this tall building being the only one updated or more advanced than the rest of the apartment complex? The other apartment complex are much older compared to the new being built, but, it is such an odd area to just have one new apartment complex whereas the rest of the complex are older and smaller. 

During my visit in my block, I expected to find atleast updated apartments but I only ended up finding one being built. The reason why i expected updated apartments was because it was in an area that contains many stores and resturants for people including college students who majority hang around in the ave, you would think that they would update apartments for college student to rent out for the time being. I also did expected to find more people in the alley way than just the construction worker, but, I did not see any. You would think people would be out in the alley way to get their car or park their car, but, nobody did. 

In the first week of this course, block 13 to me was just an alleyway. I did not know what I could uncover from just an alleyway filled with cars and one construction. But, to my surprise, I discovered a lot more during the past ten weeks. It is crazy how one simple thing can open up to a several informations that you could never believe. A construction of anything can hold to new informations such as needing a permit to begin work but takes few years to be approved and began working. Also, construction work can merely take up two houses if needed, which they need in this area. The history of the block 13 is that even the smallest things (like a construction work) can mean something and it lead to find out one of the owners who owned one of the houses. The owner was not the original owner, in 2016, the original owner gave its deed to owner in which she allowed the property be torn down in order to have a seven story building be built on top of it. It is intriguing to see how one construction work can lead you to mulitple informations.