Site Report 1
Wilsonian Apartments located on the end of University Way NE and 47th St. Photograph by Calvin Le 1/23/17
A bike rail along University St. NE and in front of Rudy's Barber Shop. Photograph by Calvin Le. 1/23/17
On the edge of 50th St. is an Ebits and the Grand Illusion Cinema. Photograph by Calvin Le. 1/23/17
The first thing that you notice 47th and 50th St. on University Way NE will be either the movie theater(Grand Illusion) and Ebits (a electronics repair shop) on 50th St., or apartments and a Yeti Yogurt on 47th. While I was investing the street, I noticed that the block inherited the diversity aspect that the University of Washington (UW) is known for. The block seems to have everything a small community would need. It’s got a variety of different foods, clothing stores, repair shops, a movie theater, apartment complexes and even a number of churches. Although this block seems like the perfect block for a small community, the block targets students for their business with attractive art such as signs and pictures. The connection of artwork to make the shops look modernized drew more business than shops that didn’t use artwork to attract more business. This is the case for many businesses in the 21st century; remodeling to become more modern is an important aspect of being a successful business. Above many of the businesses on University Way NE are apartments that wouldn't be noticed without really looking at the infrastructure.
Washington has become very known and accustomed to building greener. While a Seattleite like myself would walk through the block without noticing the large amounts of trees in the area, Non-Washington residents would definitely notice this.
On 15th ave NE since there are merely churches and apartments from one side to another. The difference between these streets was night and day. This brings up the question, why are the streets so different from one another. Another question that I’m interested in what was there before on 15th ave since the infrastructure was looking modern.
In my opinion, what’s missing is a reason to walk to this block. The block doesn’t have any high-profile businesses or attractions. There aren’t many businesses, other than the Grand Illusion Cinema, that the rest of University Way NE doesn’t also have. Because of this, I wonder, how do these few businesses compete with other rivals closer to the campus. A student has to walk out of his way to get here. The Grand Illusion Cinema would likely be a reason why students would travel this far and around the theater contains hidden businesses such as Morsel, and Arepa Venezuelan Kitchen that makes a visit worthwhile. Data about walking distance and bus routes would be a start to answering these questions.
There was a presence that I felt was missing during my visit. This block is one of the few blocks that does not contain many big-name companies. Where are the 711’s or fast food joints? Why are family businesses dominating the block? It will be important to research what large businesses look for in locating one of their shops.