Site Report 1

A picture of Seattle Fire Department No. 17 betwwen NE 50th St. and 11th Ave. NE. University District (Seattle, WA). Taken on January 6, 2017. Taken by Justin Williams.

Alley way down center of block. University District (Seattle, WA). Taken on January 6, 2017. Taken by Justin Williams.

Street view facing north of 11th Ave. NE. University District (Seattle, WA). Taken on January 6, 2017. Taken by Justin Williams

View facing south on Roosevelt Way NE. Univeristy District (Seattle, WA). Taken on January 6, 2017. Taken by Justin Williams.

Block Map between Roosevelt Way NE and 11th Ave. NE, and NE 52nd St. and NE 50th. St. University District (Seattle, WA). Drawn by Justin Williams

Introduction

Seattle is such a beautiful city with such a rich and unique history behind it that is unlike anywhere in the country. Each city has its special historical aspects that are determined by location, resources, and the time of settlement. To see a city develop into such a metropolis phenomenon such as Seattle is extraordinary, especially when you take into account all the things that play a role in its development. Some things you don’t even take into consideration when thinking about how a city is created and develops over time. There are numerous events and special moments that make up a city’s history, and some of them go unrecognized. I want to focus in on a particular area of Seattle that was a temporary residence for some and a permanent home for others, The University District. The U District is made up of many parts that each have their own purpose and historical backstory. You can find some of these backstories through old photos, newspaper articles, maps, or even just by observing the surroundings. There is one block in particular that I want to discuss and dig a little deeper into its history in relation to the U District. This block is north of campus between Roosevelt Way NE and 11th Ave NE, and NE 50th ST. and NE 52nd ST.

Report: First Glance

My block was number 62 which was between Roosevelt Way NE and 11th Ave. NE, and NE 52nd St. and NE 50th St. As I started on the south side of 11th Ave NE and walked north I noticed that a fire station took up most of the NE 50th St. part of the block. As I walked north on 11th Ave. NE I ran into one mini apartment complex and then residential housing on the rest of the street. The housing looked like it was there before the fire station because of how old the street sidewalks were in comparison. I know these must be small family homes based on the size of the houses and size of the properties.  As I turned onto NE 52nd St. there was a mini parking lot and I noticed different variations of the side walk in many different chunks and styles that gave me the impression that multiple things had been made on that side of the block at different times. When I was walking south on Roosevelt Way NE I noticed that the entire side was all businesses verses the other side was mostly all housing. These businesses seemed to be independent businesses and not big companies, which made me think that maybe they were family owned. In between each telephone pole were single trees that didn’t seem like they have ever been trimmed since they were put there. Based on the surroundings and the height of the trees I would guess that the trees were put there after the block was created, making it a man made landscape modification. As I made my way back onto NE 50th St. where the fire station was I noticed something that I didn’t notice on NE 52nd St. There was an alleyway that went all the way through from NE 50th St. to NE 52nd St. that perfectly separated the housing side of 11th Ave. NE and the business side of Roosevelt Way NE. After taking a thorough walk of my block I came up with a couple of questions that I hope can be answered as my site report research continues. The questions were “Why is one half of the block housing and the other half businesses?”, “Which came first, the housing or the businesses and what was taken away?”, and finally “Before the housing or businesses, what was on this block and did it serve a bigger purpose then what it is being used for today?” As far as what seemed like was missing I noticed on Roosevelt Way NE there were no street lights. You would think on a main road they would have street lights to light up the street but there weren’t any. I’m not sure how I would find out why there aren't any street lights on that road but I do want to know how I can find out.