3rd Ave. Feels the Love!

Two blocks closed (from Virginia to Pine; one in Belltown, the other in downtown), a phalanx of metal monsters and the strains of Baroness von Jackhammer in the air. Ah, the SDOT is at it again. This time, the object of their affection is 3rd Ave. And why not? That street needs as much help as it can get. I mean, it's Belltown's crummiest street. Here are some pictures:




I have no idea what they're trying to accomplish. All I know is that those two blocks don't seem to need it. I mean, the street ain't full of holes or anything. Maybe they're going to replace what they've got with a more appealing shade of pavement. Whatever improvements they make will be an improvement, because it's 3rd Ave. after all.

3rd Avenue to Get Its Share of Street-Hatred!

First, 4th Ave. bowed under the yoke of heavy-duty street voodoo, then 2nd was the victim. Did 3rd Ave. think it could escape? It probably did. Well, it did get its sidewalks all carved up last spring, but now the SDOT is eying the street and drooling with malice. Are you paralyzed with terror yet? You're not? OK, well, the news isn't that bad. Your precious 3rd Ave. isn't getting a full repave; the orange-vests are just cutting up and removing random slabs of roadway between Virginia and Pike. There's no indication they'll be replacing them. No wait, it says right here that they be doing just that. Work should last until the end of November. Normally, I would question that schedule, but the SDOT are super-wizards of scheduling. They said that 2nd Ave.'s Operation Enduring Pavement would be done by September 19th and guess what? It was.

OK, so enjoy the sound of the concrete cutting machine, northern Belltown segment of 3rd Avenue!

Flowerquest: The 3rd Avenue Story

It's no secret that 3rd Avenue is Belltown aesthetic embarrassment. It's a very unattractive street. But it's not all ugliness and unnecessary awnings. It does have a few flowers. You just have to know where to look. In this case, if you go to the corner of 3rd & Bell, you'll encounter the Belltown Inn - Belltown veterans like myself still refer to it as the Marvin Gardens. Anyhow, there is a little bit of color that is worthy of note. Observe:

I know this flower! It's a, ahem, pansy.


I also know what this is! It's lavender. Say it with me: LAV-EN-DER. It smells nice.

So there you go. Pretty flowers on 3rd Avenue. It is possible. But first you must believe.

What a Difference an Uncertain Amount of Time Makes!

Or does it? I took this picture of 3rd & Vine back in April:

Those are some of 3rd Avenue's surviving honey locust trees. Yes, they're usually that ugly and skeletal when they don't have leaves. But then spring comes along and, well, you wait a long time for anything to happen, because they're notoriously tardy with the foliage, but then, voila:

Uh, frankly, I'm disappointed. I mean, 4th & 5th Avenues are currently plunged into eternal refreshing shade by their mighty maples, oaks and planes. These 3rd Avenue locusts don't swing that way. They don't provide good shade, and they're still really un-lush and ugly. Why didn't the city just cut them all down when they had their chainsaws handy? They're totally unappealing and they make 3rd Avenue look even more pathetic than it really is, which is very pathetic to begin with. But hey, if 3rd was really cool, the only N-S thoroughfare to laugh at would be Western Ave. Hey, that's a great idea! Stay tuned for it!

Only on 3rd Avenue!

Look at that! It's a little mini-metal monster at 3rd & Blanchard! Isn't it cute? It's just doing a little prep work for 3rd's new trees. Hopefully, they won't be butt ugly. Don't hold your breath, though.

You know, it's interesting. I stood there and watched the mini-monster work for a few moments, and I swear that it performed on par with, say, a moderately lazy guy with a shovel.

You Heard the Sidewalk!

I seldom let sidewalks tell me what to do. But this plea (at the corner of 3rd & Blanchard) gives me pause. You know, the people of 3rd Avenue have suffered greatly over the past few weeks. Their trees have been cut down, their sidewalks have been jackhammered into oblivion and their women have been carried off. Plus, in general they just seem to be physically less attractive that other Belltown residents. So when a sidewalk tells me to save artwork along this neighborhood's fugliest, most downtrodden thoroughfare, I say: "Save it for how long??" That's how I roll.

Let's Give 3rd Ave. Another Slogan!

How about this:
They may smash our sidewalks and kill our trees, but they can never take our FREEDOM!!

Let's Give 3rd Ave. a Slogan!

You know, 3rd Avenue is the direst of Belltown's north-south throroughfares. It has weak retail, ugly trees, ripped-up sidewalks and, according to The Weekly, Seattle's most frightening bar. So let's help all those poor unfortunate slobs out over there - with a slogan. Here's my contribution:

3rd Avenue - a great place to park your tractor!

The PURGE on THIRD!!

Third Avenue in Belltown has always been pretty ghetto. After Virginia Street, there's very little retail all the way to Denny. It's a jumble of fairly anonymous, utilitarian and (except for the Vine Court) quite ugly buildings. The trees lining the sidewalks contributed to its overall ghetto feel. They were mostly honey locusts. I use the past tense because most of them are being cut down. And the feeling about them is such that their stumps are being torn out with heavy equipment and the sidewalks that once hosted them are being obliterated. Here's the scene:

From Virginia (there's a newly-planted tree in the foreground)...

From Lenora...

To Battery (the sidewalk has been completely replaced here)...

And down to Vine (ditto).

The reason for the purge is apparently because all of these trees had contracted some kind of fungus due to this crummy town's incessant rains. My friend Jim tells me that this kind of tree does better in drier climes. They apparently thrive in Eastern Washington. Once again, city planners should be saluted for their foresight. Plant lots of trees that don't do well in a marine climate! Yeah, that'll work!

Personally, I kind of hated those trees. They were late to get their leaves and early to lose them. And, owing to the tiny size of said leaves, they didn't give very much shade at all. In the fall and winter, their bare, gnarled limbs looked completely sinister. I can't tell what they've planted in their stead, but it probably can't be any worse. The only purpose they served in the 20 or so years they've stood along Third is that they've given drunks something else to bump into. And that's about it.

But they're not all gone. A few remain.

If you feel so inclined, pray for the survivors. These three are at 3rd & Virginia. There are others down by Clay, Broad and Denny.

Me, I say good riddance.