Neighborhood Watch: SLU
I moved into my apartment in Eastlake four years ago, back when everyone was practically giving apartments away in this town, and since then I’ve been watching the yuppiefication (ok, fine, “upscaling”) of South Lake Union with a little bit of dread. I’ve been, selfishly, hoping for the condo market to collapse so that the “upscaling” won’t continue the creep up the street and my building won’t be converted or rents raised past what I can handle, so that my more colorful older neighbors won’t be squeezed out of the neighborhood.
Today’s P I has an article about the slow transition of South Lake Union. Since I live in Eastlake and work in South Lake Union, I spend a lot of time here, watching the changes. The Lobo has turned into the Victory (and I promise not to sneer until I’ve actually visited, because maybe it will charm me. But if it sucks as much as Feierabend, then that’s not likely.). The new Vivace is lovely, on the other hand, and I’m glad it’s there. No one has touched my beloved Mars Bar yet, and I still hope that MOHAI moves into the Reserve building. But the part of the article that makes me laugh is this: “The neighborhood still lacks some basic staples — there’s no barber shop, library or farmers market. But a gourmet deli and upscale pet supply shop have moved in to serve the new residents.” Gourmet delis and upscale pet shops are basic staples in a neighborhood that’s supposed to be “affordable to a range of people”? Seriously? How about a regular corner store, or a Pho joint?
I’m not against all of the changes, because that would be silly–they’re going to happen, and they’ve certainly happened everywhere else. There is a lot of empty and run down space in this neighborhood that could use some improvement. I’m just against pretending that all the change in South Lake Union is going to benefit anyone who could actually use some affordable living space.
But perhaps I’m too close too it all and am having trouble seeing the forest because all these damn trees are in my way. I still hope that the neighborhood will defeat my fears and turn into something more than a sea of overpriced beer and striped button-down shirts. I hope I’ll still be able to go to a bar and hear stories from people who have stubbornly refused to leave the home they’ve lived in for the last 30 years, or run into half a dozen people with their kids on my way to the park.
It’s only that the way things look now isn’t very hopeful.
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The Lo-Fi (at least on Thursday nights) is my favorite place on Eastlake/SLU — maybe my favorite place in Seattle.
SLU is obviously in the middle of some huge changes. A decade from now it will be unrecognizable. I think Eastlake is a lot less likely to undergo big changes — although, a normal, run of the mill grocery store is desperately needed. I live above one of those gourmet delis and was excited when it opened. After my first few visits I realized that I had to choose between paying my rent or shopping there.
wtf? There’s a neighborhood without a pho restaurant? Inconcievable!
Oh, no you dihn’t just say Feierabend sucks. I admit there’s sausage spillover from all the condos, but if you like German beers on tap (and curry sauce for your fries), it’s terrific, as are its sister locations Prost and Die Bier Stube. Prost is a bit more lived-in looking and contains neighborhood types, so that might be more your speed.
Thank god someone else finally spoke up about that pathetic excuse for a bar, Feierabend SUCKS. if we could keep plastic soul-less bars like that out of this city, we might stand a chance to grow gracefully. Send that bar back to the 425 crowd where it belongs!
Ryan: that deli was such a disappointment when it opened. I’d hoped it was going to be a place where I could pick minor groceries up on my walk home from the office, rather than having to detour the extra few blocks to the Eastlake Market or Pete’s.
John: I know! People who live in those condos are going to be so sad when all there is to eat when they have a cold is a fancy collar for their dog.
MVB: I like Prost just fine, but Feierabend has the least comfortable seating in the history of bars, not to mention the least comfortable atmosphere. Plus I need a booster seat to actually reach the table. That place puts me on edge, and no amount of yummy beer makes it go away.
I gotta agree with MVB, but I guess it depends on why you go to a bar. I go for the beer and Feierabend has some of the best German and Czech beer in that part of town.
That area of town was kind of a dump before all this started to happen. While some of it will be missed some of it sorely needed the change. Change is good, in 80 years a bunch of new hipsters will be lamenting that they are tearing down their beloved Victory and Feierabend. It’s all relative in the end.
I’m still agog.
On the other hand, there is a nice little Russian Bath House which, I swear, looks like it’s a front for the Russian Mob and scares me beyond knowledge, but would probably be good for a cold, but I’m not sure that’s in SLU. (as an aside, did you know Wikipedia has articles on Seattle hoods? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Lake_Union)
Does the Home Deli count as a “regular corner store?”