Grey Matters: Seattle Then and Now
Whither Seattle? Knute Berger provides some perspective on where we’ve been and where we’re heading
By Knute Berger December 13, 2010
This article originally appeared in the January 2011 issue of Seattle magazine.
Since we’ve got a year or two to go until the Mayan calendar runs out, there’s still a chance to think reflectively before the end of the world. There’s no denying that world has been changing, and so, too, our corner of it. Today’s Seattle is not the old Seattle that we knew. I’ve been sifting through our civic storage unit and have come up with a list that documents the changes. January is a good time to make such lists, because we can see clearly where we’ve been and where we are. It’s up to you to determine where we’re going in 2011.
| OLD SEATTLE | NEW SEATTLE |
| Free parking downtown! | Bikes Rule! |
| Dick’s, Dag’s and Herfy’s | The $12 burger at Luc |
| Dutch babies and Swedish pancakes | Designer cupcakes and doughnuts |
| Gai’s Bakery | Gay friendly |
| Saving the P-I | Saving the P-I globe |
| Hating The Seattle Times’ ridiculous editorials | Hating The Seattle Times’ monopoly on ridiculous editorials |
| Grumpy school nurses | Global health |
| Having a neighbor kid mow your lawn | Growing corn on your parking strip |
| Pioneer Square | South Lake Union |
| Fighting over the downtown tunnel | Fighting over the waterfront tunnel |
| Designing the Space Needle on a napkin | Spending millions on a preliminary concept for a waterfront park |
| Riding the waterfront streetcar | Riding light rail |
| Skirmishes between the City Council and the mayor | All-out war between the City Council and the mayor |
| Barrels of lutefisk | Ballard condos |
| Moving to Bellevue to escape diversity | Discovering Bellevue has more diversity |
| Riding the Wild Mouse in the Fun Forest | Demanding green space at Seattle Center |
| Hydro drivers | Bike anarchists |
| Green Lake Aqua Follies | Sounders and Storm |
| The dollhouse at the Museum of History & Industry | Eco mini-houses and backyard cottages |
| Vacant lots | Green Roofs |
| The Rainier Club | The Cascade Bicycle Club |
| John Keister | Jon Stewart |
| TV weathermen cartooning | Cliff Mass blogging |
| Totem poles | Calder’s “Eagle” at Olympic Sculpture Park |
| J.P. and Gertrude | Dina Martina and Waxie Moon |
| Nordstrom moves to Frederick & Nelson | Elliott Bay Book Co. moves to Capitol Hill |
| Filling swamps creates new neighborhoods | Restoring wetlands creates salmon habitat |
| Fines for jaywalking | Fines for not recycling |
| Flushing the toilet into Lake Washington | Cleaning up toxins in the Duwamish River |
| Mariners, Seahawks and Sonics suck | Mariners, Seahawks and Huskies suck |
| Say “Seattle” and the chief will roll over in his grave | Say “Seattle” and people think “tiny island of liberal dysfunction” |