This strip of human existence by the urban wound that is I-5 has been a significant part of my Seattle experience since before I moved to this country, so I wanted to capture and keep some of it in our last weeks in the neighborhood.
One of the first things we did once we moved here is set up our Wi-Fi to say “CascadeNotSLU,” and that’s all you need to know about how we feel about the neighborhood.
We’ve seen this block go through many changes over the past six years, but the general rule with only one singular exception, thanks to the @veraproject, is that once something closes here, nothing comes back to replace it. And when things do move into the neighborhood, like the noodle place that replaced the very popular German bar, or the taco place that replaced the Japanese restaurant, they don’t look like they’re thriving.
I’m still fond of our little island of old Seattle, despite it all. I can’t imagine any reason to visit this particular block when everyone we know eventually moves out, but I know I’ll peer out the window whenever we drive by or look for that distinctive blue dome from across the way. There’s been a lot of nonsense within these brick walls, but I still remember the thrill of staying here in our sleeping bags in a completely bare apartment bathed under streetlamp light, just so we could feel how that new chapter in our lives was really real.
And now it’s time to wipe the Epiphanytide chalk off the walks. We kept every line of Cs, and Ms, and Bs, for each year we’ve been here, including our very first, when we had our home blessed with holy water as well. It’s time for new rituals.