OLD SKYLINE VIEW
Kerry Park, Second Avenue and Highland Drive, atop Queen Anne
Hill - First off, let's get this straight. No view of Seattle
is complete unless the Space Needle is in it, which means the
awesome view from the top of "George's House" (as in George Jetson)
can't compete. That's why everyone from amateur photographers to
network news anchors traditionally sets up picture-perfect Seattle
shots at Kerry Park. Looking north to south - precisely opposite
the Seahawks Stadium view - the park takes in the mirror image of
that site, but also includes, on a clear day, majestic Mt.
Rainier.
NEW CULTURAL HOT SPOT
Uwajimaya Village, 600 Fifth Ave. S., (206) 624-6248 - The
truth is,
Seattle's International District was dull as day-old
noodles for a number of years. Then came the 2000 opening of the
Uwajimaya Asian grocery and shopping center in the heart of the
neighborhood. The Asian-products mini-empire (the company has
stores in Bellevue,
Washington, and Beaverton, Oregon) dramatically
increased area commerce - Uwajimaya's sales alone went from $75
million in 2000 to $88 million in 2001. More importantly, increased
foot and car traffic has helped revitalize the entire area. With
choices ranging from the classy fusion sit-down of Chinoise to
quickie Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese
spots, the all-Asian
food court is just one of the features that
attract hungry locals from around town.
OLD CULTURAL HOT SPOT
The AVE, University Way N.E. at
University of Washington campus
- The domain of intellectuals, bohemians, and Greeks in search of
enlightenment among an array of bookstores and cheap, international
cafes - teriyaki, kabobs, piroshkis, you name it - has gotten a bit
run down. We're not bashing the place, even the city of Seattle
agrees. Which is why it launched the Rebuilding of the AVE project
in the summer of 2002. While water, electric, and gas lines are
being replaced and other improvements are being made, the street is
about as neat as a 15-year-old's bedroom. By the expected fall
completion of the project, however, the spiffed up AVE should be
back on the list of trendy "new" hangouts.