Seattle Should Lose Buildings To Developers NYC-style

This past weekend Seattlest visited Gothamist's stomping grounds. We were there for the farewell shows of Rainer Maria, but had our days free to see the sights and take in the New York experience. We stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime event in the world of street art, and amazing as it was, we couldn't help but to be struck by what lessons it could have for Seattle.

The building at 11 Spring Street was a world-renowned canvas for street artists, who felt drawn to leave their mark on the building's exterior. The building, an old carriage and stable house, was sold to developers a few months ago to make room for condos. Rather than ignoring the building's legacy the developers met with street art documentarians The Wooster Collective and organized a street art blowout, with both famous and obscure artists showing up to put up pieces on the building's five-floor interior. The exhibit opened up for three days after two months of work, with thousands waiting for hours just to take in the art before it was lost behind pipes and drywall (Seattlest waited 4 hours and was one of the last people let through the door).

As an experience, 11 Spring was incredible. The comradery in the line, the drama over whether we'd get in, constant queries from pedestrians, and the art itself made it an entire event, and a site-specific one at that. So what does this mean for Seattle? We're caught in our own cycle of change, and while blogging does amount for something, that's not going to stop or even slow the tide. So what do we do instead? We propose we go all out. Here are some ideas we've got as a first stab. If you've got others, leave them in the comments.

Cha Cha: Sure they're just moving into Des Amis' old spot. But why move quietly? We're thinking a big hipster chain gang moving the Cha's furnishings down the street.

Rebar: Last we heard it was only for sale and not closing yet, but should this spot close or Flammable come to an end, we propose throwing a block party in the parking lot for all of the house music fans to say goodbye. We'd chip in a few bucks for insurance, etc., and we're sure others would too (although we hope this idea is ultimately unnecessary).

The Bus Stop: If they decide to move, they should do so in a big yellow schoolbus. A big yellow schoobus with music blasting and rowdy riders yelling for people to follow to the new spot.

Bimbo's Bitchin' Burrito Kitchen: An eating competition during a big closing party is a complete no-brainer.

Manray: What does a gay Santarchy look like? We're not sure, but it'd be interesting to find out.

Winner's Circle: Considering the newness of this shop it doesn't really warrant "Seattle institution" status, but considering the mural on the exterior wall, it seems this crew could get Seattle's graffiti community to leave some nice work on the walls before they're torn down.

Image courtesy of Gothamist.