Results tagged “monorail”

"In the frame" by Bjørn Giesenbauer ( giesenbauer ), from our Flickr pool

Let's see more dresses and cardigans on the Monorail, please. At 1:46, the 1962 promo is just shy of a real-time Monorail trip. We were curious how the Monorail looked brand new (not that different)--sure, it's a little older, but it's the people who have changed. For fun, compare with this 2007 Monorail ride, which offers the jerky, handheld-cam impression that the train is about to lurch from the tracks and crush everyone below.

Devastating news for most adolescents as their favorite malls--and parent-free hang-outs--are facing bankruptcy. General Growth Properties Inc., the nation's second-largest mall operator, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which owns local mall properties: Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham, and Westlake Center in Seattle. With their stock prices cheaper than an on-sale pack of gum, financial reorganization will be key, for what's been claimed as the largest real estate failure. We just hope it can turn around, so it doesn't force a void (and access to the Monorail) in downtown.

Not everybody agrees graffiti has social value. One "artist's" urban enhancement is another man’s vandalism. We’re of the opinion that when left to the talented it’s generally a colorful and unique improvement to the city landscape. We understand those who disagree, but suspect they naturally hate anything to the left of the standard Belltown earth tone, which this city and its developer overlords keep insisting jibe with the character of the area.

• While lightning may not strike the same person twice, getting stuck on the Monorail just might. Just ask Ballard resident Robert Baker.
• The cold weather and icy roads may be a hassle for the rest of us, but if you're selling chains or snow tires, it's been a boon. So much so, according to White Center Now, it's nearly impossible to find chains at area stores.
• It seems that public transportation in Seattle has always had a problem with the hills when it snows. Just check out this photo of a derailed Seattle cable car from 1929.

We don't know how to treat the old one properly. This morning, a man somehow got out onto the Monorail tracks, walked around, and then kicked back for a bit. Service was naturally halted until about 10:15 a.m., when he "surrendered" to the police who had been summoned. On the plus side, since you have 15 minutes until the police show up, this does give us an idea for a 10-minute Assassins action-tour.

• West Seattle Blog explores the case of the missing swing-set. Thankfully, no one's figured out how to steal a public park swing-set (yet); rather, Lowman Beach's swings are being replaced by a new and improved set.
• Ooh--even better than a monorail: Ballard may get a water taxi.
• Remember how we mentioned that Cleveland High School students faced a daily death trap just getting to school? The Rainier Valley Post wasn't exaggerating about that.

• The Belltowner covered the Monorail's latest debacle. If the Monorail is looking for a new slogan, we submit the following: "The Monorail--And You Thought the Ferries Were Busted."
• Phinneywood celebrated the latest artistic addition to their neighborhood: a mural by local artist Ryan Henry Ward. Ward is in the midst of trying to paint 50 different murals in Seattle neighborhoods.
• Central District News warns of coyotes in the neighborhood. Yes, coyotes in the CD. The comments on the post are filled with first-hand sightings.

Seattlest always kind of wants to roll our eyes when some transportation option gets put to voters in these parts. Call it a Pavlovian response trained into us through years of noncommittal discussion about monorails. But, today the Seattle Times is reporting that we'll get to vote on a light rail system that'll take folks to places like Overlake, Star Lake, and Lynnwood (sweet!).

Engineers will be filling the easily-laughed-at but fiercely-protected monorail with kegs. A keg party on the monorail--sounds promising or at the very least, nauseating. Getting drunk on a monorail that goes nowhere--it could be the hippest new theme bar or some tragic Seattle metaphor. Sadly, it is neither.

We've been locking our keyboard in a drawer to keep ourselves from putting up any "this is the weekend the green line would have begun service" posts, both because it's been done and because it's history. Yes, it would have been great to have, but we decided against it. If there's anything like a blog to mark the day in the distant future when we'd have it paid off we'll be impressed.