Barbara Haupt

I grew up on an island near Seattle. I consider that my city– being stuck on the island drove us insane and we took the ferry there almost every weekend. What I am most into about Seattle are its many extended neighborhoods that are surrounded by waterways like the Elliott Bay (part of the Puget Sound), the Ballard L0cks, Lake Union, the Montlake Cut and Lake Washington. Across Lake Union from the downtown part of the city, there’s a line of neighborhoods along the water starting with the University District and ending in Ballard, including Wallingford and Fremont. They are more or less continuous, and have a similar vibe, which is pretty much what I think of when I think of Seattle: lively, outdoor-oriented, strongly community focused, lots of gardens and parks, farmer’s markets, bikes, interesting coffee shops and stores, families with children and friendly, diverse people. People in Seattle tend to like the outdoors and their neighbors. Right on the water in Wallingford there is an amazing park, Gasworks Park, which has a giant, rusty abandoned gasworks on big green hills, from which you can see the houseboats across the Montlake Cut, sailboats coming into Lake Union from the Puget Sound, and across Lake Union, the entire downtown Seattle skyline. That place is amazing. And Fremont is known for a huge statue of a troll that lurks under an overpass and is awesome to climb on. Thinking about the concept of space as Larry Ford discusses, Seattle feels relaxed, practical (rather than stylish), playful and public, particularly in these neighborhoods. Gardens and neighborhood parks are everywhere and coffee shops are intended for people to loiter. People aren’t very rushed or goal-oriented. The natural environment is totally incorporated into the city’s design, as is a huge amount of Northwest Native American history and art, which I really appreciate.