West Seattle Blog…

35 Comments

1. I lived in WC ten years ago and then “moved up” to the Admiral district 6 years ago. Now because of my business expansion I live in Wallingford. What I want to say, Rat City or not, I loved my time in White Center. People were always kind, genuine. North admiral lacks diversity and a true community feeling.
   Wally? Let’s just say people trying too hard to be politically correct is annoying.

   Comment by La neta — 10:17 pm June 12, 2012 #

2. In my mind “White Center” brings up a more a negative connotation, but only to people who don’t know how awesome it is. I think “Rat City” is more modern and fun. Besides, if i were a rat I would want to live in White Center…best restaurants in all W.S! I used to live near the Salvadorean Bakery, all the neighbors knew eachother and were friendly. Now I’m in a townhome in the Morgan junction and my neighbors seem cold.
   If any neighborhood should have gone for a name change, High Point would have been my pick. I remember as a child driving through that neighborhood (to go to the old Kmart) and passing by cardboard looking houses with what always seemed like gang members standing around.

   Comment by steph — 12:08 am June 13, 2012 #

3. I eat in Rat City whenever I want genuine unpretentious food that’s made for real people. Best Mexican meals I’ve ever eaten were had at El Paisano Rosticeria on 15th. We like being the only Gringos there and it’s forced me to brush up on my Spanish. Nothing pretentious about this place or anything in White Center for that matter.

   Can’t say the same for my experience eating at Ma Ono near the Alaska Junction. They were all out of their signature fried chicken and recommended ordering it 2 days in advance. PRETENTIOUS! Pork Belly was on the menu. Poor people’s food served to rich people.

   At El Paisano, when the check came, I thought they’d only charged for one dinner, but dinner for 2 was under $20. Great quality, flavor, appearance and service.

   I just noticed an art gallery in White Center. Alleys still inhabited by drunks and addicts, but last year I saw young people playing frisbee.

   Had coffee at Rosella’s. Good things are happening in rat City and I hope it never becomes Wallingford or Admiral District.

   Comment by I. Ponder — 12:17 am June 13, 2012 #

4. I’m an older person and I think the rat city image is pretty cool. I wish West Seattle had a hip logo I could put on a T-shirt :D

   Comment by cj — 2:13 am June 13, 2012 #

5. we have lived in Rat City for 16 years now and love it here

   Comment by karen — 6:24 am June 13, 2012 #

6. First let me say PLEASE DONT TRY TO BE LIKE FREMONT. I moved down here to get the hell away from Fremont. Don’t get me wrong Fremont was actually cool before it bacame a frat boy/ Belevue housewife/tourist destination. Then the outdoor movie came, then the Sunday market came, then the Duck came. Needless to say as a highly visible artist I got really sick and tired of being a tourist attraction.
   White Center will alway be RAT CITY. Embrace it , work with it, it’s cool. Don’t wreck it with a gentrification problem based on business profits. EW, thats a surefire way to suck the soul out of anything.

   Comment by Sophista-tiki — 6:26 am June 13, 2012 #

7. FREEMONT? OMG!!! AAAGGGH!

   Rat City is the ANTI-Freemont!

   Comment by JoAnne — 7:07 am June 13, 2012 #

8. I live in Westwood and love to come to White Center for shopping (and Full Tilt!), but it still feels unsafe and unclean to me. The scruffy rat logo doesn’t help… I like the idea of a different Chinese zodiac inspired Rat (rats can be beautiful: http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/042/2/b/chinese_zodiac__rat_by_jennsch-d4oqlmj.png)

   Maybe a discussion facilitated by an outside expert (in branding and graphics?) can help the community solidify a common vision that is beneficial?

   Comment by Kelly — 8:24 am June 13, 2012 #

9. Sophista-tiki, I think Adobe was what really did for Fremont. The outdoor movies and Sunday market was going for YEARS before the neighborhood became yuppie-hipster central and all the artists moved to Georgetown. Tough to build a business district that helps a neighborhood thrive without destroying what made people want to live there in the first place, for sure.

   Comment by datamuse — 8:41 am June 13, 2012 #

10. I think the Rat captures the essence of White Center quite well. Rats are clever, industrious, and scrappy. How can I put this diplomatically? White Center is not a fancy place. Rejecting the Rat City nickname is not going to do anything to improve White Center’s image. On the other hand, “Rat City” is a name people will remember and talk about. Embracing the Rat is a way for White Center to acknowledge its gritty reputation while showing off the qualities that make it such a lively community.

    Comment by KBear — 10:08 am June 13, 2012 #

11. Sure, but I’m not sure “scrappy” and “industrious” are selling points for a neighborhood. Accurate, and endearing if you live there, but not a likely magnet for customers. I think that’s the issue – What is it that locals love about Rat City that is also a reason to come spend your money there? Maybe a regular international street food (food truck?) event could tie in those themes? The roasted corn stand is a highlight in my book.

    Comment by Kelly — 11:03 am June 13, 2012 #

12. Selling points to whom, Kelly? Personally I find those better draws than whatever Fremont is marketing itself as these days.

    Comment by datamuse — 11:31 am June 13, 2012 #

13. It’s been a long time since I’ve commented but this is something that I have spent a lot of time thinking about – both as a White Center resident and as a person intimately involved with branding and marketing. My partner and I bought our first home in White Center nearly five years ago, within walking distance to the downtown core. Some friends suggested we be armed at all times and as ridiculous as I thought they were at the time, there have certainly been a few times that I questioned our sanity. But within that time period, we have had the unique opportunity to see the neighborhood change dramatically. We’ve welcomed the new businesses and new energy that has come with them. We’ve recently seen the return of the Sheriff’s storefront, the liquor store close, murals going up and a decrease of drunks sleeping in our parks and on the sidewalks.

    We are not the first community to evolve and we certainly won’t be the last but I think the most important thing is that we are having the discussion of how WE want our neighborhood to grow! I read a really great series of articles recently about the subject that can be found here for anyone interested:
    http://www.neighborhoodnotes.com/news/2012/05/neighborhood_branding_determining_what_to_change_and_how/

    Personally, I am fond of the nickname Rat City (& Dub-C for that matter) but I’m not really fond of Ratty, the uninspired clipart mascot. I think most of us that live in WC, both appreciate our gritty history and strife for a more promising future. Our little corner of the world may be a gem in the rough but it is a great place to live, as well as to visit and eat as so many people always point out! Despite the negative connotations that some people have, I believe that majority of us respect our neighbors and celebrate the diversity that makes up our community.

    Comment by Bayou — 11:40 am June 13, 2012 #

14. I love to see the pride in WC, I really do but does it need to come at the expense and mockery of other neighborhoods?

    Comment by Brandon — 11:48 am June 13, 2012 #

15. Brandon: yes. Rats are sarcastic and witty little creatures. It’s a scientific fact that they love to laugh at the expense of others.

    Comment by I. Ponder — 12:13 pm June 13, 2012 #

16. The real funky Fremont died years ago when the curio shop with the rocket closed. Now it’s just a glorified business park.

    Comment by MSW — 12:21 pm June 13, 2012 #

17. The funny thing about “rat city” is that if it’s proponents lived anywhere north their attitudes would be considered across the board snobbish. Whenever the topic comes up there are inevitable white center residents who champion their hood with claims of yuppy snootiness from those richy riches who flaunt their superiority by living in city limits. Boo-hoo how pretentious the junction is. Imagine if a neighborhood in town promoted pride in its residents by touting the fact that it isn’t white center and therefore better or safer. WC would be up in arms. In truth, the closest thing to superior behavior comes entirely from those pro white center voices who clearly are doing it as a knee jerk defensive reaction against an imagined upper class.

    Comment by Further Questions — 12:24 pm June 13, 2012 #

18. Does anybody really know where the trem rat in ratcity really came from? Well with a simple search to white center history will tell you. It was called RAT city because back in the forties there was a Recrutment And Training center for the army, thus the name RAT city. Does anybody know why it is called white center and how the choice was made? Look up White center history and you will be amazed at what you will find out. Just knowing the history will or schould help in deffining what image they want to show off.

    Comment by boy — 12:36 pm June 13, 2012 #

19. I grew up in Tukwila in the late 70′s. Lived in Belltown, and now in WS.

    White Center had many more bad connotations. Rat City was cool.
    In the past WC was the name you hear on the news when the helicopters fly over. It has much more going for it now.

    “Official” media never seems to call the area Rat City.
    The Restaurants, art, social reviews I’ve read do. hummmmm

    There was the same fight with Denny Regrade /Belltown/
    My thoughts are- leave “Rat City” under ground, it will get co-oped soon enough.
    (see history of Belltown/bridge and tunnel people)
    I heart RC
    Paraphrasing my old B-town saying:

    “White Center: a place on a map, Rat City: a state of mind. “

    Comment by ex downtowner — 1:05 pm June 13, 2012 #

20. I have lived in WC for 14 years. I have called this place White Center, Rat City, and “That Little Purgatory between Burien and West Seattle”. My wife and I bought our home here 6 years ago and are thrilled with the changes we’ve seen in the area. But I have to ask:

    1) Do we really need a mascot? Especially an “official” image of one? Really?

    2) As much as I would love to see a few more good businesses go in (there’s plenty of room) and see them flourish, how much change can WC take before it’s not really WC anymore? I guarantee you that before Freemont and West Seattle “changed”, people got together and held meetings and discussions (that included experts) on ways to market their neighborhood.

    Just sayin

    Comment by karl — 1:12 pm June 13, 2012 #

21. “Scrappy” and “industrious” are selling points for an emerging neighborhood.”
    From my personal memory, it will take about 6 years.

    First come the artist.
    Then the small cafes.
    Cute little business.
    Then brave souls.
    Then their friends.
    Then Starbucks
    Then we will be marching to a faster pace.
    Rents go up, everything that made it that way has to move.
    Only the hip memory will remain.

    We are about “Then their friends” line now so maybe less then 6 years.
    (see history of Capital hill, Pioneer Square, Belltown, Ballard, Paris, Berlin)

    Comment by ex downtowner — 1:41 pm June 13, 2012 #

22. I say keep calling it White Center. After all it is the name of one of the most important person that founded the place. White Center is named after Mr White.

    Comment by boy — 2:27 pm June 13, 2012 #

23. Somehow the “White Center Roller Girls” just doesn’t do it for me like the current name. Just a reminder that it is already called Rat City by many folks – just not on a website with a mascot. . . . .

    Comment by 2 Much Whine — 2:58 pm June 13, 2012 #

24. good call ex downtowner…gentrification at its finest

    Comment by Brandon — 2:59 pm June 13, 2012 #

25. One of the most beautiful places in the US is Boca Raton Fl. (Mouth of the Rat). I grew up in Cerro Gordo County (Fat Pig) Iowa. Rat City fits right in. Colorful name for a colorful place.

    Comment by Dave — 3:21 pm June 13, 2012 #

26. Some of the commenters don’t seem to understand that this isn’t a proposal to change the name “White Center”. It’s just about whether to use the “Rat City” nickname and logo.

    Comment by KBear — 4:12 pm June 13, 2012 #

27. I agree completely with ex downtowner and am already seeing it happen there. You people with good intentions may end up ruining it and it’s character. Read Jon Jech’s book of poetry “The Worlds Largest Elephant in Captivity” he wrote some poetry about white center. Also Hugo in the mid part of the last century. Jech hails from West Seattle may still be living. Save White Center from Itself

    Comment by DF — 4:49 pm June 13, 2012 #

28. Ciudad Raton!

    Wonder how you say it in Vietnamese?

    Comment by I. Ponder — 6:00 pm June 13, 2012 #

29. In my first post up above about “growing up in Tukwila” I said
    “My thoughts are: leave “Rat Cit y” under ground, it will get co-oped soon enough.”

    But Gentrification will happen.
    A nickname will or won’t be used forever, as is such with nicknames. let it pop up when it wants;)
    As far as logos are concerned there shouldn’t be an official logo, one should all make their own.

    Comment by ex downtowner — 7:57 pm June 13, 2012 #

30. Wonder how you say it in Vietnamese?

    .

    Google Translate sez;

    Rat Thành phố

    .

    Sounds tasty! ;-)

    .

    Mike

    Comment by miws — 8:22 pm June 13, 2012 #

31. Only neighborhood with a roller rink within spitting distance of the city line! I think we still have a ways to go to gentrification. When the porn shop and the back-to-back creepy bars on 16th are replaced by something slightly more “upscale”, then we’re in trouble. But I don’t think that will ever *really* happen, because there are too many immigrants. White people still flock to other white people. Ballard and Fremont were working class, artsy, and somewhat gritty, but they were still really white.

    Comment by AJP — 8:38 pm June 13, 2012 #

32. @ Dave
    Cerro Gordo correct translation is “fat hill” not “fat pig”

    Comment by La neta — 11:00 pm June 13, 2012 #

33. Rat City was a term that I believe came in during WWII and it had nothing to do with rats but training facilities.

    Comment by homesweethome — 12:46 pm June 14, 2012 #

34. I like Rat City, but as for “Ratty” I was thinking more along the lines of Big Daddy Roth’s Rat Fink. Maybe just clean up RF a little, but still lots more attitude.

    Comment by Roy — 11:54 pm June 14, 2012 #

35. Ajp nice to see racism is still alive and well on the peninsula

    Comment by Jw — 10:13 am June 15, 2012 #

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