16 Replies to "New York by-and-by"

• GenHillOne September 9, 2007 (7:23 pm)

  Craaaaap. I guess I didn’t know the address when you mentioned it before. Pity.

• Sue September 9, 2007 (7:31 pm)

  Oh, puh-leeze: “New York style” direct entry elevators? I’m from NYC and I don’t have any idea what they mean. Perhaps the elevators that enter into your apartment directly? Nobody has this in real life. Okay, maybe the multi-million dollar penthouses that “real people” don’t own. Or maybe on TV in a fantasy world, like the apartments that they had on Friends that 20 of my friends would’ve had to go in on to afford. Tack a “New York” name on something and it just gives them the ability to charge more and make you think you’re special by buying into it. If I wanted “NY Style” anything, I would’ve stayed in NY!

• Bonnie September 9, 2007 (7:35 pm)

  Anything for the big $$.

• Jan September 9, 2007 (8:05 pm)

  what a lovely building….and what non-descript crap will architects dream up to replace it ! Yes, I realize that growth is inevitable, and that change is inevitable, and that we need to be flexible in some of it, but where are our city planners, leaders, etc., the ones that can rein in some of this tear-down, rebuild stuff to a more appropriate speed. Do what you want with the inside, but keep that beautiful brick exterior…please.

• Velvet Bulldog September 9, 2007 (8:43 pm)

  As one of the few real-live Seattle natives, I feel justified in saying that we don’t appreciate our history as well as we should. This manifests itself in acts such as selling the Kalakala to be a fish factory, and tearing down our classic buildings. The developer will probably put up something unremarkable, however because I work with a number of developers (who surprisingly aren’t ALL knuckle-dragging heathens with fangs) I have to say it’s disappointing that the SELLER didn’t try to preserve the building. It’s easy to make a fast buck by selling your commercial property these days, sometimes to the detriment of our neighborhoods. (See also “Charlestown Cafe” posts!)

• k September 9, 2007 (8:45 pm)

  we were walking on alki the other day and took special note of that building. we commented on how we hoped it would stay. guess or hopes are dashed. as is the norm out here in west seattle lately. sad. very sad.

• Christopher Boffoli September 9, 2007 (9:05 pm)

  Yes, those direct entry elevators are common in many of the really upscale, old school Upper East Side apartments in NYC. I doubt the Seattle versions will have the discrete little button on the elevator panel that calls you a cab (via a light that goes on outside the building) so it is waiting by the time you get down to the front door.

• flipjack September 9, 2007 (10:07 pm)

  New York Style?? Great! I guess we can let our dogs poop on the sidewalk in front of the new building, just like the BIg Apple!! Woohoo!

• Fiona September 10, 2007 (2:54 am)

  I just noticed that sign Sunday morning and looked back at the archives on the wsb, but I was hoping that it was a conversion not a teardown. Same vintage as the apartments just southwest of the Charlestown cafe. If Alki can stop a hotel from going forward, can they also stop development like this, especially so close to it’s neighborhood center?

• sassy September 10, 2007 (9:10 am)

  Is there ANYWHERE left to rent in West Seattle? What a shame, such a charming building. Reminds me of an English Cottage by the sea.

• Mickymse September 10, 2007 (1:39 pm)

  I really wish we encouraged more of this around our City: http://www.livehistoric.com

• Amy September 10, 2007 (9:18 pm)

  I used to live on the upper floor of Shoremont – western most apartment. It was awesome. Amazing location, and the apt had a lot of character. There is a short shot of the Shoremont in “Sleepless in Seattle”, so I’ll be able to watch that to be nostalgic. Too bad they are getting demolished. They are so “Alki” to me.

• Matthias September 10, 2007 (9:31 pm)

  Obviously, the Zoning allows for the increase in density, and frankly, increasing density in the areas where the infrastructure already exists is the most responsible type of development, isn’t it? Much better than taking all the trees off of a hillside or paving roads out to the hinterlands, I have to believe. It is a shame that seismic retrofit of this building appears to make it cost prohibitive (?) to retain as much as possible of this time honored building, as a portion of the new structure.

  Speaking to the architectural design, like every other component of the real estate development process in present times, is typically given to the low bidder. Few developers see the value in breaking this mold, because they see themselves as the only party taking any risk, and too many design firms are willing to oblige their whims.

  This lack of foresight and willingness to compromise has been a major contributing factor behind all the litigation in multi-family and mixed use projects over the past 15 years. Efficient, attractive and utilitarian design is consistently undervalued, and it truly is a shame when an existing building of these characteristics is sacrificed to be replaced by one that is not. The loss to the community is far greater than that of the structure itself.

• Velvet Bulldog September 11, 2007 (8:31 pm)

  Hear, hear Matthias.

• Bruce September 24, 2007 (3:43 pm)

  Good point about the cost of seismic retrofit. A shame the city can’t give a tax break to fix that. It seems to happen so often in our city. The charming building at 7th and Madison just got demolished…

  I read the sign and it looks like the official comment period is past. I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner or I would have tried to mention it to the Mayor while he was at the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty the other day.

• Chris September 25, 2007 (3:59 pm)

  Please check out livehistoric.com to see what we are doing with some of Seattle’s historic buildings. We pride ourselves in bringing buildings back to life that might have otherwise been torn down.

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