Comments on: Past Post: Two Symbols Of Modern Times http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/ Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:01:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Shannon http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-9308 Shannon Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:55:39 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-9308 Thanks for preserving a little piece of the Seattle Monorail history. It's great to find the old stuff like this when we're doing research for <a href="http//www.monorailmovie.com/" rel="nofollow">www.monorailmovie.com</a> -Shannon M Thanks for preserving a little piece of the Seattle Monorail history. It’s great to find the old stuff like this when we’re doing research for http://www.monorailmovie.com

-Shannon M

]]> By: LM http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-9200 LM Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:30:33 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-9200 I love this postcard and I do wish the monorail had been built. I love this postcard and I do wish the monorail had been built.

]]> By: John http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-4322 John Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:11:45 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-4322 Yes, the portion of Westlake Ave between the intersection of 5th Ave and Olive Way and Pine St. was vacated and Westlake Center now covers it. The Bartell Drug store in the photo is where the fountain is now in Westlake Plaza. The monorail tracks were "straightened" at the point where the monorail train is in the photo so they now continue south on 5th Ave instead of following the vacated portion of Westlake. Westlake used to connect to 4th Ave at Pike St. The pedestrian plaza in the photo (between the photographer and the monorail station) was formerly street. I don't know when it was closed to vehicles. I was born in 1960 and I remember the original monorail station. My main memory is of how dark it was under the station along Pine St. Those covered tube-like structures at the sounth end of the station are long ramps that allowed access to the station without stairs (there were also stairs not visible). Other than the Bartell Drugs and the redeveloped Westlake Center, most of the buildings in this photo survive. The small brick triangular building barely visible to the east of the station is gone (now part of the Westlake Center property). The Seaboard building that fills the right border of the photo was redeveloped as high end condos in 2000. The light-colored building immediately east of the station with the red banners was at the time Nordstrom Best (original name of Nordstrom) and after that I. Magnin. I've written to Paul Dorpat several times over the years asking him to find and publish photos of the original monorail station because I couldn't remember it clearly. Thanks for the postcard! Yes, the portion of Westlake Ave between the intersection of 5th Ave and Olive Way and Pine St. was vacated and Westlake Center now covers it. The Bartell Drug store in the photo is where the fountain is now in Westlake Plaza. The monorail tracks were “straightened” at the point where the monorail train is in the photo so they now continue south on 5th Ave instead of following the vacated portion of Westlake.

Westlake used to connect to 4th Ave at Pike St. The pedestrian plaza in the photo (between the photographer and the monorail station) was formerly street. I don’t know when it was closed to vehicles.

I was born in 1960 and I remember the original monorail station. My main memory is of how dark it was under the station along Pine St. Those covered tube-like structures at the sounth end of the station are long ramps that allowed access to the station without stairs (there were also stairs not visible).

Other than the Bartell Drugs and the redeveloped Westlake Center, most of the buildings in this photo survive. The small brick triangular building barely visible to the east of the station is gone (now part of the Westlake Center property). The Seaboard building that fills the right border of the photo was redeveloped as high end condos in 2000. The light-colored building immediately east of the station with the red banners was at the time Nordstrom Best (original name of Nordstrom) and after that I. Magnin.

I’ve written to Paul Dorpat several times over the years asking him to find and publish photos of the original monorail station because I couldn’t remember it clearly. Thanks for the postcard!

]]> By: Cory R. King http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-4076 Cory R. King Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:39:20 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-4076 I'm glad we never built the monorail... Look how little respect the monorail station pays to its surroundings. It covered all the public space and cast awkward shadows everywhere. Look how little respect the track paid toward the historic buildings it went by? If that thing got built, it would have been the biggest eye sore this city ever saw. It is amazing though. I can barely see how the westlake mall overlays what was in those pictures. I guess what makes it confusing is where the road met the station is now part of the mall, right? I’m glad we never built the monorail… Look how little respect the monorail station pays to its surroundings. It covered all the public space and cast awkward shadows everywhere. Look how little respect the track paid toward the historic buildings it went by?

If that thing got built, it would have been the biggest eye sore this city ever saw.

It is amazing though. I can barely see how the westlake mall overlays what was in those pictures. I guess what makes it confusing is where the road met the station is now part of the mall, right?

]]> By: Didi http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-3893 Didi Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:54:49 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-3893 I need to get my ass on a moonrail just so I can have that experience. I need to get my ass on a moonrail just so I can have that experience.

]]> By: Chainsaw Riggins http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-3887 Chainsaw Riggins Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:27:56 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/12/07/past-post-two-symbols-of-modern-times/#comment-3887 Wow, it's nice to see a picture of the Westlake Mall area before the 80s threw up all over it! Wow, it’s nice to see a picture of the Westlake Mall area before the 80s threw up all over it!

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