Comments on: Bell Street Auto 1935

By: Matt the Journeyman

Matt the Journeyman — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:12:01 +0000

Greg, if I was smart, I’d look this up in the Seattle Times or Seattle Post-Intelligencer archives. Then we’d just know, wouldn’t we?

By: didi

didi — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:02:56 +0000

Oh, this IS a very cool shot indeed. The possible intrigue of the broken winodws makes it even more interesting.

By: Todd

Todd — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:16:32 +0000

The 211 was a great place. I loved the rules that were posted. Rule number 1 was No Bulls**t!

By: Seattle Greg

Seattle Greg — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:41:03 +0000

Matt…

Maybe they are arson investigators? Whatever it was, the reflection in the window across the street shows a building that was fairly damaged… Prohibition is over by 1935… but fire, or some other problem… Anne Rule, you there?

By: Matt the Journeyman

Matt the Journeyman — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:00:03 +0000

Do we know the backstory here? I want to imagine that this is the day after a fire, maybe an arson — note that part or all of the door is gone, the window panes as someone noted are all blown out, and there’s a rope across the entrance — and that the spooky dudes outside are lawyers who are waiting for the photographer to finish taking this shot but preferred not to get their shoes mucky in the post-conflagration layer of ash and water. I’m just sayin’.

By: Jana

Jana — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:30:56 +0000

I’m curious what defendant’s exhibit means – was this taken for a lawsuit of some sort?

@Matt the J – Same! It felt like seeing a ghost to me for some reason!

another GREAT photo!!

By: joe contractor

joe contractor — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:28:08 +0000

I had the pleasure of working on this building this past fall. It was an import car repair shop until last year, now it is for lease. The building above in the background is still there, occupied by young city dwellers and dozens of stray cats. The block is a time capsule. Construction on the speakeasy parcel is scheduled to start this spring.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:50:37 +0000

Before the Speakeasy was there, it was the location of Display and Costume Supply. Then they moved out to Northgate.

By: ChrisA

ChrisA — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:38:29 +0000

Great photo, Jess. FYI, the 211 Club (pool hall) was upstairs from the Speakeasy Cafe for quite a while. A great old school place amidst the encroaching gentrification of Belltown. Pitchers of Rainier, clouds of smoke, and silent serious pool sharks…

The 211 occupied the large upper floor of the building from about 1987 – 2000. The Speakeasy was downstairs from about 1995 – the fire of 2001. Turned my stomach to drive past the charred remains…

By: wafflesnfalafel

wafflesnfalafel — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:31:21 +0000

Looks like the addition to the west where Mama’s Mexican Kitchen is now hasn’t even been built yet. Pretty cool this building is still here. Reminds me a little of the building that Elliot Bay Books is going into up on Capitol Hill.