Today's perfect graphic description of Queen Anne would be a hill with a gigantic crane perched on top, with many smaller ones cascading down the sides, while Magnolia would be presented as a calm oasis, surrounded by quietude and still waters. Quite a contrast.
Is the lack of rampant development in Magnolia due to the careful neighborhood preservation work of its citizens, or are the developers wary of a significant economic down-turn when the Magnolia Bridge res-toration project finally gets underway? Magnolia has seen a good bit of infill on the periphery, and a few inroads in their "downtown" core, but overall the scale and distinct character of the neighborhood has not been substantially altered.
Queen Anne, on the other hand, appears to be under assault. A few years ago, significant development took place along Aurora Avenue, culminating in a wall of condominiums that have completely obliterated the view of Lake Union from the roadway. But that area was never really seen as part of the neighborhood, and the office park developments along Dexter Avenue seemed to be a part of what some called the Cascadia neighborhood development. About the same time there was an infill of large condominium proj-ects on the lower West slope of the hill. At that time there was a sharp uptick in traffic on the top of the hill, but nothing to get too shrill about.
Now the cat is out of the bag on Queen Anne Avenue North, Mercer Street, Fifth Avenue North and in Lower Queen Anne. Housing and retail complexes that consume entire blocks contrast sharply with the former intimate scale of locally owned businesses. If the new businesses are not doing your nails, or providing you with all the amenities of a spa/gym, then they seem to fall into categories of upscale clothing/accessories boutiques, upscale restaurants/bars and specialized food emporiums.
The contrast is stark. Fortunately I can still shop at some of the surviving businesses and greet the owners and workers by name. Love their smiles, their products, and most importantly their sense of service to the community. They also make me feel so "local" and "sustainable," to use the current buzzwords. The new businesses are interesting additions to our neighborhood needs. They aggressively greet you and obviously want to become part of the community. But the moderne sleekness of these shops and restaurants, their prices and quite frankly the "decadence" of their products so far is off-putting.
I miss the gas station and Judy's fine service; happily I found her again at Dravus Street and 15th. In the past five years we have seen the rise and the demise of many small businesses. We have also seen new businesses now warmly embraced by the community.
It will be interesting to watch how all the grand-scale infill sorts out over the coming years. I welcome all the merchants who want to participate in the community. I will encourage everyone to support them. It is so important to be intertwined locally.[[In-content Ad]]
