Among the parties playing out all over Queen Anne on Aug. 7 was the one on Nob Hill. Representatives from some 41 families who live on Nob Hill Avenue North between Boston and McGraw and on other nearby streets gathered around 6:30 p.m., bringing food and drink with them.
Dan Barr cooked a salmon for all to share. Joan Enticknap brought rotisserie-grilled chicken; Marlys and Annie, who is the fourth generation living in her house, brought pesto torta; someone brought a cabbage salad and others some pasta salads. And lots more.
The younger set, looking forward to dessert, eyed the Hershey bars and marshmallows that sat near a grill, ready to be made into s’mores. These fixings had been brought by Liz Morrison and her husband.
Carmen and Jim Suazo took photos of the Nob Hill houses, had them printed, and posted them on butcher paper taped to a car. They went to the Internet to get the date each house had been built — the oldest was 1907. As the residents came forward to introduce themselves to the group, they pointed to the house that was theirs and offered a few thoughts.
“The vibe we got when we first came here convinced us this would be a great place to live,” said Joe Whittinghill.
Cheers went up. “You’re a keeper,” shouted someone in the assembled group.
Joe explained that he and his partner bought a house formerly owned by Seattle architect Bill Blair. They did an extensive remodel, but despite this, they still feel “we live in Bill’s house,” he said.
Many residents talked about their children, their dogs and cats. Alan Ross said his two sons were away traveling in Europe. “I wish I had my children’s lives,” he said to laughter.
Another resident alerted the assembled group that she frequently had to drive away to her job at a radio station at 3:30 a.m. when she was filling in for someone and that folks should not be concerned about this early morning departure.
One woman said she and her husband arrived on Nob Hill in 1980 when blackberry bushes grew up to their second-story window. “I left, couldn’t take it anymore, but then I moved back,” she said.
One couple wandered in and said they believed they had come to the wrong block party. No matter, residents said, “We extend our welcome.”
Seattle police say the figure of 36 block parties on Queen Anne represents those registered for the event, but that frequently parties pop up spontaneously at the last minute and the number did not include them. Seattle police spokesperson Mark Jamieson said that of the 36 parties, 10 were in the 98109 zip code and 26 were in the 98119 zip code. In Seattle as a whole, 1,366 block parties were held on Aug. 14 — 38 more than last year.
Night Out is a national crime prevention event designed to heighten crime awareness by neighbors getting to know each other better and in that process, know what is normal for their community.