Category: Gentrification

Entropy, 2012

On By Fred KingIn 2012, abandoned, abandoned buildings, B&W, black & white, cancer, entropy, Environment, Gentrification, Georgetown, Seattle, Nikon D7000, Personal History, Seattle, themes, Thoughts, wandering, wandering photographer, WashingtonLeave a comment

Some images taken in 2012 in the Georgetown area of Seattle. Years ago I was shooting in a few neighborhoods or sections of Seattle that seemed to be gentrifying faster than I could cover: Georgetown, First Hill and SODO. At the time of shooting these images, this wall ( if you zoom in a little), you can see the large, metal support poles holding this free standing brick wall. Developers, with the permission or encouragement of the City, rarely side with the notion of preservation. Eventually, this policy, destroys any hope for a sense of history to survive. If you control the perception of the past, by elimination, you lose the sense of connection to the history of our past.

{Quick health update: my last scan showed that the areas of concern are ‘stable’, which is good news. I’m still doing immunotherapy ( Durvalumab) every 28 days, which will continue ‘indefinitely ‘. Being a cancer patient for 18 or so months has been weird, but so far I think I’m one of the lucky ones.}

Cain Bolt and Gasket

On By Fred KingIn Architecture, B&W, buildings, Duwamish River, Fall, Gentrification, Nikon D610, Personal History, Puget Sound, Seattle, Signage, South Park, street, Thoughts, trespassing, Uncategorized, WashingtonLeave a comment

Version 2

Aug. 1955. Me fishing on the Duwamsh River.

I’ve been exploring the South Park area of Seattle on Sundays for 10+ years. It’s a unique mix of light industry and residential that hugs the Duwamish River on the East and the hills, that lead to White Center, on the West. It’s a gritty step back in time. Slowly most of the scrap metal businesses have been shut down, closed or the land sold. In time this area will probably look like many other gentrified neighborhoods, but it will be a slower transition here so it is fun to explore and document what is there now.

When I was four years old I actually lived in South Park for about a year before my parents moved. We lived very close to the river. I have a photo of myself at that age ‘fishing’ on the Duwamish River near our apartment. I think I have posted it, but if not I can do that. One of the few photos of me from my childhood ( see above -I found the image). For some reason I keep coming back to this area of Seattle.

Georgetown Vanished

On By Fred KingIn abandoned buildings, brick, buildings, design, Gentrification, Georgetown, Seattle, Nikon D80, Seattle, Signage, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Over the past 10 years I have been photographing two Seattle neighborhoods, South Park and Georgetown. Both neighborhoods have been going through a lot of changes, but more so in the case of Georgetown. This wall is now gone.

The above brick wall was part of the massive. brick structure of the old Seattle Brewery. Today, this wall is gone. At the time I shot these images the walls were propped up or stabilized, on the back side, with large, steel rods or beams ( it wouldn’t take much of an earthquake to being them down). Arched windows, signage and other brick details are really cool and add so much character. Details, that today, would never even be a consideration in constructing a building, brick or otherwise.

My next posting will be of another old structure, Seattle Flour Company in West Seattle.