Photographs - West Seattle and Downtown Christmas lights 


This is a collection of photos illustrating houses in West Seattle (including our own) and some of the downtown streets all decked out in Christmas lights. I spent a few nights walking around West Seattle between Gatewood Hill and Morgan Junction capturing some of the more colorful decorations. I was downtown last Wednesday (12/15/04) and on the way home, about 10:00 pm, captured some lights along Pine Street and 4th and 1st Avenues.

There are scant captions to accompany the images since it would be mostly irrelevant as to whose house or which office or store building was being lit. It's mostly the bright lights and the dark skies which I was trying to capture. Downtown seems as bedecked as it was last year. However, the neighborhood - at least here in this section of West Seattle, seems less lit than it was this time last year. Not sure the reason and this is not an empirical observation but simply a "feeling" based on walking around a lot last Christmas time and walking around a lot so far this Christmas season.

The economy still hasn't rebounded fully here in Seattle and perhaps the reduction in houses lit with Christmas lights is a reflection of hard times for some folks. If so, that's a real pity because these same folks probably have the lights but just don't feel like putting them up. The lights are certainly a welcome change from the early darkness here in the Northwest woods. We've been getting more fog this December than I remember last year, which is always a treat for me, what with the really neat things fog does with lights and the fog-horns blaring away from the Fauntleroy Ferry Dock area and very often from far away in the Sound. In fact, last night the fog rolled in so quickly that it nearly covered our ridge completely - and by that I mean we couldn't see fifty feet away. And, just as mysteriously, it cleared up remarkably fast about three hours later. Something, no doubt, about the dew point and the prevailing winds and airborne moisture. Love it, though. Herewith a series of images: 


This is 3903 SW Monroe St., our house. Sort of the same look as last
year except now we have these upper floor windows we can light.


Christmas lights from West Seattle neighborhoods






























Last in the series of West Seattle, Gatewood Hill-Morgan Junction
neighborhood Christmas light images.


Caffe Ladro, California Avenue SW, inside and out


Inside Caffe Ladro, on California Avenue SW. This is from one of
the tables looking towards the counter.


From the same table looking towards the back of the cafe, where
they've got two couches set up in a little alcove.


This is looking into the alcove with the Caffe Ladro Christmas tree.
Customers can buy gifts and place a star on the tree and then the gifts
will be given to a local charity for distribution to those less fortunate.


Outside Caffe Ladro looking in towards the counter. They got these
great wooden chairs set up out front and in the Summer they are
always filled. In Winter they are sometimes filled but usually not.

And now a series of Christmas light images from Downtown

















And now a series of images from Pike Place Market and Market area

















And, finally, a very wide-angle view of Pike Place Market



And a view looking north along First Avenue toward the Market area



And that's it for these images. More words soon. Have a pleasant
set of holiday days whatever holiday you're celebrating - Kwanza,
Christmas, Hanukah, or the Winter Solstice (coming up fast, thank goodness). 

Posted: Sun - December 19, 2004 at 11:17 AM          

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