Manhole Cover Art

While taking visitors sightseeing along streets I had already walked, I spotted two examples of manhole cover art. One (by Nathan Jackson and untitled) was along Alaskan Way near the Bell Street Cruise Terminal.

and the other (by Nancy Blum, titled City Light, City Bright) was outside the South Lake Union Whole Foods store.







I had already spotted art covers near Theo's Chocolate Factory in Fremont (this one by Betsy Best-Spadaro, titled Water Ring)

and by the Recovery Cafe near Denny Way.

On September 11, 2012, I came across this one at 5th and Union (I saw another one of these at 5th and Lenora on February 3, 2013)

and this one at 9th and Stewart (and on 2-20-14 at Yesler between 17th and 18th).

On September 14th, I came across this cover across from the Safeco Field Home Plate entrance. I'm not sure it's part of the same art project but it was appropriate for the location.

On September 21st, I noted this cover at 2nd and Cedar

and this one at 3rd and Clay.

On October 30, 2012, I spotted this one at 5th and James and I saw one of the same design at 9th and Pine on December 7, 2012.

On November 30, 2012, I spotted this one (titled City Grid) at 3rd and Pine, on August 28, 2013 at 1st and Pike and on April 26, 2014 at 2nd between Spring and Seneca

On Jaunary 30, 2013, I spotted these two manhole covers and a few utility covers outside the Waterfall Garden at 2nd and Main.

Walking north on 2nd, I spotted two more covers and then two more Nathan Jackson covers at 3rd and Columbia and 2nd and Seneca.

According to http://www.kpluwonders.org/content/why-did-seattle-turn-manhole-covers-works-art, there are 115 covers and
There is no list or map of where they are. The covers are stored in utility warehouses and used or moved around as needed, just like the regular manhole covers.

I wonder if they will be there when I return to these locations. So far, I have spotted about 23 of the 115 covers (I don't think the Home Plate cover is included in the 115 count); on April 26, 2014, I finally spotted two of the nine Edward Garth untitled covers (see picture below).  Nathan Jackson's Native American design seems to be the most common (I've seen 8 and I think there are 32) followed by City Light, City Bright (I've spotted 7). I've only seen three Water Ring (I don't know how many exist) and three Seattle Grid (I think there are 19 of these).

I've read that there are new hatch covers, named The Web, in the redeveloped South Lake Union area. I returned to the area on August 24, 2016 and spotted two, one at Valley and Westlake and the other at Mercer and Westlake.

On April 16, 2014, I spotted two of these Edward Garth covers on 2nd between Spring and Seneca. I had never seen this design before.

The very first art cover I spotted was in an intersection but almost every other one I have spotted has been on the sidewalk. I don't know if it's because I'm walking on the sidewalk making the ones under my feet more obvious or if the city is placing most of the covers on the sidewalk.

Briarcliff Neighborhood of Magnolia

Last Friday, I took an east coast friend for a walk along Magnolia Bluff. We walked 4 miles along the streets bounded by Magnolia Boulevard, Rosemont Place and 36th Avenue W. It wasn't the clearest day but we still had great views of the Sound from the Magnolia Boulevard viewpoints.

This is a tailored neighborhood with sidewalks, curbs, underground utilities and picture-perfect homes and gardens.

My friends favorite house had a roses arbor.

We observed beautiful gardens,

lovingly planted parking strips, joggers, dog walkers, gardeners

and a bus stop waste basket with a bouquet of silk flowers.

This was a great walk and my garden-loving friend was impressed by this beautiful neighborhood.

Briarcliff and Southeast Magnolia

My pastry loving pal and I went to Magnolia today to walk and eat pastries at the Upper Crust Bakery; both were wonderful. Our 5.3 mile walk took us along streets between 32nd and 36th Avenues W from McGraw to Barrett.

This neighborhood has lovely homes and gardens

and fairly level streets.

This area is home to Pop Mounger Pool,

West Magnolia Playfield,

the Magnolia Community Center which was quite busy today,

Catharine Blaine School,

the Magnolia Branch of the Seattle Public Library,

the Magnolia United Methodist Church and Discovery Montessori School

and Magnolia United Church of Christ.


We went into a few shops and everyone was very friendly. We stopped to chat with an elderly gentleman who lovingly told us tales of his mother cooking three meals a day including baking biscuits every morning.

Another enjoyable walk.

Downtown

Chores brought me downtown, yesterday, so I decided to fill in streets along the periphery of the business district. I walked 8 miles to and from the bus and my chores, along the waterfront and near Yesler.

It was a summer day but, before 10 AM,  clouds (or maybe it was fog) enveloped the tops of many of the taller buildings.

Just north of Yesler, I observed lots of King County buildings (with connecting bridges), the courthouse and many bails bond storefronts.

I noted a undeveloped hillside and walked up to look at the Goat Hill Giving Garden which is an educational garden maintained by King County employees and neighbors.

Nearby is a memorial to erected by the Homeless Remembrance Project; the leaves on the sidewalk under the tree contain the names of homeless men and women who have died.

Near Pioneer Square, I noted an intersection at Cherry where the traffic lights were timed so that all cars stopped at the same time and pedestrians walking in all directions crossed at the same time.

I passed a green space.










Nearby was the fountain at Prefontaine Place that was donated to the city by Msgr. F. X. Prefontaine.

Along the waterfront, I observed lots of tourists, the Colman Ferry Dock, Ivar's on Pier 54, Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, the Argosy cruise dock, the Seattle Aquarium, Waterfront Park (where, in 1896, the first regularly scheduled steamer arrived from the Orient and marked the birth of Seattle as an international port),

and Pier 57 where I admired the new ferris wheel and went inside to see the carousel, taxidermy animals and the rat pack.

Other sights included a mounted police officer letting a daycare group admire his horse, the new downtown Target store (called City), the Seattle Mystery Bookshop, Post Alley, Harbor Steps, a "Waterfront Seattle" arch,

an Indian carving small totem poles,

a Seattle Pedicab,

the wall of gum outside the Market Theatre

and art on a fence surrounding a construction site. These pieces are self portraits by John Fleming and are made from traffic signs and test panels.

This walk included new discoveries and old favorites.