I had lunch at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown today, and took these pictures.
The U.S. Bank Center building between 5th and 6th Avenue is 44 stories tall and opened in 1989. I had worked inside it on occasion— once upon a time, and years ago now. The American Eagle clothing store that used to be in the domed structure on the corner is long gone.There are still lots and lots of empty storefronts downtown. This used to be the Nike store in downtown Seattle (formerly NikeTown), on 6th Ave and Pike St. It closed down permanently in January 2023.A line of lavender taxi cabs at the entrance to the Sheraton Hotel. (So yes, they are still in business and have not been completely supplanted by Uber drivers).Here is where I had my lunch, on the second floor. It is open to Washington Athletic Club members only, and I was invited by a member of the club 🤗.Done with lunch and now I am snapping a few more pictures on the way to the Seattle Library. The Skinner building was built in 1926 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I love the detail on the frames above the entrance.A close-up view of Park Place building on 6th Avenue. It is a 21-story office tower built in the 1970s and fully renovated by international architect and tenant Gensler in 2012. Is this an example of brutalist architecture*? I wondered. *Brutalist architecture is a style known for its use of raw concrete, bold geometric forms, and functional design, often characterized by a rough, unadorned aesthetic.The Crowne Plaza Seattle-Downtown on 6th Ave is a 34-story hotel that was built in 1980 and renovated in 2019. That’s the Park Place building from the previous picture, in the reflection.Looks like Seattle International Film Festival 2025 is about to start. That first frame on the film negative below is from the 2023 romance/drama movie Past Lives. (I have seen it and I liked it a lot).Arrived at the Seattle Public Library‘s entrance on 5th Avenue, and I’m taking the obligatory shot (obligatory for me) of the diamond pattern of the outside frame.Done in the library and waiting for the G-line bus. In the reflection is the 1928 building of what is today the nine-story Executive Hotel Pacific.And here comes the G-line bus on Spring Street, to take me back up to Capitol Hill.
