I grew up in Montlake and these things (along wiht the sadly doomed old MOHAI) were a big part of my childhood (including warnings from my mom that I was bound to land on a canoe and die if I jumped off). What are they going to do about the Marsh Walk?
By the way, the freeway to nowhere also served as a climbing wall at one point: about 15 years back someone installed holds, since torn off, all the way up one of the columns; if your hand slipped, you fell into the water.
Beautifully written. I don't think I've ever felt so heartbroken about abandoned on/off ramps... Now it feels like we're losing a friend, and I think it's a very true feeling.
Ah... what sweet memories of my well-spent youth. Time wasted, me wasted, taking in the absurd beauty of the place. I'm sad this is happening. This column was a lovely elegy.
This is beautiful tribute, Jen. Jumping off those ramps into Lake Washington inspired one of my plays. I hope there is indeed a memorial structure to keep them in mind.
Spent many days there. When we were kids, we built a raft and launched it in their shadows. It sank. We weren't very good at rafts. The big kids would jump off then. We were in awe. We were still too small to jump though. I've moved far away since and still wish I was big enough then to jump. Or at least build a raft that floats.
this zone of the city is so metaphysically charged, there is the nightly roost of trillions of crows, a vast black murder of corvids and the crowning masterpiece of Seattle public art, Max Gurvich's Aurora Borealis.
If my husband and I pinpoint the moment we fell in love, it occurred on this bridge. We only referred to it as the abandoned freeway. We looked into the water, we stared up at the stars. A rare opportunity to exist in the city, and feel completely alone.
selling spiritualism, commodifying a place of natural beauty. If the condo sodomy cannot by impeded, give the people an offset. Sell the overpasses to avaricious development beasts and ise the revenue to fund free mass tramsit. Even the crows will cackle at that altruism.
This article made me so sad. I have so many memories of the park and canoeing and just relaxing... the city keeps edging toward something I no longer want to be part of. And I was born and raised here...
It's already a kind of High Line...it is whatever those present want it to be, a Rorschach High Line. The article, nicely and poetically written, says that it is being torn down to make way for the new 520....but is it actually, in fact in the way? It is attached, but they could separate it, no?
The first time I saw these, I was 90% sure I was hallucinating since it seemed so incredibly unlikely that there would be a series of ramps just hanging there over the water. Sad to see them go away.
By the way, the freeway to nowhere also served as a climbing wall at one point: about 15 years back someone installed holds, since torn off, all the way up one of the columns; if your hand slipped, you fell into the water.
http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/mobil…
I agree also with comment 12-- that part of the city is a strange, powerful place.
I'm guessing it was so before the ramps, too. I hope it will remain so.
They're finally going somewhere, though, aren't they? Those ramps, laughing as they fall, paving the way for the future.
They know that sometimes
The only way to move forward
Is to just
Stand
Still.
I agree also with comment 12-- that part of the city is a strange, powerful place.
I'm guessing it was so before the ramps, too. I hope it will remain so.
They're finally going somewhere, though, aren't they? Those ramps, laughing as they fall, paving the way for the future.
They know that sometimes
The only way to move forward
Is to just
Stand
Still.