(Images: John Feit)
Buildings are relatively simple to write about.
They are objects within the landscape and as such are easy to quantitatively define easing the path to a qualitative assessment. Landscapes, on the other hand, can be more challenging as they are often composed of a seemingly infinite number of parts. The relative position between landscape and viewer can present challenges as well. Buildings typically has a front, back, and sides. The main facade, often where the entry is, usually grabs the most attention and is the view seen in glossy magazines. Landscape lacks such frontal qualities. What tree, hill, river, or plaza has a defined front (or back, for that matter)? While there are certainly advantageous views that elicit feelings of lesser or greater satisfaction, landscape’s ensemble of vegetation, geography, geology, buildings, and other characteristics make it more challenging to succinctly describe; yet, it is these very qualities that also make it more satisfying and emotionally evocative than most buildings.
It is these multifaceted and often elusive qualities that keep me writing about what I enjoy most about Capitol Hill, the amazing variety of landscapes both architectural and otherwise. Landscape is all encompassing, yet hard to distill to key points that are succinctly shared.
With landscapes as diverse as Pike/Pine and Volunteer Park, one would have to put conditions on what constitutes one’s favorite Capitol Hill landscape, such as: which is my favorite commercial street, distant view, or verdant park? Despite this inexorable taxonomical quandary, Bellevue, Bellevue, and Bellevue, on the northwest corner of the Hill, certainly presents opportunities to engage landscapes that are among the Hill’s finest.
Its charms are many — too many for just one post — so I start with with that quality which I think is the most noteworthy: the combination of both close-in and distant vistas as well as the variety of both natural and created landscapes that are all available for enjoyment within a two or three block area.
The first landscape considered is one to the northwest of the Hill, as framed by Belmont Ave. It proves an excellent example of both near-in and distant landscape: lush foliage in the foreground, Lake Union in the mid-ground, and the handsome Aurora Bridge with Ballard/Fremont in the background. Any of these landscapes in and of itself deserves at least passing attention — combine all and you really have something special .
The Japanese have a term for the conscious layering of near and distant views — shakkei — or, borrowed scenery. It is hard to know if city planners had scenic views in mind when the street-grid was mapped, but I would not be surprised if capturing these views was a conscious decision. A more compressed view immediately to the south of the first is one of Queen Anne, again with Lake Union in the foreground. It lacks the distant spatial layering of the first image, but consequently allows more detailed views of the boats and shoreline buildings.
A block to the west offers mostly mid and distant views, including one containing Seattle’s most famous built landmark; the cacophony of cranes a reminder that landscapes are constantly changing. Beyond Paul Allen’s domain, there is a glimpse of the southern peaks of the distance Olympic Mountains. This overall landscape exhibits the ingredients that many of us cherish about living in Seattle — a dynamic urban realm set in a spectacular natural setting.
Equally compelling is a sequence of landscape views quite different from the previous, and conveniently nested between them. They are more compact and do not rely on distant vistas to lend them their richness, yet Capitol Hill’s diverse topography remains a vital ingredient. Capitol Hill streets often traverse at rather oblique, off-grid angles in order to negotiate the abrupt changes in elevation. The combination of steepness and off-grid leads to juxtapositions between building and landscape. The first image of the pair above is a Capitol Hill favorite, with the angle of the Ben Lomond and its position downhill of Bellevue Ave lending a bit of serendipity to our normally orthogonal streetscape. The second image is looking from the front of the Ben Lomond further down to Belmont, where the stair-stepping of the garages in the background are evidence of the street’s steepness. What I really treasure about this landscape is that the floors of the apartments they serve are actually aligned — even as the garages step — offering a dynamic visual contrast.
The down-the-hill view of the previous image captures all of the above and adds to the story. This time the cobblestone slope of Bellevue Ct dominates the view, especially as it gently conceals the entrance of the Ben Lomond. A bit of hide and seek, as it were, and lending a rare sense of mystery to our otherwise relentless street grid. Being at the base of such a steep and short hill places one below objects normally seen at a higher vantage; the apparent size of the pair of trees is dramatically increased due to one’s vantage point being below the base of the tree, giving a sense that the street is dominated by green.
Next time: the flat lands of Belmont, Belmont, and Belmont.
Lovely piece, John. But not all readers will know that “Bellevue, Bellevue, and Bellevue” is the intersection of Bellevue Ave, Bellevue Ct, and Bellevue Pl. This oddity itself is worthy of a full setup. “Part 1” implies there will be more, including, I hope, some comments about the Roundcliff Apartments, the only building with frontage on all three of the streets.
I am looking forward to the second installment as well. I used to live in the Heights Court Building, which is across the street from the Roundcliffe and where you can see the three street signs, one for each Bellevue.
Good point. I’ve added a map to the post.
This is a perfect example of what not to do. The Bellevues got screwed by the preservationists. As you walk from down Bellevue Ave from the pike pine corridor I would guess about the half the buildings are new, 10-20 years old. They are short height restricted and made to look old to ” blend in”. Bellevue Avenue was a wasted opportunity to provide much needed housing with a great view and location instead we get people paying ridiculous rents fighting for the only housing available close to work.
Work somewhere else then…like your hometown. Thank you.
Just look around…there is an enormous amount of new housing being built on Capitol Hill. Skyscrapers, which block views and light, are not needed here.
Skyscrapers provide spectacular views and much needed housing which would reduce the rents. Anything on any of the Belleveues would have a view if it were more than 4-6 stories high. As it is now there is little to no view for the majority of these buildings that could easily provide one if taller.
Well, yes, skyscrapers do provide views and light for those who can afford the sky-high rents, but what about everyone else? Your vision of skyscrapers on Bellevue Ave E seems like a very selfish one. And, by the way, it is very debateable that increasing the amount of housing leads to lower rents….that’s a pipedream.
You must own one of the buildings with the ridiculous rents. For 30 years Seattle natives have been saying the same thing. You would think you would learn. People are coming and will continue to come to Seattle. They are not moving here for short fat ugly buildings. They like the jobs. The preservationists are only postponing the inevitable. There is a view up there and people need housing. The buildings are too damn short and the rents are too damn high !
Actually, the people who start the companies that offer the jobs often do look for short fat older buildings; the classic startup is in an older brick lowrise. And the people who follow those jobs aren’t looking for a repetitive wasteland of high-rise towers either — if they were, they’d be moving to one of the other cities that already offers that (and jobs).
I agree we need more density, but we need to put it where it makes sense — and the steep side of a hill with nowhere to add transportation infrastructure is not the place. Zone the area around the light rail station for ten or twenty stories, sure, so that the new residents enjoying their lower rents can walk to transit and won’t need cars. But don’t expect the whole hill to become a high-rise fantasy unless you like complete gridlock around your sterile towers. Or empty towers, as the job creators and the job hunters all depart for somewhere that has the quality of life that Seattle once had.
I lived at Bellevue, Bellevue and Bellevue for quite a few years in the top SW corner. It was rumored that it used to be a Brothel, or so said Alice, the really old lady that ran the store across the street. She said the girls used to hang out on the balconies as Bellevue was the Broadway of that time. If you have ever been in the building you will also notice that there are strange waiting rooms in the hallways… I imaged my place was the Madam’s room as it was the largest with the best view. … that was until they built that giant building across the street… I digress.
It was good times though, almost all the neighbors hung out on the front porch and balconies, and we were all chill city people.
I have quite a few awesome photos of the view, and paintings as well. Good times, good times.
Another great post on the intricacies of Capitol Hill. We will be losing visual access to many of these views over time as downtown infills with skyscrapers. Protection of some of them is critical to quality of life in this city – peek-a-boos, grand vistas down corridors – they lift the heart on a grey or not-so grey-day.
Look at all those cranes in the photo of the Space Needle. Enjoy the Capitol Hill view of the Olympics. While you can.
I’ve done some careful estimating, because I live nearby and value my similar view. The tallest of those buildings will be 12 to 16 stories (fortunately, and thanks to the people who fought the attempt to get them zoned for much higher, which would have ruined a lot of things).
That means, as best as I can figure, that anyone with a view similar to that picture is going to lose sight of the EMP and, depending on your vantage point, possibly the base of the Space Needle and the arches of the Science Center. But none of the current developments (that I know of) will be high enough to block the view of the Olympics from the B,B&B area (at least no more than downtown already does). Some of the folks on Melrose, especially on the lower floors, will be losing some views though. And future developments are always possible, of course.
From 1985 to 1987 I, too, lived at the SE corner of B, B & B. Ancient building with the funkiest interior angles, and wiring that would make brown-outs whenever the fridge turned on… The motel-looking place next door still had a useless motel-ish swimming pool, and punks, prostitutes and junkies moaning, fighting, playing music and puking out their windows through the night… The #14 bus always just across the street, where it usually waited for a good 10-20 minutes… The small convenience store just next, run by the old Chinese couple who still lived in their house just a few blocks south… So much has disappeared…
The old Chinese couple no longer lives in that house. The husband passed on some years ago. And Alice, the wife, just recently moved to West Seattle.
I miss the intersection of Bellevues Court, Place & Avenue, respectively. I lived at the Ben Lomond for a few years and I will never forget that building and its surroundings. I have countless photos of the place, inside and out. It’s got a very interesting history that is being built upon still. I’ve done some research with city records of the place and wish I could find more old photos and stories. If I could only afford to live in one of the rooftop penthouses there I would!
[…] The first tour of the northwest corner of Capitol Hill focused on the distant and rich landscape views that the area proximate to Bellevue, Bellevue, and Bellevue provides. In Part 2, the focus will be on this area’s more intimate landscapes which are shaped by both its geography and culture. […]