It may interest you to know that "gnomon" is not recognized as a word by the NYT Spelling Bee game. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT??? Today's letters should have snagged me an additional word, but no.....
Interestingly and good news, I used "Look Up" on Safari browser and a opoup window provided a nice definition of the term "gnomon" & included derivatives and word origin. Good on them!
I enjoyed this recap of the origins of our tricky street layout in downtown Seattle. Coincidentally, a couple days ago, I had occasion to demonstrate that even lifers can’t get it through their heads. I chose to follow Denny’s happy waterfront alignment while trying to get from Filson’s to REI. What this does is cause you to travel two sides of an isosceles triangle when you should have traveled the hypotenuse (Westlake). I didn’t make the turn until Broad, then Harrison, and then simply lost. I should have cut over to Westlake as soon as I could! Lots of fun!
The streets that break the grid on purpose are fun, but what I've come to appreciate over the years is how badly-aligned Seattle's grid truly is. In my old neighborhood north of University Village, the non-arterial avenues have small jogs at every other intersection (for example, 30th Ave NE is misaligned at 55th, 60th, 65th and 70th. Ballard switching from long east-west blocks to long north-south blocks is another amusing discontinuity.
Seattle certainly has some odd alignments and a what seems to me to be a relatively high number of 5 way intersections, all of which test the mettle of Seattle's infamous passive aggressive drivers.
Thanks for your note. Yes, amazing to think about the massive trees that formerly graced what we now call Seattle. Fortunately, we still have massive trees in the vicinity. Seward Park, Taylor Canyon, and Schmitz Park in Seattle all have unlogged areas with massive trees. Or head into the three National Parks. All have old growth of epic size.
Loved this exploration of the 'palimpsest' of Seattle's urban grids. I documented a similar situation here in little old Friday Harbor, where the waterfront-based town plan encountered the Public Land System Township and Range grid of the rest of the county seat homestead to the south, with Sunshine Alley as the division line.
When first old enough to ride buses to downtown Seattle, I was grateful for the way the streets were named in pairs like Pike and Pine, Union and University and so on. That helped me to know when I was getting close to my stop and just helped remembering the order of the streets in general. Any thoughts on who set up the street names?
ps: my new Seattle walking theme is Peaks and Ridgelines. up, up, up till i find an intersection where all directions go down. winter in the perfect season for this theme, no sweat! I think I’ll crown West Seattle as the lumpiest part of Seattle. I did three peaks there yesterday and saw so many others to explore on a return visit. West Seattle also sports the highest point in Seattle I discovered. One would have guessed Queen Anne, but no. Magnoila has two peaks (so far), 28th and Dravus and 38th and Dravus. And of course, just out my window is 2nd and Virginia. 17th and Olive gets an honorable mention. This is going to keep me busy for a while.
It may interest you to know that "gnomon" is not recognized as a word by the NYT Spelling Bee game. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT??? Today's letters should have snagged me an additional word, but no.....
Sad to read this. Wow, what's happening to this world when we loose such a timely word.
Interestingly and good news, I used "Look Up" on Safari browser and a opoup window provided a nice definition of the term "gnomon" & included derivatives and word origin. Good on them!
I enjoyed this recap of the origins of our tricky street layout in downtown Seattle. Coincidentally, a couple days ago, I had occasion to demonstrate that even lifers can’t get it through their heads. I chose to follow Denny’s happy waterfront alignment while trying to get from Filson’s to REI. What this does is cause you to travel two sides of an isosceles triangle when you should have traveled the hypotenuse (Westlake). I didn’t make the turn until Broad, then Harrison, and then simply lost. I should have cut over to Westlake as soon as I could! Lots of fun!
Wow, I never was very good at geometry! Not surprised you got lost. I hope you eventually made it to REI.
The streets that break the grid on purpose are fun, but what I've come to appreciate over the years is how badly-aligned Seattle's grid truly is. In my old neighborhood north of University Village, the non-arterial avenues have small jogs at every other intersection (for example, 30th Ave NE is misaligned at 55th, 60th, 65th and 70th. Ballard switching from long east-west blocks to long north-south blocks is another amusing discontinuity.
Seattle certainly has some odd alignments and a what seems to me to be a relatively high number of 5 way intersections, all of which test the mettle of Seattle's infamous passive aggressive drivers.
I’m trying to wrap my head around “six-foot-wide” cedars that reportedly populated the “Westlake valley,” and am coming up blank!
It’s incredibly that such trees were so plentiful at one time. Do any still exist in old growth forests in Washington (or elsewhere)?
That said, us modern day folk have the… Seattle streetcar? “Progress” of sorts I guess.
Thanks for your note. Yes, amazing to think about the massive trees that formerly graced what we now call Seattle. Fortunately, we still have massive trees in the vicinity. Seward Park, Taylor Canyon, and Schmitz Park in Seattle all have unlogged areas with massive trees. Or head into the three National Parks. All have old growth of epic size.
Loved this exploration of the 'palimpsest' of Seattle's urban grids. I documented a similar situation here in little old Friday Harbor, where the waterfront-based town plan encountered the Public Land System Township and Range grid of the rest of the county seat homestead to the south, with Sunshine Alley as the division line.
Boyd, Not surprised Friday Harbor has some interesting road geography. I suspect many towns on the water do. David
When first old enough to ride buses to downtown Seattle, I was grateful for the way the streets were named in pairs like Pike and Pine, Union and University and so on. That helped me to know when I was getting close to my stop and just helped remembering the order of the streets in general. Any thoughts on who set up the street names?
At least part of Westlake Ave.'s route is on top of the Seattle Coal & Transportation's c. 1870 rail line from Lake Union to Pike Street.
I couldn’t find the new Seattle Walks on UW press.
https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295753577/seattle-walks/
Bingo, got it.
ps: my new Seattle walking theme is Peaks and Ridgelines. up, up, up till i find an intersection where all directions go down. winter in the perfect season for this theme, no sweat! I think I’ll crown West Seattle as the lumpiest part of Seattle. I did three peaks there yesterday and saw so many others to explore on a return visit. West Seattle also sports the highest point in Seattle I discovered. One would have guessed Queen Anne, but no. Magnoila has two peaks (so far), 28th and Dravus and 38th and Dravus. And of course, just out my window is 2nd and Virginia. 17th and Olive gets an honorable mention. This is going to keep me busy for a while.
Sounds like a fine adventure. Have fun and happy holidays.