Our children have found new houses in nice old neighborhoods. Seattle is filling in without completely erasing what has gone before. Julia says that the renovation-worthy homes are updated, and it is mostly the very cheaply constructed or trashed places that are being torn down. Some lots have new town houses, duplexes, or two or three detached houses on lots that had only one house originally. These new houses are very well designed for busy families, with good kitchens, at least two baths and nice yards that don't need much maintenance.
I see that some very run down houses near my daughter's apartment (that she will be moving out of shortly) have been completely replaced by new housing, and there is a new big house going in across the street from my other daughter's house.
In the Ballard neighborhood where we have our condo I see that two larger sites have been razed. One of them was a Denny's and the other a bowling alley. Some older residents feel nostalgia at their loss, but they were failing low-end enterprises. They are being replaced by condos. This area has a lot of open space, it's flat and it is actually a good spot for high density housing. There are parks here, good services and wide avenues.
Right across from us is a recently built retirement home which stayed practically empty for a long time but which now appears to be filled up. I see residents from that home on the streets with canes and walkers and little dogs, mingling with the high tech young people on their smart phones going to and from the Olympic Athletic Club and the Cafe Fiore across the street . It's a pleasant scene as I look out my window.
There are a lot of dogs in this town! One of our neighbors that we meet in the elevator a lot has a wheezing old bulldog that needs a lot of walks, obviously.
If I can go only by the people I know here, who are mostly my daughters and their friends, the economy is looking up, at least for the college educated.
Off to Value Village for second hand bargains. I also have to do a lot of food shopping.I cooked yesterday and made a kind of disastrous soup, so I may play it safe and not get into experimental endeavors.

Comments

[marja-leena]

Sounds a lot like Vancouver. Glad to hear you are enjoying iSeattle, especially with your family there.

[Brandon]

I'm glad you arrived safely and are having fun. It's been really busy at home (I've been helping with paperwork, housework, etc.) so I haven't commented lately.

Downtown Hilo and Ballard are probably not that similar, but I've seen a few new restaurants open up in the past few months: Lucy's Taqueria (in what used to be Food Fair), Casa de Luna (20 years ago it was a dive bar called Lopaka's), and Popolo's (where Aloha Luigi was). And the long-empty Western Auto was demolished about two years ago for McDonald's.

[cloudia]

So glad for them!

Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral

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[Hattie]

Marja-Leena: It seems as if Vancouver and Seattle get more and more alike. They seemed very different to me once.
Brandon: Downtown Hilo is unique. Right now a lot of things seem to be going on, but I wonder how well the new businesses will do.
Cloudia: Thanks. We really enjoy these times when things are going so well and hope they will last and last.

[Brandon]

Lucy's opened late last year and has been packed every time I went. Casa de Luna is always full too. Popolo's has had a rough start: it cut back its hours just days after the Tribune-Herald featured it. There's a lot of interest but the restaurateurs haven't able to keep up with the demand--yet.