Update on the Edith Macefield House

If you remember, back in February of 2008, Edith Macefield turned down one million dollars when developers tried to buy her house. Then Edith passed away in June of 2008 and left the house to the construction supervisor.

Yesterday, in the Seattle Times, there was an article about Edith’s house being sold to a motivational speaker.

MyBallard.com also has a informative article about plans for the house.

I'm not so sure how I feel about the plan. Seems shady to me. But at least the house isn't getting torn down.

In the end, Edith wins. Her house still stands.

Ballard Condo Update

Oh, this makes me happy.

The brand spankin' new condos that are taking over Ballard are sitting empty. Those condo overlords that thought they could sell one bedroom condos for $400,000 are losing oodles of money every day.

Build, build, BUILD, they said! Who cares if the ones we built a year ago aren't selling, BUILD MORE! Tear down the old houses, build! Tear down the bowling alley, build! Tear down the Denny's.......well, I support them wholeheartedly there. That freakin' place gave me food poisioning.

I'm sorry to see Ballard become somewhat of a ghost town with all of these monster buildings just sitting empty, but I'm happy that greedy corporations aren't profiting from these eyesores that took over a quiet, little neighborhood.

Conflict of Emotion

I don’t like to see a local business close, but I really never understood how Bella’s stayed in business as long as it did. The one time I went in there, I fell in love with some pajamas. They were $119. Huh. For cotton pjs. Wow.

I don’t know of many people who would spend the kind of money Bella’s was asking for, but I’m sure they’re out there – maybe the same ones who paid $400,000 for a new one bedroom condo in the neighborhood?

I know I'm not a Ballardite anymore, but I'm sure West Seattle is going through the same thing. Tons of great little boutique shops that are so expensive or overpriced that I (nor any of my friends or family) will never be able to buy anything in there.

And, call me cheap, but even if I could afford $119 pjs, I wouldn't buy them.
Because they're PAJAMAS.

Happy Halloween!

Please enjoy this Obama pumpkin of hope and optimism.

Photo by Tony Delgrosso

And! Ballard has made the New York Times today. We're that cool.

I may be living in West Seattle next weekend, but for one more week, I'm a Ballard Gal.

Represent!

RIP Edith Macefield

Edith Macefield died on Sunday.

I wrote about Edith back in February. She was quite the talk of Ballard, as she was offered a million dollars for her house and she turned it down. Instead, they've been building the Trader Joe's around her.

She has no living family, so no one is sure what will happen to the house. Rumor has it, she left it to the senior construction superintendent. He had been checking in on her and even taking her to doctor's appointments during the construction.

Edith was 86 years old. And died in her house.

Just like she wanted.

Free Ballard Day!

(Notice how I'm conveniently glazing over all the recent blog activity? La la la...can't hear you...buffer zone...la la la...)

Today is Free Ballard Day! MyBallard.com has some good links to help those of you not from 'round here understand all those Free Ballard bumper stickers and t-shirts. Today, we Ballardites shall wear black and ponder, just how important is clean drinking water?

Let my people go.

I Love Ballard

But you knew that already, didn't you?

My friend, the Mysterious Traveler, and I walk our neighborhood frequently, and last week we saw evidence that not all of Ballard is going yuppy. Ms. Traveler blogs about it here.

Yes, there are definitely still some quirky parts.

A Must Have

New bumper stickers at Archie McPhee:

I will be stopping by there on my way home.
Let me know if you'd like me to pick one up for you.

I already have "Save Ballard".