1970's Seattle (Edmonds: to live in, restaurant, shop)

[pw72]

A lot of people talk about how Seattle has changed, but these photos actually show it. Very nice.

Funny though, when some of us lived through these years, we just thought it was "normal". I guess, normal for the time, with little forsight into what would become.

[pw72]

Originally Posted by godhead

"Geez....is there any place around here besides White Center that isn't some kind of yuppie reinvention?"

go to Lake City.
don't tell the "yuppies"

Yes, but even Lake City is part of the "reinvention". The central Lake City district now has thousands of recent new apartment units, mostly built in the past five years. It remains to be seen whether new retail/restaurants, and
such will follow.

[scootertrash61]

i lived in central seattle from 1979 [when i moved away from home] to 1984, but i don't remember it being any more gritty than it is now. coming from the burbs it seemed pretty cosmopolitan to me. i do remember a fair amount of racial tension though. sadly it was probably the only time in my life that i felt a fair amount of racial hatred. other than that as a guy in his late teens-early 20s, i loved it. lots of girls, lots to do and lots of trouble to find.

[Ira500]

"Geez....is there any place around here besides White Center that isn't some kind of yuppie reinvention?"

Skyway, South Park, Rainier Beach.

[mondowop]

Great pics!

I remember these so well. I grew up in Seattle from 1968, through the 1970's and 1980's. It was a great time. The city wasn't really International yet but it truly had its roots and history.

I realize now what a great city I grew up in. I miss the smell of the waterfront and the vibrancy of Seattle. Man, I don't know where to start so I'll come back later.

Great memories.

[Ecovlke]

Gawd, I love these pictures. I only lived in Seattle in 81-82, but 1st St. was still pretty seedy. I remember the dance houses where the guys plugged in a quarter or something like that, and the tattoo parlors. It was neat to see a picture of the St. Regis Hotel at 2nd and Stewart since I worked as a bartender at the Gibson House.

I went back in 84' and things didn't seem to have changed much. By my next trip back in 98', I didn't recognize 1st St, but the St. Regis was still there. The Gibson House had been cleaned up, but the hotel sign was still present.

I've been back a few times, the last being in early August of 10' and I saw that St. Regis Hotel was gone. The building is there, but it's been spruced up and changed.

I'm enjoying these photos! Thanks, Seattlerain.

[jfcspaniels]

THE Seattle of the late 1960's and 1970's was probably the greatest time ever to live in Seattle-- it was a very exciting, vibrant city, but still somewhat mystical and innocent-- where else could 16-17 yr old male roam the downtown streets at night and have a great time exploring and not be killed.

[Swigchow]

Originally Posted by seattlerain

Earlier today I was sent a link to a website full of for the most part 1970's Seattle.

This was Seattle, as few people on this forum will have seen it...and it brought back a lot of memories…this was Seattle many years before it hit the national stage.

Seattle was much more of a “working city” back then, very little polish and glamour, and in some ways I miss it greatly.

Looking at some of these pictures it almost feels as if I've been away for many years and now I've come home...

Pre-restoration Pike Place Market

First Avenue (Skid Road)

Pioneer Square

Downtown Seattle


The rest of the collection can be found here:


cyesewski.com|Wondering in Seattle

Love the pictures. I also love that it showed Seattle before all the traffic.

[jfcspaniels]

Anyone remember Canton Garden (great shrimp tempura) as well as Abruzzi's Pizza --both on Pike St. in the 1970's? Awesome places-- help me remember some more great local dinind spots and watering holes,esp. in downtown.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by allforcats

"Oriental Waffles"?? "Red Eared Turtles"?? -- turtles have ears?
The Kingdome....

I first came here in '82. I did see a few cowboys then, and a few longshoremen and other "ruffians" (a word my grandmother used), and they, along with all the full-bearded men walkin' around, made the town seem so exotic and rough to me.

Seattlerain, these are great photos! Thank you so much for sharing them with us!
(P.S. Turns out the photographer was wandering in Fairbanks at the same time that I was wandering in Fairbanks. This will be fun! Thank you.)

I wasn't in Seattle in the 70's as I was born in 1986. However, I remember the Kingdome. The first baseball game I remember watching was in the Kingdome. I remember my father taking me to this place that looked like it had a round roof(at least in my eyes. I was about 5). We went inside and I thought it was the mall. Then we got to our seats and watched the ballgame. Man do I miss the Kingdome. '77 was also the Seattle Mariners inaugural season. That is my team.