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Whether you are a gardener, an Outlander fan, a West Seattle resident, or someone tuning in for the latest episode of Sound Transit and West Seattle Bridge drama, I hope you find something useful here.
Blog Posts
Here's Why West Seattle Needs a Comprehensive Transit Plan
Outside the well served transit hubs, at the Alaska Junction and Westwood Village, West Seattle residents have hit-or-miss transit options.
Marie McKinsey
Mar 24, 202418 min read
704 views
0 comments
Could Amazon Save Westwood Village?
Let's think outside the box. Instead of a big retail anchor at Westwood Village, why not a big tech company? Amazon has all the resources ne
Marie McKinsey
Nov 26, 20235 min read
2,051 views
0 comments
The Story of the West Seattle Triangle Park - and a (W)hole Lot More
They say that no good deed goes unpunished. My "good deed,"apparently, was volunteering to participate in the Friends of the Junction's plan
Marie McKinsey
Mar 18, 20234 min read
669 views
2 comments
West Seattle's Citizen Urban Planners
Did you know that Seattle's Comprehensive Plan is being updated? Do you even know what the Comprehensive Plan is? If you answered "no" to on
Marie McKinsey
Mar 11, 202310 min read
213 views
0 comments
Chihuly Garden and Glass Seattle
There really is nothing quite like the Chihuly Garden, one half of the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit at Seattle Center.
Marie McKinsey
Dec 10, 20222 min read
37 views
0 comments
Why You Should Have A Commuting Budget
A commuting budget looks at both the amount of time you allocate for going to and from work each week, and what that commute costs you.
Marie McKinsey
Dec 4, 20215 min read
184 views
0 comments
Three Ways Political Parties Poison Democracy
I want to begin by reminding you that the Constitution makes no provision for political parties.
Marie McKinsey
Nov 20, 20216 min read
59 views
0 comments
Find Out by Zip Code How Much CO2 Your Neighborhood Emits
We've heard for decades that increasing population density is good for the environment. The theory is that it discourages suburban sprawl,
Marie McKinsey
Sep 24, 20212 min read
224 views
0 comments
Life at Alki Beach: Pirates and Pole Vaulters - Aaaargh!!
It appears that the Seafair Pirate landing at Alki Beach is cancelled this year because of lingering issues from the pandemic. This photo es
Marie McKinsey
Jun 11, 20212 min read
128 views
0 comments
The New Economy
Despite what the politicians and pundits say, I don't think we are in the midst of an economic "recovery." The word recovery implies going b
Marie McKinsey
Jun 6, 20213 min read
19 views
0 comments
The Alki 11 Row House Project: Density Done Wrong
In 2013, a developer announced plans to replace these three beach houses with an 11-unit row house project in the Alki Beach neighborhood.
Marie McKinsey
Jun 5, 20212 min read
127 views
2 comments
SkyLink: Rising Above It All In West Seattle
Did you know that trains don't run uphill? It's true. On level ground, those smooth metal wheels glide along those smooth metal rails,...
Marie McKinsey
May 18, 20214 min read
372 views
0 comments
West Seattle's Affordable Housing Crisis
Is "crisis" too strong a word for the state of affordable housing in West Seattle?
Marie McKinsey
May 14, 20216 min read
1,320 views
6 comments
The Alaska Junction in West Seattle: A 15-minute City?
Can West Seattle's Alaska Junction become a 15-minute city?
Marie McKinsey
May 7, 20215 min read
3,055 views
6 comments
How to Calculate Storm Water Run-off from Your Property
The EPA estimates that over 770 cities in the US combine waste water and stormwater in the same pipe and send it to sewage treatment...
Marie McKinsey
Mar 6, 20212 min read
254 views
0 comments
Back in the Day: Election Eve 1980
I shot these photos in 1980. Finally posted them in 2016. Monday, November 7, 2016 Today is Election Eve in the United States - tomorrow...
Marie McKinsey
Feb 13, 20211 min read
17 views
0 comments
Little Boxes Made of Ticky Tacky
I grew up in San Francisco's East Bay area, in the 1950s. My early memories are of orchards, vineyards and farm fields that grew every kind
Marie McKinsey
Feb 13, 20211 min read
129 views
0 comments
Tillandsias
Tillandsias are air plants, members of the Bromeliad family. They are native to Central and South America, the southern US and the Caribbean
Marie McKinsey
Jun 26, 20161 min read
34 views
0 comments
Were Sewer Breaks on Wickstrom Place Caused by Development?
During the weeks of controversy over the permitting of the Alki 11 rowhouses that now face 55th Ave SW and Wickstrom Place SW at Alki Beach,
Marie McKinsey
Oct 2, 20152 min read
27 views
0 comments
The Wishing Tree
In my car, running errands, I often pass a house with a lovely Japanese maple in the front yard, decorated with little white lights and what
Marie McKinsey
Apr 5, 20152 min read
17 views
0 comments
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