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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

Marie McKinsey

Mar 2418 min read

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.

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Marie McKinsey

Nov 26, 20235 min read

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

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The Story of the West Seattle Triangle Park - and a (W)hole Lot More

Marie McKinsey

Mar 18, 20234 min read

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

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Marie McKinsey

Mar 11, 202310 min read

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

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Marie McKinsey

Dec 10, 20222 min read

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.

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Marie McKinsey

Dec 4, 20215 min read

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.

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Three Ways Political Parties Poison Democracy

Marie McKinsey

Nov 20, 20216 min read

Three Ways Political Parties Poison Democracy

I want to begin by reminding you that the Constitution makes no provision for political parties.

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Find Out by Zip Code How Much CO2 Your Neighborhood Emits

Marie McKinsey

Sep 24, 20212 min read

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,

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Life at Alki Beach: Pirates and Pole Vaulters - Aaaargh!!

Marie McKinsey

Jun 11, 20212 min read

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

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Marie McKinsey

Jun 6, 20213 min read

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

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The Alki 11 Row House Project: Density Done Wrong

Marie McKinsey

Jun 5, 20212 min read

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.

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SkyLink: Rising Above It All In West Seattle

Marie McKinsey

May 18, 20214 min read

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,...

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West Seattle's Affordable Housing Crisis

Marie McKinsey

May 14, 20216 min read

West Seattle's Affordable Housing Crisis

Is "crisis" too strong a word for the state of affordable housing in West Seattle?

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The Alaska Junction in West Seattle: A 15-minute City?

Marie McKinsey

May 7, 20215 min read

The Alaska Junction in West Seattle: A 15-minute City?

Can West Seattle's Alaska Junction become a 15-minute city?

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How to Calculate Storm Water Run-off from Your Property

Marie McKinsey

Mar 6, 20212 min read

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...

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Marie McKinsey

Feb 13, 20211 min read

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...

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Marie McKinsey

Feb 13, 20211 min read

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

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Marie McKinsey

Jun 25, 20161 min read

Tillandsias

Tillandsias are air plants, members of the Bromeliad family. They are native to Central and South America, the southern US and the Caribbean

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Were Sewer Breaks on Wickstrom Place Caused by Development?

Marie McKinsey

Oct 1, 20152 min read

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,

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Marie McKinsey

Apr 5, 20152 min read

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

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