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Welcome!
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
Sound Transit Presents an Excellent Case for the No Build Alternative
As time goes by, though, it is becoming clear that ST3 does not offer any significant benefit for the environment or for West Seattle.
Marie McKinsey
Sep 4, 20237 min read
864 views
0 comments
The Antidote for the Seattle "Freeze" - Volunteering
The Seattle Times recently ran an article entitled: "Have you melted the Seattle Freeze? We'd like to hear how you did it." I wish I'd known
Marie McKinsey
Aug 19, 20232 min read
222 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
A Bit of West Seattle Garden Tour History
In the spring of 1995, a group of West Seattle gardeners brought us the first West Seattle Garden Tour (WSGT).
Marie McKinsey
May 8, 20223 min read
437 views
0 comments
My Comments on Sound Transit's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
I am posting my comments here for two reasons:
1) According to "the rules," comments submitted by April 28th that address specific sections
Marie McKinsey
Apr 24, 20229 min read
312 views
0 comments
How Many West Seattle Businesses Will We Lose Because of Sound Transit's Light Rail?
Sound Transit's light rail extension to West Seattle will mean the closure or relocation of many businesses. How many and which ones?
Marie McKinsey
Apr 16, 20223 min read
4,003 views
1 comment
"Because We Said So" - The Latest Episode of West Seattle Bridge Drama
When I posted last week's article about the new season of West Seattle Bridge Drama, I thought, "Hey, that's it now, I'm going to go do some
Marie McKinsey
Apr 10, 20225 min read
846 views
0 comments
Welcome to a New Season of West Seattle Bridge Drama
now that 700 people in West Seattle have received letters advising them that their properties are in the path of an oncoming train.
Marie McKinsey
Apr 2, 20228 min read
2,023 views
0 comments
The Bridges of West Seattle
When the West Seattle Bridge, which links the peninsula of West Seattle with mainland Seattle, was closed suddenly in March of 2020, it left
Marie McKinsey
Apr 1, 20226 min read
1,065 views
0 comments
West Seattle's "Walking on Logs" Sculptures
Remember these kids? When the West Seattle Bridge was open, we passed them every time we drove into the neighborhood. Sometimes they were dr
Marie McKinsey
Mar 26, 20222 min read
499 views
0 comments
When It Comes To Transit, Think Small
Think Small. This simple ad, which ran in the 1960s, was part of one of the most successful campaigns of all time. It was clever.
Marie McKinsey
Feb 5, 20225 min read
173 views
2 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
WTF Is a Woonerf? And Where Can We Put One in West Seattle?
Woonerf, a Dutch word, is translated as "a living yard." It is a street where car use is limited in favor of green space and room for pedest
Marie McKinsey
Sep 19, 20212 min read
433 views
1 comment
A Fresh Look for the Arboretum at South Seattle College
I was a landscape design student at South Seattle College in the early 1990s. The Arboretum was our outdoor classroom, where we took classes
Marie McKinsey
Sep 11, 20212 min read
101 views
0 comments
The World's Oldest Pearl Jam Fan
I've been called the world's oldest Pearl Jam fan.
But it isn't true.
Marie McKinsey
Jul 23, 20214 min read
190 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 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
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