Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
A Walk through Time at Columbia City and Seward Park
Temperatures were in the 30’s today but skies were clear and blue so we bundled up and went for a walk at Seward Park. But first we stopped by Columbia City, one of Seattle’s old neighborhoods, full of charm and memories for my husband who grew up there.
We started with breakfast at Geraldine’s Counter
where the walls couldn’t talk so I asked Bob instead.
“This used to be the drugstore,” he told me. “I bought comic books here; actually they were Bantam Books about battles from World War 2.”
I bought comic books from a drugstore too when I was a kid for thirteen cents a piece. Archie comic books – remember Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead? – I wish I still had them.
After breakfast we crossed the street to Halvorson’s Ten Cent store – not anymore of course – where Bob worked as a boy, stocking shelves and doing other odd jobs.
“Did I ever tell you the story about how I broke the corner glass window when I was twelve?” Bob is full of stories – this one not his fault.
The old school, barber shop, bakery and butcher shop were still standing as was the house where he spent most of his childhood.
One block over was steep 42nd street where he rode on the handlebars of the bike being furiously peddled downhill by his neighbor John Malzberger. (No helmets in those days in case you wondered.) And where another time he rode his own bike down the hill but the caliper brakes didn’t work so he stopped the only way he could think of – by putting his foot into the spokes. Oh yes, he stopped. Rather suddenly too and his bike flipped a few times in the air before landing upright. (You gotta wonder how he survived childhood.)
Enough nostalgia – it was time for our walk so we headed to Seward Park where we took the trail along the lake and enjoyed the views under the bluest skies you’ve ever seen – yes, in Seattle.
It was a day well spent.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
Love Geraldine’s Counter’s ad!
Fun, huh? And it’s a great place to have breakfast!
Nostalgia like that is worth its weight in gold. And good to see so much of the old neighbourhood still standing too.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks Pete. I loved walking through all those memories!. 😊
Walking through memories used to be my favourite pastime. But now I live too far away to continue to do that. 🙂
Ahhh. I bet you have wonderful memories in London. We were both raised in Seattle and haven’t ventured far from our roots so everything is still wonderfully close by!
I am afraid that my stomping grounds in Portland are being destroyed all the time. Even the house next door to where I lived was torn down to build two more.
Sad to hear. All my childhood homes are still standing in Seattle. The downtown is always changing but most of the neighborhoods are still intact, though unaffordable.
Where is all the money coming from for people to buy on the West Coast. Prices are astounding.
So many big tech companies are here including Microsoft and Amazon. I’ve read it’s also due to money flowing in from China. Almost everyone has been priced out of Seattle though it seems things are finally cooling down.
I heard about the same Chinese money in Vancouver, B.C. pricing the locals out. There the people don’t even live in the places often.