The STRATHMORE APARTMENTS CO., INC. is a one-hundred year
old plus building located on historically rich Queen Anne Hill in Seattle.
According to the Queen Anne
Historical Society[1],
the Denny’s placed a claim in 1852 on the 320 acres of farm land now known as
lower Queen Anne. At that time this area
was called Eden Hill. Many of the homes eventually built on the south slopes were
in the Queen Anne architectural style, which is how the hill’s name was
changed. The Strathmore was most likely
built about 1905, as the prospect of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
instigated a number of elegant structures on lower Queen Anne built at this
time.[2] Information on the Apartment Development
prior to World War II can be found on the Queen Anne Historical Society’s web
page.[3]
Largely a residential community,
Queen Anne is the second highest point in Seattle (457 feet above the Puget
Sound) and the steepest, most clearly defined hill[i].
Queen Anne Hill was linked to Seattle by public transit in the late 1880s. Early
residents may have traveled up to the top of Queen Anne hill by way of the
Counterbalance, which is the name old-time natives still call the Queen Anne
Avenue segment running from Mercer to Comstock streets.[4] (A less remembered name for Queen Anne Avenue
was Temperance Avenue). Numerous bus
routes now pass by the Strathmore, and current residents travel by foot, bus or
car. Zone 13 parking permits can be
obtained from the city, but over-selling permits and a very active Key Arena can
make for occasionally difficult parking.
Strathmore Apartment
shareholders have access to several nearby parks. These include Kinnear Park, a walking park on
the West side of Queen Anne and Kerry Park with its spectacular city views from
the top of the hill. Residents also have
easy access to the Seattle Center, which was the location of the World’s Fair
in 1962. Home to the Key Sports Arena,
several theater houses, the Pacific Northwest Ballet and most recently the
Chihuly glass museum, there is always something interesting to do or see. Add in SIFF, the Seattle International Film
Festival as a new neighbor, and numerous local pubs, and there’s almost no
reason to sleep!
Strathmore residents have a
myriad of food options, ranging from healthy groceries from the Metropolitan
Market, or taking advantage of the summer Farmer’s Market on the top of the
hill, or a quick bus ride to the Farmer’s market. Don’t want to cook? Queen Anne boasts
Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Japanese, as well as other specialties
such as Seafood, and Vegetarian restaurants.
The Shareholders of the
Strathmore pride themselves on owning a quiet refuge in this bustling
locale. The By-laws describe the
governance of the building. It is
participatory, meaning all Shareholders are expected to serve on the board or
specific-focused committees. The cooperative
strives to have 100% owner-residents.
[1] http://www.qahistory.org/index.html
[2] http://www.qahistory.org/pdfs/historic-project-context.pdf
[4] http://www.qahistory.org/counterbalance.html
No comments:
Post a Comment