But of course we should give Fun Forest the Boot. It doesn't fit the "Northwest Lifestyle" that is the overarching theme of Our World Class City.

I think it should be given, tax free, to either Nordstrom or Starbucks. Everything should be either a Nordstrom or Starbucks.

Let the beautiful people run wild and free!

btw, you really should refer to it by its original name: The Gayway

If it was still called the Gayway, it'd probably be more popular.

That $500K loss a year is pretty damning. Sad. I had some classically Northwestern almost-fun-but-not-really times there.

The sky gondola and the Flight to Mars were my favorite rides.

whew, for a minute I thought you meant the bushes in Volunteer Park (also a gayway).

There's a great sample out there from the recorded sountrack from the world's fair's bubble elevator: "the fabulous gayway to the heavens.. you guide your own rocket...". Man in Space With Sounds is the original album.

Too Bad --

Reduced to exchanging letters and sending threats such as this in lawyer speak:

"....end this relationship amicably in exchange for bypassing a potentially nasty default process."

The thrill is obviously gone.

I have to agree with FARNF. How truly sad, indeed! His comment about, classically Northwest,almost-fun-but-not-really-times-there, may be the perfect commentary. Well said, FARNF.

---Jensen

The only roller coaster I've ever ridden in my life is the one at Fun Forest. I rode it three different days during the summer of 1993.

Perhaps now that land can achieve its highest potential as a luxury condo site or a Nordstrom outlet...feh.

Thank you to Catalina - well put.

In elementary school every May, the members of the school safety patrol (crossing guards) got to pack up and head to the big city for a day of Seattle Center and Fun Forrest merriment. I won my first skate board at one of the game booths.

My favorite thing to do at the center was go to the place that made the taffy and watch that big machine pull the salt water taffy.

I miss old seattle. This place is way too suave now.

While many people have vaguely fond memories of Fun Forrest, I would venture to guess that most of us haven't set foot in the place since we were, oh, say 12 years old (with the exception of parents dragging their own small children there to see if the fantasy can be revived in their children).

While I certainly don't support simply handing it over to Nordstroms or Starbucks, nothing can sustain half million dollar a year losses for long. If the managers of the Fun Forrest could come up with a plan to either fix it up or market it better in order to get their balance books back in the black, then the city should give them some slack. If not, the city is actually giving them a semi-graceful out short of going completely bankrupt and being evicted.

If the Fun Forest has been losing a half million dollars a year for 6 years in a row, then their management is clearly either incompetent or lazy. A year or two of downturn is one thing, but 6 years of big losses is hard to turn around. Time to either get their shit together or bail.

Of course, they could do like the Sonics, and ask the city to pimp the place up using our tax dollars. But they don't have a major sports franchise to use as leverage, only vaguely fun childhood memories.

"Fun Forest" is well past its prime and just plain depressing to be anywhere near. It's akin to watching a cherished sports hero from your childhood embarass himself on the field because he doesn't know when to quit.