Are these people at all nervous about the supposed "biotech boom" that's supposed to be taking place in that neighborhood, where all these condo-dwellers are slated to work, given that biotech in the Seattle area is contracting, not expanding?

Re: "First time home owners with at least $200,000"

I'm curious what you think homes in Seattle actually cost. Are there any in the city limits below $200K at this point? My wife and I do not make a lot of money, and our first home cost more than that almost 4 years ago.

Well, it appears that you, like most of your Stranger colleagues, land on the "hate" side of the argument.

You should read down a bit and check out Dan's slog on the development taking place in Capitol Hill.

I suppose you would rather see empty parking lots and gas stations in South Lake Union rather than housing choices for people at all levels of income. Sure, you pick out some of the higher end models to talk about - but I know Vulcan, and other developers, are creating affordable housing in the area as well -

You should ditch the "eat the rich" mentality. It's not very flattering- and in the long run you'll realize that hating is not the answer.

I'm loving all the development on Denny. I work out at a dojo on Denny across from Whole Foods, and the presence of hundreds of new neighbors mean that we have tons of potential new students, ones who can easily afford our tuition. That's especially important, as we never turn anyone away based on ability to pay. It means these condo dwellers can subsidize those students, particularly the 95% of our kids who are on scholarship and from low income families.

Why is it that in every article you people write on any given topic, people with money equate to having "zero cultural capital?"

At all levels of income? What?! I am an educator, who, at 54K/year, can't even fucking pay 200K. This is bs.

Bring back Tom Francis -- The Stranger's "OMG -- CONDOS!" reporting of late has been fastiduously repulsive.

You children need to realize that even though condo buildings have been fairly cookie-cutter in recent years, $200K is not a lot to spend on a house in the Seattle area (especially one on a freakin' bus line). In fact, that's below the neighborhood's median condo price for 2005 -- for a new unit, not one converted from some half-assed former apartment building.

Really, folks ... you're losing legitimacy by the minute. Stick to shit jokes.

As a biotech worker in South Lake Union, I can definitely state that the bulk of people working in biotech cannot afford even the cheapest of these.

If Allen-ville was really about building a biotech hub, you'd see _apartments_ at or under $1000/mo for a reasonable 2 bedroom.

When I first moved to Seattle, I was in an aparment in the pre-Allenized South Lake Union (corner of Yale ave N and Repblican). Now, it's all too rich for me.

Please tell me that those screaming kids aren't playing in the fountain at night. You know, when they're supposed to be sleeping.

I strongly prefer "Vulcan Village" over "South Lake Union" for a neighborhood name. Rolls off the tongue much better, and is a more apt description, as the lake, with it's infestation of yacht clubs, is hardly a part of anything around it save Gas Works Park. The park at the south end seems to be constantly roped off for some private event or another, with only a little sliver of land on the west open to the public.

And the lack of "cultural capital" results from how these things are marketed - they appeal to those who are gullible, superficial and have a need to feel better than other people - anyone who would be swayed by the focus-group-approved images of smiling people enjoying their perfect lives at a nice public park, or a trendy bar.

LOLA:

Girl, get educated. These days, any fool can buy a home.

The Stranger's "OMG -- CONDOS!" reporting of late has been fastiduously repulsive.

Whoops, I meant to say "repulsively fastidious."

"It would be interesting to see how you get treated based on what you wear into the place. I was wearing a long wool coat, and about eight people rushed to help me."

Here she goes again.... Well let's see how about one of those colored bandanas in my back ....left pocket? What color was your wool coat? The chip on your shoulder must be really heavy.

Oops - that's "its infestation of yacht clubs", not "it's ...".

And yeah, start calling it Vulcan Village.

Seriously, Lola. I know people with bankruptcies in their past who make less than 54k yr and have new mortgages bigger than 200k...

The South Lake Union "Discovery Center," as they call it, does market other Vulcan properties besides those three, although perhaps those three are the ones that are truly featured.

Yeah, the Pearl District association is obvious. Hey, the new SLU streetcar is even coming from the same Czech manufacturer, Skoda, as the Pearl streetcar. I love the Pearl, and as to "The typical complaint is that it attracted a bunch of people with lots of money and zero cultural capital and limited civic engagement" -- well, I find that not only puzzling but also loaded with all sorts of assumptions and biases.

That said, I wish there were a bit more family-oriented housing in the Pearl, and I wish South Lake Union would do the same. I can think of one terrific townhouse development in the Pearl that's very family-oriented with three-bedroom properties, but beyond that it's pretty hit-and-miss. I realize there's not necessarily an "If you build it, they will come" factor when it comes to family housing, but I wish developers would aim for more of that. Hey, I wish the city would give them a bit of a nudge in that direction.

This is why I look at all these lofts Vulcan is building and think, "Yeah, they're beautiful, but just how practical are they?" Lots of square footage (and cubic footage), but not many rooms.

BTW, I know Vancouver has been very creative about mixing condos and townhouses and making density more family-friendly.

How about s.l.u.d. or slud? (South Lake Union District).

Does anyone else absolutely hate the websites of condo developments? Sure, they look pretty, but the usability sucks, they are slow, and it is hard to find the information I want.

Also, I like the name Vulcan Village.

Actually, I don't mind the Pearl at all. It's a bit vapid, yeah. And the few bars suck. But there's density, and my favorite restaurant in Portland, Cafe Allora.

The Pearl was a shitbox before they started making changes. At least now when I walk from Powell's to the Low Brow I don't feel like I might be mugged. Some of the changes aren't so good, but hey, that's change. Same with VV/Cascade region-area-parts. A lot of it is worn out- I'm happy to see some redevelopment.

Families aren't gonna live there, nor are they going to live in Belltown. Unlike Amsterdam, even the liberals in this country don't want their kids to walk past something dirty or tawdry. That's just very Unamerican. And god forbid we have our kids walk to school when we can bus them around. So yes, build the trendy trash for the 20 and 30 somethings to live in 4 to a bedroom, and leave the family areas to Ballard and other places.

I'm really beginning to think that the Stranger wants a utopian New York City. It's not nor is it going to be. This is Seattle- and there is culture both poor and wealthy. Most of New York, in my opinion is a shitbox anyways. If some reporters don't think so, I suggest opening an annex in The Bronx.

Don't think Skoda is really Czech anymore -- I believe it's part of VW now.

Can Portlanders call in noise complaints before 10 p.m.? Good for them.

All I can say is thank god we didn't take up Paul Allen's offer to donate all that land for a huge, beautiful, lake-side park in the middle of the city.

That would have sucked!

"Why is it that ... people with money equate to having "zero cultural capital?"

Pay no mind, JamieB, it's just a lie that people without money tell themselves to feel better. The masses must have their opiate!

I talked last night with a friend who rents a home in Palo Alto. The average price of a house there: $1.2 million. SO she's at a crossroads, as she loves living in the Bay Area but she and her BF simply cannot afford to buy a home there. And that's just SF outskirts: the situation in-city is far more outrageous. And yet people can pay. Where are all these rich people coming from?

Is that really what everyone wants Seattle to become?

I'm basically resigned to developers gentrifying the core of Seattle. They MIGHT spare the outlying neighborhoods but one can never tell. The PI of all media did a feature on the infamous Capitol Hill block that's getting razed for condos, and the very people getting displaced make some good points about why this gentrification needs to happen. The buildings are simply run down, fixing them up is fiscally infeasible, and they need to be replaced.

Palo Alto is one of the wealthiest parts of the Bay Area, and is only a half hour drive from the city. It has more in common with Medina than the East or South Bay (the real outskirts of the area).