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News & ArtsTuesday, December 8, 2009
Books Will Anyone Miss Elliott Bay's Reading Room?
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 9:43 AM
Um... the reading room? In the basement? With the low ceilings? And no windows? Next to the noisy cafe? Around the corner from the toilets? That reading room?
I've read in Elliott Bay's reading room and I've attended readings in Elliott Bay's reading room and Elliott Bay's reading room is really unpleasant. I've never understood why Elliott Bay doesn't host readings in any one of the store's large, high-ceilinged rooms upstairs, near the windows that look out over the street. Why do they hide authors away in the basement? Last night Hank Stuever read from his new book Tinsel—I'm 100 pages in and it's totally brilliant—and Hank noticed one of the weirdest thing about Elliott Bay's reading room: its microclimates. The audience was perfectly comfortable, sitting on chairs in the temperate zone at the bottom half the room, but poor Hank, standing on the platform in front of us, was roasting to death. The heat trapped by the low ceilings and the lights—which are pointed at directly at the reader's face—result in the top half of the room being about 20 degrees warmer than the bottom half of the room. I've been up there myself, reading under those hot lights, my head scraping the ceiling as the sweat runs down my face. It's not pleasant. Nor is competing with or listening over the the sounds of dishes being slammed into bus tubs and milk being steamed in the adjacent cafe. The room is poorly lit, airless, and, again, a lot warmer the closer you get to the ceiling. It may be an okay place to listen to a reading but it's a thoroughly lousy place to read.
Here's hoping Elliott Bay moves to Capitol Hill. And here's hoping that they wind up in a new space that has a reading room with air, light, and windows, a room that's nowhere near their cafe, a reading room that doesn't roast visiting authors alive.
1
The evening and late-night readings/expanded events potential of a Cap Hill location couldn't be beat. I wonder what part of their sales is all the daytime foot traffic from dowtown, though.
4
just another example of the yuppie-fication of cap hill, and another lost jewel for pioneer square and downtown. probably won't be much parking (bus routes from pike/pine to ne seattle are limited), the space won't easily replace the old seattle whimsy of the existing one, and walking around pio square sure beats having to give the evil eye to the newest McCondo on 12th. next they'll start franchising and selling shitty tabs and it'll be barnes & noble's little bro
5
wha
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whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
6
You're dreaming if you think the new store is going to have real estate to throw away on a dedicated reading room. You'll be reading in the cramped space upstairs, surrounded by books for sale and customers uninterested in you who are angry they can't browse those books. I doubt there's going to be a cafe, either.
I think the owner is going to be shocked when he finds out how moribund Capitol Hill is, and how much LESS parking than Pioneer Square it has, and how many FEWER worker bees with offices nearby. Capitol Hill people shop at Amazon, not bricks'n'mortar; Bailey Coy just proved that.
Huge, huge mistake.
I think the owner is going to be shocked when he finds out how moribund Capitol Hill is, and how much LESS parking than Pioneer Square it has, and how many FEWER worker bees with offices nearby. Capitol Hill people shop at Amazon, not bricks'n'mortar; Bailey Coy just proved that.
Huge, huge mistake.
7
Bailey/Coy didn't die because of cap hill, it died because its owners checked out years ago.
That being said, I'm not sure where they could get a decent amount of space in Cap Hill. Maybe the old BMW dealership, but that conversion would be a little spendy for an independent bookstore.
That being said, I'm not sure where they could get a decent amount of space in Cap Hill. Maybe the old BMW dealership, but that conversion would be a little spendy for an independent bookstore.
9
Actually, Fnarf, bookstores that don't have dedicated reading rooms are better—for authors. It's better to read in a space that might attract a few stray shoppers who didn't come to see you read than in some tomb in the basement tucked away from the shoppers and the people who are there to browse and buy books. I always preferred reading at Bailey/Coy over reading at Elliott Bay.
Not sure I agree with you about the move -- I think if EBB moves to Pike/Pine, not to Broadway, it will do fine. It's close to a university and a thriving restaurant/nightlife district that doesn't seem to be harmed by the lack of parking. And there's a lot more parking along Pike/Pine than there is on or near Broadway. As for those worker bees: Pike/Pine is crawling with them... as they make their way from the hill to downtown, on their way to their jobs. Not so much Broadway. There's a ton of foot traffic, all day long, along Pike/Pine (I see it from my windows), foot traffic that doesn't exist along Broadway. The posters are foot thick on every light pole along Pike/Pine for a reason—it's where the folks are.
And I felt like Will Smith in I Am Legend walking to and from Elliott Bay last night -- I was the only person on the street for blocks and blocks in every direction, everything was closed. It was eerie.
Not sure I agree with you about the move -- I think if EBB moves to Pike/Pine, not to Broadway, it will do fine. It's close to a university and a thriving restaurant/nightlife district that doesn't seem to be harmed by the lack of parking. And there's a lot more parking along Pike/Pine than there is on or near Broadway. As for those worker bees: Pike/Pine is crawling with them... as they make their way from the hill to downtown, on their way to their jobs. Not so much Broadway. There's a ton of foot traffic, all day long, along Pike/Pine (I see it from my windows), foot traffic that doesn't exist along Broadway. The posters are foot thick on every light pole along Pike/Pine for a reason—it's where the folks are.
And I felt like Will Smith in I Am Legend walking to and from Elliott Bay last night -- I was the only person on the street for blocks and blocks in every direction, everything was closed. It was eerie.
10
@4
1)Take your normal bus to DT. Get off near Pike St. Transfer to the #10, #11, #49...they run frequently, and unless it's rush hour you're up the Hill in less than ten minutes and within a block of the proposed new store...
2)If they move to the Hill they are negotiating for parking in an existing lot. One of the reasons they want to leave Pioneer Square is because of the parking.
3)Pioneer Square, sadly, is a destination for tourists in the daytime, drunk suburban fratboys and trampy girls at night and the homeless 24 hours a day. No one not in any of those categories has much reason/desire to go there.
4)The proposed new space would be in a funky old warehouse building that was originally designed for a Ford dealership. It has an unusual, multi-level layout, and potential for lots of charm and centrally located in the densest, funkiest, artsyist and most literate neighborhood in the city near shops, restaurants, clubs, arts venues and multiple buslines/future light rail and trolley lines.
5)how is the relocation of a beloved, existing institution from one neighborhood to another an example of yuppiefication? (and, I'm big opponent of the blandification/gentrification of Capitol Hill and the majority of the shitty McCondo buildings.) They would be moving from a funky building in a funky but depressed neighborhood to another funky building in a different funky but more vibrant neighborhood with higher foot traffic? (I apologize for the overuse of "funky").
6)Get a clue and move on.
1)Take your normal bus to DT. Get off near Pike St. Transfer to the #10, #11, #49...they run frequently, and unless it's rush hour you're up the Hill in less than ten minutes and within a block of the proposed new store...
2)If they move to the Hill they are negotiating for parking in an existing lot. One of the reasons they want to leave Pioneer Square is because of the parking.
3)Pioneer Square, sadly, is a destination for tourists in the daytime, drunk suburban fratboys and trampy girls at night and the homeless 24 hours a day. No one not in any of those categories has much reason/desire to go there.
4)The proposed new space would be in a funky old warehouse building that was originally designed for a Ford dealership. It has an unusual, multi-level layout, and potential for lots of charm and centrally located in the densest, funkiest, artsyist and most literate neighborhood in the city near shops, restaurants, clubs, arts venues and multiple buslines/future light rail and trolley lines.
5)how is the relocation of a beloved, existing institution from one neighborhood to another an example of yuppiefication? (and, I'm big opponent of the blandification/gentrification of Capitol Hill and the majority of the shitty McCondo buildings.) They would be moving from a funky building in a funky but depressed neighborhood to another funky building in a different funky but more vibrant neighborhood with higher foot traffic? (I apologize for the overuse of "funky").
6)Get a clue and move on.
11
This is the building they are reportedly interested in:
http://www.pikepineproperties.com/1520bu…
It's the old DMX warehouse behind Oddfellows...I'm guessing the near by lot could be the parking lot at Rancho Brava/old KFC, which is like what, 15 spaces? If they have 15 spaces IN the building, that would equal the proposed 30 spaces.
I worked (briefly) at DMX as it was phasing out of Seattle, and I've been in the building. It's MUCH larger than it looks with many different levels and unusual spaces. Even with some parking inside, I don't think square footage wise it would be that much smaller than the Pioneer Square space.
http://www.pikepineproperties.com/1520bu…
It's the old DMX warehouse behind Oddfellows...I'm guessing the near by lot could be the parking lot at Rancho Brava/old KFC, which is like what, 15 spaces? If they have 15 spaces IN the building, that would equal the proposed 30 spaces.
I worked (briefly) at DMX as it was phasing out of Seattle, and I've been in the building. It's MUCH larger than it looks with many different levels and unusual spaces. Even with some parking inside, I don't think square footage wise it would be that much smaller than the Pioneer Square space.
12
Pioneer Square is that way because the city has conspired against it for fifty-plus years. It should be Seattle's crown jewel. The disaster that's unfolding there is spilling over into downtown, too. Haven't heard McGinn say too much about that. If downtown goes, the city goes with it.
13
I'm guessing if they move that they'll keep a cafe of some sort, and it will be close to the reading room (or reading space if there is no separate room). It wouldn't surprise me if they made as much money from the cafe as selling books during a reading. If they're having a reading, how many books do you suppose they sell? How many latte's, cookies, biscotti, etc, do you think they sell?
It's kind of like a movie theater. They don't really make money off the movies; they make all their profit off the snacks. The movie is just to get you in the door.
It's kind of like a movie theater. They don't really make money off the movies; they make all their profit off the snacks. The movie is just to get you in the door.
16
I think they should have a cafe, of course, but I don't think the readings should be right next to it.
17
@14: repeatedly knocking down stuff around the edges; trying in the 60s to turn the entire neighborhood into parking lots (foiled; the outrage over tearing down the Seattle Hotel for the sinking ship parking garage started the modern preservation movement in this city, which then saved the Market); concentrating homeless services there, to the extent of giving over entire buildings, while at the same time permitting the loss of the businesses that supported the homeless before they were homeless (like the literally dozens and dozens of SRO hotels that used to be there); permitting the expansion of a "nightclub district" so loud, violent and vomitous that it makes ordinary life impossible; building a gigantic stadium there, with a gigantic parking requirement, and then a couple of decades later tearing it down and building TWO gigantic stadiums. The list goes on. City Hall Park should be the nicest park in the city; instead it's an encampment. The buildings that are left are crumbling, but the city does nothing. The entire area is emptying out, but the city does nothing. I think the Smith Tower is about 7/8 vacant, but the city does nothing.
18
Two things the Square has that the Hill does not; tourists, and close proximity to thousands of office workers during the day. My guess is they would neutralize any after hours improvement that the Elliot Bay might experience on the Hill. And with the closing of Bailey Coy, it suggests that there is not enough support for an independent bookstore without those factors. Dan's issues with the reading room could easily be solved with some improvements to lighting and ventilation - hardly a good reason for the bookstore to move. This is all about rent, and how much of a deal the owner can get, that's all. If the two sides can reach accommodation, Elliot Bay will stay put.
19
Are there really tons of office workers at that end of Pioneer Square? Seems pretty desolate to me. It's not exactly at the foot of Columbia Tower.
20
exaggerate much? i'll miss the reading room but won't miss the cafe. i preferred the cafe before the renovation when it went from dark and dingy to clean and over priced. $2.40 for a cup of tea??
21
I love that downstairs space at Elliott Bay Books. Moving here in 1992 I hadn't seen anything like it. Still haven't.
22
@18
1)uh, Capitol Hill is where THOUSANDS of downtown workers live and Downtown (meaning the retail heart @Pike/Pine) is closer to Capitol Hill than Pioneer Square. And, I've worked at Union Station and visited EBB and never really noticed thousands of office workers in the store. Also, tourists come to the Hill, too.
2)Comparing Elliot Bay and Bailey/Coy is a bit absurd. EBB is what, 10 times larger than Bailey/Coy and obviously far better funded. I've read that Bailey/Coy's business dropped 50% in the last year. I know part of the problem was that Michael didn't have the deep pockets or credit to invest in new stock which lead to the store's inventory dropping to alarmingly low levels. I admit to buying less at Bailey/Coy in the last year primarily because they didn't have much to offer but bare shelves...it became a vicious cycle of no credt/reduced stock/reduced customers.
3)The idea that Bailey/Coy failed due to lack of community support is incorrect. There is a need and a demand for a large, first run bookstore on the Hill and if the store is well-funded and well-managed, it would/could be a huge success.
1)uh, Capitol Hill is where THOUSANDS of downtown workers live and Downtown (meaning the retail heart @Pike/Pine) is closer to Capitol Hill than Pioneer Square. And, I've worked at Union Station and visited EBB and never really noticed thousands of office workers in the store. Also, tourists come to the Hill, too.
2)Comparing Elliot Bay and Bailey/Coy is a bit absurd. EBB is what, 10 times larger than Bailey/Coy and obviously far better funded. I've read that Bailey/Coy's business dropped 50% in the last year. I know part of the problem was that Michael didn't have the deep pockets or credit to invest in new stock which lead to the store's inventory dropping to alarmingly low levels. I admit to buying less at Bailey/Coy in the last year primarily because they didn't have much to offer but bare shelves...it became a vicious cycle of no credt/reduced stock/reduced customers.
3)The idea that Bailey/Coy failed due to lack of community support is incorrect. There is a need and a demand for a large, first run bookstore on the Hill and if the store is well-funded and well-managed, it would/could be a huge success.
23
Fnarf is right...the city HAS failed when it comes to Pioneer Square, along with every other neighborhood in the city...they've been enthralled with the property owners and developers for a hundred years and they don't want to upset the apple cart. Pioneer Square IS a disappointment; I thought so the first time I visited as a tourist. There's no there, there. It's all bad restaurants, seedy nightclubs, high end art galleries, homeless shelters and rug stores. There's no coherence to the area at all. They need to start by relocating the mission/shelters to SODO (south of the stadiums but not so far as to be inhumanely inaccessible) and working with local arts groups to to rehab the area. The Square is in dire need of a theater, cinema, art museum (not gallery) or other arts spaces and the city needs to encourage more diverse retail and entertainment in the area. It shouldn't just be a place for tourists to hang out in for an hour or two, the desired hangout of panhandlers, and the all night party ground for drunken oafs from Tukwila and Lynnwood.
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