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Monday, August 30, 2010

In My Dreams

Posted by on Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 11:30 AM

Someone would buy one of these motels on Aurora and make it into a great bar/club/eating/fun complex like the Jupiter in Portland.

  • jupiterhotel.com

 

Comments (31) RSS

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dotSpec 1
Because nothing gets the appetite going like cars roaring by at 50 MPH?
Posted by dotSpec http://www.spec907.net on August 30, 2010 at 11:36 AM
StillNon 2
1, that's nothing a little waterfall effect, music, or white noise can't fix!
Posted by StillNon on August 30, 2010 at 11:48 AM
Beetlecat 3
why don't we just import portland into seattle. it'd fit, right?
Posted by Beetlecat on August 30, 2010 at 11:53 AM
4
@1
Better go 40 - that stretch of Aurora is a well known speed trap.
Posted by Senor Guy on August 30, 2010 at 11:58 AM
michael strangeways 5
I've thought that for years, but for something like that to work it needs to be close to entertainment/arts stuff. Maybe one of the motels near Seattle Center (only a couple left) or in Denny Triangle? But, most of those got scooped up by Cornish to be used as dorms.
Posted by michael strangeways http://www.seattlegayscene.com/ on August 30, 2010 at 12:00 PM
thatsnotright 6
They are all too far out to be regular destinations for anyone but the locals. Bus service is terrible--have you ridden a #5 at 11pm?
Parking in local neighborhoods is an invitation to a car prowl and you are quite likley to get mugged for crack money. Sounds fun. When do we go?
Posted by thatsnotright on August 30, 2010 at 12:07 PM
Joe Szilagyi 7
Any mention of the Jupiter is incomplete without mentioning the adjoining great little diner, the Doug Fir. The Fir Burger is divine (as is that I think salmon & rosemary hash).
Posted by Joe Szilagyi http://www.joeszilagyi.com on August 30, 2010 at 12:24 PM
Will in Seattle 8
Actually, they could easily build a "Last Chance Before Tolled Billionaires Tunnel" eatery around there.

But the worst is that the 358 bus doesn't let people on/off before N 45th - why isn't there a stop at N 40th near the ped bridge?
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on August 30, 2010 at 12:28 PM
Max Solomon 9
East Burnside not = to Aurora.

As @5 said, the best shot is the Denny Triangle, but those motels all seem to be thriving. Georgetown over off Michigan? Maybe those on Aurora closest to Wallingmont/Freford?
Posted by Max Solomon on August 30, 2010 at 12:33 PM
StillNon 10
6: As I recall, the 358 is the bus that services Aurora, not the 5. The one time I caught it I noticed that one comes every few minutes and runs hella late.

Also, your paranoia about your car being suddenly jacked if you park in North Seattle is laughable.

It's so cute/silly that Seattle is so vastly wonderful that the supposed bad neighborhood, though safer and nicer than most best neighborhoods of other cities is like, so scary. wtf.

Posted by StillNon on August 30, 2010 at 12:35 PM
seandr 11
Count me in, Bethany. Let's make it happen.
Posted by seandr on August 30, 2010 at 12:51 PM
12
Um.... that's a great idea except for a few little problems like:
Portland is cool, Seattle is not
Portland has a vision of itself, Seattle does not
Things get done in Portland, nothing gets done in Seattle
Seattle wants to be "world class, Portland just wants to be itself...
Posted by KeithLewis on August 30, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Vince 13
It looks like a brothel.
Posted by Vince on August 30, 2010 at 12:59 PM
StillNon 14
Hey Keith, go back to living in our shadow and fuck off.
Posted by StillNon on August 30, 2010 at 1:12 PM
JF 15
@12 You stink of jealousy.
Posted by JF on August 30, 2010 at 1:20 PM
Catalina Vel-DuRay 16
Seattle is Jan Brady, SFO is Marsha, and Portland is Cindy,

The motel on 5th Avanue just north of the Westin would be a much better candidate for this sort of rehab
Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay http://www.danlangdon.com on August 30, 2010 at 1:23 PM
17
BUT PORTLAND DOESN'T HAVE A VIADUCT PROBLEM.

I love the idea of fixing one of those places up. Do they have a magic hose to spray in those rooms that de-jizzes things? I bet Portland has one of those.

I also lived in that area before and it's not as crack-y/car prowl-y as Cap'n Crackprowl would make it out to be.
Posted by Casual_Observer on August 30, 2010 at 1:31 PM
Will in Seattle 18
Why don't we just turn all those empty buildings in SLU into hotels and call it a day?

Then we can not build the Billionaires Tunnel and we all win!
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on August 30, 2010 at 1:43 PM
19
They're even doing it in Spokane!

http://www.hotelrubyspokane.com/
Posted by Spokane Brad on August 30, 2010 at 2:11 PM
20
@16. Actually,Portland is Sam the butcher.
Posted by SeMe on August 30, 2010 at 2:25 PM
SPG 21
If you kicked all the crackheads and scum out of the motels on Aurora, you wouldn't have a car prowl problem anymore. That's kinda the big reason they're shutting them down. They were being used as base camp for 90% of the crime around there.
Posted by SPG on August 30, 2010 at 2:41 PM
StillNon 22
21: Source needed.

Who is ~they~ that are closing down motels on Aurora? What motels have been closed? What car prowl problem are you talking about?

In other words, stop perpetuating rumors and shit talking about, what, a 20 square mile corridor of our city.

Posted by StillNon on August 30, 2010 at 3:03 PM
StillNon 23
21 continued

Yes, I realize it is not literally a 20 square mile corridor. I'm taking in to account the 5 miles miles between Seattle and Shoreline and the appearent blocks and blocks and blocks of danger on either side of it. Get a grip.

It's pretty much amazing up there if you go 1 or 2 blocks east or west of Aurora

(Fremont? Wallingford? Green Lake? Greenwood? Oaktree? HELLO?)

Posted by StillNon on August 30, 2010 at 3:11 PM
Geraldo Riviera 24
@22 You didn't read the article, did you?
Posted by Geraldo Riviera on August 30, 2010 at 3:21 PM
25
i guess Fremont Abbey Arts Center could try to be to the Thunderbird what the Doug Fir is to the Jupiter! :-)

another idea floating around for these motels (yes, multiples and some will be foreclosed on soon) is ARTIST LIVE/WORK SPACE! yah it'd be noisy but might be worth it? i don't think there is anything like Tashiro Kaplan or Youngstown in North seattle right?
Posted by nathan marion on August 30, 2010 at 3:26 PM
robotbutler 26
Stayed in the Jupiter & saw a show @ the Doug Fir about 2 years ago. The rooms were pretty cheap & the courtyard area (pictured) is amazing. Best 2 day trip I've had in a long time.
Posted by robotbutler on August 30, 2010 at 3:38 PM
StillNon 27
Source located, thank you 24! (yikes!)
Posted by StillNon on August 30, 2010 at 3:44 PM
Will in Seattle 28
@21 and @22 - try reading today's PI and Times.

@25 for Bestest Idea Ever!
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on August 30, 2010 at 3:50 PM
29
@25
I'll second Will!

Great idea, oh, only if it could happen.
Posted by Senor Guy on August 30, 2010 at 6:18 PM
kittenalarm 30
Portland is for Pussies. If you like it so much why don't you just move there?
Posted by kittenalarm on August 30, 2010 at 8:17 PM
COMTE 31
Yeah, what really makes the Jupiter work IMO is the adjacent music space and being more centrally located. I don't think any of the Aurora motels have even an adjoining restaurant space, let alone a basement that'll hold a couple hundred people.

And @7, I tried to order a "Fir Burger" last time I stayed there, but I couldn't wipe the smirk off my face as I unsuccessfully attempted to make "fir" not sound like "fur".

I don't think my waitress was amused, although, I also imagine it wasn't the first time she'd been through that experience, either.
Posted by COMTE http://www.chriscomte.com on August 30, 2010 at 10:49 PM

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