About Seattle's Pioneer Square

The Space Needle is not the only iconic building here in town. The first Grande Dame of Seattle skyscrapers was the Smith Tower, completed way back in 1914. For nearly 50 years, she was the tallest building west of the Rockies.

The building is named after Lyman Cornelius Smith, industrialist and inventor (1834 - 1910). He was 'the Smith' of Smith and Wesson Firearms and Smith and Corona Typewriters.

The current owner, Walton Street Capital out of Chicago, defaulted on their $42.5 million loan this past year. The loan was acquired by CBRE Group (formerly known as CB Richard Ellis, Inc) for an undisclosed amount and the auction is set for March 23, 2012.

Talk about being upside down. The current assessed value was set for this year by the King County Assessor’s office is $21.3 million.

Walton Street purchased the Tower back in April of 2006 for $42.8 million (top of the market) and in early 2007 filed plans to convert the smaller office spaces to condominiums. The plan stalled when Seattle’s luxury condo market went soft.

I hope the old Dame makes out okay and I wish her well. As a native of the area, she’s a landmark that’s practically etched into my DNA. Even though the Smith Tower is no longer dominant in the Seattle skyline, I’m always delighted to find views of her when I’m driving around town.

The Smith Tower has a neoclassic charm that captivates most everyone who visits. A quick look on Yelp.com shows 53 reviews. With only a couple of exceptions most rate her at 4 and 5 stars.

Seattle and Tacoma have enjoyed a relationship of rivalry since day 1. Originally in 1909, Smith planned to build a 14 story building but his son, Burns Lyman Smith, persuaded him to build the much taller skyscraper to out do Tacoma's National Realty Building. At 16 stories in 1911 it was for a time the tallest building in the west.

The 38 story structure has a granite facing on the first 2 floors and the remainder with terracotta. On the 35th floor is the observation level known as the Chinese Room. The hand carved ceiling and the furniture were gifts of the last Empress of China. I was fortunate to attend several special occasions here over the years. I love the inner city views from here.

Triangle Pub in Seattle- The Triangle Pub, located in the south end of Pioneer square, just one block north of Safeco field in Seattle, has been a personal favorite sports pub for me and my dad for years. We can be found at the Triangle Pub several times throughout the Mariners and Seahawks season enjoying a cold one and watching all the latest action in sports before we head into the game.

The Triangle Pub in Seattle might only be a pitstop on the way to the stadium for some, but for the two of us its much more. Sports has always been a way for my father and I to bond, and since the day I was legally allowed to consume a tasty beverage, my dad and I have been enjoying a conversation about America's favorite pastime (and our favorite pastime), we cover all the latest trades in baseball and lastly, what the Mariners need to do to actually put together a winning season ( Pujols to the Angels won't help). The atmosphere is laid back and friendly, the experience is genuine, and the best of part about it all is we can do it without breaking our wallet or missing a beat in the latest sports news and events. The two of us will alternate rounds (usually $2 PBR tallboys) while sitting at the bar and taking our choice out of 10 flat screens to view.

This isn't just any pub though, this pub has character, it has history. Built in 1910, this flatiron building originally served as a Hotel and Bar, Although the hotel was only able to stay in business until 1920, the bar became the local neighborhood hangout. During the Great Depression the top two floors of the hotel served as a Brothel as the pub continued to be a local favorite.

For some the Triangle Pub wont carry the meaning it does for me and my father, a place to grow even closer, catch up, and just hangout, but that doesn't mean it can't. I challange you, the next time you are walking through the streets of Pioneer Square, to swing in and make a friend, or two. Drink a beer, talk sports, enjoy the atmosphere. But most of all, just sit back, relax, and take in all that Seattle's Triangle Pub has to offer.

http://trianglepub.com/

Cheers!

Headed for home the other day I was driving down 2nd Avenue in Seattle. That’s the Smith Tower in the background. It was once the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. It was dedicated on July 4, 1914. People gazed in amazement over downtown Seattle from the famous Chinese Room, on the 35th floor. The Smith Tower was Seattle’s first steel girder building with terra cotta. A bold statement to make in a timber town. It stands just a block off Pioneer Square where downtown Seattle started in 1852.

I spent almost 5 years working in this part of town. It was a fun area with a lot of great cheap places to eat and affordable happy hours. I loved going for walks during lunch hour. We were in the Free Zone and it was easy to hop on and off any bus going in your direction.

My impulse kicked in and I hung a left up Cherry St by the Arctic Building. This is where I started my title insurance career. I had just moved back from Oakland, California in 1984.

I was doing the starving artist scramble when my friend Steve, who was the downtown manager for Manpower Temp Agency gave me a call. “Rene’, I need your help. I got a call from a title company. I’m not really sure what they do or need. It’s kind of like an attorney’s office. I have no idea who to send, anyway you’re a personable guy and a good BSr. Put a white shirt and tie on and be there tomorrow morning at 8:00 am sharp! Please!”

As it were, I had just turned him down the week before to be a Vlasic Pickle for a couple of days on a downtown street corner. At least this was inside. Anyway, I really needed the money. Northwestern Title wasn’t quite a year old when I came through the door. I worked the summer as a doc puller then moved into customer service.

The Arctic Building was another of the cities earliest buildings with a steel reinforced concrete foundation and terra cotta exterior. With ties to the Klondike gold rush, the 9 story building was built in 1916 for its major tenant, The Arctic Club.

In it’s hey day, the Arctic Building was one of the most eloquent buildings in town. It had private dining rooms, a barber shop, library, ladies tea room, large formal dining room, and a grand dome room with a partial glass ceiling. It even had it’s own bowling alley, several card and billiard rooms, and a private roof garden. My favorite feature is the walrus heads along the outside of the 3rd floor.