Open House: Market Place North, #C-8 – Sunday, Nov 13th

Market Place North ~ 2021 First Avenue ~ Unit # C-8

$674,000

MLS# 241926

Sunday, November 13, 2011 ~ Open from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Your Hosts are James Stroupe and Julie Roh

206.910.5000  ~  james@stroupe.com

206.354.1030  ~  julie@stroupe.com

Like to entertain?  Or escape?  Welcome to your slice of paradise with this 2-bedroom, 2-bath, 2-level home! It features 1,581 square feet of spacious and gracious floor plan with tall ceilings, custom office, loft, wood burning fireplace, and A/C.  Market Place North also has an on-site manager, concierge, secured parking/storage plus beautiful courtyards.  Your HODs not only include water, sewer and garbage, but electricity and heating as well. 

Just one block away from Pike Place Market, Market Place North was designed by local architect Bruce Lorig.  The building is easily recognizable because of its slanted design, along with some of the most desirable million-dollar views in the city. 

You can check out Market Place North’s Walk Score® of 97 and a perfect Transit Score™ of 100 link to get an idea of the restaurants, world class arts, local bakeries, quaint boutiques, coffee shops and so much more that the neighborhood provides.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday! If you can’t make it this weekend but would like to schedule a private tour, just contact us at the phone number or email address above, or drop us a line here at urgent@stroupe.com.

Open House: Grandview, #1007 – Sunday, Nov 13th

Grandview ~ 2201 3rd Ave  ~ Unit # 1007

$215,000

MLS# 209266

Sunday, November 13, 2011 ~ Open from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Your Host is James Stroupe

206.910.5000  ~  james@stroupe.com

Recently remodeled, this beautiful corner unit has fabulous views of the Seattle skyline. An abundance of light creates a warm home with hardwood floors.  The kitchen has stainless steel appliances plus a 30 bottle wine cooler. A Murphy bed makes the most of your space during the day, while allowing you to sleep by the stars at night.  The large south facing private deck hovers above the street to soak in the fresh air with beautiful city and sound views.

Grandview also offers great amenities including an indoor pool, spa/sauna, gym, outdoor terrace.  Parking and storage is inlcuded.  AND, your HODs include electric, water, sewer.

Check out Grandview’s Walk Score® of 98 and a perfect Transit Score™ of 100  link here to see all of the restaurants, arts, bakeries, boutiques, coffee shops and so much more that this great neighborhood provides.

Grand Location.  Grand Amenities.  Grandview.  You owe it to yourself to check this out!  We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.  If you can’t make it this weekend but would like to schedule a private tour, just contact us at the phone number or email address above, or drop us a line here at urgent@stroupe.com.

Open House: Klee Lofts, Unit 5004 – Sunday, Oct 16th

Klee Lofts ~ 2717 Western Avenue ~ Unit # 5004

$259,000

MLS# 192306

Sunday, October 16, 2011 ~ Open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Your Host is Julie Roh

206.354.1030  ~  julie@stroupe.com

Welcome to your incredibly spacious, open one bedroom one bath loft, with a middle-of-everything location plus a very sweet list of amenities! 

The large kitchen and living room areas are great for hosting anything from an intimate dinner to a Halloween party.  Your living room doors open onto a large, private balcony with a bustling waterfront view and Elliott  Bay on the horizon… a nice way to start your day with a cup of coffee, or end it with a glass of wine.

The Klee’s main common rooms have numerous original works of art by Northwest artists, the most prominent of which is a series of glass waterfalls by Nancy Mee in the entry lobby.  Its beautifully-designed community center leads onto a lovely courtyard where you can relax among its garden setting. 

Other amenities include an on-site manager, media room, fitness center, a 24-hour computer room with internet, fax and printer, plus a club room with adjoining deck.  Have a friend or relative staying in town?  Check them into the Klee’s guest suite!

It’s not often that a place comes in at a Walk Score® of 100 and a Transit Score™ of 97, but you get that with  The Klee!  Leave your cares (and your car) behind as you stroll to a favorite restaurant.  Dining in?  Pick up fresh fish and produce at Pike Place Market.

And shopping?  This Walk Score® link is loaded with stores and services that the area has to offer.  If you like to commune with culture and nature, your neighboring landmarks are the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Waterfront.  Or, grab a bus for a quick hop to Queen Anne or Downtown.  Simply put, much of  the best that Seattle has to offer is steps away from your front door!

Find your sense of place in one of Belltown’s most exciting condominium communities, a place just as unique as its namesake. Come visit us at the wonderful  Klee Lofts and Suites on Sunday.  If you’re unable to attend but would like to schedule a private tour on your own schedule, just call or email us at the contact information above, or drop us a line at urgent@stroupe.com.

Cristalla: Happy Ending, New Beginning

 

After two years of litigation, we are pleased to report news that Cristalla’s Homeowners Association Board has reached an agreement with its developer to settle all outstanding building litigation claims, with a court dismissal of the lawsuit expected within the next thirty days.  Terms of the settlement are confidential and will be disclosed to homeowners in more detail at a private meeting in early July. 

Cristalla’s architect is working to finalize detailed plans to start repairs to the roof (Sky Terrace and external ledge, or its “eyebrow”), additional remediation treatments to the South Wall at parking levels to reduce the chance of further water intrusion (check out our coverage on last fall’s repairs here), plus a complete rebuild of its 6th floor Steam Room. Within the next few weeks, Cristalla’s Board intends to select a general contractor to complete the work. 

One of Seattle’s most beloved high-rise condominiums, the Cristalla took its inspiration from the Crystal Pool, an Italian Renaissance structure built on the site in 1914.  Architect B. Marcus Priteca planned a high-relief, neo-classical façade of glazed terra cotta with domed corner entries.  Arched steel trusses supported a glass roof, which covered a huge pool with salt water piped in from Elliott Bay.  At the time, it was one of the most popular recreation spots in Seattle.  Priteca later designed a building which has lasted a little longer… West Seattle’s Admiral Theater.

Today, the base of Cristalla hearkens back to those times.  And, in addition to the lobby’s elegant staircase and two-story water feature, Traver Gallery and artist Anna Skibska provided artistic decor throughout. Interior designer Mandy Reed continued the theme of the building’s history by maintaining a prevalence of water through the use of translucent panels on Cristalla’s doors, and glass panels on its upper kitchen cabinets.  All homes feature hardwood flooring plus carpeted bedrooms. Studios, 1-bedrooms, 2-bedrooms and penthouses range from 420 to 2,800 square feet.

You’ll never lose your western view at Cristalla, either.  Developers bought the air rights above the neighboring property, capping any future growth to eight stories.

The Cristalla enjoys a Walk Score® of 97 and a Transit Score™ of a perfect 100. As you can see by this link, its location is amazing. You’re steps away from the best of Belltown in any direction.  The Cristalla is pet-friendly too.  There’s even a dog run on the rooftop!  Lots of other amenities as well, ranging from a 24-hour concierge to a rooftop BBQ area.  Check out our Cristalla website for more details.  Our website also has a Listings tab on available properties.

Getting a loan at the Cristalla during ongoing litigation was often a challenging task.  With litigation now resolved, obtaining a loan will be much easier.  There is a lot to love about the Cristalla.  We invite you to learn more about this special place, and even arrange for a  private tour.  Just give us a call at 206~910~5000, or send an email to urgent@stroupe.com.

Open House: Klee, Unit 634 – Sunday, April 3rd

Klee Lofts ~ 2717 Western Avenue ~ Unit # 634

$299,999

MLS# 169533

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011 ~ Open from 12 noon  to 2 p.m.

Your Host is James Stroupe

206.910.5000  ~  james@stroupe.com

And now we’re into April.  It’s a time of new beginnings… and time for you to look at this beautiful large, top floor one bedroom, one bath home!  Its spacious kitchen is great for creating everthing from intimate dinners to holiday galas.  It also has a large den which can easily be turned into a home office, study, or an entertainment area.  The den can even be converted into a second bedroom!  Or, if you prefer, book the Klee’s Guest Suite for visitors instead.  Want more?  Here you go:  it also comes with adjoining storage, plus a great parking space — no car neighbor!  The deck is double-sized and private, with a southwest view of the Waterfront and Elliott Bay.

The Klee’s main common rooms contain numerous original works of art by Northwest artists, the most prominent being a series of glass waterfalls by Nancy Mee in the entry lobby.  In the center of the Klee community is a courtyard, where you can cook steaks on the grill or simply relax among the garden setting.  Other amenities include an on-site manager, media room, fitness center, a 24-hour computer room with internet, fax and printer, plus a club room with adjoining deck. 

AND, you can leave your car in that spiffy parking space of yours, then stroll  to restaurants or shopping on Western Avenue, the Waterfront or First Avenue.  Pick up fresh produce and fish from Pike Place Market, steps away.  Seattle Art Museum’s Sculpture Park is one block north.  No car?  Rejoice, all you pedestrians… the Klee scores a perfect 100 on walkscore.com!

Simply put, some of the best that Belltown has to offer is right outside your front door.  Come visit us at the marvelous Klee Lofts and Suites on Sunday.  If you’re unable to attend but would like to schedule a private showing, just drop us a line at urgent@stroupe.com.

Open House: Sunday, December 5, 2010

Open 1-4 pm

Concord – 2929 1st Avenue, Unit 600

$675,000

Mls: 133731

Situated on the NW corner of the Concord, this unit boasts exceptional unobstructed views of Olympic Sculpture Park, Elliott Bay, Olympic Mountains and Alki point. This bright unit features maple cabinets, slab granite counters, stainless steel appliances, gas cooking, new hardwoods and A/C.  The Concord features concierge service, fitness center, spa, terraces and a business suite.  All of this, in the heart of Belltown!

Hosted by James Stroupe– (206) 910-5000, james@stroupe.com 

Central Waterfront – The Lead Design Winner & Why

From an initial field of 30 companies, the City of Seattle announced on September 21 that the award-winning firm of  james corner field operations will serve as the lead designer over 20 acres of public lands for Seattle’s new Central Waterfront. Whittled down to a field of four, they made their pitches for the project at Benaroya Hall on September 15. We were in a crowd of nearly 1,300 and watched founder James Corner lead the presentation for his group.

Although the firm is based in New York, Corner is a native of Manchester, England. He made comparisons of the work heritage of the Seattle piers to those in Manchester, making an immediate connection that he understood the heart of both. They also presented a video clip where they interviewed people at the piers, asking them for their vision of what they’d like to have done at the waterfront. It was an interesting bit because it was hard to hear the responses with the viaduct  traffic noise in the background, but perhaps it also served to reinforce another reason why the structure needs to come down.  A compelling visual presentation drawing the audience’s imagination towards the possibilities of what the marriage of a working waterfront with an urban space, or as he referred to it, “Seattle’s Front Porch” completed their time on stage, and they ended to a hearty round of applause.

Founded by James Corner in 1998, james corner field operations is a leading-edge landscape architecture/urban design practice known for strong contemporary design across many project lines. Its signature project to date is the High Line in New York City. Formerly an old elevated railroad track on Manhattan’s West Site, it was transformed into 1 ½ miles of grass, trees, benches and pathways. The project won the firm the 2010 National Design Award for landscape design and the American Society of Landscape Architects 2010 Honor Award.

The firm will work with the Central Waterfront Partnerships Committee and there will be plenty of interaction involving public outreach and meetings. Design work begins in October, with a conceptual plan to be finished in  2012. A final design will be decided by 2015, with construction scheduled from 2016 to 2018. Four of their eleven design team partners are based in Seattle and they are:  Mithun, The Berger Partnership, Herrera, and Jason Toft.  We’ll stay in touch as the project develops.

Coming Attractions at the Cinerama – Including New Management

As you’ve recently heard, the Seattle Cinerama Theatre is now closed for a multimillion dollar renovation. Breathe easy, though… it’s scheduled to reopen in November.

Philanthropist and Seattle native son Paul Allen’s plans are to bring this beloved 808-seat landmark into the 21^st century. This will include a new feature film screen, state-of-the-art digital sound, and 3-D viewing abilities. Plans are also in the works to do interior and exterior refurbishing.   While all of this is big news, of course, we find the more intriguing part to be an upcoming change of leadership.  Management company AMC Entertainment, Inc. has been replaced with a new management agreement under Greg Wood, owner and operator of the Roseway Theater in Portland.

 Wood was raised in Los Angeles, the grandson of a film editor and son of a director of Sony’s engineering department. After graduating from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, he decided to stay and keep up the family tradition in the Northwest instead. The first movie venue he operated was the Liberty, a vintage movie theater in Camas, on the Washington side of the Columbia River across from Portland. But while he enjoyed great success at the Liberty, Wood desired to have his own theater. The Roseway became available in early 2008.

Wood restored the Roseway’s  original art-deco decor and invested in state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment.  While most theaters would have been butchered into smaller screens, Wood kept the 500-seat auditorium intact, with 330 seats set up for maximum legroom. The upgrades made it easy for him to book major films from “Batman” to “Up” to “Avatar”. And, for those of you who enjoy great cuisine, the Roseway is reported to have some of the best movie popcorn in town.

He should work well with Allen, who grew up attending Seattle Cinerama movies. When rumors in the late 90’s arose that the Cinerama might be turned into a rock-climbing club– or even a parking lot– he bought the venue.  A full interior/exterior renovation began in June 1998, and the Cinerama reopened in full glory and to much applause in April 1999.

The Seattle Cinerama Theatre is one of only three movie theaters in the world still capable of showing three-panel Cinerama films. We’ll keep you posted on the reopening.

What Happened at the Waterfront: The Final Four Presentations

Seattle civic involvement was alive and well on Wednesday evening, September 15^th when an audience of  1,200+ filled the main floor of Benaroya Hall’s S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium and overflowed into the Founders tier level. All were gathered to listen to the presentations of the final four candidates in the running for Lead Designer of Seattle’s Central Waterfront . Their goal was to present, in 20 minutes, their vision of transforming what will be 20 acres of public lands into “a waterfront for the ages—a place for all to come together and enjoy the waterfront now and beyond” as expressed by moderator Daniel Friedman, Dean of the University of Washington’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

We have supplied weblinks for each company, and here’s what they had to say, in speaking order:

Wallace Roberts & Todd – Ignacio Bunster-Ossa, Principal, led the presentation.  WRT created a new waterfront, revitalizing seven miles of the Delaware River, in its hometown of Philadelphia .  Their goal is to bring water into the city, bring the city to the water, and create a heart of the city reflecting the vibrancy of Seattle.  They bring a concept of “What has been, What is, What if, and What will be” to the project and visualize the Waterfront as “an open book written over time”.

james corner field operations – James Corner led the presentation.  Most renowned for designing High Line, an urban park set on top of an old railroad structure in New York. A number of Seattle consultants are involved. They refer to the Waterfront as Seattle’s front porch, and their well-done visual presentation outlined their goals for Green Urbanism, Early Wins (start changing the Waterfront NOW), and Public Engagement.

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates –Michael Van Valkenburgh led the presentation.  Designed Brooklyn Bridge Park, which will cover 85 acres and 1.3 miles of waterfront. On their team is architect and former Seattle councilman Peter Steinbrueck.  Their goal is to integrate concepts of “Civic, Boundless, Natural and Urban”. They presented their historical research on the Waterfront and were the only ones to really hone in on fiscal feasibility… they ensure the plan we’ll have is a plan we can maintain.

Gustafson Guthrie Nichol –Shannon Nichol led the presentation. Designed Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millennium Park, but they were the only ones with a global project map, and the only ones who ran through an extensive array of past projects. Their concept is: “The City on the water, with a Bay as its central point and an entire Downtown as its Waterfront”. They were the only ones to mention the earthquake factor.  As the sole finalist headquartered in Seattle, they received a very warm reception.

A decision is expected shortly and we’ll bring it to you when it’s made. If you’d like to follow the news and the current chatter on the project, link onto

http://www.seattle.gov/DPD/Planning/Central_Waterfront/Overview/

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=467138365241
or  “#seattlewaterfront” on Twitter hashtag. 

To watch the presentations for yourself, below is a Powerpoint link to them, plus a link to raw video footage from the Seattle Channel.

PowerPoint Presentations: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/waterfront_design.htm

Video Footage: http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=5011031

Belltown Art Walk on September 16th

The next Belltown Art Walk & More begins at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 16^th.  Make sure you pick up a flyer as you stroll about. It will contain coupons good for discounts and 2-for-1 offers at Belltown’s most popular restaurants and bars.  We’ve grouped these by avenue for your convenience.  For a map and current event information, check out this link.

Western & Bell:  Mars Hill Church, 2333 Western Ave

1^st & Blanchard: Vain, 2018 1^st Ave

1^st & Blanchard: Gary Manuel Salon, 2127 1^st Ave

1^st & Battery:  Form/Space Atelier, 2407 1^st Ave

1^st & Broad: Allure Salon, 2915 1^st Ave

2^nd & Virginia:  Whisky Bar, 2000 2^nd Ave

2^nd & Blanchard: See Sound Lounge, 115 Blanchard St

2^nd & Blanchard:  Belltown Barber, 2219 2^nd Ave #A

2^nd & Bell:  Bedlam Coffee, 2231 2^nd Ave

2^nd & Bell: Roq La Rue, 2312 2^nd Ave

2^nd & Bell:  Damaged Goods, 2316 2^nd Ave

2^nd & Bell:  Stylus, 2321 2^nd Ave

2^nd & Battery:  City Hostel Seattle, 2327 2^nd Ave

3^rd & Wall: Belltown Video, 2500 3^rd Ave

3^rd & Cedar:  Street Bean, 2702 3^rd Ave

4^th & Bell:  Belltown Pull-Apart, 2308 4^th Ave

4^th & Bell:  Gilt Edge Society, 2312 4^th Ave

4^th & Blanchard:  Yellow Leaf Cupcakes, 2313 4^th Ave

5^th & Cedar:  Musadesign, 2617 5^th Ave

Denny & Taylor:  In.Fringe, 100 Taylor Ave N #A2

9^th & Westlake:  Art Not Terminal, 2045 Westlake Ave

9^th & Blanchard:  Eleveight Salon, 2130 Westlake Ave

9^th & Westlake:  Design Theory, 2132 Westlake Ave

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