by Kirby Lindsay, posted 2 January 2014
This time of year lends itself to resolutions. Why not make one for Fremont?
I like to consider ways to enjoy, or improve, our community. Last year, I resolved to walk, and explore, the neighborhood more. The intention was good, but my execution was, well, rather pitiful.
I did walk, but…um…more? More than what? Less than whom?
For 2014, I want to set an achievable resolution – a goal that I can actually reach. So, my resolve is to spend 12 days exploring and seeing Fremont… over the course of the coming year.
A Selection of Strolls
Some strolls I did take in 2013 stand out, like the night of the Lenin Lighting and Fremont Festivus celebration. Each year, after Lenin gets lit, the Fremont First Friday Art Walk begins and a friend and I visit the venues. We check out the art, chat up friends we meet, sometimes get something to eat and/or drink, and purchase a few gifts. This time out, First Friday happened to be one of the coldest nights of the year, we carried a Festivus pole along with us, and we ended up doing much more visiting than anything else…
Thoughts of social strolls lead to thoughts of one particular walk I took to the Fremont Branch of the Seattle Public Library. I left home with plenty of time, so I felt fine when stopping along the way – more than once – to chat with friends, until I arrived at the branch after it had closed. This has not stopped me from chatting, but it does mean my godson and I usually sprint on our way to the library, and chat/shop/stroll our way back home.
My godson became a conspirator on several walks around the neighborhood this past fall, and he still enthusiastically acknowledges which businesses let us hang posters for Trick-or-Treat In Fremont – and which ones we returned to for treats. Those memories lead to ones about another delightful afternoon stroll – done in a very satisfactory loop – through nearly every shop and restaurant at the Top of the Universe, again distributing Trick-or-Treat posters. Along the way I found several new restaurants, and met stylists in several salons I hadn’t been in before.
In 2013, several neighborhood tours dictated a route ‘round the ‘hood. Last August, the Fremont Fireside Chat stroll meandered among local landmarks and historical sites. In June, a walking tour with Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn gave community activists an opportunity to talk about the plight of our houseboats and the need to support industrial businesses. In April, a film crew shot footage of Fremont art, and I went with and tried to explain why Fremont is like this to a Russian audience. It wasn’t easy… if I managed it at all.
A Social Walk
Fremont is a great place to stroll. Our residential areas have yards, houses and views, plus hidden art and staircases to discover. The business district has window displays, buildings and views, plus art so plentiful that it can be easy to overlook.
On both kinds of walks, I can step briskly, stopping occasionally to take photos but cover acres if that is what I wish.
Other times I stop, or get stopped, here and there, and here again, to talk to this person, answer that person, ask this person, or give directions to tourists. I also stop at area businesses, interesting posters, and/or great views. I don’t get great exercise on these more social walks, but the mental stimulation and (usually) positive social interaction do give a similar adrenaline rush.
In addition, when I consider what Fremont needs – and my own personal goal to shop local – these walks of exploration fulfill another ambition.
Why not merge the two – and commit to walk Fremont once a month, exploring the stores, the residential area, and/or the parks and green spaces. It may not be more, or less, than I did in 2013, but the resolution contains an achievable standard.
A Regular Routine
Best of all, Fremont already has several opportunities for regular monthly strolls.
First, there is the Fremont First Friday Art Walk. The Art Walk gives entry into at least a dozen businesses in one evening, with many other places open just ‘cause. The Fremont Chamber of Commerce also does a monthly walk, conducted by its Board, where they walk the area talking to businesses about membership.
Another opportunity comes with community meetings. In 2013, a few took place on the same days and required a walk across the neighborhood – visiting the Fremont Troll, the Top Of The Universe, B.F. Day Elementary School, and the Stone Way shopping district – on my way.
Since the Art Walk takes place at the start of each month and, sometimes, unavoidably, it gets missed, that leaves time to look at the month to come and schedule a free-style walk. Finding a birthday gift, charting the fastest, least hilly path from Fremont Coffee to Archie McPhee’s (or back,) or getting that postcard-perfect photo of the Seattle skyline from the Center of the Universe can all provide excuses to spend a few hours strolling.
Best of all, a once a month walk grants an opportunity to see Fremont from different angles and at different perspectives. Twelve days of Fremont, and finding out more of what the Center of the Universe has to offer, can only increase the chances of discovering something new in this new year!
Related Articles
- Resolution 2013: Walk More
- by Kirby Lindsay, January 2, 2013
- Unscrambling The Fremont Street Scramble
- by Kirby Lindsay, September 19, 2012
- Welcome To The Top Of The Universe!
- by Kirby Lindsay, April 5, 2013
©2014 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.