Vintage photos of Manning’s Cafeteria

Posted by Geeky Swedes on February 25th, 2008

Anne Forestieri, who helped lead the effort to landmark the Denny’s building, sent us these photos from 1983 of the Ballard Manning’s before it was converted to the Denny’s. Anne asked that we post the photos “so that people don’t keep seeing the tired photo of the building being boarded up, thus contributing to the ‘eyesore’ mentality.” You can see more photos here.

Of course, the question that remains is how to restore the old Denny’s building to Manning’s fame… and who’s going to pay for it. We’ll keep you updated…

Also: The Ballard News-Tribune has an interview with Alan Hess, who authored two books on Googie architecture.

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Suthii

"How can anyone living here less than a generation understand what these landmarks mean to us as a community and how these landmarks are a representation of how the community has come to be."

OK, you can take away my right to an opinion IF you refund my property taxes. Otherwise, I vote, ripe 'er down.

Shakeima

Seattle is fast becoming a worthless dog-turd filled with harsh people and bland eye-sore condos.....such a shame that the people who live there want to erase the very funkiness that made Seattle fun and interesting in the first place!

pj

Mannings is Ballard. Mannings, as Zestos, helps to define 15th and the Ballard area for generations. A landmark is something that helps to define an area and a time in history and the Mannings building and architecture is that definition. What was served or how the building was used is secondary to what it meant for the community. It was a meeting place. To be potentially replaced for a growing condo development in a place has become over developed with condos is a pathetic. My family has been in the Ballard, Queen Anne, and Magnolia area since about 1905. We know what makes Seattle, it's the little pocket communities with all it's eccentricities. How can anyone living here less than a generation understand what these landmarks mean to us as a community and how these landmarks are a representation of how the community has come to be.

mansionmogul

Make it into a bowling alley! Paint the big ole eye sore in rainbow just like the Sunset!

Fran

That would be because she isn't an expert witness, ....but, thinks she is because she lives in LA.....

good observation, by the way!

wsb

With that extra "m" detail, the sign looks more Googie than the owners' expert witness at last week's hearing seemed willing to admit.

JamieKC

Seriously, I don't get it. I hope someone comes in with some money, otherwise we have one crazy landmark covered in plywood. Awesome.

biff

Wow still ugly in it's heyday. Taxpayers will pay. Big lawsuit for city auctioning off land it planned on building on then landmarking after the auction.