Today, 31 January 2009 (tomorrow is 2010), this corner of Sunset Bowl looks no different than the photo taken in August 2008.

I'm really not buying it that our path to heaven is paved by taking care of drunkards.

Feed a man a fish.....Teach a man to fish.....

Tre: Hang in there. I feel for ya!

My fence isn't routinely broken by my choice. My yard isn't routinely littered by my choice. Feel free to give me a break from the forced home maintenance that the fine folks with mental illness and addiction deliver on a weekly basis. Please provide me with your address so that I can supply them with a map to your home. I will even go collect the trash that they threw over the fence this week and you can share in the wonderful opportunity. Nah, I have no reason to be upset with them.

zzzzzzzzzz..........

What's that? St. Peter's back and is letting the downtrodden into his home? Bless him!

Ha! Not necessarily better, just sober and a bit more responsible.

3...2...1...blast off.

I see things have really improved around here since I left.

These people aren't homeless by choice. They are homeless because they can't maintain a home because of problems with mental illness and addiction. The empathy on display in these forums is pathetic. But hey, what the hell, you'll sleep good tonight.

Everyone one of you is "better" than the "human trash piles" that you mock. 100%.

"What we need is to erect a fence and keep all of that riff raff south of 85th before they spread!"

Sorry DB, seems even bums like sidewalks.

What we need is to erect a fence and keep all of that riff raff south of 85th before they spread!

You raise good points, Rudy and dorian. The irony is almost too much to take! It actually made me chuckle loudly enough that some office mates looked...

"To all: remember homeless are the most protected class in Seattle, hence nobody will ever get hauled off. Cars/buildings broken into for cheap meaningless items will never be investigated. "

But if you prune a tree, there will be all kinds of hell to pay...complete with candles and poems and ribbons. Equip the homeless with some pruning shears and see how long it is before they are turned against.

To all: remember homeless are the most protected class in Seattle, hence nobody will ever get hauled off. Cars/buildings broken into for cheap meaningless items will never be investigated.

The countdown to someone calling all of you mean spirited, and you "need to give them a chance" will occur in 3..2..

Thanks Tre, it's hard to imagine how charming Ballard must have been before us yuppies moved in and destroyed it, but I can almost smell the nostalgia in your words; the smell seems to cling to my clothes and follow me around everywhere I wander is this fair neighborhood. Maybe the Nativist will greet me with a smile now?

Human trash piles wandering around lost.

I have the amazing pleasure of getting the full authentic Ballard experience when the fine homeless people from the bowling alley decide to relocate to an alley next to my home. I love it when they provide me with the opportunity to practice my carpentry skills when they break my fence. Nothing can top the authentic and charming drunken fights that occur when they gather there. On a really good day I am blessed to have them napping in my front yard. If I am really lucky they will water the lawn by managing to turn an already broken water faucet handle (thanks to them) on and leaving it running until I get home to turn it off. The trash that they leave behind provides me with a wonderful opportunity to be green and recycle. They are always so charming and sweet when I ask them to move their authentic old Ballard style gathering from my yard.

The backside of that building was seedy long before the bowling alley even closed. Dealers have been selling drugs back there for years. Wake up people, and start paying attention to your surroundings. It's the best defense law abiding citizens have against crime.

The window at Nervous Nellies got smashed on Friday. Two police cars had cornered the usual suspects (the normal ~10 or so homeless people who hang out next to the Dennys fence on 56th), but it didn't seem like anyone got hauled off.

I see the homeless people also pulled down a tree out of its roots to use for shelter on 56th, too.

I've always wondered why there is so much time between being condemned, demolition, and breaking ground for new construction.

With the Manning's, they were on top of it within days of the decision. Why not just go for it with the Sunset, fence it off (with a really high fence!). Obviously there are permits and decisions- and things take time, etc. etc. etc..

I mean, that's just ugly down there. Hopefully the police will keep the creeps out, but you certainly can't count on a consistent presence. Unfortunately.

Begging is back in style? We've had homeless men come up to our car on Market St. begging for money. One of these drunks is going get hit by a car.

I guess with it being a dump for now, the Nativists can stop by and feel nostalgic?

So I keep noticing a big old white car with curtains parked on the east side of the lot there. looks odd...

"Quite entertaining to watch inebriated homeless people on a minibike…"

Time to sell tickets?

They were hanging out there long before the alley closed. As soon as they fenced off that parking lot transients showed up at that far corner of the building.

Funny thing about the bums the other night. Somewhere they found/stole/borrowed a mini bike and were doing laps around the block near the Sloop. Quite entertaining to watch inebriated homeless people on a minibike...