A bit bland, but a nice looking building nonetheless

"although I may have kept it to myself since commenting here can be more trouble than it is worth"

Speaking of stepping in stuff, huh? :-)

>>although I may have kept it to myself since commenting here can be more trouble than it is worth<>but it’s only an artist rendering<<

What? You would imply that the marketing folks would mislead us? ;-)

Nah, Joel, I agree with you on the Manning's site being blah, although I may have kept it to myself since commenting here can be more trouble than it is worth.
I agree also that this Danielle building looks a little nicer than many recently, but it's only an artist rendering. And I still don't think it looks like a one bedroom would be worth $300k. But I dunno, does it come with a hot cabana boy for no extra charge?

I think it's fine. How to know how it "fits", that's the hard part! I have no basis to criticize or praise really, beyond what I just like or don't like. Its a damn site better than what was there before! (isn't this where the old house and lot sat abandoned for quite a while?)

I'm one of the people (THE one?) who commented "boring" on the Manning's site. I guess because yeah, maybe I do consider it a "gateway". I guess thats really the Ballard Bridge, but this is the first stop light :-).

Just looking with an eye completely uneducated in the way of architecture (I'm one of those who doesn't hate the EMP!), the Danielle does seem less like all the other condos where the Manning's replacement does not. That and it's smaller scale (correct?) and story of a smaller developer makes it seem more acceptable. I wonder if there will be retail on the bottom?

Hey GS - how about a thread like that from which we could gather comments to then take directly to the board meeting?

... the blog is in a good position to comment on things like: "is this building appropriate for this site in the 'hood, or how does it fit with the overall idea of how Ballard works?

Another good site to talk about is the old Manny's site on 15th and Market. Everyone complains about new buildings being ugly or boring - so what should go on a site like that? Is it really a gateway to Ballard?

This is really a bizzarre thread - feels like we are re-living all the Ballard angst all over again. Boooring!

How about some more specific comments on the building proposal. It is too late for that input to get to the Design Review Board (if it hasn't already) but it sounds like the owner's friends are reading the blog.

There is alot of power in all these eyes and voices, we should try to get more building projects on the blog earlier - so folks can make meaningful comments that can be taken to the city and the boards...

"browsing your comments section is like inadvertently stepping in dog sh!t"

Pedigrees or mutts?

Yes, there clearly are some folks who write things purely to elicit emotional responses (of which I am not one of!), but I would not say that they quite raise to the level of "hatred". I'm sure not going to waste my time and energy hating somebody from a blog, for God's sake. IT'S A BLOG!

Come on man, take your own advice that you gave to me at some point and don't read the comments if they're going to bother you.

"please back up the assertion that housing is going unsold"

The facts have been posted here time and time again. Facts that are conveniently, consistently ignored. Check out the Seattle Condo Review blog if you want to find out more. Which you don't because who cares as long you win.

Swedes...browsing your comments section is like inadvertently stepping in dog sh!t. It sucks and ruins peoples days. Good luck when the hatred that foments here turns into actual real-life violence.

The Phinney Ave. units are 500 to 600k. Seems like a lot for a view of Ballard.

a friend of Suthii?

It just goes to show that a fair bit of the market is driven by fashion, not value. After all, Greenwood Ave is 2 miles from the center of Ballard. Not surprising, though.

No one who can afford Ballard chooses to live on Greenwood.

Hope this helps.

There are numerous unsold units along Phinney Ave and Greenwood. It makes you wonder if there's a real demand for all the new town homes and condos.

That's a cool story T-Rex. That's quite a set of career changes! And I admit, I wondered about the name! The guy that developed the townhouses houses next to me is actually a firefighter but does some development 'on the side'. Very hands on- was there all the time running things, working. So much for those complaints you sometimes hear about the "money-grubbing big developers". Sounds like some hard working small guys are doing well too.

I've got a suspicion that day laborers are hired for this site from the morning routine I've observed in the early am. Can't remember seeing a union sign over there either.

"So for his sake hope it works out"

So do I, good luck! I would love to see more investment in our community.

Hey y'all...I got lucky and moved to Ballard 10 years ago and while the growth has had both positives and negatives...I think its mostly positive. Anyhoo. ..the Danielle is being built by an old family friend who moved to Seattle in the early 80's -worked for Boeing- then started a travel agency - business got hit hard by 9-11 and is reinventing himself as a small developer-Danielle(named after his beautiful young kid) is only his 2nd project. So for his sake hope it works out

The Danielle looks pretty nice.

NoMA is hideous.

While it's no architectural award winner, the Danielle could be alot uglier...like the NoMA. That building looks like 3D vomit.

Me too

"It would be better for everyone if you’d just accept the fact that neighborhoods change."

I agree!

People, people, back to the task at hand. Something about the Danielle condos, right?

It would be nice if you could walk on the sidewalk there along 24th as they're building.

Who's arguing?!!

Good Lord, you numbskulls are all too much. You guys keep writing the same crap and raise the same stupid arguments and take the same cheap shots. Whether its about condos or convenience stores, we all have to buckle our seatbelts for another painfull ride through the Old vs New battlefield.

I don't really fit into either category (12 years), so maybe my ambivalence is natural. It would be better for everyone if you'd just accept the fact that neighborhoods change. And not just Ballard, but every goddam neighborhood in the whole freakin' world is changing. The earth is getting crowded, so we'd be wise to learn how to deal with it...preferably WITHOUT the whining.

This is a lecture I usually dish to my 3 year old son. Sheez...buncha damn kids on here!

heh heh Alas, wine gives me a headache but I could go for the oysters. Go well with the akvavit.

>>When you have class envy, you don’t need ‘facts’, just petty jealousy.<<

I really hate to think thats what it is, because you know, I hate to jump to conclusions- generalize. But I do wonder what the hell motivates such inane comments. I don't know, maybe that is what it is. I hope the commenter at least makes the effort to maybe go meet some of them, and Suthii, I wish you'd stop assuming us "locals" are all the same. "sutthiisuglywife" comes nowhere near representing me.

"who continues to ignore my invites to buy me an akvavit"

Well, I'm more of a chilled Pineau and raw oysters over the Marennes-Oleron beds in Brittany kind of guy, and seeing as how summer seems to be over in Seattle....

" back up the assertion that housing is going unsold"

When you have class envy, you don't need 'facts', just petty jealousy.

And "sutthiisuglywife", please back up the assertion that housing is going unsold. I don't think you can. The set of six townhouses next to my house sold pretty darn fast! Oh, and with really nice people with a great deal of soul (and cool dogs, which counts a lot).

I welcome you too, Realistic, and I've lived here most of my life. I get sick of the stupid generalizing- from all parties (including Suthii dissing "the locals" above, and who continues to ignore my invites to buy me an akvavit at the Copper Gate, but then, I'm over sensitive and do take things personally when I probably should not), but Suthii's "nativists" are every bit as irritating, if not more (because in their case, it seems more real).

I have yet to meet a souless newcomer, and I'm getting more and more sick of tagging each and every person that buys a condo in Ballard a shallow "yuppie". In fact, every person new to Ballard I've met has been totally cool- hard working, caring, nice.

God people, lets cut each other a little slack.

before you try:
marketing groups = focus groups = anyone interested in buying

Actually the units aren't templates. They go through revisions upon revisions after sampling marketing groups who get free dinner. Effectively buyers want useable square footage vs unusable (think stairwells in townhomes). Usable sf requires open spaces with simple wall intersection angles. Units within the building typically create a "stack" of these units as changing the layouts from floor to floor adds significant construction cost that can't be gained on the rents or sale side unless they're penthouse units in highrises etc.

And for the record I do enjoy my soulless life. Consider the 60,70's, and 80's buildings of Ballard aren't that great to look at.

Only problem I can see with the design is the poor owners will be able to hear all the grumblings, whinings and petty jealousies of the Nativists below as they sit out on their nice balconies sipping their chilled Pineau in the summertime.

This is true, there are many styles of home that are template-based.

The townhomes around here are kind of ugly - I see why people complain, but then again, that's all a lot of us can afford.

"It’s great that people who have lived in Ballard forever can afford their single-family homes."

Hopefully they'll sell and move on to Kent soon so we can go on without all the whining. A few more property tax increases might be needed.

"But we must be soulless! "

Actually I've found the 'yuppies' to be a lot more interesting, well traveled, better educated and fun to be around than the locals. But then again, I read the New York Times, so I'm a poser too!

Blame it on good old fashioned intolerance and class envy. I, for one, welcome you Realistic.

"It’s all based on a template."

Like the craftsman were built?

I meant 'all over town'

Templates suck

Yeah, $300k for a 1-bed is pretty pricey.

Agreed that the soullessness is in the unit, not the people. And the developers who put up the same crap all over time… it's all based on a template.

$300k for a 1 bedroom "apartment" isn't really affordable. And it is a bit soulless when you can't really make it your own by knocking down walls or ... whatever you want to do on your own property.
It's not the people that live in them that are soulless, just the units themselves. And the people who "design" the same old thing over and over again.
But, yanno, whatever floats yer boat, right?

Ahh yes, affordable housing is 'soulless.'

It's great that people who have lived in Ballard forever can afford their single-family homes.

The rest of us, however, have little choice left other than townhomes or condos. That's all we can afford.

But we must be soulless! And obviously we haven't worked hard for what we've got... we're all trust fund yuppies, right?

Get over your pretentiousness, people.

It'll be a good addition to 24th!! I REALLY can't wait until the QFC is completed. Then, I can walk and get my groceries once again.

Cheers for more glorified apartments! hurray! No linoleum here...real ceramic tiles woooo ahhhh.

Should have painted in 'Go Dawgs' purple to fit in in Ballard!

The structure isn't bad looking, but the color is blech.

Ahh more ugly garbage that will remain mostly unsold. Enjoy your soulless yuppies existence.

This artist's rendering makes it look really big. The nearly-empty lot where the construction is happening isn't very big at all. I am thinking the artist might be embellishing a little bit.

Do we want to have a pool on how long it takes for Wingmaster to start getting noise warnings after the building is occupied ?

artist rendering, smartist rendering... i still think it looks good

Welcome!