So, how was everyone’s Fourth of July? Was it just us, or were things not only calmer than expected, but calmer than previous years?
Sure, there was a constant hum of activity and a flow of people, cars cruising Ponce de Leon-style for a parking spot, but it all seemed a bit more sedate, less full than usual. Last year, for example, we remember that Latona Ave leading up to 45th St was a seeming parking lot for a good two hours, whereas this year, there was just a brief, 20 minute back-up, but otherwise all seemed free flowing.
Was it better traffic direction (or traffic directed to streets we weren’t on)? Or did the crowds take heed of the dire warnings and make other plans?
Earlier in the day, you may noticed clumps of people pacing about the neighborhood with maps in hands. They were part of the Street Scramble, a sort of orienteering scavenger hunt that led participants through 30 checkpoints around the Wallingford neighborhood.
And finally, the porta-potties organized by the Wallingford Chamber and the Neighborhood Office also seemed to go off without a hitch. The Murphy & Dombrowski Group spruced up theirs like a mini-home showing, with fresh flowers and fliers, and Kara and Colleen were there to cheer on the first “customers”.
Wallingford thanks porta-potty sponsors: Wallingford Chamber of Commerce, Wallingford Community Council, Wallingford Neighborhood Office, Fremont Neighborhood Service Center, Jim Stillman (resident), Not A Number Cards & Gifts, Joule Restaurant , Fainting Goat Gelato, Michael Lawless, Financial Analyst, Lucky Pet Petsitting, Center for Wooden Boats, Rusty Pelican Restaurant, Harold’s Lamps, Murphy’s Pub, Green Party of Seattle, Eat The State! newspaper, Selena’s Guadalajara, ButtonsByRafa.com (11-yr-old Wallingford resident), Chase Bank, Babalu, Wallingford Pizza House, University House, InterConnection (Wallingford non-profit), Wide World Books, Alliance Chiropractic, Dr. Dawn Smallwood, Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, Cutz Wallingford Salon, Diane Aurigemma (Wallingford resident), Nuance Stoneworks, Gary Ehret, Edward Jones, 3700 block of Burke Ave N (residents), Wallingford Neighbors for Peace, Ivar’s Salmon House, Fremont Brewery, Best Cigars , Alphabet Soup Children’s Books, Fuerte Fitness, Murphy & Dombrowski Real Estate Group , Zan the Rad Dyke Plumber , Luke Electric, Reed Painting Company, Joe & Carolyn Mallahan (residents), Durn Good Grocery, Wallingford Center, and the Wallingford Farmer’s Market.
We saw a marked increase of police presence over the previous years we’ve been in the neighborhood (Fremont/Wallingford border). The officer stationed at our street did his job well unlike years past when the officer sat in her car and fiddled with her phone oblivious to anything going on.
At last look at about 1130, traffic was flowing on Stone Way, something in the past that hasn’t happened.
What never ceases to amaze me are the number of people that are still heading toward the fireworks 15 minutes into the show.
Lots of riff raff tried to gain side street entrance as 10 PM drew near but were rebuffed, thankfully.
I was ready for Armageddon but survived.
I was bracing for the post-works honkfest & gridlock as well, but it never materialized. I agree that the cop presence was a big factor. I saw just one person whizzing in someone’s bushes, and that was only because I didn’t want to walk back across the street to my own bathroom in the middle of the finale.
Count me as surprised as well. Its an annual ritual to sit on the porch and drink while watching people try to go the wrong way around the roundabout and jam traffic up 😉
Someone told me that the PD bottled up the larger streets and let the side streets clear out, or something like that – it was definately far less of an impact than in years past!
…the thing that always surprises me is seeing people /leaving/ the fireworks while they’re still going on. Do they also leave movie theatres early, before the film is over? 😀
We were almost disappointed that, indeed, not only was it not Armagideon Time, but it seemed way more sedate than previous years on 1st just north of 40th. We had talked the craziness up to our guests, and sheesh, how anticlimactic! 🙂
Best sight: two 20-somethings on bikes trying to each carry a big wooden kitchen chair.
This was my first year here in Lower Wallingford and I was pleasantly surprised at the laidback atmosphere (except for 4 drunk neighbors, but they’re always that way). How there were so many people 2 blocks from my house — and my day wasn’t seriously unpleasant, I’ll never know. But thanks Seattle!
We noticed that Latona heading north was completely barricaded so people couldn’t get up that arterial after the fireworks. 4th and 5th were also blocked to northbound traffic. Don’t know how far east they did that, but the only traffic we saw heading up to 45th was from folks that parked north of 40th. It was really nice (although thinking about it, a LOT less entertaining) to get to bed after the fireworks and not be serenaded by the honking of horns and the occasional angry “out the car window” expletive of folks trying to get to I-5 until after midnight.
Anyone heard what the police “offically” did differently this year? I have friends that braved the walk to Gasworks at about 9:00 and they said it looked about as packed as past years so I have a hard time believing all those people just faded into Fremont after the fireworks…