Eleanor's Eastlake

I really love my neighborhood, Eastlake. As a work-at-home freelancer, I make a point to go on a (sketch)walk once a day to get myself out of the house. There's always something new that catches my eye here. Here are some scenes I captured in my sketchbook over the last couple months:

A very clear day in January! These floating homes & live aboard boats obviously have a choice view of Gas Works, the Aurora bridge, and the mountains (when they're out).  

 Most of the commercial buildings in Eastlake don't have much charm, but the Hines Public Market, (est. 1924) is kind of nice - mostly because of its signage, I think. The Zoo tavern and Carrot Cafe are locally loved spots, but I wonder what it was like when the building was a real public market, back when Eastlake Ave had a busy streetcar route. Apparently there have been various beer-related establishments here since the 1930s. 

Same building two months later, seen from an elevated parking lot across the street. The same beer delivery van was parked in the exact same spot this time! 

The I-5 Colonnade (which I wrote about before) is a great place to go to sketch when it's rainy, as its roof extends for blocks and there are many cool views of the hilly parts of Eastlake, Lake Union, and Queen Anne across the water. My partner happened to be doing his last sailing lesson on this cold, wet day, and as he was the only boat on Lake Union it was really fun to watch him out on the lake from afar and include him in the sketch.

One of my favorite spots in the neighborhood, a pocket park off of an industrial stretch of the road, named for an activist who used to live in a nearby floating home. There are some amazing views of Queen Anne and the SLU skyline from the dock, and apparently you can catch some fish once in a while if you're patient (according to the fisherman). Despite it being January, the cherry tree here was starting to bud!?