Fremont eats eccentricities for breakfast. In spite of the tech presence that Google, Adobe, and Microsoft bring with their plush campuses by the canal, Fremont lives up to its motto: De Libertas Quirkas, or freedom to be peculiar. Which is precisely the kind of vibe you’d expect from a neighborhood dominated by artists in the 60’s.
Many of the popular attractions here are larger than life: the giant troll under the aurora bridge, a section of the Berlin Wall, the naked bike ride, dinosaur topiaries, the historic drawbridge, and a controversial 16 ft statue of Vladimir Lenin, just to name a few.
I walk by most of these things daily and although they don’t have as much of a “double-take” effect on me anymore, there are plenty of things that do. The other day I saw an alligator in Lake Union, a guy riding an extra tall homemade unicycle up Fremont Ave., and a bronze library book installation that I’d never noticed before. Not to mention the number of fantastic restaurants, parks, and boutiques.
The cherry on top is that all of this is set against the backdrop of Lake Union, the Cut, and views of Mount Rainier framed by houseboats, and hillsides. Also the air here smells like brownies. I couldn’t ask for a better backyard.
Did I mention that Rapunzel lives here? Or that in 1991 a group of scientists declared Fremont as the center of the universe? Did I talk about the fuselage rocket?
No? Well, in time. For the next month or so this tiny corner of the internet is going to be a show & tell for all things Fremont. (And eventually, all of Seattle!) Sort of like an online zine (or like if a sketchbook + a magazine had a baby).
I’m looking forward to sharing this city with you all, locals and tourists alike.
Stay tuned!
Katie Joy 