West Madrona

RantWoman lived for 5+ years near 23rd and Union. First RantWoman lived at 24th and Spring; later RantWoman lived on 22nd between Union and Marion. RantWoman figures these circumstances darn well entitle her to some opinions and reflections. RantWoman likes the oral history of the 23rd and Union site. Maybe RantWoman will call in and produce some content in her own voice; maybe RantWoman will stick to her keyboard.

Just so RantWoman is clear: there is no such place as West Madrona. There is Madrona, a land of tony homes, large yards, and some beachfront options. There is the Central District or the CD, forever seared in many people's minds as a land of crime and grime, drug dealers, shootings, general scandal and whatnot, especially whatnot. One of RantWoman's colleagues on last fall's transit Sounding Board said he is from some new form of developer-speak called "Cherry Hill," not strictly 23rd and Union but definitely within spitting distance.

There is even something else called Squire Park, a concept that exists in the minds of Seattle Neighborhood designators. RantWoman learned the details of this once after she had just moved from east of 23rd to west of it. West of 23rd is Squire Park; it had a community council that met miles away, unlike the Garfield Community council which met two whole blocks away.

RantWoman is inventorying all these designations so readers have some kind of frame of reference. Here we also come to "West Madrona."

RantWoman at the time when she lived in the CD had a job in an office downtown. RantWoman worked with a lot of the sort of people who find a bus trip to Chinatown for lunch an exotic experience or otherwise just consider certain areas too scary for words. RantWoman remembers fielding several horrified looks and worried questions from different people when she would describe where she lived as "the CD," so after awhile when asked, RantWoman began just saying, when asked where she lived, "West Madrona."