Dark Days in Queen Anne

Queen Anne, my beloved former neighborhood, is ch-ch-ch-changing in many ways and not for the better. All of a sudden the main drag is getting dark, with buildings rising up and hogging the precious sky. (Look at the photo above. See how dark it is on QA these days?)

Lately, everyone's up in arms over the Metropolitan market giving way to QFC -- even this reader on Judy's Book. Lost in the furor is the impending development of the 76 gas station, which lies right smack in the middle of all of QA. According to the Seattle Department of Planning & Development, plans calls for a "4-story, 36-unit apartment building with 15,400 sq.ft. of ground floor retail. Parking for 80 vehicles will be provided below grade. Existing gas station to be demolished."

So keep in mind that when you park your SUV below grade, you'll be parking in the same spot a gazillion-gallon tank of gas once sat. Tip: Don't light a match down there.