Margin Notes: Marquee, Signage, Flowers

What will likely be the last marquee messages at the Lusty Lady in Seattle, Washington were observed on 11-June-2010

BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON - Remember the Lusty Lady marquee? The Seattle institution will close today, so the current marquee featuring "The Rear End of An Era" and "Bare Thee Well Seattle" will likely stand as its final ribald configuration.

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A full-color pavement marking for Interstate 405 was noted in Bellevue, Washington on 24-June-2010

A sign that is not intended to disappear soon is a new style of pavement marking guiding motorists to Interstate 405 on 112th Ave NE in Bellevue, Washington. The markings, rather than just using white, are using a full-color interstate shield in blue, red, and white as shown above. I wonder what the marking will look like after a few tens of thousands of cars pass over it.

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Complicated traffic circle signs are proliferating in the Pacific Northwest, including this example at 104th Ave SE and SE 10th Street in Bellevue, Washington on 10-June-2010

Traffic circles or roundabouts are increasingly common in the state of Washington, a trend encouraged by traffic engineers at the state highway department. As a result, increasingly complicated signs are warning motorists of their existence; the above example from a residential roundabout in Bellevue is actually relatively simple.

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Flowers inside glass jars were noted along Bellevue, Washington's pedestrian corridor on 24-June-2010

Another strange sight was found along the Bellevue Pedestrian Corridor, a set of flowers inside jars. The jars were laid out along the NE 6th Street corridor east of 106th Ave NE last week, with no sign of explanation. Does anyone know what this was all about?

Heritage: Lusty Lady to Clothe

The marquee of the Lusty Lady on First Avenue in Seattle, Washington was partially hidden during construction on 14-March-2006 that marked part of its decline. The picture was taken near an entrance to the Seattle Art Museum.

TORONTO, ONTARIO - One of the interesting aspects of visiting downtown Seattle, Washington in recent years has been the Lusty Lady. Located across the street from the Seattle Art Museum and adjacent to the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel, it has long appeared way out of place. Yet, its marquee was regarded affectionately by locals for its suggestive puns. A certain well-known local talk show host has claimed he knows people that would go to the Seattle Art Museum just as an excuse to check out the marquee.

Amongst the creative sayings to appear over the years were "We takeoff more than Boeing," "All Clothing 100 Percent Off," and "Out with the old, in with the nude." The marquee even inspired a blog site to "review" its messages. (The popularity of the puns in Seattle was to me yet more evidence that Seattle is really a Canadian city that just happens to be located south of the border.) The marquee phrases could originate with any staff member or even passers-by who stopped to make a suggestion--if it was used, they would receive a Lusty Lady t-shirt.

Yet, that fun is to come to an end. As reportedly widely but most skillfully by Erik Lacitis of the Seattle Times, the Lusty Lady will close in about two months. Apparently many more people enjoy the marquee than partake in the peep shows, especially since the closure of the once-adjacent headquarters of Washington Mutual. (I didn't know if the Lusty Lady was a strip club or even just a plain bar with an adult sense of humor; I was quite surprised to read it could earn enough money at that location as a twelve-booth peep show.) Income is reported to be down 60% since it peaked in 1998. The Lusty Lady is yet another victim of the financial crisis in the United States, and to a lesser extent the Internet.

Seattle's Museum of History and Industry claims it would "likely accept" the marquee if it were donated. The owners of the Lusty Lady, who share profits with the performers, have not yet stated their intention. Even if the marquee does survive at a museum, First Avenue in Seattle will never be quite the same. A lot of people will be watching for the last pun.