Seattle Sucks Now Tapestries

THANKS AMAZON! 2018 Ryan J. Gill Designs

Without question, The Hurricane Cafe was Seattle's quintessential greasy spoon and the combination of always being open and the great Belltown location meant it was where everyone seemed to wind up after taking in a show. Opened in 1994 by the people that owned Beths Café on Aurora, they wanted a new spot that could be another Beth's, yet closer to the city. As far as all-night diner's go, you couldn't beat The Hurricane Cafe. Breakfast anytime with huge omelets and bottomless hashbrowns as well as killer shakes, burgers, fries, and nachos. Oh, and they also had a full bar serving up some pretty mean drinks as well. It was probably best described as a comfortable dive bar that opened up a diner and made it awesome.

In 1984, this pink toe truck’s iconic status was cemented in history when Mr. Lincoln decided to put the truck on his building’s roof at the company’s Fairview Avenue and Mercer Street location. It was now on display for millions of drivers that came off the Mercer Street exit from I-5 and became a fixture for decades to come. of course, long gone is the old towing yard at the end of the Mercer Street exit, but this bubblegum pink tow truck with five toes on top can still be found, though you'll need to visit the Museum of History and Industry to catch a look.

In black, by request 2018 - Ryan J. Gill

Jafco Co. was a multimillion-dollar chain of American catalog showrooms founded by Sidney Z. Jaffe in 1957. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company sold a wide variety of items from stereo and photographic equipment to toys and furniture in locations throughout the Puget Sound area. Though retail locations stocked many common items, Jafco sent catalogs to all of their customers, allowing for pickup at their local store and by delivery through mail-order. While it may seem strange today, catalog shopping was pretty normal in the past, though as a kid visiting these places, I can attest that the stores were very strange.

Zesto’s opened their doors in 1952 across the street from Seattle's Ballard High School, and quickly became a favorite place for students to grab a bite and hang out. This classic burger joint featured a menu of burgers and fries, as well as shakes and sodas, and served them up for over 60 years. In the late '80s, Zesto's upped their landmark game by hoisting a '57 Bel Air onto the roof, a move that quickly eclipsed the actual name of the restaurant as people identified it as 'that classic car burger place.'

The Colourbox opened their doors in 1991 at 113 1st Ave S in Pioneer Square, right as the 'Seattle sound' began blowing up national charts and the local music scene exploded. Located in the Terry-Denny Building, the venue was a small space that gave emerging artists a high visibility location to play. With a low stage and a long bar serving stiff drinks, the Colourbox was an intimate space with surprisingly good sound that saw countless acts throughout the club's near decade long run. Owned by a notorious slumlord, the rent was cheap, but the owner's lack of maintenance was the club's ultimate undoing as the building's ancient pipes routinely failed, causing raw sewage to back up into the restrooms, which wasn't exactly good for business.

Jay Jacobs was a clothing retailer based in downtown Seattle, Washington, founded in 1941 by its namesake Jay Jacobs (October 13, 1911 – February 15, 2013). It specialized in trendy clothing for teens, mainly targeting girls. Although the company's first 20 years saw the opening of only two more stores, it was largely profitable at its height in the mid-1980s and operated 288 stores in 22 western states by 1993. However, 1992 saw a major about face from success and many of the stores, especially in southern California, were becoming unprofitable and were closed. In an attempt to gain back lost business, the company tried to expand its target audience by going after young adults with career oriented clothing.

Built in 1939, in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, Totem House was originally opened as the Northwesters’ Arts and Crafts Shop. Located across from the Ballard Locks, the shop sold Native American arts and crafts to the earliest tourists of the Locks, attracted by the indigenous pole style architecture and Nuu-chah-nulth and Haida carved totems out front. In 1948, the authentic Native style building was taken over by a family, who opened up a fish ‘n chips restaurant that quickly became a favorite of locals and tourists alike. For nearly 62 years, visitors to the Ballard Locks would grab take out and cross the street to enjoy lunch at the Locks, but sadly, economic pressures forced the owners to shutter the restaurant in 2010.

Rain City Video opened its doors in Seattle's eclectic Ballard neighborhood in 1988, serving the city for nearly 30 years before calling it quits. With a collection that approached 40,000 titles, Rain City had more to offer than the Blockbuster stores of years gone by and certainly more than any streaming service, making them a true gem for lovers of movies and TV. Stocking everything from big name flicks to obscure indy productions, Rain City Video had something for everyone across their three Seattle locations, truly living up to their 'never a cloudy day' mantra.

The Seafirst Corporation was formed on November 11, 1929, from the merger of Seattle's three largest banks, the First National Bank Group (founded 1882), the Dexter Horton National Bank (founded 1870 by Dexter Horton), and Seattle National Bank (founded 1889). The bank was originally named First Seattle Dexter Horton National Bank, but in 1931, the bank changed its name to First National Bank of Seattle, and again in 1935, to Seattle-First National Bank. In 1970, it was using the name Firstbank. Seafirst Corporation was formed as a bank holding company for the Seattle-First National Bank on July 1, 1974. In April 1983, San Francisco-based BankAmerica Corporation announced the pending acquisition of the ailing Seafirst Corporation.