Some neighborhoods in Seattle have a very strong sense of place. I say FREMONT, and you may think of trolls and Lenin statues. I say U-DISTRICT, and you think of 27 Thai restaurants next to 75 Indian restaurants and lots of college students. PIONEER SQUARE = Pergola, Elliott Bay Book Company and panhandlers.
But when I say RAVENNA, what do you think of?
Today, I’m standing in my parking strip, tearing out ivy, making room for sunflowers and corn, when my across-the-street neighbor walks over. She offers up her extra composted cow manure and her wheelbarrow to cart it over with, and I hand over a jar of icky crawly grubs my son and I have collected as treats for her chickens.
My Ravenna: Cow manure and squirming grubs. And good neighbors.
What’s your RAVENNA?
My Ravenna, is working in the Naomi traffic circle puling out ivy and planting natives, walking to Whole Foods or QFC, getting some sun on the higher streets in the winter, getting some shade in the park in the summer or sitting on the back deck on a warm evening with a beer.