Paid subscribers voted a few weeks ago on where I should go sketchwalk in South Seattle. The winner was Othello! One voter, Tina, chose it because, “…I don't find it very appealing, but I know you'll find something there that I haven't noticed yet!”
That sums it up nicely. So, I have been exploring the neighborhood for you, dear readers. Part 1, here, is public; the other 2 parts will be for paid subscribers. Consider joining their ranks if you haven’t already.
May 5, 2024. Othello, Seattle
1. Washing
My limited knowledge of Othello is that it’s where you go for a great and cheap bánh mì. But turns out it’s also the place to go if you want to wash your clothes. Laundromats in Seattle are few and far between, but for some reason the single block around Othello station has more than entire neighborhoods.
This is an errand I haven’t had to run since 2017, when I lived in Brooklyn. There, the closest laundromat was a 5 minute walk away, but schlepping our little cart overstuffed with dirty clothes down the narrow apartment stairs and down the street was the most chorey of chores.
Here in Seattle, for this one-off trip, stuffing all the clothes into a hiking backpack and heading to the light rail station put me in the headspace that I was going on trip, an adventure. But instead of taking the train all the way to the airport, I got off early to explore this new-to-me neighborhood.
With so many options (three), how to choose a laundromat? I decided on the one with the worst ratings on google maps. Just to be a little contrary. But I accidentally went to a different one: King Plaza Laundry (4.4⭐).
It was on the bottom floor of a 2-story strip mall, which reminded me of L.A.: it was right off a fast road choked with traffic, busy parking lot, signs in several languages posted above compact shops.
King Plaza Laundry about 10 sets of washers and dryers, with grammatically incorrect signs taped to the bright teal formica folding tables. Large bags full of clothes sagged on top of machines, and silver rolling carts cluttered the cramped aisles. There were a couple of bolted-down chairs to sit on. A few small groups worked on their laundry together, while others stared at their phones to pass the time.
Loaded into a front-loading washer, my clothes began to swim in circles in the sudsy water. This was the time to sketch.
Outside it was overcast, dark and moody, but still brighter than the dimly lit indoors. The proprietor emerged from a back room and started folding clothes. She turned on the TV, which played Vietnamese ballads at what sounded like 0.75x speed. It was a surreal, strange ambiance.
2. Drying
Filling an hour of waiting for the dryer to do its thing wasn’t going to be difficult, especially with my goal of sketching the mundane surroundings.
Something I am more or less always craving is Vietnamese coffee. I was in the right place: you could get one from no fewer than 6 different places in this plaza alone. After scoping out the options, I ordered a small cafe sua nong from the deli counter of a Vietnamese grocer.
Armed with a hot beverage to combat the gloomy day, I was ready to sketch outside.
The upper floor of King Plaza was an enticing vantage point — bird’s eye view! But the way to get there made me anxious. The stairs were completely concealed from the street. Going up blind corridors like that is against my personal policy, and I had a bad gut feeling about it — Othello is a little bit rough around the edges. So I settled for a view from the sidewalk.
I put my little coffee cup on a post & I started by drawing the cars in the parking lot. Can’t avoid ‘em, so enjoy it. It’s always strangely satisfying to draw banal things like this. In the moment, I sometimes feel like I’m wasting my time drawing a view like this, but afterwards I always feel joy that I made the most of a mundane moment.
Typography is something I always enjoy capturing in sketches, and the typefaces of the stores were fun to scratch in using different pencils and pens. The architecture was a bit tricky to capture, with recessed hallways and lots of treacherous areas where the scale could and did go awry in my small 5x5” sketchbook page.
As I was wrapping up, tragedy struck: my half-full Vietnamese coffee fell to the ground, pushed by the breeze. It spilled all over the sidewalk. It was amazing how big the spill was from such a small cup. I tried to remind myself that I didn’t need that much caffeine or sugar. It kind of worked.
Back at King Plaza Laundry, my clothes were bone-dry and too hot to handle. Those machines are no joke! I stuffed them all back into the hiking backpack for the short return journey home. It was a short and sweet first journey into Othello, but I knew I had barely scratched the surface.
Thank you for coming along with me on my little errand. The second part of this adventure explores more of the neighborhood. Coming soon!
I just restocked my zine, Meet Me In Eastlake, after it was written up in the hyper-local paper The Eastlake News. I’m famous! Check that out if you like my sketches + writing.
Eleanor (linktree)
I know this place. It’s the location my first dentist upon my move to Seattle six years ago. Located on the top floor just to the left of the middle corner was the dentist office… up those back stairs.
Seems a bit silly now, but as a white girl new to the city it was a spot out of my comfort zone. Needing follow up dental work, it was the only office that would take my insurance AND had an opening. And it expedited me really seeing Seattle and the people who live here. Reminding me that uncomfortable is good. I received amazing care- and actually had the dentist do all of the work. When does that happen anymore? But yes, those back stairs- not for the faint of heart! : )
Your story is a good prompt to pull my urban sketches and journaling into experiences to share. I think I’m taking a one of your workshops in Edmonds next month. -kary
I'm so happy you chose Othello! And you even brought laundry for an authentic experience of the neighborhood... you are such a journalist! Thank you for your excellent reportage of Othello. I am inspired to catch the light rail and sketch there (but will go for bánh mì, not laundry).