In Seattle, "the east side" refers to those monied neighborhoods
which run together up and down the east side of
Lake
Washington. The small ranch homes on large lots of the 1950s and -60s'
first wave of suburbanization are being leveled, replaced by windowed barns
of often obscene proportion and grotesque dimension which leave little room
for yard or garden. This is the land of conspicuous consumption, late model
gas guzzlers filling the 3 and 4 car garages. During the day, the tremendous
tacky McMansions sit empty while service vehicles--cable, construction,
cabinetmakers, etc.--line the streets. One
Real Change
vendor (who grew up over there) characterizes East Siders as latter day
Calvinists--Christian
conservatives who consider the poor to be victims of their own sloth and
sinfulness. This is Bush country. Selfishness reigns supreme. This kitchen
in a gated community was being remodeled because the homeowners craved a
new configuration of cabinet drawers. We pulled the old set, which was solid
and in perfectly good condition. The
ReStore
benefits from such frivolous remodels, but it's still somewhat icky to
see.
![Bear Creek Cabinet Tearout [before]](images/050215-bearcreek-before-375.jpg)
![Bear Creek Cabinet Tearout [after]](images/050215-bearcreek-after-375.jpg)
