Belltown Bent

New view

60 feet high, 350 feet wide, 452  400 pound panes of glass, 1.1 miles of cabling, and the ability to flex up to 5 inches in any direction, the Curtainwall Window brings the outside into Sea-Tac Internationals Airports new Central Terminal.

The 90 tons of glass and 5,800 feet of artfully deployed cabling make up the largest window of its kind in North America. Designed by Fentress Bradburn Architects, Ltd., this stunning feature affords travelers a commanding view of the airfield, making 4 hours delays, such as the one we experienced recently, pass more pleasantly.

One big bon voyage!

The NCL Norwegian Star, as seen from 1st Ave and Broad St., literally blocks half of West Seattle from view. One huge floating hotel, the 4 year old ship is over 3 football fields long, more than 15 stories high, and is carrying about 3,000 people.

There is one crew member for every two guests at capacity - 1,100 to 2,240, enough to staff 10 different restaurants, a theater, 11 bars and lounges, sports courts, a department store, and an Internet Cafe (hi folks). That's enough to make a guy want to stay home, fix a gin and tonic and check out the bridge cam.

Alaska bound

The Norwegian Spirit departed this afternoon, headed for SE Alaska, with stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Prince Rupert, with nearly 2,000 guests dreaming of whales and bears, and all-you-can-eat buffets.

This cruise season Seattle will host nearly 700,000 passengers on over 170 departures. We at the Bent make a point of waving goodbye whenever we can. The ships return to early in the morning to wave hello.

There is a major economic benefit to Seattle, more than 1,700 jobs, $59 million in payroll, $208 million in business revenue and $5.9 million in state and local taxes in 2004, as well as potentially significant environmental impact.