I’m a little burned out on media ownership, and feeling very fond of Seattle at the moment, so both of my group project ideas are Seattle-centered.
First idea: I always wondered what it would be like to grow up in Seattle–a cooler, bluer, saner spot than, er, where I grew up. Driving through neighborhoods like Ballard, Seward Park, Phinney Ridge , I sometimes spot kids getting off the school bus and think, what do they think about Seattle? Are they hoping to inherit the house they grew up in, or are they counting the days until they can move far, far away and have 300 days of sunshine a year? I couldn’t wait to leave my hometown, but if I’d grown up in a place with a moist, caffeinated, space-age vibe like Seattle, things would have been different.
One thing about Seattle that many of us transplants notice right away is the distinctive flavor of its neighborhoods. Belltown is very different from Ballard, though both are cool. Our kids notice completely different things than we do. I know where all the good coffee places are; my daughter knows where Baskin-Robbins is. I’m interested in creating a Seattle neighborhoods site where we show playground maps, toy stores, story times, and other spots beloved of the Captain Underpants set. It would link to lists from other publications, like the Times and P-I, that have schedules of special events.
Second idea: There are people in Seattle who have a little time to volunteer, but not a lot, or who don’t want to go far from home. It would be great to have a site where you could enter your address and have a map come up that shows both short-term and ongoing volunteer opportunities near your house. Nonprofits could add to the database themselves. There could even be a “little old lady” bulletin board, where people could let their neighbors know that they need help getting the tomatoes weeded, or have a burned-out bulb too high to reach. (Obviously, we’d have to figure out a way to make that a secure situation.) I think this also plays off the neighborhood concept in a good way.
Both of your ideas would make for valuable community websites. I think you could have more fun, as a school project, with the first idea in terms of design and writing. The second idea seems more like a big database where research, data entry and a lot of other logistical stuff would be more important than creativity.
Little known facts along the lines of a neighborhood profile would be great idea – it’d be nice to take some kind of original approach, one that hasn’t already been covered by tourist guide videos and specials that the local TV news does on occasion. Are you thinking more about a personal, insightful view of what life is really like growing up in those neighborhoods? I always wondered what it’d be like growing up in Seward Park as well.
I just reached the second-year mark of living in one place – the first time in my adult life. Moving around so much before that made me realize just how important it is to have some sort of community – whether it be community based on the neighborhood you live in, the church you attend, the school you go to or an organization you belong to. I really like the idea of focusing on neighborhoods as a way to develop community. It would be great to go to a Web site and see where in your community you could volunteer.
Both ideas are good – I grew up in Ballard as a child, those were the days when field trips included Seattle attractions; kids have a great view! Volunteer coordination (from experience) is always tedious necessary so a sight that has all the info. in one place is something I would definitely use!