Are you relocating to Seattle? There are many things to think about besides just which neighborhood is best for you.  If you’re hiring a moving company to move your furnishings, don’t  assume you are covered by insurance. The term “covered” can mean different things. How would you feel if that 50-inch plasma display TV got dropped and broken and you only received $12 for it? If you have “basic carrier liability-release value”, which is the minimum required by federal law,  your furnishings are often covered to no more than 30-60 cents per pound per article. This minimal amount of coverage is called “released value” or “carrier’s liability.” So a 40 lb TV, no matter what the true value, might only net you $12 dollars on a claim.

Moving Companies are very sophisticated in how they offer you coverage in order to limit their liability. So you need to be educated and savvy before entering a contract with them. There are ways to protect yourself but you need to be careful and ask the right questions. Read this Moving Insurance Liability Tips article and be ready to investigate to find out exactly what is covered. After all, the last thing you need when you arrive at your new home is to have your possessions damaged or destroyed and not receive adequate  compensation for it.

Work with a Relocation Specialist REALTOR who can help guide you through these issues. And if you have company provided relocation benefits, be sure you are getting everything you are entitled to.

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While we’re on the subject of tall towers with observation decks (see Columbia Center and Space Needle), let me tell you about the Smith Tower.  We visited the Smith Tower one sunny Sunday afternoon in May.  We fell in with a pair of real lady tourists from Tennessee, while walking along 2nd Avenue, and we convinced them to visit the tower with us.

The Smith Tower at the south end of downtown makes the perfect complement to the Space Needle at the north end of downtown.  Each is set off some distance from the skyscrapers at the downtown core, giving you a different view of those as well as far out to the mountains, waterways, neighborhoods, and landmarks around Seattle.  The two towers even have a view of each other down the narrow corridor of 2nd Avenue.

The Smith Tower was built between 1910 and 1914 for one million dollars.  It was deliberately placed in the far-off boondocks town of Seattle to gain publicity for the Smith brand of typewriters.  At completion, the tower was among the tallest skyscrapers outside of New York City and remained the tallest building west of the Mississippi until 1931 and tallest on the West Coast until the Space Needle was constructed in 1962.

The observation level at the base of the pyramid features a small gift shop with a very knowledgeable docent, historical photos and maps, and Chinese woodwork gifted to Mrs. Smith by the Empress of China.  You can walk freely outside along all four sides of the building, safely enclosed behind iron bars.

Photo Album

Official Smith Tower Website

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We played tourists in Seattle this day, visiting Seattle’s icon, the Space Needle.  My grandparents and mother had visited the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, when the Space Needle first opened, and this was the catalyst for our entire clan moving from Kansas to Seattle via Boeing.  My five year old, James, had never been to the Needle and our 14-year-old twins were probably about James’ age the last time they went.  How many Seattleites never think of visiting the Space Needle until an out-of-town guest shows up?

The base of the tower with its departure area and extensive gift shop were all new since I had last been there.  It was a bright, sunny day and the view was magnificent of the city, Puget Sound, Lake Union, the entire Olympic range, the Cascades, and Mount Rainier (a bit hazy in the distance).  One neat thing they added was a live, remote-controlled camera you can pan around.  James enjoyed playing with that.  After the needle we stopped for a treat at the Center House and then let the kids play in the big water fountain.  Just like true tourists!

We’ve also made it a family tradition to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks at the Space Needle.  If you leave at 10:30pm from Bellevue, you can just make it in time to find free parking about a mile away, and then walk to a good position under the Needle.  The event always draws a big crowd.

For more viewpoints around Seattle, check out the Smith Tower and Columbia Center.

Official Space Needle Website

Seattle Center Official Website

More Photos

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Whether you are considering going out as a change from watching the countdown in Times Square on TV, just window shopping to see what the crazy people who brave the traffic do, or an inveterate New Year’s Eve Party vetran, you may be wondering where to find the exhaustive list of what’s happing on The Night in Seattle.

There is a FOOTLOOSE Dance Your Ass Off Party at the Central Cinema in the Central District near Capitol Hillin the East Union Business District.  It starts at 9:30 and at midnight there is an hour of music videos to boogie too!  At $10-12 what a deal, and managable fun.  Earlier that night at 6:30 Ghostbusters is playing.  If you have a family New Year’s active evening in mind, you might go to Ghostbusters then head to…

Winterfest skating at Seattle Center goes till 11:30, then you’re right there to see the fireworks!  Or dance to The Machine free at the Center House there, and be there for midnight and fireworks.

For a Major Party right now the Seattle Indulgence at EMP (right there in Seattle Center too) looks like it tops the charts.  For $59 per person you could join this 3,000 person party billed as the “swankiest” event going this year.  I guess that means party rags and your brightest smile.  It goes from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and has 4 areas of live entertainment, 3 dance floors, over 35 bars, live comedy, free access to the EMP museum…and they have some special offers for nearby hotels so you can avoid the traffic after all.  This is 140,000 square feet of Seattle New Year’s INDULGENCE!

stand by for more…

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