The thriving arts scene is a priority in this city—in fact, Seattle has been recognized for having more arts-related businesses and organizations per capita than any other metropolitan area in the U.S., according to Americans for the Arts. Stage, film and voice actor Annette Toutonghi is one of the contributors to this creative city. Read on for a look at the city through her artistic lens.
We always have a harbor bell, a ferry horn, seagull calls. We use a sifter in a tub of water to sound like the sea sloshing against a pier. And lots of “slurrrrp… mmm” for drinking coffee.
It’s such a great walking neighborhood. You can walk all around the “crown” on historic streets, looking at old houses and big trees. There are an amazing number of little parks and playgrounds, like Ward Springs Park, which has a great view of downtown. And we have a lot of stairs! You can get a good map of all the staircases at QAstairs.com.
You can walk to many performance venues—On the Boards, Seattle Rep, Pacific Northwest Ballet—and good restaurants, like Taylor Shellfish, How to Cook a Wolf, and Eden Hill. There’s also Mercer Books used bookstore, and Queen Anne Books. If you walk to the top floor of the parking garage across from McCaw Hall, you’ll see the UpGarden P-Patch—a big community garden built on the concrete. Very Seattle.
My favorite places to watch movies are at Northwest Film Forum, Majestic Bay, and Cinerama*. I love going to the Seattle International Film Festival every year and I’m lucky to have two of SIFF’s year-round venues in my neighborhood: SIFF Cinema Uptown and SIFF Film Center.
* Ed note: The Cinerama is currently closed (2021) but we hope for reopening news soon. We miss the giant screen and delicious chocolate popcorn!
I really appreciate Seattle’s intimate stages, like West of Lenin and On the Boards. And the Falls Theater at ACT, which is small enough to feel intimate but big enough that you can feel the energy of the crowd.
Salumi. They have the best meatball sandwich ever, but also the biggest line, and it seems like they’re only open when the butterfly lands on a tulip in a rainstorm. Weird hours. But you have to go, and be there when it opens. There will already be a line, but it will move. Oh my god it is so good.
Interview by Brangien Davis.
Photo taken at UpGarden P-Patch, Mercer Garage.