Take an Audio Walking Tour

by Jack Straw productions

With the weather warming up again, why not try out Seattle's first neighborhood public art and culture self-guided audio tour? The University District Arts and Heritage (UDAH) Committee launched the audio tour produced by Jack Straw Productions in July 2001. The public can check out the free audio tour kit from four venues in the University District. The kit consists of the audio tour on CD, a portable CD-player, a walking tour map and a pouch.

The audio tour CD features historians, architects and artists sharing their knowledge of the art and architecture of the University District that reflect the area's rich and vibrant history. These highlights give us clues to the changing social events, fashions, and ideas that were shared in the neighborhood over time. The audio tour spans from the mid-1800s when the first homestead was filed; to 1895, when the University of Washington moved into the district from downtown Seattle; to the tumultuous 1960s; and through to the present.

The 33 corresponding sites on the map and audio tour were carefully selected by members of the UDAH committee, together with architects, historians and artists, for their historical significance to the district. The tracks on the audio tour CD are numbered according to the map and users can select whichever site they would like information on. The map and audio tour cover the area between North Lake Union and NE Ravenna Boulevard, bounded by Seventh Ave NE and Montlake Boulevard.

Audio tour users can begin at any point on the map and either follow the order of the CD tracks or customize their own tour. The CD is just over 60 minutes in length. The whole walk can take up to 5 hours, but participants can easily choose their favorites for a shorter walk.

Jack Straw Producer/engineer Sylvia Jones interviewed over 20 members of the community for the audio tour. "I was surprised and pleased at how generous the interviewees were with their time, and the lengths they went to help me find facts and information on the U District. People who hold stories about the area are excited to share their knowledge of what they feel is a very historically important part of Seattle."

Her interviewees included prominent Seattle sculptor Gerard Tsutakawa; local resident and long-time community activist, Patty Whisler; professional actor and Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Drama, Mark Jenkins; owner of the College Inn, Ron Bozarth; and architect Roger Wagoner, among others. The University District audio tour project is the prototype for all interested Seattle communities who would like to document their history and promote pedestrianism.

Jack Straw Productions can be contacted at Ph: (206) 634-0919 or email: jsp@jackstraw.org.