On those occasions when we guide guests through the Pike Public Market they are amazed at the visual bounty before them. But just as there are less visited lower levels so, too, are there other dimensions less visible that give the Market its significance and endear civic attachment to it. So as we stroll together there is the opportunity to reveal something of Seattle’s character which we did most recently last week.
Today the word “disruptive” is often used to describe something with potential lasting impact. It is a word that can be used fittingly when referring to the beginning of the market. In 1906 inviting producers to sell directly to city residents was in its time disruptive.
As one considers Seattle’s evolution in various realms the word “disruptive’ aptly applies. Though now no longer the upstart, the Pike Public Market continues to represent some of the city’s notable civic values and to serve as a suitable community mirror.