Once upon a time in Seattle, there was a cozy little place called Andy's Diner. It was a magical place located in the Sodo area (south of downtown/dome that isn't there anymore...) made up of train cars, wood paneling, and old people's souls. It was a place of yester-year's glory, a place to enjoy the finer things in life like a Top Sirloin with a heap of mashed pototoes topped with 1/4 stick of butter. It was grandly decorated to exact specifications circa 1960's when it adopted a 1930's railcar theme. One of the cars (the presidential car) was actually used by FDR on the campaign trail! We dined where FDR dined! Andy's was also rumored to be haunted by revelers of the past...and I believe it. You would walk down one of the empty cars and feel cold spots...I see dead people!

We were so sad when they shut their doors some time last year. We thought the rail cars were doomed, so we went down south one Sunday, hopped the fence and started shooting (photos) before they tore the relic down. Here are the highlights on Flickr.


The silver lining is that they actually did not tear Andy's down. The Andy's complex is still there. Unfortunately, they painted over the beautiful cars, bastardized the brilliant sign and turned it into a bad Chinese food place called "Oriental Express". The interior is still very much intact, which we feel thankful for. Hopefully these cars will remain a part of Seattle for many more years to come...it'll never be Andy's again though...thanks for the memories Andy...

5 Comments