#98121

331) This is one smug box. After years and years of delays, the end of the Hwy 99 tunnel project is finally in sight, which means it won’t be that much longer until the viaduct in the background comes down. And when that happens, this box should have a pretty sweet view of the water. Hence the smugness... the box is under the impression that his personal property value will go way up. In reality, what’s more likely is that he’s get ripped up and replaced with an artisanal boutique ketchup stand. 

327) As we’ve learned over the past 327 days, mailboxes get a bit grumpy when they’re covered in graffiti. And can you blame them? Imagine how it would be if you were just standing there doing your job and someone came along and scribbled paint all over you. Now imagine your feet are bolted to the ground and you don’t have any arms to fight back with! But as much as the boxes dislike the graffiti, they’re also not too fond of mediocre, incomplete attempts to remove it. Oh sure, they appreciate the effort, but when it results in a lot of smeared paint, well, boxes like this one tend to remain a bit grumpy.

313) Mailboxes are very dutiful civil servants, so it shouldn’t be too surprising to learn that many of them have a military background. Take this fine double-wide, for example. He likes to start every day in perfect formation, and he has even successfully recruited a couple of friends to join him. The thing is, he keeps this up the full day, because this is one box that doesn’t know the meaning of “at ease!”

307) This photo is a tribute to the survivors. In the foreground, of course, is this dedicated public servant that has been a key component of mail distribution for decades. In the far background, we have the Crocodile, an amazingly storied music venue that has avoided being shut down or torn down, also for decades. Between these two, we sense an invisible, but individual bond of respect. 

304) It’s no secret that much of downtown Seattle has changed in the past decade. This box at 9th and Lenora has certainly witnessed much of this, as new building have risen one after the other, creating an unfamiliar cityscape. So... why am I standing so far away from the box? Because this particular box is a delusional blowhard who will talk your ear off with its less-than-accurate retelling of the changing scenery. I stopped listening when he was going on about the flowing lava fields trapping the early prairie (prairie?!) settlers on the edge of the iceberg where Amazon built their first office. 

Location: Belltown, 2nd Ave at Battery Street

91) It doesn’t get more “Mailboxes of Seattle” than this, does it? Seriously, this box on Broad Street at 3rd Ave might be the most Seattley box of them all. 

85) What can I say about this downtown mailbox that almost certainly has not already been said? I’m sure many other people strolling along 5th Ave at Lenora Street have remarked about its proximity to the lovely brick facade and those summery planter boxes. I’m sure many others have also looked deep into the box and fallen victim to its enchanting ways. It’s best that I simply say nothing more.