OMG!! Reminds me of the tree Charlie Brown brought back.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/2030102182_6945e27d13.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2251/2030102888_b707f73b45.jpg

Ick! I wonder if they're trying to keep people from climbing it. Security?!!! Pretty sparce at the bottom.

room for bigger presents! maybe they'll put a shiny new light rail under it...

ew god...that is one of the uggliest christmas trees i have ever seen. maybe with all the lights and everythuing they put on it weighs it down so it will cover? haha

It's not ulgy, it's a tree no matter what! It looks like a balsam fir.

It's not thick enough!

Wonder if this means Christmans is dead?

^^
JOKE, don't overreact.

Charlie Brown XMas reference for sure. NICE.

I noticed this the other day. I went by it just after they put it up. They had sawed off a bunch of the bottom branches, the sawed off ones were just sitting there at the bottom of the tree. I saw it and said, WTF?? Even this kid who was standing there next to me was saying the same thing.

I noticed this the other day. I went by it just after they put it up. They had sawed off a bunch of the bottom branches, the sawed off ones were just sitting there at the bottom of the tree. I saw it and said, WTF?? Even this kid who was standing there next to me was saying the same thing.

This better not be a repeat of the "Sea-Tac Christmas Tree Jew" incident :ohno:.

(just saying, nothing offensive)

I've lived here for some time and don't really remember there being a Westlake Center tree. I remember the Holiday Carousel but not a tree. Is this new or am I losing it? I do remember the pathetically adorned tree across from Time Square (the real planted tree next to Macy's where Olive and Stewart split off). Be nice if someone other than city employees decorated that this year.

I've lived here for some time and don't really remember there being a Westlake Center tree. I remember the Holiday Carousel but not a tree. Is this new or am I losing it? I do remember the pathetically adorned tree across from Time Square (the real planted tree next to Macy's where Olive and Stewart split off). Be nice if someone other than city employees decorated that this year.

Oh wow. There's been a tree at Westlake for years. The day after Thanksgiving they have the parade in the morning then around 5:30pm they light up the Macy's star and light the tree at Westlake. I go every year.

The Westlake tree has been there ever since Westlake Center has been there. So yes, you must be losing it. ;)

'Nuff said. Therapy calls for me going down for the tree light ceremony!!

I figure they don't want people climbing the Christmas tree. Yes, it's Christmas tree, not holiday tree, or tree, it's called a Christmas tree. ;) Always has been, always will be.


No matter what though, be thankful for the Christmas tree, just because it does not look as nice now, it might be a shining jewel come Christmas time. The greatest things don't always appear in the nicest packages.

Well... Shit happens... :ohno:

AHA! So it wasn't just our imaginations!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/340822_noparking23.html

November 22, 2007 11:47 p.m. PT
No Parking Anytime: Westlake's broken holiday tree gets some help
By KERY MURAKAMI
P-I REPORTER

The scraggly-looking holiday tree at Westlake Center isn't getting a lot of love this season.

But Gene Rosso said it could look a lot worse.

Rosso, who owns Julius Rosso Wholesale Nursery in Georgetown, ought to know. He sold Westlake its tree in 2004, and he was in charge of decorating this year's tree.

Turns out the tree, which was donated by Weyerhaeuser, arrived with its top broken off and all the branches on the bottom third of one side broken off.

Some gift.

The way he tells it, the logger who cut down the tree didn't realize it was going to be a holiday tree. "He didn't know it was going to be Seattle's tree and it had to look nice," he said.

When he supplies trees to the office buildings downtown or Westlake, Rosso says, a crane holds the tree to keep it from toppling over once it's cut.

But the 60-foot tree that stands at Westlake just fell -- and broke when it hit the ground.

Enter Rosso, for whom putting up holiday trees -- or Christmas trees, as they used to be called -- is kind of his life's occupation.

Maybe the Charlie Brown tree analogy is even more fitting than we thought. Just as Snoopy, Lucy and the gang fixed up that little tree, Rosso and his workers spent four days over the past week removing the broken branches, boring holes into the Westlake tree, and sticking in branches from other greens.

They wired the top back into place.

"They did a great job," said Stacia Shenk, Westlake's marketing manager.

Putting up trees for the holidays takes ingenuity sometimes. A couple of years ago, Rosso supplied the tree for the mezzanine level of the Columbia Tower.

How to get it into the elevator? He cut the tree in half and glued it back together once upstairs.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20071120/450treexx_1.jpg
Workers on Tuesday add ornamentation -- and a few extra boughs -- to a 60-foot Christmas tree being erected in downtown Seattle's Westlake Plaza. The scraggly tree has drawn criticism. (November 20, 2007)

I've seen WAY better than this. It's a little embarassing for the Evergreen State and the Emerald City.

Maybe the ornaments will hide the embarassment. I'll check it out when the SLUT opens.

This is our Nation's Christmas tree, which is better that Westlake Center xmas tree or that tree named General Grant tree in this pic? You decide.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/General_Grant_Tree_in_Kings_Canyon_National_Park.jpg/205px-General_Grant_Tree_in_Kings_Canyon_National_Park.jpg

first of all the whole seatac fiasco was not protesting the ugliness of the tree but rather the lack of political correctness for excluding other religions. the political correctness argument carries a lot of weight. the ewww that's ugly argument carries almost no weight. being a jew and having several jewish friends i can tell you that we were pretty annoyed by that rabbi throwin a fit about a tree.

This better not be a repeat of the "Sea-Tac Christmas Tree Jew" incident :ohno:.

(just saying, nothing offensive)

If we had a huge, tall, full, nice tree, there would be protests galore from tree-huggers. Seattle is just covering its ass.

If we had a huge, tall, full, nice tree, there would be protests galore from tree-huggers. Seattle is just covering its ass.

That did happen in 1950's. They cut down a 224 ft tall douglas fir and brought it to Washington DC for their xmas. The tree came from Washington State.

Here's my plan:

Plant a large evergreen in the middle of the plaza in front of westlake (call it the westlake pine or something like that). It could stay year round, and then they just decorate that tree every year. Green's are happy because we aren't cutting down a tree every year and it adds some greenness downtown, christmasers are happy since we still have a tree to decorate every year, and since its not really a dedicated xmas tree (we are the Evergreen state afterall), I think most non christians wouldn't mind. Then again, every little action seems to piss off someone nowadays, so who knows. Where do they get the Rockefeller center tree from every year?

first of all the whole seatac fiasco was not protesting the ugliness of the tree but rather the lack of political correctness for excluding other religions. the political correctness argument carries a lot of weight. the ewww that's ugly argument carries almost no weight. being a jew and having several jewish friends i can tell you that we were pretty annoyed by that rabbi throwin a fit about a tree.

Well, a Jew could come along some day and say, "HEY, I want a bunch of candles in the middle of Westlake Center." I was just hoping all this attention on one (Christmas) tree wouldn't attract something like that. Sorry if I offended you or something...

well i wasnt offended i was just making a response to your statement. Just so you know drummer im pretty hard to affend i do think the tree looks. A lot better then it did

As mentioned before, around the corner is a HUGE pine tree that each year is lamely decorated (a few strings of lights dropped from the top ala global meridians). If someone with taste and a budget could redo this tree, all issues resolved.

As mentioned before, around the corner is a HUGE pine tree that each year is lamely decorated (a few strings of lights dropped from the top ala global meridians). If someone with taste and a budget could redo this tree, all issues resolved.

Ive wondered why that is as well. Its in such a cool location..I think some retro-looking decorations to match the surrounding architecture would be a classy touch.

Here's my plan:

Plant a large evergreen in the middle of the plaza in front of westlake (call it the westlake pine or something like that). It could stay year round, and then they just decorate that tree every year. Green's are happy because we aren't cutting down a tree every year and it adds some greenness downtown, christmasers are happy since we still have a tree to decorate every year, and since its not really a dedicated xmas tree (we are the Evergreen state afterall), I think most non christians wouldn't mind. Then again, every little action seems to piss off someone nowadays, so who knows. Where do they get the Rockefeller center tree from every year?

I love that idea! It will save a lot money and time setting up a cut tree and plus it will be help add more green to the Westlake Center.

I love the idea of planting the tree at Westlake Center for round year so we can have much nicer Christmas tree.

I don't get it why so many people are outraged about Christmas tree because of the religion belief... Christmas tree is nothing came from the Bible. Christmas tree came from Germany as culture tradition and it has nothing do with any religion beliefs. These people who opposed it should do their researches before they open their mouthes first. :ohno:

After waiting anxiously for the tree lighting I was pleasantly surprised. I think this tree is the most attractive tree we had in a while.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2228/2074990773_6bdb88f177.jpg

After waiting anxiously for the tree lighting I was pleasantly surprised. I think this tree is the most attractive tree we had in a while.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2228/2074990773_6bdb88f177.jpg

I will have to see it in person to form a final opinion on the tree but it certainly looks better than I ever would have expected from the original pictures. Thank (God? lol) goodness it isn't an embarrassment like it seemed it would be.

I just saw it two nights ago! Love it!!!

Maybe the tree was supposed to be thin-like so that adding lights and ornaments would be easier (can't believe I didn't think of that earlier!)...

I think they are overcompensating their lack of thick, long branches with those big glass balls.

I could swear there are a few extra branches on there that weren't there when I saw them first put it up. I think maybe they glued on a few extra near the bottom.

Here's my plan:

Plant a large evergreen in the middle of the plaza in front of westlake (call it the westlake pine or something like that). It could stay year round, and then they just decorate that tree every year. Green's are happy because we aren't cutting down a tree every year and it adds some greenness downtown, christmasers are happy since we still have a tree to decorate every year, and since its not really a dedicated xmas tree (we are the Evergreen state afterall), I think most non christians wouldn't mind. Then again, every little action seems to piss off someone nowadays, so who knows. Where do they get the Rockefeller center tree from every year?

A-Ha! I knew my idea was too good to not have already been done. And the example is actually just around the corner. Driving down Stewart by Macy's, I noticed they had a huge decorated evergreen as well. But I also noticed it just happened to be planted, not cut down and placed. C'mon Westlake center, where's your planted tree?

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=ry1r804t4jzg&style=o&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=3695633&encType=1


Edit:
As mentioned before, around the corner is a HUGE pine tree that each year is lamely decorated (a few strings of lights dropped from the top ala global meridians). If someone with taste and a budget could redo this tree, all issues resolved.

Huh... I guess I should read all responses more carefully :D. But still, that tree is almost off in an alley. I want a planted one in the middle of the plaza where thousands of people walk every day.