(EXPANDED FROM 3/16/2025)
This is a photo essay that I shot over a number of years. If you don’t find graffiti sociologically interesting, then you might want to move on to the next post.
Evergreen Shores, Washington isn’t your typical upper-crust exurb (Wikipedia, 2025). Along the southwest shore of Black Lake you’ll find a few gated McMansions, but by and large this is a working-class neighborhood.
Despite amenities such as a boat launch, a community club house and a nearby nature preserve, homes tend to sell for less than in the nearby suburb of Olympia, which is the state capital.
This neighborhood’s primary niche in the real estate market appears to be starter homes for young families that like to boat — or merely seek to distance themselves from the suburban lights of Olympia.
Although this is a bona fide subdivision, it has a rural vibe. For example, the narrow roads have no sidewalks, and streetlights are not as numerous as in the city. At night it can be exceptionally quiet except for the occasional drag race or coyote’s howl.
Evergreen Shores is located in an unincorporated part of the county. The neighborhood is governed by an association that has had its ups and downs. During a latter period, major signage suffered from peeling paint for a number of years. (Signage was redone a few months after this photo feature was completed.)
This neighborhood is pretty isolated for being a mere seven miles out of town. It’s only accessible by a two-lane country road. There are no bike lanes or regular bus service. So once kids step off the school bus in the afternoon, they can’t go to the mall or skateboard park unless driven there.
So what do they do? For a number of years some of them hung out on a little-used side street near the neighborhood’s club house. Although this street was clearly intended for development, that hasn’t happened for a number of decades. I suspect that this is because the soil isn’t compatible with septic systems.
There’s not much reason to venture down this road . . . unless you want to walk the dog. Or dump some trash. Or make out at night in your car.
Around July 4 this street has long been a staging ground for fireworks. The rest of the year some kids have amused themselves by drawing graffiti. It started out with a cheery innocence, such as with “Hoorah” and “Oh-Hi.”
As time went on, the usual references to sex, drugs and music started to show up. At one point, renditions of genitalia were particularly popular.
After a few years the number of new entries declined — and the graffiti became more hard edged.
By the spring of 2015 virtually all of the graffiti shown above had faded away and no new material had been added.
One can still find a remnant of the graffiti on a nearby tree, which was spray painted “Stoner.”
The most prominent graffiti had been added to a sign at the entrance to the neighborhood. However, that sign was subsequently repainted and no new graffiti has shown up.
A decade has passed since this photo essay was posted. That means our former graffiti artists may now be navigating young adulthood. Perhaps some have graduated from college and launched a career. And gotten married and are having kids. Maybe even thinking about buying a house in a nice neighborhood . . . without graffiti.
NOTES:
This story was originally posted on Sept. 5, 2015 and expanded on March 16, 2025.
RE:SOURCES
- Wikipedia; 2015. “Exurb.” Page last edited on Jan. 29.
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