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If you have visited the Wallyhood website in the last few days, you may have noticed that we’re sporting a new look.

I put together the original design back in 2008 when I first launched Wallyhood. At the time, I felt pretty clever using my Photoshop skills to grab the letters from the old Food Giant/QFC sign and turn them into a HOLLYWOOD-style sign on Gas Works’ Kite Hill. I even made special versions for holidays and, once, for our advertiser, Ivar’s.

But fashions change, and after a while, the whole thing started to feel a little dated.

When our server host recently told us we couldn’t update to the latest, most secure software because our theme was no longer supported, I decided it was time to try on some new duds. What you see around this post is the result.

The watercolor-ish image of a Wallingford-esque home you see on the homepage and in the upper left is, I’ll admit, AI-generated. I’d much rather feature real photos or art by real neighbors. The catch is that a banner needs to be very wide and short (roughly 16:9) to stretch across the width of the site, so most standard camera or phone photos don’t crop well. It also needs space for the Wallyhood name.

I put out the call earlier this month for images, and I am still accepting entries. So if you have a Wallingford-themed photo or piece of art that could work as a banner, I’d love to feature it. Email me at [email protected]. The new setup supports rotating banners, so we can showcase images from multiple neighbors, which feels exactly right for what this site is about.

And I hope you like the new look!