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The Needle has different sections. First, there's the ground/below ground level; this is the part that you walk in to from the street and get the elevators and the gift shop. Below that there is underground access for deliveries and there's the catering kitchen and supplies.

The next section is the Skyline level, 100 feet off the ground. Basically a big room with bathrooms about one quarter of the way up the needle.

The third section is the top or "flying saucer" section which is made up of three floors: a kitchen/ catering staging area, the restaurant level (that part that rotates) and the observation deck.

There are three elevators that go up the shaft of the needle on the outside. There is a ladder that actually goes up the Needle from top to bottom, inside the middle of the shaft.

My plan would be to get to the Needle and immediately bring up supplies from the basement (food, water, etc) if there was time. I would then get to the Skyline level and destroy the ladder from the skyline level down (there should be plenty of tools, welding equipment around since the Needle has it's own maintenance staff). I would then take supplies from the skyline level to the "flying saucer" level and cut off power to the elevators.

This would leave me with the three levels at the very top of the space needle to live in and access to the skyline level via the ladder (although it would be about 600 or so steps down so I wouldn't plan on visiting the Skyline level very much). I would also drop off Slinky the Snake on the Skyline level as an added measure of defense (she could eat up any unexpected guests).


Pros:

- The Space Needle is centrally located and easy to get to.

- It would be nearly impossible for anyone (zombie or other) to get up the Needle once the ladder was destroyed and the elevators were taken out of service.

- It has lovely, 360 degree views of the city... perfect for watching the rest of the world go to hell in a hand-basket.

- There are telescopes all over it so you can see what's coming.

- The pipes that service the bathrooms go straight down the middle, making it easy to rig some sort of waste removal mechanism if the water stops working.

- The catering kitchen should already be stocked with food as should the restaurant kitchen.

- You have an outside deck at the observation level for getting exercise, fresh air, walking the pets or sunbathing.

- There's a little flat area on the top which rescue helicopters could either drop supplies to or rescue survivors from.

- There's a big "legacy light" on top that you could use to send signals with.

- The restaurant at the top of the needle contains a lot of alcoholic beverages, these could be used as Molotov cocktails.
- Welding/party supplies that involve a pressurized can could be used to take out a small amount of zombies lurking around at the bottom. If there were some cans filled with hydrogen and/or oxygen these could be used for making some bombs (tie the cans open, throw them down into a crowd of undead, then throw a Molotov cocktail to light the mixture).
-Very nice sniping positions, if you or any of your friends that are up there with you are any good with a gun (preferably a .22 cal. rifle or something similar) you can snipe anything within a couple of blocks.
-Elevator counterweights make good defenses, smashing heads in is always a bonus with zombie kind.

Cons:

- If somehow the zombies get up there and the "flying saucer" part is compromised, you're screwed...no quick way to get down unless you can re-start the elevators and then you may be walking into a disaster at the bottom.

- Once you debilitate the stairs and elevators it would be near impossible to get any additional survivors up.

- If Slinky the Snake does not get enough zombies and rodents to eat she could slither her way up the Needle and start going after survivors (never trust a hungry snake).

- Because you would be visible from around the city many other survivors could flock to the bottom and make a big racket, begging to be helped up to the top.

- No way to go out and get supplies although you could collect rainwater on the roof.
- Hard to stop all elevators at once, getting down is not possible once ladder and elevators are down.


In the case of an outbreak, will you be allowing other survivors to join you here?

Close friends and relatives and their pets would be welcome. I would make a point of keeping one elevator operational until "my crew" was all there and accounted for.