Stories

Show Title: A Feminist Eclat

Show Duration: March 13 - April 4, 2010

Opening Reception Saturday March 13, 6PM, as part of the Belltown ArtWalk www.belltownartwalk.com

Juliette Fretté exhibits her primitivist paintings with a brilliancy or success of effort which attracts admiration or applause; eclat. Her first exhibit at Form/Space Atelier, Ms. Fretté is more widely known as the feminist columnist for Examiner.com Ms. Fretté, a resident of northern California, will be traveling to Seattle for the vernissage and is scheduled to make paintings in the atelier while she is visiting.

The organizing principles for this exhibit originate with exhibit Curator Paul Pauper, founder and Director of Form/Space Atelier. Pauper's prime organizing principle embraces the idea of curating artists first, and the the marks artists make secondarily. As this precept applies to the upcoming exhibit of Juliette Fretté's paintings, Pauper began thinking in terms of an exhibit by a feminist artist timed to coincide with International Women'...

If you live in Belltown, chances are you see the Space Needle every time you walk outside, as it is literally in our backyard, but have you ever actually been to the top?

I often hear from local Satellites that the Space Needle is lame, too touristy or too expensive.  While, yes, it is quite pricey to reach the top ($17/ per adult!) for a view that is not much higher than some of our condo rooftops it is still a wonderfully novel piece of Seattle.  In fact, when have you seen a post card of the Seattle skyline that does not include the Needle?

For me, it is a bit different.  I still get giddy when I see the Space Needle.  I often take a picture when I am near it, or far from it.  For me, it serves as a reminder of how I was able to move here, as I had wanted to for so long, and reminds me I am home.  Plus, if you ever have been to the top, you probably know it is one of the best places in Seattle to watch the sunset over the Olympic mountains!   Imagine how impressed your date will be when you bring him/her to the top of the Needle for a drink and sunset?

Now you can forget the high prices and take advantage of the Space Needles discounted annual pass!  Today is the last day where you can buy an annual pass for just $29.99 (regularly $59.99.)  That is less than the price of two tickets!

Here is what it includes, straight from the Space Needles website:

Take advantage of this fantastic offer, exclusive to friends of the Needle...

360° x 365: Space Needle Individual Annual Pass
$29.99 (regularly $59.99)

Through March 11, get our new Individual Annual Pass at $30 OFF!
Get one visit to the top each day, for 365 days, to enjoy the circular sensation that is the Space Needle Observation Deck. Other benefits include:

- Up to two (2) general admission tickets per day may be purchased at 50% off.
- Use of the group sales/will call window at the ticket booth to reduce waiting time.
- Offers at SkyCity Restaurant, SpaceBase Gift Shop and SpaceShots.
- One additional complimentary Observation Deck ticket per quarter.

To purchase your annual pass, visit the Space Needle's Website!

Our friends at PubliCola did the heavy lifting by attending last evening's public forum debating Tim Burgess's proposal to crack down on aggressive panhandling.

During a public forum at Seattle University last night, proponents and opponents of City Council member Tim Burgess’ proposal to crack down on aggressive panhandling made the case for and against the measure...

...Jon Scholes, policy director at the Downtown Seattle Association, and Burgess argued that the legislation is needed to make downtown feel safe again for residents and visitors. “Our members and residents have had encounters with people who will follow them, people who will get in their face … people who are soliciting for organizations as well as people who are soliciting for their own benefit. So it’s a wide area of concern,” Scholes said.

...Tim Harris, executive director of the homeless newspaper Real Change, argued that the people Scholes and Burgess wanted to protect were primarily rich condo owners. “These [panhandlers] are people who are interfering visibly with our cathedral of consumption downtown,” Harris said.

Read the whole thing here...

My view on the legislation is that it's legislation. What, huh? Legislation is visibly ineffective (as all Belltowner know) to curb crime on its own. Dealing drugs, taking dumps on sidewalks, and public drunkenness are already crimes. What Belltown needs is an increased enforcement of existing legislation.

However, I believe some trust of an elected official is actually warranted in this case. Tim Burgess is a former Police Officer. He knows way more than I do about what is tying the hands of police with regards to enforcement. If this is another quiver in an officer's arsenal of existing laws that they feel is required, then I'm all for it.

As for Tim Harris, way to go out on a limb and stereotype an entire community. Yeah, we're all rich condo owners who wish we had a human sized hamster ball to hide in while we walk down the street. Give me a break Tim! Don't patronize the folks who are walking these streets on a daily basis. Most of us support Real Change. That's why they're there. Totally ignoring the issue of aggressive panhandling and intimidation would be an exercise in ignorance.

An evening of networking and promotion for merchant neighbors in Belltown..

Neighborhood Belltown businesses are invited to display products and share ideas with fellow merchants by setting up mini-shops at Salon Ciba, located at 2301 1st Avenue. There is no cost involved. Already on tap: demonstrations of hair styles/color/trends, massage, health, beauty, private clubs, photography, clothes and more. Kevin Givens, a nationally-known motivational speaker, will be discussing the value of merchants networking.

Among the event’s other highlights is a short film presented by Jeff Newsom, Founder and President of AShirtBag, a non-profit organization focused on curbing waste in our environment. Jeff’s company will give away items (while supplies last) made of earth-friendly materials including Tree-in-a Box kits, light bulbs and tips on seven things you can do in the next seven days to save the Earth.

The upbeat theme for the evening is LOVE PEACE PLANET – BELLTOWN. It’s a great opportunity...

Last evening's Belltown Artwalk was a great time. We didn't have the time to swing through all the venues, but made sure to hit the highlights; City Hostel Seattle - JP. Farquar , Roq La Rue - Sarah Joncas, and Damaged Goods - Thanks for the margaritas Mark! Mark knows how to do an artwalk right. The shop is a must stop for all future artwalks; free beer, wine, margaritas, and munchies galore. Prediction - he'll be swamped in the coming months.

It's been a long while since we've performed our scientific appraisal of the Belltown Real Estate market. I was doing a little real estate surfing this morning and had to nearly Heimlich manuever myself after I came across the most expensive Belltown listing. Prepare yourselves; sit down, swallow your coffee, and prepare for a dose of humility.

Belltown's Most Expensive Listing: $2.395 million

Stunning, spacious, and light filled Penthouse with panoramic views of the Mountains, Water and City. Floor to ceiling windows...

Belltown's Least Expensive Condo - 179k

Spacious open bedroom unit with updated bathroom and kitchen. One of the largest floorplans of its kind. All new stainless appliances in kitchen. Tile floor in kitchen and bath. Peek-a-boo view of sound/mountains. Well cared for unit; comes with 1 parking space.

Tonight's Belltown Artwalk looks like a great line-up of artists and new work. The complete listing of venues can be found here. Here's my top 3 picks and reasons why I'll be there tonight.

1)  JP Farquar at City Hostel Seattle - Solo show from 5-9PM

2) Canadian painter Sarah Joncas and French artist Ciou at Roq La Rue - drinks and music from 6-9PM

3) Mirror Mirror on the Vain Wall -  located near the front of the salon, is our version of a digital photo booth (behind a perfectly VAIN gold frame, of course) that lets you take your own picture + check it out on the spot on a touchscreen monitor. Don’t like your picture? Delete it + take a re-do if want to.

Do you like delicious muffins? Do you like helping people truly in need? Our friends at Queen Anne View alerted us to the fact that Macrina Bakery is donating all of their cafe profits for Wednesday the 3rd (TODAY) to the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. 

Macrina in Belltown is located at 2408 1st Avenue. They'll be open until 7PM this evening.

It's not all real esate doom and gloom here in Belltown. In fact, there's a new "start-up" headed to the fertile creative ground of Belltown. TechFlash has the scoop;

Redfin is in the business of finding people new homes. But the Seattle online real startup has some new digs of its own. The company is moving from its Pioneer Square headquarters at the Dexter Horton Building to new offices in Belltown, taking over the former Cranium space in the Market Place Tower at 2025 1st Avenue...

...Cranium vacated the sixth floor offices after Hasbro purchased the gaming company in 2008. But Cranium did leave behind some remnants from its wacky culture, including what McGarty described as some pretty intense and funky purple carpet. That will be staying, but the company has already painted some of the walls.

Bill will talk about his activities with the nightlife businesses in Belltown and how they impact our neighborhood environment. This is a meeting for all of your who have opinions about noise, club issues, alcohol abuse, trashed sidewalks and "Good Neighbor" agreements with the community. Bill brought a few of his friends along to help us have a lively discussion about Nightlife In Seattle.

Where: 2821 2nd Ave., 6th Flr., Beaumont Room - Bay Vista Residential Tower (2nd & Broad)

When: 7PM

Who?

- Bill Reddy, City of Seattle Nightlife Organizer

- Jim Kenny, Seattle City Attorney's Office, Asst. City Attorney, West Precinct

- Thomas James, State of Washington Liquor Control Board, Enforcement

- Loren Richie, State of Washington Liquor Control Board, Enforcement

The second Bell St. Park meeting was held this evening at the Olympic Sculpture Park's Paccar Pavilion. The first meeting was a raucous occasion. Most of the community came prepared to let off some steam about the continual drug dealing and crime problems that have plagued the neighborhood for the last couple of years. The first meeting was overwhelmingly focused on safety.

The second meeting consisted of reviewing the basic design principles that SvR Design Company was utilizing as a basis for the first mock-ups that the public has seen of the park concepts. SvR presented two basic design strategies. The first they termed as "Sluicing". This is a throwback to the fact that Belltown used to be a massive hill until being sluiced into the ocean (Go Green Ancestors!). The second option was codenamed a much less phonetically catchy "Measured Improvement". 

At this point, I'm really not going to try and walk you through the design principles of each option. Check out the embedded flickr set that I dorkily took during the entire meeting. Just, keep in mind, that for some unfortunate reason the two options were mistakenly labeled opposite. Sluicing = the angular smorgasbord. Measured Improvement = the sensible right angle fest.

Conclusion.

The most important goal of this project should be to attract a steady stream of people. This is the key factor that will solve crime. Both options are going to have the same net effect on the amount of people walking through Bell Street. It is my opinion that either option will be a nice place to walk through. However, as we've all learned from the beautiful, yet ineffective Growing Vine Street, it doesn't matter if you have a bunch of fancy planters and Frank Lloyd Wright water features - it's not enough to get people to stick around.  

What we need is infrastructure which will enable economic development and new business. The better of the two options for this goal is the "Measured Movement" option. The Measured plan calls for large areas of community gathering spaces and expansive open spaces. This is wonderful. I love the design. The biggest gripe that I have, is that the whole damned project is on the wrong side o the street! Unfortunately, there is little room for businesses to move in and take advantage of the larger sidewalk space. So, kiss the dreams of expansive Las Ramblas cafe seating goodbye.

I feel like an old codger who hasn't taken his fiber here. But, I really believe that this project needs to attract new business to be a true success. Otherwise, I'm afraid the fears of the community are correct. This project could be a massive opportunity pissed into the wind.

I know, I've been really slacking off and putting the honest job of neighborhood blogger to shame. But, lets be honest. How many ambulances can you chase down the street to get a couple pictures? Wait a second, we never even did that. But seriously, at what point does all that foolery just seem silly.

That being said, it's just been super busy on the "real job" front. So, I've had to play loyalties with the job that actually brings home tasty bacon. Also, the holidays were awesome. Sometimes, it really does take a moment of reflection to figure out what's next and more importantly, what could be better? Here's some of the key issues that I'm hoping to solve in the re-launch of BelltownPeople.com

• More writers
• A better looking site
• Content that focuses on people

Those are the three big things. So hey, no promises, but we'll see what kind of changes and improvement we can scratch out over the next couple of days. Thanks for staying tuned in.

It's that time of the year when the nation's productivity grinds to a halt. And thank goodness. We've all got better things to do supposedly; stuffing ourselves silly with great food, stoking the furnace of capitalistic freedom by shopping, and oh yes, spending time with the people we love.

We'll be back soon Belltown. If you missed it, we're also looking for creative people that are interested in adding to the dialog and showing off. Well, maybe not so much showing off, but at least writing and sharing what ya love about the neighborhood. If you'd like to saddle up too, just e-mail me (belltown***people@gmail.com). We'll be meeting up soon to trade some ideas.

Looking forward to kicking it up again soon. new. improved.

Seattle's political news source PubliCola is throwing an interesting event at DelRey Monday night. If you're a political junkie, or just plain interested in how the hell McGinn pulled off his mayoral upset, this is an event you'll be crying about missing.

From publicola

Sure, you can go to lots of forums and listen to reporters and random consultants give their 20,000-foot analysis of this year’s mayoral campaign.

But we’ve rounded up the political strategists who actually helped come up with and execute this year’s campaign game plans—Team Mallahan and Team McGinn—to face off one more time.

Come to the Del Rey in Belltown on Monday night November 23 and hear McGinn’s gonzo strategist Bill Broadhead (from the Mercury Group) and sharpshooter Mallahan spokeswoman Charla Neuman explain their strategies, Monday-morning quarterback themselves and each other, and fill you in on how they were reading, playing, and trying to outsmart one another.

I sat down with the president of the Belltown Community Council a few weeks ago. His name is Richard Nordstrom. If you've been involved in Belltown affairs, you probably already know him. However, I thought it would be a great idea to learn a bit more about the man behind the mission. I've often wondered to myself why Mr. Nordstrom is so motivated? Belltown is a great place to live, all things considered. But, as anyone who's been involved in the micro politics would know, it's a thankless job.

Mr. Nordstrom has been instrumental in getting Belltown back in the game. During his short tenure, the Belltown Community Council has launched a revamped website, hosted the successful Belltown Pet Parade, and most importantly, has unified the voice of the community. The last item is the most imperative. Richard told me during our meeting that one of the main reasons he has been so passionate about being involved in the council is the fact that Belltown is the city's densest neighborhood, however it seems like the community's voice isn't heard. That's going to change.

Belltown is undeniably lucky to have Mr. Nordstrom at the helm. He has a wealth of global experience. He'd be embarrassed if I rattled off his accomplishments and so I'll oblige; he's currently serving as the Principal of Nordstrom-Consulting. Previous to branching out on his own practice, he served as an executive at Connexion by Boeing. He was responsible for pioneering the first global broadband satellite communications systems to passenger aircraft and maritime vessels. Previous to his career at Boeing, he was the COO of of MariTEL and was responsible for the design and implementation of the first US and coastal maritime VoIP communications network. That's the top of the list. Are you getting the gist?

Mr. Nordstrom is an accomplished executive with the experience to achieve results and he runs the Belltown Community Council like a start-up company. Before getting started, he drafted a six page strategy document that defines the initiatives which we're seeing gain traction here in Belltown. Richard's key goal is simple. He wants to help make Belltown a better place to live and do business. To do this, he knows that the voice of the community must be both unified and heard by the city leaders.

I asked Richard what we could do to help out. The answer is painfully obvious. We, as citizens, need to get involved. This means that attending the Belltown Community Council meetings is a perfect start. In fact, there's one tonight at 7pm. Additionally, Richard would love for everyone who lives in the neighborhood to be on the Belltown Community Council newsletter. You can sign up for the mailing here. Once a month, the council lists the most important issues that are facing Belltown. It's easy to understand that if the residents aren't informed, we never have the chance to even form an opinion or get involved.

It was a great pleasure personally to meet Richard Nordstrom. We share a lot of the same passions about the neighborhood. We both want to see the streets cleaned up, the community more vibrant, Bell St. Boulevard become a beautiful project, and my... the list just keeps getting longer. We also would love to meet you at the next BCC meeting. Hope to see you there.

While hosting family in town last year, my sister-in-law and I picked up some fruit and veggies at Pike Place. The “nicest man” helped us pick out delicious goodies, some things we had never even heard of. He gave us recommendations, was happy to give us a sample of something random and juicy, and even helped to point out the ripe produce for us when we couldn’t tell. (I don’t know about you, but staring at fruit and wondering what it looks like inside is always a challenge for me.) We spent 30 minutes bopping around that stand, having great conversation about produce and recipes with the “nicest man” who happened to work at this produce stand. When we were done we had spent a bundle and had so much fun doing it. We left and walked across the street to see the fish being thrown around and after watching for 5 minutes or so, we felt a tug on our hair, it was the “nicest guy” here to give us our bags and bags of produce that we’d somehow forgotten!Dough'p! We sure felt stupid.  He looked around for us, spotted my sister’s big head of blonde hair and saved the day. It would have been horrible to get home without our intricately picked out produce!

I didn’t know very much about picking out fruits and vegetables. I had no idea what was in season, and had no idea what to do with things like leeks (which are great in corn chowder and frittatas by the way) and even what the difference between a Ranier cherry and any other ol' red cherry was(I still don’t think I know that one). This nice man who made my produce shopping less intimidating and who was filled with knowledge about all things produce, always stuck out in my mind. And every time I’d walk past this stand he’d be chatting and helping out someone in the same way he did for my sister and I. So….. I decided that he would be the very first person featured for this “Pike Place People” version of Pike Place Stroll on BelltownPeople.com (say that really fast a few times)!! For most Pike Place Strolls we will tell you about some delectable unique shop, but for special ones, we will feature the special people who make this Market our neighborhood market and not just the infamous Pike Place Market.

Meet Brian Bright! The “nicest man.” He grew up in Eastern Washington farm country and has worked at Corner Producefor the last three years. He loves being able to meet all different kinds of people from all over the world. He said jokingly, "I don’t need to travel, people from all around the world come to me". When I asked him, “quick response: What is your favorite fruit or veggie that you get excited about when in season,” he proceeded to give me a long list of everything yummy in season. At the moment, I thought it to be a good salesman. But if I were him I would have a long list of every season’s delicious treats as well…I mean honestly watermelon does not sound appetizing right now in the 40 degree weather. But a warm baked apple dessert does! I think that was the case with him. He seemed to sincerely enjoy what he does. No bullshit sales ploy here. Mind you, for the interview, I did walk away with a few bags of Brian picked out produce, but really enjoyed having conversation with him all the while.  Here’s Brian: helpful, sweet, cool to chat with, filled with produce knowledge, a guy you would want to be bros (friends) with, a true gem to us locals at the Market. Because of Brian, I will make Corner Produce “my” produce stand at The Market. I mean the stands pretty much sell all of the same things anyway. The relationships/community are what make the difference in where I will shop, in my book. The produce at this stand mostly is all from the Pacific Northwest, so whatever is in season here will be what you get to choose from.  Also, for the locals…this shop is especially great because it is open from 6am-6pm and you don’t have to walk through the whole market sea of tourist crowds to get there. From Belltown, I stay on First Ave until I get to Pike and then cut right at Pike. It’s the second stand on the right. Tourists avoided.

Lastly, I asked Brian what his favorite stand at the Market was, as someone who really knew the market, so that I could do my next interview on his recommendation. And he told me the Filipino restaurant around the corner washands-down his favorite. Family owned and operated for years, amazing food. Imagine how funny that was when I just heard the same recommendation from my UPS guy that I ran into while he was walking out of that stand with to-go boxes in his hand just 20 minutes prior. More to come on this restaurant for our next edition of Pike Place Stroll….next week! In the meantime, stop by corner produce, say hi to Brian and get some great local produce.  Thanks Brian for being a part of this community and for making Pike Place Market feel a little bit more like our neighborhood market.

The Belltown Artwalk is this evening and for that matter, every second Friday of each month. The artwalk has been steadily increasing in popularity. The addition of Belltown's City Hostel Seattle has served to make this an event you shouldn't be missing.

A highlight for this week is the cash n' carry art sale that will be taking of Bedlam Coffee. Artist Obi Kaufman is bringing along more that a hundred of his latest creations and will be letting them loose unto the world for no more than $50.

If you're interested in mobbing the scene, there's a pack of people meeting up at the Rendezvous at 7PM. If you happen to collect some great pictures, drop me a note and we'll feature them on the site.

Lydia Heard wrote an exlcellent article for the Seattle PI's Inside Belltown Blog. It features a thorough summary of the ideas proposed as well as a lively debate in the comment sections.

From Seattle PI's Inside Belltown

It was a crowd. We have almost 12,000 residents in Belltown, but usually only a dozen, two dozen, attend meetings. I'm no good at crowd estimating but I'd guess at least 150 people were filling the Paccar Pavilion last night for the first public input meeting on the Bell Street Park Boulevard. I think the design team and moderators were a little overwhelmed. They hadn't been expecting so many people, judging by the fact that they ran out of comment forms before I got there, and by the lack of amplification which would have helped with the large audience. Belltowners usually just don't show up like this, and it appears that when they do show up it is because there is some controversy.

more at the PI...

 

 

 

The Bell St. Park meeting was held last evening at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Kudos, hoorah's, and many thanks to the Belltown Community Council and the Olympic Sculpture Park for hosting the event and providing a forum for community involvement and input.

The overarching topic of the evening was public safety. Citizens don't feel safe on Bell street and they're sick and tired of the perception that nothing is being done to resolve the issue. There were also some evaporative vocal concerns about the parking spaces that will be lost once Bell St. turns into a one lane pedestrian friendly boulevard.

Knowing that this project is moving forward, what should be the goal? I believe the primary goal of this project should be to draw a steady stream of people through the Bell Street corridor. Otherwise, I think the neighborhood concerns are valid, this will turn into a fancy runway for dealing crack and pissing your pants.

As a summary of the ideas that have already been collected on this site - the top three are;

• Increased Cafe Seating - Big sidewalks to encourage new cafe's which would build infrastructure to keep people happy outdoors even in the rain.
•  




• Art Walk Areas - A rotating mural wall featuring local artists as well as an area that would encourage artists to sell and display their art on the boulevard.



• Food Cart Hook-Ups - The necessary electrical conduits and parking areas need to be designed into the plan to accomodate Seattle's favorite food carts.

Some new ideas brought up during the meeting were;

• Local Plants - include local fauna and (gasp) fungus that would naturally serve to break down fossil fuel emissions. Great idea!
• Allow Parisian Art Booths - This is another great idea to offer a rotating and seasonal kiosks to artists and craftsmen. The alternating product would keep a constant focus on Bell St.
• Hanging Flower Baskets - Hey why not, they're gorgeous and remind me of delicious salads.
• LIGHTING - Everyone agrees that the lighting needs to be artful, yet serve the purpose of deterring crime.
• Bike Racks - This was one of my favorite ideas. Lets have local artists design bike racks along the boulevard!
• Kids Play Areas - This heartwarming idea was submitted by a young mother who would like to see some safe areas set up for her children to play. I agree wholeheartedly with this idea and would love to see something for the families that are living downtown.
• Performance Space - Incorporate areas where a stage could be set up for special events.

My main concern with the plan thus far is that the boulevard is currently planned to run along the north side of the street. There's two good reasons for this. 1 - The city planners note that the north side of the street gets the most sun. 2 - There's a lot of mature trees on the south side of the street that they want to protect. Here's the big problem though. The SOUTH side of the street includes most of the businesses. Without stimulating economic development on the available south side, this project could be a wasted opportunity. There are a lot of businesses and potential development opportunities if this project was built on the south side. However, there's very few options for expanded business offerings on the north side.

If you have additional concerns, let off some steam in the comments. I'd love to hear your opinions and will do my best to make sure your voice is heard during the meetings. Please be thinking of ways that this development can enrich the vibrancy of Bell St. How can we ensure that this is a busy area and not just a big sidewalk?

This is a few weeks over due, (sorry!) but we now have the results! Please see the 5 Fall photos taken and listed below by our neighbors/readers. Not all of these are taken in Belltown, but due to the low response of photos of fall in Belltown, I decided to include the other entries as well. Thank you SO much for entering your photos.  I’ve included the photos and photographers websites below , if applicable,  so that you can get a better look at more of their work.  The winner of this photo contest will have his/her photo incorporated into the Belltown banner above until Thanksgiving. Please take just a moment to vote on your favorite photo below by posting a comment with your vote for the photo that you like the most. Thank you! 

Photos after the Jump..

1.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackandmilk  

2.

http://www.rajivpatnaik.com

3.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericcrawford

4.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/miguelovesjesus

5.

http://www.facebook.com/olesya.grabovskaya

While visiting Paris last month, one of my favorite experiences was to stumble into a local open air market complete with crepe stands, wine shops, local produce, etc. It was my favorite because it was a place where the community clearly came together and met. There were local markets in every neighborhood. Imagine Pike Place Markets that were predominantly for locals, not tourists, in Capitol Hill, Belltown, Queen Anne, SLU and Pioneer square. We do have the neighborhood Farmer’s Markets in our Seattle neighborhoods, and i love them…but none of them are open every day like our Market.

We are lucky enough to have THE market, Pike Place, in our neighborhood, yet I find myself not frequenting it enough. And that is quite silly.

So Pike Place Market: Tourists…we’re taking back our market! Weekly, I will be interviewing one of our local vendors at Pike Place Market in a series called “The Pike Place Stroll” in order to help make our market more familiar and personal. This is purposed so that we can get to know the people at our neighborhood market and know more information about the vendors that they work at. (I mean there has to be at least 200 shops/vendors, right?!). I would love to know more about them, the secret hidden awesome ones, the ones that don't look so exciting from the outside but have the most amazing food, etc. 

I would love to hear about Your favorite Pike Place Vendors/Shops…Feel free to share your story by commenting below and we will incorporate it into this series! (For example: I’ve been going there every week for 2 years, Bob has the most amazing crab pie, his family has been working the shop since 1950, he has a Swedish accent and wears funny shoes, etc. etc.) Or feel free to just name your favorite shop and I’ll do some research.

See ya at the Market.

I thought this was worth sharing to change it up a bit..

If you see him, don't be tempted to keep the cute little guy, call the number listed.

"It's time Belltown had a party of its' own" is the motto of Ben Borgman of Bedlam Coffee who is leading the effort to organize a new Belltown festival. I attended an early planning meeting today and the details thus far are sparse. A group of local business owners has assembled with the desire to create a festival that's unlike any other in Seattle. Some of the ideas discussed were family friendly activities such as carnival rides as well as art themed events such as a lantern parade. And of course, there will be a stage with live music. Discussion are still underway with the city to close down 2nd ave, but that plan seems to be a long shot in which we'll all be crossing our fingers for.

Everything is in its most infantile planning stages at the moment. What is realy exciting is to see the neighborhood coming together. If these Belltown community organizers are able to pull it off, this will be the first neighborhood wide block party in Belltown's nascent seven year history.I left the meeting encouraged, not so much at the prospect of the festival itself. I left feeling enthused that this small neighborhood in a big city is coming to the realization that we're a real community.

If you have any ideas of what you'd like to see at the Belltown Founders Festival come this August, leave them in the comments or swing by Bedlam Coffee and talk Ben's ear off yourself.

The Belltown Citizens on Patrol group walks the streets of Belltown looking for areas that need improvement. If they see drug deals go down, they call it in. They are people living in thier community who give a damn and are trying to make a difference. Commendable guys. 

I recently had a chat with Brett (one of the founders) who tells me they've been having a real problem recruiting people to help out.

If you have some time, they would surely appreciate it. All scheduled BCOP walks have been posted to the calendar. So, if you have some time and a desire to lend a hand, just show up at 2600 2nd Ave and meet some neighbors.