Seattle PI reports that, despite the risk/fear/uncertainty/boogey-man/change-sucks of it all, the Monorail today inches toward reality. Those kooky folks at Cascade Monorail Co. have agreed on a price to build part of this sucker. Unfortunately for people like me who would prefer living under a benevolent dictator (like me), this deal is still subject to public hearings and the political process before final approval so I'm sure we'll try to turn it into a tunnel or something next. But for now, enjoy the feel of progress. (And don't read this news --Vegas Monorail ridership too low to meet expenses, officials say -- from Vegas :) )
BTW, who will start the first pro and anti Monorail blogs that are worth reading every day?
Friday, June 03, 2005
Thursday, June 02, 2005
The Not-so-great Seattle Shake
Call me negative and chemical dependent but I can't not post another nasty note in response to yet another ridiculous liquor write-up in one of our local rags.
The ultra lame Seattle Shake promo didn't peter out because people would rather drink wine than cocktails, I assure you. Proof? Just head out to any bar in Belltown around 5p and make a little sharpie mark on your table each time one of the cubicle princesses in the lounge downs something pink and sticky.
The thing sucked keg fumes because it was
a) not that great of a deal and
b) limited to the hours of 7 to 10 when we are either already drunk and eating tater tots at Noc Noc or home having sex on the couch (yes, this is my routine pretty much every night, thanks for asking)
The ultra lame Seattle Shake promo didn't peter out because people would rather drink wine than cocktails, I assure you. Proof? Just head out to any bar in Belltown around 5p and make a little sharpie mark on your table each time one of the cubicle princesses in the lounge downs something pink and sticky.
The thing sucked keg fumes because it was
a) not that great of a deal and
b) limited to the hours of 7 to 10 when we are either already drunk and eating tater tots at Noc Noc or home having sex on the couch (yes, this is my routine pretty much every night, thanks for asking)
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
PI says all you Seattle alcoholics aren't very original
We've been away for a few days - missed you. Not to get things going again with a downer but couldn't let this one pass.
Sure, sure. Newspapers, so fresh and in tune with the PULSE of the city, are definitely the proper authorities to lay down judgement on all things cool. But I'm going to treat the PI's silly little missive about the 'FauxHo'-ness of Seattle's club 'scene' (whatever that is) with more respect than it probably deserves by
1) mentioning it here and
2) bothering to say it's lame
I won't try to argue that nice bars in Seattle aren't just like nice bars in other cities. They are! (you got us PI!). But how about the journalist use some of them j-school classes to track down a person or two who might offer some ideas on how to break free from the oppression of copy-cat swank.
Sure, sure. Newspapers, so fresh and in tune with the PULSE of the city, are definitely the proper authorities to lay down judgement on all things cool. But I'm going to treat the PI's silly little missive about the 'FauxHo'-ness of Seattle's club 'scene' (whatever that is) with more respect than it probably deserves by
1) mentioning it here and
2) bothering to say it's lame
I won't try to argue that nice bars in Seattle aren't just like nice bars in other cities. They are! (you got us PI!). But how about the journalist use some of them j-school classes to track down a person or two who might offer some ideas on how to break free from the oppression of copy-cat swank.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Classy clubs or cheap imports?
This isn't New York, or Los Angeles, but you wouldn't know it from these bars
Friday, May 27, 2005
Seattle makes Drudge
Apparently, tonight we're hotter than Michael Jackson! Bumping Jacko and swipes at Hillary down the page, our little heat wave makes some news. As a transplanted Californian, the one thing (ok, one of a few things) that I have a hard time living with up here in the great PNW is the chilly nights (even in summer, yuck!). In NorCal where I grew up, you got a second day at night as temps would hover in the 70s or hotter. But Seattle's proximity to chilly Canada (yes, blame then) keeps us a little nippy at night. Normally. Hopefully this isn't a harbinger of end times though I suppose for anybody not from the Golden State, being more like California probably does feel like something has gone terribly wrong in Sea-town. 85 tomorrow! At least we'll go out with great tans.
-J
-J
Urban fishing in downtown Seattle
To fully illustrate just how insanely eclectic we are here in Uptown, here is a post on something you just ain't gonna find on another 'hood blog -- urban fishing. My fishing bud, The Cynical Lawyer (TM), and I hit Lake Union last night and, believe it or not, caught smallmouth bass from the shores of Gasworks park with downtown Seattle glimmering just across the lake.
Highlights:
1) Catching fish
2) Girls in bikinis on grass
3) Skateboarding punks falling down stairs like jackass episode
4) Naked woman dancing on boat touring Lake Union
Call your redneck friends immediately and hit the water. Tight lines!
Highlights:
1) Catching fish
2) Girls in bikinis on grass
3) Skateboarding punks falling down stairs like jackass episode
4) Naked woman dancing on boat touring Lake Union
Call your redneck friends immediately and hit the water. Tight lines!
Uptown loses a restaurant
Our tummies just lost out. Old news, but I missed the article earlier this month. Kaspar's looks like a cool place -- we've had it on our 'to try' list for awhile now ever since we figured out it really is (was!) a restaurant. Looks like we better hurry up because, as of June 11, they're shutting down the restaurant end of things to concentrate fully on their catering business. Boo! Hey guys, reconsider. Maybe now that we all know that you are (were!) a restaurant, biz will pick up.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
How Do They Stay in Business??
I feel a little bad questioning the viability of local merchants - it seems disloyal, particularly for a blog about the place. I mean if we aren't behind you, who is? So let me just say that I don't doubt the coolness or goodness or right to exist of any of the following businesses -- BUT, you have to wonder sometimes - how could they possibly be making any money?
The top five:
1. The wall bed store on first. Although, the better question might be how does any wall bed store stay in business?
2. The antique store on Denny and First. Cool, but emp-ty.
3. TWO jalisco mexican restaurants across the street from each other. Why 2?
4. The office furniture store kitty corner from the similarly suspect antique store. Gets points for its quote of the day board, though.
5. Vespa Seattle. Do that many people really buy Vespas? Isn't Denny a totally deadly place to test drive?
The top five:
1. The wall bed store on first. Although, the better question might be how does any wall bed store stay in business?
2. The antique store on Denny and First. Cool, but emp-ty.
3. TWO jalisco mexican restaurants across the street from each other. Why 2?
4. The office furniture store kitty corner from the similarly suspect antique store. Gets points for its quote of the day board, though.
5. Vespa Seattle. Do that many people really buy Vespas? Isn't Denny a totally deadly place to test drive?
Folklife this weekend
I'm not a hippie but I have to wonder what it means when I need to preface more and more of my comments in life this way. Maybe I am a hippie. No matter. Hippies and non-hippies alike are going to put the good old Seattle Center fountain to good use this hot and sticky weekend as the Northwest Folklife Festival floats and spins into Seattle. Sure, it will clog Uptown up but, really, you should park that Volvo and strap on the birkenstocks, anyhow, no?
Folklife is a lot of the best things about Bumbershoot -- lots of people having fun, outdoor music, dancing and oddness -- without a lot of the Bumber-bad things like long lines and tons of UW frat boys. Should be good times - crazy wonderful people, tunes, chow and, surprise, surprise, glorious, beautiful sunshine.
Folklife is a lot of the best things about Bumbershoot -- lots of people having fun, outdoor music, dancing and oddness -- without a lot of the Bumber-bad things like long lines and tons of UW frat boys. Should be good times - crazy wonderful people, tunes, chow and, surprise, surprise, glorious, beautiful sunshine.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Top 7 places to chow in Uptown
Boat Street Kitchen, we're waiting. Is it 'early' July yet? I can't wait to have this place in our hood so it can join the pantheon of good places to chow in Uptown.
Uptown's restaurant scene tends a little more toward the chain and fast food end of spectrum due to proximity to Seattle Center and Key Arena. Still, wedged between Queen Anne's homey, yuppie offerings and Belltown's glossy fancy food, Uptown's chow offers a good mix with a few standouts. Here's where we like to do our chewing.
Rice N Spice
$, charming thai, nicest people ever on planet in history forever work there
Sushi Kyo
$, creative, overlooked
Waterfront Seafood Grill
$, swank, treat you real good, view
Hob Nob
$, yuppie bistro
Mecca Cafe
$, faux dive, drunk food
Cafe Minnie's
$, breakfast dive, drunk food
Crow (Uptown review)
$$$, eclectic, bustling
Uptown's restaurant scene tends a little more toward the chain and fast food end of spectrum due to proximity to Seattle Center and Key Arena. Still, wedged between Queen Anne's homey, yuppie offerings and Belltown's glossy fancy food, Uptown's chow offers a good mix with a few standouts. Here's where we like to do our chewing.
Rice N Spice
$, charming thai, nicest people ever on planet in history forever work there
Sushi Kyo
$, creative, overlooked
Waterfront Seafood Grill
$, swank, treat you real good, view
Hob Nob
$, yuppie bistro
Mecca Cafe
$, faux dive, drunk food
Cafe Minnie's
$, breakfast dive, drunk food
Crow (Uptown review)
$$$, eclectic, bustling
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Irregularly Recurring Service Feature: Best of CL
Another installment of our invaluable service feature -- we skim CL so you don't have to!
4th Annual Rummage Sale Exotica Fundraiser (On the Boards, 100 West Roy Street in lower Queen Anne Hill)
Shop for cool, trendy, nostalgic, collectible, out-of-the-ordinary, completely extrordinary rummage items! *Cool - I wonder if they'll consider the crud i need to get rid of 'extraordinary'
Queen Anne Texaco, Tall Brunette, Minnesota Plates - m4w (Lower Queen Anne)
I'm not the guy who was in front of you in line and chatting it up. *Why weren't you?
To the Seattle Center Runner - m4w - 26 (Around Seattle Center)
You are always running around Seattle Center and Lower Queen Anne. *And scanning CL's Missed Connections, hopefully...
Vision In Grey / Belltown Tully's - m4m - 33 (Tully's on 1st Ave)
You= Attractive guy in charcoal grey slacks, awesome shades, and S&P hair. *S&P 500?
You must have a polished appearance, be emotionally mature and stable, have a high standard of professional and personal ethics, and be able to work well on a team. *Good advice!
4th Annual Rummage Sale Exotica Fundraiser (On the Boards, 100 West Roy Street in lower Queen Anne Hill)
Shop for cool, trendy, nostalgic, collectible, out-of-the-ordinary, completely extrordinary rummage items! *Cool - I wonder if they'll consider the crud i need to get rid of 'extraordinary'
Queen Anne Texaco, Tall Brunette, Minnesota Plates - m4w (Lower Queen Anne)
I'm not the guy who was in front of you in line and chatting it up. *Why weren't you?
To the Seattle Center Runner - m4w - 26 (Around Seattle Center)
You are always running around Seattle Center and Lower Queen Anne. *And scanning CL's Missed Connections, hopefully...
Vision In Grey / Belltown Tully's - m4m - 33 (Tully's on 1st Ave)
You= Attractive guy in charcoal grey slacks, awesome shades, and S&P hair. *S&P 500?
Macrina now hiring! (Belltown)
You are a star in need of a place to shine! *Please be great and friendly so you fit in with the rest of the fine folks who serve me those delicious baked goods!
You must have a polished appearance, be emotionally mature and stable, have a high standard of professional and personal ethics, and be able to work well on a team. *Good advice!
QA Uptown Espresso (Lower Queen Anne)
Especially in the AM the girl Lisa has one of the best smiles that you can see in the morning when you're still a zombie before caffine! *Clearly, I need to visit Lisa.
-J
Downtown apartments, you are my density!
Continuing our watch on all things Seattle, urban and, well, dense, more today from the Biz Journal on what Harbor is up to around the town. Hopefully the trend will continue and the buildings will continue to be quality construction efforts.
(I get a kick out of how 'square' anybody sounds when they talk about 'young' people. This guy is probably 23 but he sounds like our grandpa Al:
Additionally, energy-efficient design will play a key role in all of Harbor's upcoming apartment projects, said Onslow, "People react to that, particularly younger renters. They are very sensitive to the environment."
)
-J
-snip-
(I get a kick out of how 'square' anybody sounds when they talk about 'young' people. This guy is probably 23 but he sounds like our grandpa Al:
Additionally, energy-efficient design will play a key role in all of Harbor's upcoming apartment projects, said Onslow, "People react to that, particularly younger renters. They are very sensitive to the environment."
)
-J
-snip-
By Jeanne Lang Jones
Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle)
Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET May 22, 2005
Despite a lackluster rental market, Seattle-based Harbor Properties Inc. is boldly going where few other developers have gone in recent years: into the construction of new, moderately priced, midrise apartments near downtown Seattle.
-unsnip-Monday, May 23, 2005
MOMA Likes the Sculpture Park Too
The upcoming Olympic Sculpture Park was featured in MOMA's recent exhibition - Groundswell: Constructing the Contemporary Landscape. Check it out here. Groundswell documents the transition of degraded urban areas to remade outdoor spaces - OSP is obviously a perfect example, as it used to be a fuel storage and transfer station and will soon be a rejuvenated art-filled greenspace. One question though - What are they going to do with all that contaminated dirt??
BlogPulse: Uptown vs. Belltown vs. Lower Queen Anne
I love BlogPulse -- great view of what the world is thinkin' about and tons of fun for data geeks.
You can use it to chart your favorite blog topics -- looks like I need to use more keywords like 'Seattle Uptown' to catch up with the neighbors.
You can use it to chart your favorite blog topics -- looks like I need to use more keywords like 'Seattle Uptown' to catch up with the neighbors.
SIFF comes to Uptown
Cool to see our very own Uptown Theater on Queen Anne Ave showing 35 films for this year's fest. I know SIFF can be a chore with all the lines and hit and miss with all the artsy films that don't quite click but consider attending 2 or 3 films at Uptown for no other reason than duty:
1) You want your city to have big artsy things like this
2) You want your neighborhood to be involved
3) You can walk to a great art house theater
(btw, I don't see anything on the Uptown schedule until after June 1 so you have some time to plan!)
- J
1) You want your city to have big artsy things like this
2) You want your neighborhood to be involved
3) You can walk to a great art house theater
(btw, I don't see anything on the Uptown schedule until after June 1 so you have some time to plan!)
- J
Neighbor news: Belltown's Site 17 going condo?
We're back in town following a pleasant 4-day stay in MN. It's hard to catch up with the city when you miss a few days and even harder to catch up with the 'hood. We need a blog on every block! :)
Here's a tidbit from Belltown that shows the general direction of things downtown... and Uptown. Depending on which side of the landowner/tennant line you fall, you can love or hate this kind of change. I'm all for more opportunities for people to dig in and get more deeply invested in the area. (BTW, I hope new owners will start with a theme change -- the Area 51 thing at Site 17 with goofy alien-dented parking garage fencing always seemed dorky vs. whimsical to me... kinda like living at Gameworks)
globest.com: Belltown Apartments Fetch $185,000 Per Unit
SEATTLE-Locally based Harbor Properties Inc. has sold Site 17, a 129-unit apartment project it developed on Western Avenue in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. The purchase price was $23.83 million, according to public records, which equates to $184,767 per unit. The new owner of the two-building development is a subsidiary of locally based HAL Real Estate Investments Inc.
-snip-
HAL Real Estate spokesman Brad Lange declined to comment on whether HAL was planning to convert the units to condominiums, but one industry sources say that is "the most likely scenario given the price paid," and another says HAL definitely acquired the property as a conversion play. Says Lange, “We are evaluating our options and will be coming out with a communications shortly.”
-un-snip-
-J
Here's a tidbit from Belltown that shows the general direction of things downtown... and Uptown. Depending on which side of the landowner/tennant line you fall, you can love or hate this kind of change. I'm all for more opportunities for people to dig in and get more deeply invested in the area. (BTW, I hope new owners will start with a theme change -- the Area 51 thing at Site 17 with goofy alien-dented parking garage fencing always seemed dorky vs. whimsical to me... kinda like living at Gameworks)
globest.com: Belltown Apartments Fetch $185,000 Per Unit
SEATTLE-Locally based Harbor Properties Inc. has sold Site 17, a 129-unit apartment project it developed on Western Avenue in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. The purchase price was $23.83 million, according to public records, which equates to $184,767 per unit. The new owner of the two-building development is a subsidiary of locally based HAL Real Estate Investments Inc.
-snip-
HAL Real Estate spokesman Brad Lange declined to comment on whether HAL was planning to convert the units to condominiums, but one industry sources say that is "the most likely scenario given the price paid," and another says HAL definitely acquired the property as a conversion play. Says Lange, “We are evaluating our options and will be coming out with a communications shortly.”
-un-snip-
-J
Saturday, May 21, 2005
A different Uptown
We're in Minneapolis-St. Paul for the weekend to attend a wedding. They have an Uptown area too but it's much more of a 'brand' here a la Cap Hill in Seattle. See you next week :)
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Useful: Uptown Radio Shack
Sure I could have just figured it out online but I was happy to stumble across a Radio Shack in our midst on the way to Tup Tim Thai for some chow. If the idea of a RS in your neighborhood doesn't excite you that's probably because you've never found yourself without speaker cabling after you've had a few beers and can't really drive safely. I've been there, man -- RS can save the day!
-J
-J
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Seattle pictures
Pictures of the city seem to draw a lot of people to blogs like this. Sure, many come for the outstanding! writing, the invaluable! insights and the local scoopage on what's going down. But the rest of you just want to look at stuff.
Here is my flickr Random Seattle photo stream
I'll keep adding to it. You keep clicking.
Here is my flickr Random Seattle photo stream
I'll keep adding to it. You keep clicking.
Uptown Chow: Crow
Crow is a happening place. We assumed (wrongly) that we wouldn't need a reservation given that it was early for dinner, a Thursday night and everybody else would be watching the Sonics game. Killing time at Nabob, the stylish little bar next door, was just fine though I could have done with a little more compassion from the Crow hostess. Instead her reply to the 'how long do you think it will be?' query was neither encouraging nor discouraging. But before I could sip my gin and tonic to completion, we were saying goodbye to Nabob and had a spot at Crow's action-packed 'tasting bar.' Turns out, we didn't need her enthusiasm anyway (good thing!).
There are other places to sit in Crow, of course, but the tasting bar gives you a front row seat to the open kitchen. This allowed us to watch the crew perform -- which allowed K to say things like "You can tell she is in charge by the way she is standing" and me to ponder what percentage of entrees being prepared that night were the chicken (more than 25% so I ordered that :) ). It also allowed us to watch the chef pile a large BLOCK of butter on top of the slab of beef he was preparing. Secrets of tasty food revealed!
Our orders probably had some butter on top, too, because they were definitely tasty. K's pork, juicy and rich in flavor, was the champ of the evening though my chicken, as tender-in-the-middle and crispy-coated as it was, put up a good fight. The only missteps were the massive pile of green that is the house greens salad (probably enough greens here for 2 or 3 people - but you gotta give us something else to pick at in the salad besides leaves, please) and the chisel-requiring crust on the mocha chocolate pie. As K noted, the crust would have made a good shortbread cookie but it made a lousy crust.
The food was only a means to an end. Crow's experience is some sort of practical extravagance where the wine list is categorized into simple descriptions like 'creamy' or ‘powerful.' The tasting bar -- more than the food -- is Crow's 'thing' -- an open, busy rush of activity, with everything and everybody on display. "I wonder how much longer things like that will be 'in'," K asked as we examined the exposed ducts and timbers of the converted warehouse space. As long as they are, places like Crow will be 'in' too. Fine with me. I like to know how much butter is on my beef and, heck, I’m still a sucker of exposed duct work. It's all part of the show.
Crow Restaurant
823 Fifth Ave. N.
Date: Thursday May 12, 2005
Time: 6:30ish
Mood: Looking to splurge but 'keep it real'
Wine: a 'creamy' white
Starters: house greens salad, chilled potato soup
Entrees: pork loin, prosciutto-wrapped chicken
Dessert: mocha pie
There are other places to sit in Crow, of course, but the tasting bar gives you a front row seat to the open kitchen. This allowed us to watch the crew perform -- which allowed K to say things like "You can tell she is in charge by the way she is standing" and me to ponder what percentage of entrees being prepared that night were the chicken (more than 25% so I ordered that :) ). It also allowed us to watch the chef pile a large BLOCK of butter on top of the slab of beef he was preparing. Secrets of tasty food revealed!
Our orders probably had some butter on top, too, because they were definitely tasty. K's pork, juicy and rich in flavor, was the champ of the evening though my chicken, as tender-in-the-middle and crispy-coated as it was, put up a good fight. The only missteps were the massive pile of green that is the house greens salad (probably enough greens here for 2 or 3 people - but you gotta give us something else to pick at in the salad besides leaves, please) and the chisel-requiring crust on the mocha chocolate pie. As K noted, the crust would have made a good shortbread cookie but it made a lousy crust.
The food was only a means to an end. Crow's experience is some sort of practical extravagance where the wine list is categorized into simple descriptions like 'creamy' or ‘powerful.' The tasting bar -- more than the food -- is Crow's 'thing' -- an open, busy rush of activity, with everything and everybody on display. "I wonder how much longer things like that will be 'in'," K asked as we examined the exposed ducts and timbers of the converted warehouse space. As long as they are, places like Crow will be 'in' too. Fine with me. I like to know how much butter is on my beef and, heck, I’m still a sucker of exposed duct work. It's all part of the show.
Crow Restaurant
823 Fifth Ave. N.
Date: Thursday May 12, 2005
Time: 6:30ish
Mood: Looking to splurge but 'keep it real'
Wine: a 'creamy' white
Starters: house greens salad, chilled potato soup
Entrees: pork loin, prosciutto-wrapped chicken
Dessert: mocha pie
Seattle's real alternative radio: an ode to KIXI
Seattle's radio dial is dominated by a few big stations. Just like radio dials across the US. Fortunately, we have a rather gentle, mostly good-mannered, usually interesting-enough giant in KEXP. While the playlist seems to be more and more condensed and less and less eclectic in the daytime hours, we are lucky to be able to share in John in the morning's strategized playlists and the various nighttime DJs' genre shows without being chained to a PC. We get to have John in the morning in our cars! Lucky folks.
But once John signs off for the day, I'm done with KEXP. How many times can one man listen to the eels for god's sake?
So I flip my dial over to the AM side of things and settle in with the strangest, most eclectic mix of commercial music on our airwaves: KIXI AM 880. Unlike KEXP and the other giants, KIXI will surprise you as the songs stream out of a past that never really existed but you wish did.
Its slogan is "Great Songs, Great Memories" but so many of the tunes are tiny little gems from great artists that are either dead and gone or slugging it out on the riverboat casino and county fair circuit. The fascination, I'm sure, is driven by this strange serendipity. I admit there is a kitsch factor -- so uncool it's cool. But kitsch is only part of the equation. Serendipity and timelessness make KIXI great. I don't know if the format is working from a revenue standpoint -- the commercials are dominated by advertising for the geriatric set (assisted living facility ads are such a downer!) -- and radio as an industry has a lot of change coming. But when it comes to the alchemy of forming brilliant playlists and entertaining human beings with sequences of songs, the giants could all learn something from sweet little KIXI.
KIXI on the Web (no online stream :( yet!)
-J
But once John signs off for the day, I'm done with KEXP. How many times can one man listen to the eels for god's sake?
So I flip my dial over to the AM side of things and settle in with the strangest, most eclectic mix of commercial music on our airwaves: KIXI AM 880. Unlike KEXP and the other giants, KIXI will surprise you as the songs stream out of a past that never really existed but you wish did.
Its slogan is "Great Songs, Great Memories" but so many of the tunes are tiny little gems from great artists that are either dead and gone or slugging it out on the riverboat casino and county fair circuit. The fascination, I'm sure, is driven by this strange serendipity. I admit there is a kitsch factor -- so uncool it's cool. But kitsch is only part of the equation. Serendipity and timelessness make KIXI great. I don't know if the format is working from a revenue standpoint -- the commercials are dominated by advertising for the geriatric set (assisted living facility ads are such a downer!) -- and radio as an industry has a lot of change coming. But when it comes to the alchemy of forming brilliant playlists and entertaining human beings with sequences of songs, the giants could all learn something from sweet little KIXI.
KIXI on the Web (no online stream :( yet!)
-J
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