UPDATE: Just got a late-night e-mail from the 2045 folks. Despite the slickness of it all, I am reassured that 2045Seattle.org truly is a grassroots effort to change things and not another 'new media' PR effort. That's good news. Too bad I'm so jaded that I mistake workmanship for spin. Hopefully the monorail can deliver me back to my previous state of eternal optimism ;) Anyhow, 2045 says they'll look at the whole transparency thing soon so stay tuned and get involved if you give a hoot.
----------------------
Here's a blog that smells a little funny. 2045Seattle claims to be written by some confederation of concerned citizens but there are no names and no contact info anywhere on the site. Maybe I'm just being paranoid but the monorail hasn't been the most trustworthy entity I've ever backed. I've written in and tried to post a query to find out their relationship to the monorail powers that be but, so far, they haven't approved the post and haven't responded in e-mail. Hmm. At this point, the last thing the monorail needs is another batch of spin and poor transparency.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Urban fishing: catching salmon in downtown Seattle
Ok. That headline is a bit of a lie. It's more like fishing for salmon in downtown Seattle. But I needed to get your attention.
Did you know that one of the coolest fisheries in the world is right down the street from you? Elliott Bay has been abused all to hell. But it still supports abundant marine life and, for the next few weeks, a fishable salmon run.
Most of the fish will be caught by the money boats during the open weekend fisheries or in the tribal nets that dot the bay. Make sure to check the regs, money boys.
But for the rest of us proles, just 1 mile from the edges of uptown Seattle at the northern tip of Myrtle Edwards Park, there is a nifty finger of access that juts out into the bay and lets regular Joes take a swing at the passing salmon.
The Elliott Bay Fishing Pier is special -- and it's in our backyard. So get your buzzbombs collected and get out there to pluck from the biomass.
** PRIZE ** $50 for best picture of an EB Fishing Pier-caught salmon ON THE PIER! Just post a comment to this item before 8/31/2005 and we'll have a little reader roundtable to determine the winner.
Did you know that one of the coolest fisheries in the world is right down the street from you? Elliott Bay has been abused all to hell. But it still supports abundant marine life and, for the next few weeks, a fishable salmon run.
Most of the fish will be caught by the money boats during the open weekend fisheries or in the tribal nets that dot the bay. Make sure to check the regs, money boys.
But for the rest of us proles, just 1 mile from the edges of uptown Seattle at the northern tip of Myrtle Edwards Park, there is a nifty finger of access that juts out into the bay and lets regular Joes take a swing at the passing salmon.
The Elliott Bay Fishing Pier is special -- and it's in our backyard. So get your buzzbombs collected and get out there to pluck from the biomass.
** PRIZE ** $50 for best picture of an EB Fishing Pier-caught salmon ON THE PIER! Just post a comment to this item before 8/31/2005 and we'll have a little reader roundtable to determine the winner.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Best site for pictures of Seattle
I get gushy about how cool flickr is so I'm all drippy about their cool new interestingness feature and other fun toys they've added to the pile. Like 'clusters' -- here's a link to one of the Seattle clusters of the touristy things people take pictures of in the city. If you want to see unique ways people capture our beautiful and neat-o spaces and places or just jonesing for yet another pic of the Space Needle, check it out.
Boat Street Kitchen where art thou?
July has come and gone and there's still no Boat Street Kitchen in uptown Seattle. They promised!
-snip-
-snip-
WE'VE SIGNED A LEASE!! The New Boat Street Cafe and the New Boat Street Kitchen will be located at the junction of Western Ave and Denny, in the NW Work Lofts Building. It's a great, hard to find space with a lovely garden and patio .... Well, it will be after we work on it. Watch for more news. Opening anticipated in early July.
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Monday, August 01, 2005
1st Ave gets a new place to hang
Positive vibes about Black Bottle, the new joint on 1st Ave. described as having informal, full-flavored food to accompany great drinks.
Sounds like my kitchen.
Adios, Two Dagos -- I'll remember you fondly as being the weirdest, dingiest left-over on 1st Ave.
Sounds like my kitchen.
Adios, Two Dagos -- I'll remember you fondly as being the weirdest, dingiest left-over on 1st Ave.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Why we need more trees uptown
The carob-smacking hippie in me loves this commercial justification for trees in the city.
Circus Contraption - last chance before NYC!
This is the last weekend to see Seattle's own organic circus, Circus Contraption, before the show hits big ol NYC. You can waste your money with yet another corporate piece of junk 'blockbuster' OR you can go see this simple magic happen live and in the flesh down at Sand Point. For those of you that like to mix a little activism into your entertainment, know that the Circus could probably use some more cash to help finance the trip. Get out there and be entertained, damnit!
A round-about uptown connection here, btw. You might have noticed a few of the freaky members of the Contraption house band busking down at the market from time to time with their ghoulish tunes and melancholy sawing.
A round-about uptown connection here, btw. You might have noticed a few of the freaky members of the Contraption house band busking down at the market from time to time with their ghoulish tunes and melancholy sawing.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
How many 911 calls in your 'hood today?
Remember the old lady who lived across the street who always seemed to be hiding behind her curtains and watching your every juvenile-y delinquent move? Here's a little link that will appeal to the worry wart in all of us. Real-time 911 logs from Seattle proper. The lack of significant detail and fruition of these events adds to the paranoia. Enjoy!
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Bite of Seattle name change?
Really, I don't know where Bite of Seattle came from (I'll have to google it later or just live with the mystery),and what its mission is today. But I'd love to see one itsy bitsy change (that I'm not sure will scale!) -- I'm cool with plunking down $5 for a tasty sandwich after I've perused the 100s of food booths but I'd rather buy lots of bites. Think 'Bites' of Seattle. As it was, I was able to sample a bite of my companions' tasty snacks (thanks girlfriend!), but I don't have enough friends to get a bite of everything.
We visited the Bite today to see the crowd and get some chow. Amazing how many people were there to do the same thing, wandering pretty much aimlessly, kind of trying to get somewhere but really just going nowhere with nothing much to do but listen to music and eat. Ladies and gentlemen, the human condition!
Between Folklife and Bite of Seattle, the free fests at the Seattle Center are pretty darn incredible. Super kudos to whoever plans these things -- I have no idea how you pull it together. Just planning a BBQ for 5 overwhelms us -- planning to feed thousands? Yikes.
We visited the Bite today to see the crowd and get some chow. Amazing how many people were there to do the same thing, wandering pretty much aimlessly, kind of trying to get somewhere but really just going nowhere with nothing much to do but listen to music and eat. Ladies and gentlemen, the human condition!
Between Folklife and Bite of Seattle, the free fests at the Seattle Center are pretty darn incredible. Super kudos to whoever plans these things -- I have no idea how you pull it together. Just planning a BBQ for 5 overwhelms us -- planning to feed thousands? Yikes.
Friday, July 22, 2005
New colors uptown
Personally, I hope it's only coincidence but both cancer-battling biotech Dendreon and hangover-curing-breakfast, late-night-drunk-food-provider Cafe Minnie's have undergone a little color change. I'm hoping this doesn't mean that Minnie's is a Dendreon venture but who knows. Kudos to the corp folks at Dendreon -- I dig the sky blue look of the new skin. Too bad there's still plastic and tape all over the sidewalk from your work crew :( As for Minnie's new look? Well, muave is an interesting decision. But, as K noted, anything is better than fake-brick brown.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Best uptown lunch spot you've never heard of?
The always-earth-shaking Belltown Messenger has me all hot and bothered to try out the Art Institute's restaurant, the Portfolio Dining Room
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This almost unknown restaurant offers Belltown's best view, from corner windows five stories above Alaskan Way. The best prices, too: salads and appetizers for about $5, main dishes for $7.50, fine wines for $3 a glass, $15 a bottle. And the servers are forbidden to accept gratuities.
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Jesus. That and all the young designers? Sign me up!
-snip-
This almost unknown restaurant offers Belltown's best view, from corner windows five stories above Alaskan Way. The best prices, too: salads and appetizers for about $5, main dishes for $7.50, fine wines for $3 a glass, $15 a bottle. And the servers are forbidden to accept gratuities.
-un-snip-
Jesus. That and all the young designers? Sign me up!
What to drink on 80-degree days in Seattle
We're in a bit of a post vacation funk here in uptown. Hard to get back into the flow of things in the hood and, frankly, there ain't a lot going on. Sure, our neighbor neighborhoods have a few new restaurants and bars going in that we're looking forward to visiting and construction has started fo' real at the Oly Sculpture Park - but the posts are coming slow and sticky.
Surely, this funk won't last - especially with summer now officially breaking out in Seattle. Lots of sunshine means lots of action. And fruity drinks. So, what better way to get back in the flow than with a visit to the Mojito Cafe?
Mojito's drinks are as authentic as you can get this close to the arctic circle, the food is eclectic and interesting and mostly tasty. Mojito achieves yet there's a laid-back coolness to it all. The vibe is nearly PNW tropical -- you can tell the tables will soon be pushed to the walls for peace-corps-volunteers-on-holiday style dancing. You will wish you were able to stay awake past 10 someday to join the party.
The Mojito seems refreshingly less calculated than the glossy joints that dot 1st Ave and surrounding environs. It's a little more ripe and juicy -- you might get sticky if you rest your elbows on the tables. Try it!
The Mojito Cafe can be found at 181 Western Ave. down by Rain Fitness. How about that for a post-workout cool-down?
Surely, this funk won't last - especially with summer now officially breaking out in Seattle. Lots of sunshine means lots of action. And fruity drinks. So, what better way to get back in the flow than with a visit to the Mojito Cafe?
Mojito's drinks are as authentic as you can get this close to the arctic circle, the food is eclectic and interesting and mostly tasty. Mojito achieves yet there's a laid-back coolness to it all. The vibe is nearly PNW tropical -- you can tell the tables will soon be pushed to the walls for peace-corps-volunteers-on-holiday style dancing. You will wish you were able to stay awake past 10 someday to join the party.
The Mojito seems refreshingly less calculated than the glossy joints that dot 1st Ave and surrounding environs. It's a little more ripe and juicy -- you might get sticky if you rest your elbows on the tables. Try it!
The Mojito Cafe can be found at 181 Western Ave. down by Rain Fitness. How about that for a post-workout cool-down?
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Back from Alaska
We're back in Seattle -- doesn't look like too much has changed around the hood but it's good to be back. From the pic, you can get a sense of what kind of vacations we take (though I'm ready for a beach after this one!). Returned to town to find a totally messy apartment, warm weather and good drinks at the Mojito Cafe. All in all, a pretty decent welcome home. Here are some pictures from our trip.
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Way up north
Things will be quiet around here for the next two weeks -- we're in Alaska for a hiking and fishing adventure. See you soon if we don't end up as bear chow.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
How to sort out Seattle's monorail mess
Here's a reasoned approach to figuring out what to do next and why to do it. Don't give up on the monorail yet. We're on to something - let's figure out how to do it right.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
4 reasons to have a neighborhood blog
We usualy can't resist a funny - but this isn't another joke list. This is an invitation to you to join the conversation. If you're not writing about what is cool and good and needed in your neighborhood, who is? Do you really want that guy down the hall picking which restaurants should survive and die on your street? Do you really want your favorite coffee shop to be so secret it goes out of business?
1) There are too many granularities in the city -- types of people, types of finances, types of tastes. City-wide radio stations, tv, newspapers and weeklies can't do the job. They might make the shift someday but, more likely, they'll stick to the chewy middle of what 'everybody' wants.
2) Talking about what you like will create more things that you like. It's how it works. Especially in a city where there are 1,000 others that look like you and walk like you and talk like you. Everything you like and want is a trend. Write it down. Start the trend.
3) The more information people can get about an area, the more they will visit, explore and move there. Information about what is good and great in your hood will attract people that are good and great. (BTW, fake info about what is good and great will attract fake good people so beware!)
4) You'll appreciate your hood more. How do you love it? Count the ways. You'll start walking down streets you haven't walked down yet and trying businesses you haven't been inside before. You'll talk to more people. You'll meet people through your blog. You'll take pictures. You're like the freaking mayor!
1) There are too many granularities in the city -- types of people, types of finances, types of tastes. City-wide radio stations, tv, newspapers and weeklies can't do the job. They might make the shift someday but, more likely, they'll stick to the chewy middle of what 'everybody' wants.
2) Talking about what you like will create more things that you like. It's how it works. Especially in a city where there are 1,000 others that look like you and walk like you and talk like you. Everything you like and want is a trend. Write it down. Start the trend.
3) The more information people can get about an area, the more they will visit, explore and move there. Information about what is good and great in your hood will attract people that are good and great. (BTW, fake info about what is good and great will attract fake good people so beware!)
4) You'll appreciate your hood more. How do you love it? Count the ways. You'll start walking down streets you haven't walked down yet and trying businesses you haven't been inside before. You'll talk to more people. You'll meet people through your blog. You'll take pictures. You're like the freaking mayor!
Friday, June 24, 2005
Party in the Park
Thursday night's Party in the Park to kick off construction (yay!) of the Olympic Sculpture Park was a sunny good time that felt a little like a county fair had broken out in the middle of Seattle. With gravel and hay spread about to cover up the muddy lot between Western and Elliot, the mix of Seattle hipsters and "I'll watch anything for free" folks wandered about looking for ways to piece together their Target-schwag rain ponchos into suitable seating areas. Low-cut jeans just don't work out that well when you gots to sit on the ground. I got a few gravel bits kicked down my crack, too, so I joined the community. In addition to the many rear-ends on partial display, there was a summer-time skin look to the packed beer garden crowd that seemed to be entertained just by being able to drink beer while pressed against other bodies. We didn't sample any of the chow and mostly just sat and listened to the tunes and people watched. The gravel was tough on the ass despite the corporate-sponsorship material we used for padding, but it was nice to imagine what will be here next year. It's going to be just as sunny, with a gorgeous view -- and, by then, we'll have grass instead of gravel!
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
And the biggest party we all missed...
Apparently - though I never heard or a peep or saw a red balloon myself - there was a block party in Belltown this weekend. Oh well. Sometimes a link on CL just isn't enough!
Gnomedex comes to Seattle
Notice a longer line at Ivars Acres of Clams? A sudden surge in the Seattle tag at flickr? A proliferation of Timbuk2 messenger bags on the waterfront? Blog and 'social computing' geeks from all parts descend this week on the Bell Harbor Conference Center for Gnomdex 5.0.
I'm pretty tired of the whole garden gnome thing myself. But this joke apparently ain't dying so I should probably just ignore it the way I've learned to ignore 'cheesey poof' and 'you killed kenny.' Still, if anybody is listening, maybe consider a shift in brand? In the meantime, Seattle has Gnomedex 5.0.
We here at Uptown won't be attending Gnomedex -- we don't really know which panel would be right for us since there seems to be very little attention devoted to our interests. Nope, no panels like these at all:
* Use your blog to score free drinks
* Community, closing crappy restaurants down and you!
* How to turn 3 readers into 4
But we do expect to run into a few gnomedexers or two as we try to live life in our fair little 'hood. So, in the interest of welcoming the horde of RSS-ing freaks, here's our list of recommended eating establishments within waddling distance of Bell Harbor (arranged in geek-true order by distance from front door of the conference center)
Pike Place Market - First, for all things non-dinner, go to the market or Macrina Bakery on 1st Ave. Belltown and the waterfront don't support many other recommendable non-splurge lunch options.
Now, on to dinner and drinks...
Frontier Room - gorgeous waitstaff. has wi-fi. i dare you to bust out your laptop.
2203 1st Ave
.1 Mi
Buffalo Deli - only double plus deli in Belltown. lunch only.
2123 1st Ave
.1 Mi
Apartment Bistro - NYC cool done Seattle proletariat style (ie, IKEA flatware). classy still. intimate. cool.
2226 1st Ave
.2 Mi
Flying Fish - your one dinner splurge could be here. NW seafood emphasis with lots of organic goodness.
2234 1st Ave
.2 Mi
Cafe Casbah - coffee without Macrina's lines or SBUX guilt
2219 2nd Ave
.2 Mi
Barocho! - good place to share and not be part of the herd on 1st
2801 Western Ave
.2 Mi
Waterfront Grill - another dinner splurge possibility. I'd rather just have drinks, appetizers and the view.
2815 Alaskan Way
.3 Mi
For more on Gnomedex, here's the PI's recent article about conference host, Chris Pirillo.
I'm pretty tired of the whole garden gnome thing myself. But this joke apparently ain't dying so I should probably just ignore it the way I've learned to ignore 'cheesey poof' and 'you killed kenny.' Still, if anybody is listening, maybe consider a shift in brand? In the meantime, Seattle has Gnomedex 5.0.
We here at Uptown won't be attending Gnomedex -- we don't really know which panel would be right for us since there seems to be very little attention devoted to our interests. Nope, no panels like these at all:
* Use your blog to score free drinks
* Community, closing crappy restaurants down and you!
* How to turn 3 readers into 4
But we do expect to run into a few gnomedexers or two as we try to live life in our fair little 'hood. So, in the interest of welcoming the horde of RSS-ing freaks, here's our list of recommended eating establishments within waddling distance of Bell Harbor (arranged in geek-true order by distance from front door of the conference center)
Pike Place Market - First, for all things non-dinner, go to the market or Macrina Bakery on 1st Ave. Belltown and the waterfront don't support many other recommendable non-splurge lunch options.
Now, on to dinner and drinks...
Frontier Room - gorgeous waitstaff. has wi-fi. i dare you to bust out your laptop.
2203 1st Ave
.1 Mi
Buffalo Deli - only double plus deli in Belltown. lunch only.
2123 1st Ave
.1 Mi
Apartment Bistro - NYC cool done Seattle proletariat style (ie, IKEA flatware). classy still. intimate. cool.
2226 1st Ave
.2 Mi
Flying Fish - your one dinner splurge could be here. NW seafood emphasis with lots of organic goodness.
2234 1st Ave
.2 Mi
Cafe Casbah - coffee without Macrina's lines or SBUX guilt
2219 2nd Ave
.2 Mi
Barocho! - good place to share and not be part of the herd on 1st
2801 Western Ave
.2 Mi
Waterfront Grill - another dinner splurge possibility. I'd rather just have drinks, appetizers and the view.
2815 Alaskan Way
.3 Mi
For more on Gnomedex, here's the PI's recent article about conference host, Chris Pirillo.
Sunday, June 19, 2005
The biggest free party in Seattle this week
Boys and girls, we're throwing a party here in Uptown on Thursday night to celebrate the start of construction (finally!) on the Olympic Sculpture Park. Naturally, we're biased as this one is happening in our own backyard but it really should be a good time and gorgeous if we're lucky and the sun sticks around.
Party in the Park
Thursday, June 23 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
-snip-
Local musical sensations Reggie Watts, Yerbabuena, Luke Temple and a Garfield High School jazz combo will perform, along with breakdancers, On the Double-Dutch and Fankick!, a dynamic ‘80s dance duo. The event will also feature an interactive exhibit from Seattle Aquarium, mural-painting with Artworks, REI bike doctors, a raffle and secure valet bike parking from Transportation Choices.
- un-snip -
Party in the Park
Thursday, June 23 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
-snip-
Local musical sensations Reggie Watts, Yerbabuena, Luke Temple and a Garfield High School jazz combo will perform, along with breakdancers, On the Double-Dutch and Fankick!, a dynamic ‘80s dance duo. The event will also feature an interactive exhibit from Seattle Aquarium, mural-painting with Artworks, REI bike doctors, a raffle and secure valet bike parking from Transportation Choices.
- un-snip -
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