May 2008 Archives

Belltown's monthly community council meeting was held on Wednesday May 27th where Belltowners gathered to discuss neighborhood concerns. Captain Steve Brown of Seattle Police Dept. was there as well to discuss public safety.

Due to a previous commitment I wasn't able to attend, however I'd be interested to know how the "Crackeads" situation was addressed. Was anyone at the meeting that would like to share their experience?

Community Council meetings are held every month. The next meeting will take place on June 24. For more information on the Belltown Community Council meetings go here.

The Pacific Science Center's newest exhibit kicks off this Sunday. The exhibit, called "Speed" is sure to knock your kids socks off. "Speed" engages visitors in the scientific and human qualities of going fast. Racing cars, planes boats and eccentric custom vehicles, are featured in the exhibit. Not a parent? No problem. Go indulge your inner speed-hungry kid.

The exhibit begins this Saturday May 31 and runs until September 1. For more information go here.

As the weather warms up, outdoor seating becomes more crucial. There's nothing quite like spending a warm Friday afternoon sipping on something cold on a Belltown patio. I decided to go take a walk around Belltown and scope out some good ones. Here are a few that I noticed looked particularly cozy:

Macrina Bakery, Amber, Del Ray, Black Bottle, The Apartment, Marjorie, Belltown Bistro, Belltown Pizza, Amore, Mama's, La Fontana, Viceroy, Shorty's, and Le Pichet.

I must say my personal pick goes to La Fontana. It's a beautiful enclosed area with a soothing water fountain. Not to mention the food is stellar.

Seattle Weekly is sponsoring a city-wide Happy Hour next week in honor of their new Happy Hour guide. The event will take place at various bars throughout downtown Seattle as well as on the Eastside.

The participating Belltown bars include Cafe Amore, Del Ray, Lava Lounge, Ohana, Spitfire, and Twist.

The Happy Hour will take place next Wednesday June 4 from 4-10pm.

We all love ourselves a good happy hour. Afterall, the only thing better than getting drunk is getting drunk for cheap.

Apparently the part of 5th avenue between Marion Street and Denny Way is scheduled to be repaved. The plan is to replace asphault pavement, repair concrete or brick beneath it and add new or upgraded curb ramps.

You can expect to see the work begin early next month.

We love the YouTube drama, let's face it. Belltowners continue to post videos of drunken/homeless action outside of their apartments. The latest video, entitled "Bum and Belltown Guy Fight", is far from exciting, but just in case you wanted to see, click here.

I'd be interested to know if the woman who posted those videos of the people smoking crack in her alley has seen any changes in her area after all the media coverage.

B.J. Novak from the hit show "The Office" who plays Ryan the temp and also writes for the show, will be performing stand-up in Belltown this Friday May 30 at The Moore.

He's a pretty funny guy, I'm sure the audience will be in for a real treat.

For more information on the show go here.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hit theatres this weekend marking it the second biggest Memorial Day weekend opening ever, bringing in $311 million in global box office sales.

Although it appears many crtics are saying it wasn't that great, come on, it's just one of those must-see's.

For showtimes at Belltown's Cinerama go here.

I hope you are enjoying your long weekend in honor of Memorial Day. And for those of you who didn't get a long weekend (myself included) well.... I hope you're enjoying working,

Whether you're pro-war or anti-war, today is a time to reflect on those brave soldiers who dedicated their lives to serving their country.

Hats off to them. Happy Memorial Day Belltown.

Folklife Festival is a place for drum circles, sunshine, and frolicking in the fountain. One guy decided however, that would be a good idea to start shooting people on Saturday. Apparently his gun "accidentally" went off after attempting to pistol whip another man, shooting the thigh of one woman and the hand of another man. Neither of these people were involved in the brawl.

Everyone surrounding the scene began to panic. "Then everybody ran," a witness said. "One poor little girl almost got run over."

Police arrested a suspect and onlookers taunted him, some even throwing trash. One guy got into the suspect's face, screaming, "This is a peaceful event!"

Let's just hope that the victims are alright.

What a jerk.

(Notice the frightened lizard behind the suspect.)

Last Friday afternoon, a driver who police believe to have been intoxicated at the time, was driving on 5th ave. when he hit an unsuspecting pedestrian in the crosswalk.

The victim is a 56 year old woman who was taken to Harborview Medical Center for life threatening injuries.

Drunk driving is never a good idea, guys. Let's hope the woman is alright.

The big moment we've all been waiting for has arrived! We can kiss our days of mini-mart shopping goodbye when Belltown's new full-service grocery Kress IGA opens it's doors on June 15.

I was delighted to see that a great deal of their products will come from local vendors, including Belltown's own Dahlia Bakery Boulangerie Nantaise. Sounds amazing.

I can't wait!

That's right, today when the traffic is congested as usual around 6pm in Belltown, it will be time to turn that frown upside down! Governor Chris Gregoire made the proclamation that today is officially "Drive Nice Day" in a statewide effort to encourage Washington residents to "drive nice."

Driving instructors will be will be located throughout Seattle and Tacoma today in the morning watching traffic. They'll tally the scores and the one with the fewest bad driving marks will be named the nicest driving city. Allstate Insurance will give the winning city $10,000 to promote safe driving.

Did you know that on average, two people are killed in automobile collisions in Washington state each day and more than 100 people are injured? Whoa! Time to be more nice indeed!

The McLeod Residence has a live photobooth on site. Residents and visitors can swing by and grin for the live cam which uploads automatically to Flickr. Ha! Cool idea.

On Monday night a woman's purse was stolen from her table in the patio of Cyclops restaurant.

"It was a small black satin purse and contained my silver RAZR phone, my wallet with California ID, various cards, and a set of keys to my car, house, and mailbox. Obviously this was all of the items that are crucial to my life and I would reward the return of any of the items" reads the posting on Craigslist.

Major bummer. It's one thing if you leave your purse in the middle of a club or drop it, but having it stolen from your table while you're enjoying a nice dinner would be enough to make me want to kick someone.

The woman is offering a reward should any of these items be returned.

It's time for one of Seattle's biggest yearly events, The Northwest Folklife Festival. For those of you who are not familiar with Folklife Festival, it is "a festival with opportunities for individuals and communities of the Pacific Northwest to celebrate, share and sustain the vitality of folk, ethnic and traditional arts for present and future generations."

The event is totally free and is pretty fun.

The weather looks like it will be fairly sunny, so it should be a good time to hang outdoors. The festival begins May 23rd at the Seattle Center and lasts until the 26th.

For more information on Northwest Folklife Festival go here.

Back in March the city was encouraged by public utilities to get rid of those automatic public toilets since they were being used more for prostitution and drugs than as toilets. The toilets are located in various parks throughout the city including one in the waterfront near Pike Place Market.

Now it's official. The council has voted to end the highly expensive and poorly designed toilets immediately and the toilets themselves are expected to be shut down and removed around July 1.

Seattle Public Utilities is currently trying to work out agreements with other public agencies to make their restrooms available.

I guess it's peeing in the bushes for us until further notice.

Wann Izakaya, one of Belltown's tastiest Japanese restaurants is currently on the lookout for a few good servers. Knowledge in Japanese cuisine and language is preferred.

This place is always packed and is a great opportunity for someone who has been looking for a serving job in Belltown. For more information on the job click here.

These posters of a chihuahua declaring "No mas!" can be spotted in several locations throughout Belltown. For those of you who didn't take Level 1 Spanish, the english translation is, "No more!"

Anyone know what these posters are for?

Belltown Messenger Publisher Alex R. Mayer posted this clip on YouTube as a parody of the woman who videotaped drug-dealing outside her apartment window. (If you're like me, you'll watch the first 30 seconds and then wonder why you clicked on it in the first place.) As we've been reporting, Mayer has been widely ridiculed in the neighborhood for criticizing the woman for posting the crime videos -- even calling her a "coward." Now Mayer has posted a message on Belltown Messenger (scroll down) saying he sympathizes with her. "I wouldn't want to be a young female trying to drive my car into the garage at Concept One Apartments with all those sketchy types around," he writes. But then just when you think he's warming up to the idea that she did a good deed, he adds, "But she was far from tactful. She was even cruel." Ah, yes, exposing crime is so cruel. So unkind.

Attention Sex and the City fans, tickets for The Big Picture's May 30th premier of the new film go on sale today (Friday) at noon at their door. Walk in purchases only!

The address is 2505 First Avenue. Hurry! Run!

That's right, the Space Needle is in need of a good scrub. Apparently our favorite Seattle icon hasn't been cleaned since 1962. Yikes. The cleaning began yesterday and will continue for the next five to eight weeks.

If you look out your window between the hours of 11pm-6am you'll see little sillhouettes of the dangling cleaners doing their work.

Apparently these german-based cleaners have an impressive cleaning resume. They are known for cleaning iconic structures around the world, including Mt. Rushmore and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Wow. No bath for over 40 years. I imagine the Space Needle will have an impressive new look when it's cleaning is done.

A 30 something Belltowner is looking to form a Belltown book club/discussion group.

Great idea! I don't believe there's anything like that formed in Belltown yet. If you're interested click here to check out the ad on Craigslist.

Ian, one of Belltown's best hotspots for cutting edge fashion sent out an email to their customers today, informing them they're changing things up a bit. Apparently all their women's merchandise is now moved to their Fremont location. As far as the Belltown store goes, they have transformed the entire top floor to sale items.

Today they begin their 30% off sale for brands including Splendid, Ever, Obedient Sons, Loden Dagger, and many more.

To take a closer peek at Ian, visit their website here.

While the "crack porn" videos controversy continues, I was happy to find a more lighthearted video dedicated to Belltown on YouTube.

"My walk home from work one day turned into a documentary of Seattle's ever-changing skyline." writes the video's creator.

The video contains a slideshow of photographs taken during a stroll through the Belltown on a sunny day. It reminded me that Belltown, although full of colorful characters at times, can still be a very lovely and tranquil place. One that I'm happy to call home.

Saito's Japanese Cafe & Bar in Belltown on 2nd ave. is selling for $300,000.

"Prime location with great lease terms. HVAC, high ceiling, skylight, 80 seats, 2520 SF, established in 2000. Suitable for any food concept." reads the ad on Craigslist.

So, wanna buy your own sushi joint?

The woman who shot the video of drug deals behind her Belltown apartment and posted them on YouTube has now made the clips private. "It was never my intention to keep shooting videos or leave the videos on for a long time," she writes on her YouTube page. "Just wanted light to be shed on the problem. It obviously worked (and got blown out of proportion a bit), now let's see if it makes a difference."

Meanwhile, the Belltown Messenger has gone crazy over the story, as illustrated by this big headline on a page dedicated to the "Belltown Peeper."

It all began when Publisher Alex R. Mayer posted a comment here on Belltowner when we broke the story, calling the woman a "cowardly, racist, anonymous poster." Now Mayer tells the Big Blog that he's taking partial credit for the woman making the videos private.

If you ask me, I find it odd that the neighborhood paper is defending crackhead rights over those of a concerned resident. And apparently I'm not alone (scroll down to comments). After all, she's not the only one who's noticed the Belltown drug problem. Take a look at this photo taken in January of a sign posted just a block away from where those videos were recorded:

Photo by Crashworks on Flickr.

You may have noticed the "It's Gotta Go" furniture store on Western Avenue has closed, and now Urban Interiors on 1st Ave. will soon close as well, says the Seattle Times. Both stores are owned by the same family, as well as Continental Furniture and Thomasville on 1st Ave., which will stay open.

According to Google, Seattle's temperature will jump from the 50's all the way to the 80's by the end of the week.

What is up with this wacky weather? Rain, sun, rain, sun, and a little bit more rain. Although Friday is expected to be a beautiful day, I don't expect it to last. Being that I've put away my winter coat and pulled out again twice now, I've become a jaded and bitter old Belltowner. Will the sun ever decide to stay put?

Always wanted to be an actor? Want to get involved in the Belltown community? Here's an idea for you. There are still several spots available at The Freehold Theatre's "Intro to Acting" class which begins this week. It's a great way to get out and meet people and have fun at the same time. For more information on their new Belltown studio and classes offered, go here.

Taste more than 200 cheeses from local and international producers at the fourth annual Seattle Cheese Festival at Pike Place Market. From costume parades to tasting seminars you're in for a seriously cheesy time.

The festival begins this Friday May 16th and runs through Sunday the 18th. For more information go here.

If you haven't seen Robert Downey Jr. tear it up in Ironman at Cinerama yet, you should. Ironman has some seriously awesome action scenes, a surprisingly great script, and you can't possibly go wrong with a venue like the Cinerama. Convinced yet? Great.

For showtimes go here.

We first posted the news last week about the Belltown resident who's created a YouTube group of crime videos, and now the story is all over the place, from the Seattle Times to the Seattle PI to KIRO TV. Some people say the woman who posted the video overstepped her bounds, but many Belltowners are glad that someone is finally standing up to crime in the neighborhood. But the issue, as the "Big Blog" highlights, is whether the videos will result in any change. The anonymous woman who shot the video says she called police but they never responded or asked for the tapes. Also, officers are not stepping up patrols. "The root of the problem in Belltown is that people are living on the streets. Period," writes Monica Guzman on the Big Blog. "But good luck convincing residents and the officials who serve them that slow, unsteady social change is more effective than tough, speedy lock-ups."

As the woman in KIRO TV's story said, "My heart is here, but there have been a couple times when I've been close to packing my bags."

Lots of changes on 2nd Ave., just north of Wasabi Bistro. A couple months ago, the hipster salon Stylus opened. And now there's a liquor license notice next door that "Kushibar" will be coming soon.

That seems to be the latest rumor swirling around the streets of Belltown according to a recent post in CultureMob.

"It's going around the streets of Seattle like wildfire that Johnny Depp is going to buy the old Crocodile Cafe and make it much, much cooler (and hotter) than it ever was before." reads the post.

Meh. Sounds like hogwash to me. Seattlest seems to share the same opinion.

This photo of a very eccentric car was snapped in Belltown this week. It's like a thrift store on wheels, I love it.

This Sunday is Mother's Day. Show your mom you remembered this year by swinging into Belltown's Macrina for one of their Mother's Day bakery specials. My vote goes for the Raspberry & Ricotta Tartlet. But wait! Don't forget a bouquet at Pike Place Flowers. How about the Gerbera arrangement? A simple and affordable choice that will bring a smile to her face.

Or, if you're feeling creative, nothing means more to a Mom than a good old fashioned card with hearts and stick figures. Whatever your gift is, I'm sure she'll be delighted.

It's garage sale season! A Belltowner is advertising a garage sale this weekend in Belltown which is pretty exciting and rare for the area since you know, no one has garages or driveways.

"Videogames, books, odds & ends, small appliances, toys, containers, clothes etc. I do NOT have weapons or furniture" reads the ad.

(Sorry guys, I know you've been wanting the perfect 44 Magnum to go with your loveseat.)

That is the question that Seattlest brings up now that Belltown's top three fine dining restaurants, Mistral, Lampreia, and Cascadia, will all be closed by the end of summer. Apparently all their owner-chefs are all off to pursue new projects.

Seattlest ponders over whether places like Belltown's Del Ray with a dark atmosphere live music and a line out the door could be the future of Belltown's fine dining.

I'd like to believe that some new groundbreaking restaurant will appear and sweep us all off of our feet. You never know...

Belltown's famous See Sound Lounge was robbed on Monday evening. Instead of picking a lock or breaking in through a window the robbers actually built a tunnel through the wall!! They stole $30,000 worth of equipment.

The following email was sent out Tuesday from one of the owners, Bryce:

That's right we were cleaned out last night. Flat screen TVs, turntables, amps, cdjs monitors, etc. etc. The most standout piece is a blue Turbosound processor which no one else likely has locally. Please hit me up if anyone comes across a pile of used gear in the near future (especially from a dodgey source).

If anyone has any information they are encouraged to contact See Sound Lounge at: (206)374-3733

Mayhem in Belltown this week I tell you! Robberies, beatings, and don't even get me started on the pigeons. I'm usually the first to stick up for Belltown's reputation, but this is just getting downright embarrassing and sad. What is going on?

A University of Washington senior resident physician is in serious condition after a fight on 3rd and Cedar on Sunday night. Police say Peter, who's full name has not been disclosed, was walking with friends when one of two guys walking by made a racial comment. Words were exchanged, and police said Peter hit the ground hard after he was punched. Detectives are searching for the suspects as well as anyone who may have witnessed the attack.

Exhausted by the disturbing activities going on outside their apartment window, a Belltowner has decided to start a YouTube channel in hopes of drawing attention to the neighborhood's ever increasing drug problem.

"I live in Belltown...I work here, shop here, eat here, drink here, jog here and spend most of my Seattle time here," the Belltown resident says. "I want to continue enjoying my neighborhood and feeling safe at the same time. I feel after many many calls to police, with no response, I am shooting and posting videos to shed light on what really happens, and hopefully, the city and police will take notice and help clean up our block, " writes the creator of YouTube's channel named BelltownCrime.

Yesterday (Monday) the Department of Transportation announced a new narrowed list of possible streetcar routes based on latest studies. The routes along with estimated costs will be presented to the City Council today. Whether any of these lines will be built or not depends on financing. Officials said they would have to be reliant on public-private financing, and which line gets built may depend on which comes up with the money first.

In addition to lines from South Lake Union to Fremont and Ballard, Pioneer Square to First Hill and Capitol Hill, and University District from Westlake Center, they're also looking into a line on 1st ave. connecting the King Street Station area with downtown through Belltown, then extending to the Seattle Center.

The estimated cost of the 4 mile line running to the Seattle Center would be $180 million. Wowza.

This month Belltown's BLVD gallery presents "Combine, A group show of Cut Paper, Collage, and Assemblage". The show takes a look at a group of artists that have incorporated collage in their work as a way to further explore the boundaries of what they are capable of outside of the tradition artistic media.

If you're interested in attending the artist reception, it will take place this Friday at the gallery from 6-10pm.

For more information go here.

Amazon Fresh, Amazon's latest online grocery service, is now available in the neighborhood. Seattle Daily photo snapped this photo of an Amazon Fresh truck over the weekend and ponders whether the service will catch on in Belltown.

Are there any Belltowners out there that have tried it yet? I can't say I have.

Update: Amazon Fresh is only available to those who fall under 98109 zip code in the Belltown area. I called Amazon Fresh to get the info straight from the horses mouth, and they informed me that 98121 is on their list of upcoming areas to be covered although there is no exact timeline as of yet. Stay tuned!

That's right, it's Cinco de Mayo! Also known as, Americans' favorite excuse to get really loaded.

But did you know that hardly anyone in Mexico actually celebrates Cinco de Mayo, since it's not a federal holiday? A lot of people think that its the Mexican independence day, which it's not. In reality, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Mexico's independence day is actually the 16th of September.

But hey! Let's all get loaded anyway by swinging into Belltown's favorite Mexican restaurant, Mama's for their happy hour specials from 4-6:30pm today.

It's going to be so interesting to see Belltown in ten years from now. It just keeps growing and growing. Sources are revealing that Belltown will be home to yet another condo project, on Elliott Avenue at Cedar Street.

The developers, who bought the 14,400-square-foot property for 5.1 million dollars, say they plan to begin development in a few years.

Shorty's arcade/restaurant/bar on 2nd ave. in Belltown provides a "hangover special" which includes a hot dog, veggie dog or German sausage; Bloody Mary; Alka Seltzer; and a single cigarette.

That's pretty great. Now if only they'd add an ice pack and a foot massage then we'd really be in business.

On her way to work this week, a Belltowner snapped this photo of the neighborhood's latest attempt at solving the dog poop problem. Bag dispensers! Hallelujah! We all know how obnoxious it can be when the sidewalk is like a mine field of dog poop. Let's just hope people are kind enough to use them.

With more than 3,000 people expected to march, the march's route will run from from Judkins Park on the north side of I-90 and makes its way down Fourth Avenue through Belltown ending at The Seattle Center at about 6:30pm.

Belltowners should expect some major traffic delays.