June 2008 Archives

More unfortunate violent news from over the weekend. Apparently early Saturday morning a dispute over who would be the first to exit a parking garage near O'Asian Kitchen on 5th ave. The dispute resulted in a 50 person brawl causing a woman to be beaten, another stabbed in the abdomen, and a man arrested for assault, according to police.

Apparently two separate groups, one of men and one of women, had left the restaurant and got into an argument about who would be first to exit says Seattle police spokeswoman Renee Witt.

The women, in one car, got in front. One of the men got out of another car and started an argument with the women. The man pulled one of the women out of the car and "began stomping on her." Whoa, I guess chivalry is dead.

At that point, onlookers got involved and the scene turned into a "free for all, a huge melee," Witt said. Responding officers estimated 50 people were involved.

A man stabbed one of the women in the abdomen, who was treated on the scene and taken to Harborview with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspected stabber was arrested and booked into King County Jail for investigation of assault.

Talk about road rage.

Some Belltown crime news from Sunday evening. Apparently Seattle police are on the search for a suspect who shot three men during a confrontation that occured at the corner of Blanchard and Western last night. There may be possible fourth victim based on witness reports.

All three of the men were shot in the leg, then later treated at Harborview Medical Center.
Police believe that the suspect fled the scene in a black Honda and released no further details.

Anyone hear this commotion last night?

feature about Seattle's nightclub scene. Belltown is described as a spot for "posh restaurants" pointing out some of their favorite restaurants to be Le Pichet and Cascadia. The article describes Amber bar as having "two floors of beautiful furnishings and even more beautiful people."

That's the kind of news we like to read about Belltown! Let's make a habit of making headlines more like this and avoid the butcher knife throwing ones ok?

Apparently a Belltowner named Gayle made quite the impression on someone last week at the Fremont Solstice Parade. This person is seeking to reconnect with her by means of Craigslist.

"I met her at the Fremont Parade and she was very cool...would love to be friends. all I know is that she lives in Belltown and lived in Saudi Arabia." reads the ad.

Anyone think they may know Gayle? Click here.

It's that time of year again for Seattle's Gay Pride march. The parade will take place on June 29th, starting at 11:00 am from the corner of Union St. and 4th Ave. It will be limited to about 2 hours in length this year.

Parade participants include Alaska Airlines, Catholic Parents of Lesbians and Gays, Woodland Park Zoo, and Leather and Fetish Pride Contingen amongst others.

The temperature is expected to reach the high 80's this weekend so bring your glitter infused sunblock!

This is the kind of news I hate to post. Sad indeed. Seattle detectives are investigating the death of a man who was severely beaten on the 2000 block of 3rd avenue by a group of 7 people in late May. 51 year old Vince St. Clair died June 2 at Harborview Medical Center.

One neighbor said he doesn't know why anybody would have attacked Saint Clair. "I've seen him in the area and he tended to mind his own business when I've seen him," said Leon Richardson.

This is still an open investigation.

This photo of a quirky VW van parked in Belltown was taken over the weekend. It's entitled "A little sunshine" and is part of a Belltowner's project entitled "Project 365," in which she takes a photo a day for a year.

I don't think I speak for myself when I say losing Belltown's favorite 24 hour restaurant was devastating. I kept wondering who would be taking over the old Minnies as I walked by and saw people building things and bustling around. Last week I was thrilled to see that there is a new 24 hour diner which has opened. They describe themselves as a "quirky contemporary diner." According to some reviews on Yelp, their grand opening didn't go so well. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will work the kinks out over time.

You may have noticed that there were no Pho restaurants in Belltown. The perfect cheap hot steaming meal. Well, Belltowners don't have to drive all the way to the International District for some pho. Black Bottle, is now serving an elegant pho made with beef brisket that's braised to medium-rare, then roasted to order. Their Pho is packed to the top with a huge amount of meat.

Black Bottle's delicious Pho is a mere $7.

Perhaps you've been wondering what will become of the space which was previously home to Mistral restaurant on Blanchard between 1st and 2nd. Sources say a new Gastropub is on its way to take over The name of the new restaurant/bar called Spur. Spur as in cowboy spur. Hopefully it turns out to be a great new Belltown hotspot!

Did you know that 5 Point has a 5 point laundromat directly next door to it? Make cleaning fun as you drink and wash laundry.

Go here for more information.

As Belltowner reported last month, Belltown's first full service grocery store opened their doors this week. Kress IGA is equipped with baked goods, chocolate, cheese, flowers, pasta and even more from local providers.

Writes Seattlest of their visit to the store, "...we are pleased to report that the store offers lots of services and goodies...a display of asparagus at under a dollar per pound offered promise of good deals."

I'm on my way there now! Downtown has a grocery store! Yay!

Got a band that's just waiting to be discovered? Belltown's Mars Hill Church is planning a Block Party on the 4th of July. They already have three bands scheduled to play, however are seeking a headliner. This could be you!

Bands interested should send an email with a link to your music to: perry@marshillchurch.org

The Block Party is a non-religious community event. Click here for more information.

Sad news for Washington Mutual employees. The bank confirmed today that layoffs are pending although the bank's spokeswoman, Darcy Donahue-Wilmot, declined to give more details. According to one Seattle WaMu employee who asked to remain anonymous, the bank's information technology department will be cut by about 50 percent.

Washington Mutual has about 4,400 employees in downtown Seattle alone and more than 6,500 in Washington state. I know there are a lot of Belltowners out there that work at WaMu. We're keeping our fingers crossed for you!

Art alert! On June 21st at noon there will be "stencil jam" following a short workshop at Belltown's Underground Events Center at 2407 1st ave. What this "stencil jam" entails is getting a group of artists together with old and new stencils, a whole mess of spray paint, and a few walls in need of beautification. "I've got the walls, and now we need your help to create a bitchin' new stencil mural in a few short hours." says the events coordinator Josh.

Artists are encouraged to bring large pieces to fill the space and serve as graphic anchors.

Click here for more information.

Looking to buy some art? A Belltowner is selling two pieces of pop art since they're moving to a new home which doesn't have enough room for them. One of the pieces is a lucha libre fighter, and the second is Sheena, queen of the jungle!

They're pretty cool pieces. Click here for more details.

Um, this is sort of embarrassing. Apparently over the weekend a fellow Belltowner in an attempt to do his part in "cutting down drug dealing" threw a large 12-inch butcher knife out of his fourth-story apartment. Yea.

Apparently the knife landed on top of a Metro bus stopped near 3rd Ave and Pine St. and bounced onto the street just after 3pm Saturday. Luckily no one was hurt.

The knife-throwing suspect apologized and explained to officers he was sick of all the drug activity in the area and the lack of police response. He claims no one was around when he threw the knife.

Riiiiight....

A little crime news for you. According to a police report, a sting was initiated in Belltown on Friday night due to various citizen complaints about drugs and other criminal behavior. The undercover officer involved says he was offered what looked like crack cocaine for $30. The officer passed on it and walked away. A few hours hours later, as the officer was striking a deal with another man, the first dealer stepped in and accused the officer of being a "snitch," which scared off the second suspect.

The officer then entered another drug deal with a different man and woman, when the first dealer approached him and again accused the undercover cop of working with the cops.

The arrest teams then swept in and picked up the first guy for "Drug Traffic Loitering." Officers say they found .5 grams of crack cocaine on the guy, who also had a felony warrant for escape out of the state Department of Corrections and a misdemeanor warrant for driving while his license was suspended. Yikes.

This sting is great news. This means that police are not only listening to Belltowner's complaints on the crack problem, but taking action!

Two very enthusiastic anti-crack thumbs up!

Looking for a summer job? Zeeks Pizza in Belltown is hiring full and part time positions. Mmmm, just think of all those pizza perks you'd get working there.

Click here for more information.

This is interesting technology news. Urbanspoon.com has created a new restaurant locator iPhone application which will debut with the new 3G device next month. The application allows a person to shake their phone in a select neighborhood which then sets a slot machine-style interface that returns the nearest highest rated restaurants by Urbanspoon.

Urbanspoon founder says the idea was to help people find a good place to eat when they are "seized by indecision."

I think this sounds like a fantastic idea. Sometimes somewhere like Belltown with so many dining options, can be an overwhelming place for an indecisive hungry person.

Here is a video demo of how the application works.

Avenue Q, Tony winner for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book is playing all week at The Paramount Theatre. The show is inspired by and in the style of Sesame Street. Only most of the characters in the show are puppets and swear and sing adult themed songs.

With puppets singing songs such as "If You Were Gay" and "The Internet Is For Porn" how can you not fall in love with this show?

This show is one of those must-see performances which will leave your stomach hurting from so much laughter.

Click here for tickets and showtimes.

Walkscore.com, a Seattle based company has scored and mapped Seattle's most walkable neighborhoods by identifying the closest grocery stores, restaurants, hardware stores, parks, libraries, movie theaters, and other amenities.

Our little Belltown scored in 4th place behind Pioneer Square, Downtown, and First Hill.

With a growing interest in less car-dependent, more economical lifestyles, Belltown is sure to attract more neighbors due to our high score. Apparently Trace Lofts in the Pike/Pine corridor are advertising their perfect score to sway potential buyers.

Happy walking.

Vietnam veteran Jim Hinde, one of the founding members of the Pike Place Market Buskers Guild who performed for over 18 years in the market passed away this week.

Perhaps you heard his anti-war and protest ballads which became familiar background music to the market. "He would show up at the Market at 8 a.m. and start playing in the morning. He played three sets a day. He treated it like a job, and he did it impeccably," says his friend Jim Page.

Surely Jim will be missed, and we all send out warm wishes to his family.

Contributions can be made to the Jim Hinde Memorial Fund, P.O Box 21804, Seattle, WA 98111.

An art alert for all you art lovers. Belltown's Drop City Gallery is having an opening reception tonight June 12th from 5-8pm for their show, RECLAIM.

The show is a collaborative installation by artists John Fleming and W. Scott Trimble. Their show focuses on vertical and horizontal realms, building from the castoffs they collect in the area, such as bricks and wooden pallets from both new construction sites and remnants from the old neighborhood.

The show is free and it looks really cool. Click here for photos.

Educate yourself on how to get the most bang for your buck.This upcoming Saturday June 14 Whole Foods will be hosting a Value Fair.

The fair will educate guests that "value" in today's economy is more than a buzz word, but a lifestyle by presenting live demonstrations, shopping tours, and samples.

For more information go here.

The coldest June in more than a century is right! Take a stroll through Belltown and you will notice empty restaurant patios and depressed looking pedestrians with wool coats. Let's face it, this weather sucks!

We want to take sunny strolls in the sculpture park and sip cold happy hour beers on patios! We're tired of staring blankly out of our apartment windows at streets drenched with rain wishing we could go outside and play.

The National Weather Service says temperatures should climb to about 70 by the end of this week but are expected to drop back to around 60 by Sunday. So, I guess that's kind of good news. At least you can leave your coat at home for a while.

"I am moving to Belltown and am looking for a parking space to rent monthly" reads the ad on Craigslist. Sounds like a good business. Why not rent out your parking spot while you're at work? Make back some of all that money you're spending on gas.

Click here to check out the ad.

Prepare for awesomeness. Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks latest animated comedy starring the voices of Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, and Seth Rogen is now at the Imax theatre.

In case you haven't heard, Kung Fu Panda's plot is about an awkward chubby panda who aspires to be a kung fu warrior. The film is rated a high 86 on Rotten Tomatoes. with a consensus that, "Kung Fu Panda has a familiar message, but the pleasing mix of humor, swift martial arts action, and colorful animation makes for winning Summer entertainment."

For tickets and showtimes go here.

Seattlest has gathered 7 astonishing yet true facts about downtown Seattle's iconic nudie joint, The Lusty Lady. There certainly are some astonishing facts I never knew, such as the fact that it only costs a quarter for a 15 second peep show. Amazing!

Click here to check out the rest of the lusty article in Seattlest.

Have you seen The Lusty Lady's sign lately by the way? It's an all time fave of mine.

This morning 15 protesters were arrested during a protest outside Seattle City Hall when they refused orders to clear the street. The homeless advocates blocked Fourth Avenue and Cherry Street to protest sweeps that have removed transient camps. The demonstration followed an overnight camp-out that was organized by Real Change. They say the city needs to add shelters for the homeless before cracking down on camps.

According to police since the arrested protesters cooperated in being led to a bus for processing, and all they're facing is a pedestrian interference charge, they will not be booked into jail.

Sad news. Apparently a nest of chicks that a Peregrine falcon couple had left atop the Wamu tower was found dead. The first of the deaths occurred on May 30, according to a blog posted by the Falcon Research Group on Monday. The chick was under 2 weeks old. A second death was reported on Thursday.

The deaths are "an unusual event," says Skagit County-based Falcon Research Group. "We have not seen this type of mortality among peregrines breeding in Seattle or elsewhere for that matter."

The bodies of the chicks were retrieved by researchers and will be tested at Washington State University to determine what went wrong.

This sandwich board advertising NoMa condominiums placed on the corner of Western and Vine in Belltown was tagged with the words "Jew Free". What?! Where are we? Is this 2008 Belltown or 1943 Nazi Germany? Why the hate?

According to an article in Puget Sound Business Journal, the average rent for a downtown Seattle apartment rose from $1253 in 2007 to $1,350 in the first quarter of 2008. The vacancy rate fell to 3.5 percent from 5.2 percent.

Apartment Real estate company Hendricks & Partners says, "Significant job growth and above-average home prices will ensure strong renter demand. The metro area's apartment vacancy rate will remain relatively low in 2008, only to increase slightly in 2009 as more apartment product comes online. Strong renter demand will likely put upward pressure on apartment rents, with rent growth hovering between 6 percent and 7 percent through 2009,"

Yep. Sounds about right. I just received a letter yesterday from our landlord letting us know it was time to raise the old rent.

59 year old Vester Marshall has quite an impressive story behind him which is told today in the Seattle P-I. Vester was once a Seattle Sonics player who later battled a 10 year drug addiction, eventually leading him to jail time. Now 17 years sober, he is a street minister, herbalist, yoga instructor and artist living in Belltown. That's quite the resume.

"He's lived in this second-floor unit for two decades. He's been arrested at this address, kicked drug addiction and overcome countless demons inside these walls." reads the article about his L-shaped apartment overlooking 1st avenue.

These days, Marshall is only into healthy stuff and shies from controversy. He has practiced yoga for a dozen years, recently becoming a teacher and conducting weekly classes at Samarya Yoga Center on First and Yesler.

Click here to read the rest of the article on this highly interesting neighbor of ours.

Not a fun story. This morning at 12:35am shots were fired from an SUV on 9th and Madison hitting a Mercedes parked on the street. The intended victim was thankfully not injured.

The suspects fled, but police claim that the victim "knows who did it".

Although the shooting wasn't quite in Belltown. It's close enough for me, thanks! That's scary stuff indeed.

The Slog is reporting that the City is looking to fill the position of "Nightlife Regulatory Coordinator". The job description requires that they "Design and implement a comprehensive regulatory program regarding nightlife establishments in the City of Seattle ... recommend and defend a structure and processes that will improve/enhance regulatory efforts across the City... Coordinate the activities of the Joint Enforcement Team and Monitor liquor license applications and renewals ... recommend non-renewal when circumstances exist that suggest that the establishment does not operate in a safe manner or comply with City and State laws."

This "nightlife regulatory coordinator" (a.k.a. Captain Buzzkill) will get paid between $67,400 and $101,150. Wow. I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of this person here in Belltown. Sound like something you're interested in? Go here

This is frightening. A woman walked into the restroom at El Gaucho here in Belltown when she saw a man waiting inside a stall. "He wanted someone to walk into that stall," she told KING 5. "He was not just the normal peeping tom... Everything in me froze and I said this is not happening, he was so deadly silent." El Guacho employees tried to catch him, but he got away.

Lately I've been putting off buying gas until my gas gauge is well over the red zone. You know why? Because gas is stupid expensive these days and I cringe everytime I have to buy more. Unfortunately, today I pushed my luck and ran out of gas. With only moments of juice left in the car, I managed to get it to a parking spot in time. I threw my hands up in the air, and grabbed the nearest bus.

"There's no doubt that the high gas prices are motivating people to change their travel behavior," said APTA president William W. Millar. "More and more people have decided that taking public transportation is the quickest way to beat the high gas prices."says the American Public Transportation Association.

Many Belltowners work in the area and have the luxury of walking to work, but there are plenty of us that commute. Some of us are forced to fill our gas tanks up to 2 times a week. It costs the average person 50 bucks to fill their tank, so when you add things up, driving is becoming quite the expense these days!

Save yourself a buck and the Earth at the same time. Go here to check out Belltown bus routes.

Tonight "The Endeavors" will be playing a free show at The Rendezvous Jewel Box Theatre. They will be filming sound and video for their upcoming release. "Wouldn't it be cool if you were in it?" reads their ad.

The show starts at 10pm. You can give their music a listen on their website by clicking here.

The Belltown Messenger has provided this link to the power point presentation shown by Captain Steve Brown at the recent Belltown Community Council meeting. There are some interesting Belltown crime statistics in the presentation, including the significant increase in calls to police concerning narcotics since last year.

The Belltown Messenger newspaper continues to stick by their strong opinion that the YouTube "crackhead" videos were out of line. "These clips, no longer publicly viewable, were placed by an anonymous 26-year-old white female who moved into an apartment here and was shocked to find poor people hanging out in the alleys." reads the article.

We continue to remain surprised over here at Belltowner that a neighborhood newspaper defends crackhead rights over those of a concerned resident.

This photo taken at the Sculpture Park by a Belltowner has a caption that reads, "May 30 -The last day of sun in Seattle."

The forecast for the next week seems to be a series of "chance of showers" "chance of rain" "rain showers" and a few "partly cloudy" days. Boo. We want sun.