Seattle Mag
Seattle’s Best Neighborhoods in 2011
Seattle’s most livable, walkable destination neighborhoods. Plus, what it costs to move in now
Neighborhoods are like family members. They all have distinct personalities. Some may evince a casually cool charm, while others have a decidedly dynamic vibe. The best offer up their own compelling mix of restaurants and retail, sundries and services, daytime and nighttime diversion options. Make no mistake. We adore Ballard Avenue. Can’t get enough of…
Parental Guidance: Beyond Story Time, Pet Project and Mother of Invention
Dog-meet-baby orientation classes, a functional and super cute car seat cover, and new media storyte
Pet ProjectAs if there’s not enough stress with bringing the new babe home from the hospital, you also have to worry about Fido and all the canine complications that can arise (like jealousy and aggression toward the new bundle). So before the homecoming, plan for a crash course with Wallingford’s Susan Oshie, a former veterinarian…
Local Authority: Ben Thompson Writes a “Badass” Book
A mild-mannered chronicler of the famously flinty releases his second brawny book.
If you took a history textbook, injected it with tiger adrenaline, dipped it in molten lava and encased it in armor, you still wouldn’t come close to the level of badass found in Seattle author Ben Thompson’s collections of essays. Thompson’s blog, BadAssoftheWeek.com, led to his 2009 book, Badass: A Relentless Onslaught of the Toughest…
Local Apps that Do the Deciding For You
UrbanQ, Gruburg and Chewsy make for an easy-to-follow evening.
STEP 1: Get out of the houseHoused in Redmond and developed by locals Maria Zhang and Tao Huang, UrbanQ recommends cafés, restaurants, concert venues and clubs based on your geographic preferences. Wondering where to go for date night this weekend? Select the “nightlife” theme and narrow your feedback by adjusting location, price and date. Rate…
Scenic Drive’s Handmade Bicycling Accessories and Clothing
A bicycle-friendly sewing sanctuary helps crafty dreams come true.
Harmoniously fusing Seattle’s love for cycling and its penchant for DIY undertakings, Scenic Drive E. Pike Factory (611 E Pike St.; 206.300.8799; scenicdrivefactory.com) is best described as a cycling paraphernalia workspace. Open since October and run by Nikki Mazzei and Rachel Ravitch (of Seattle’s cycling dance troupe the Bicycle Belles), Scenic Drive sells handmade bicycling…
Local Coffee Shops Showcase Caffeine in Artful Receptacles
Cool coffee jars from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Blackbird Coffee and Caffè Fiore.
Stumptown Coffee RoastersStumptown now offers its popular Hair Bender blend in a container as iconic as its name. The retro-pharmaceutical look of the glass jar suggests the medicinal effects of staying caffeinated, while the amber color helps block bean-damaging UV rays. Once you’ve sipped your way to the bottom, bring back the jar for a…
Beneath the Salish Sea: Local Filmmaker Explores the Waters of the Puget Sound
Biologist and cinematographer Florian Graner dives below the surface.
Some of Seattle’s most breathtaking views exist where it’s tough to appreciate them—underwater. That’s where marine biologist and cinematographer Florian Graner can help. Originally from Germany and now based on Whidbey Island, Graner became enamored with documentary filmmaking while working as a research diver for the BBC production Blue Planet (from 1998–2000). After moving to…
Road Trip: Tofino, Vancouver Island, B.C.
Got a gray whale costume? Pack it up and head to Tofino.
WHERE: Tofino, Vancouver Island, B.C., for the 25th Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival (3/19–3/27; pacificrimwhalefestival.com). WHY: Live music, guided hikes, film screenings, cookoffs, children’s fairs—in all, more than 75 events celebrate the migration of the world’s largest population of California gray whales to the Arctic. BRING: Binocs for a shoreline glimpse of the more than…
Nathan Myhrvold’s Modern Food Manifesto Causes Quite a Stir
Get the scoop on Myhrvold's manifesto, which clocks in at six volumes and 2,438 pages, covering ever
Critics seem helplessly drawn to hyperbole when it comes to reviewing Nathan Myhrvold’s new encyclopedia of cooking, Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking ($625; modernistcuisine.com). Already considered the guide to molecular gastronomy (the foodie discipline interested in the physics and chemistry of culinary techniques), the tome has been lauded as “the most important…
Styled: Century Ballroom’s Hallie Kuperman Brings a Feminine Edge to Vintage Men’s Suits
When dance teacher Kuperman first fell in love with social dancing more than two decades ago, she qu
WHY WE LOVE HER LOOK: When dance teacher Kuperman first fell in love with social dancing more than two decades ago, she quickly grew even more enamored of the period vintage clothing worn on the dance floor. But instead of the full skirts and kitten heels, Kuperman was attracted to the classic, tailored menswear, and…
Shopping: Adrienne Antonson at NuBe, Spun Collective and More
From farm-to-fashion, Cap Hill's sustainable clothing collective and a cheery wallk hook.
Farm to FashionSo much of fashion’s viewpoint comes from the upcoming season or the next big fashion week, but for artist Adrienne Antonson, the view of her back pasture on Vashon Island is much more inspiring. There roams a herd of 36 alpaca, whose shaggy fleece is at the heart of her exclusive new line…
Boat Street Cafe’s Best Brunch
There are breakfasts, and then there’s Boat Street Cafe & Kitchen's Rustic Cornmeal Custard Cake.
There’s really no better place to meet friends for brunch than at the Boat Street Cafe & Kitchen, which is tucked away on the far reaches of Belltown near the foot of Queen Anne Avenue North. Cool light spreads through the loft-like space; it’s the kind of place where crisp white linens, freshly cut tulips…