If you’re not really sure what’s happening right now, Editor Alina is still pretty new to Seattle, so we’re getting her caught up with some local history in each of our city’s eight historical districts.
Let’s get to it.
Columbia City’s main strip begs for a Saturday afternoon stroll. | Photo by SEAtoday staff
Flashback ⏳
Columbia City was born, much like Seattle, as a mill town in the late 1800s and became incorporated as its own city in 1893. However, it became annexed by Seattle after just thirteen years in 1907(it’s a lot of work to run your own town). The town remained a business hub for years because of the electric railway that led to downtown Seattle.
Eventually, the railway was removed to pave Rainier Avenue in 1937 and the local economy suffered (a Great Depression doesn’t help anything). It became designated as a Landmark District in 1978, which encouraged rehabilitation of historic buildings and pedestrian-oriented businesses.
Lay of the land now 🌳
The Columbia City Landmark District is a small area that straddles Rainier Ave. S. in South Seattle. Within the district, there are an estimated 6,317 residents of which the median age is 38(just a few notches above Seattle’s median age of 35). There are 23 different languages spoken in the area, with Vietnamese + African languages making up the highest percentage.
Columbia City’s “village green” is also home to a Seattle Public Library branch. | Photo by SEAtoday staff
Sip + Succulent Wreath | Thurs., June 16 | 6-8 p.m. | Bacovino, 3225 S. 116th St. | $65 | Tickets include step-by-step instructions, your own succulents, and an apron — wine + charcuterie boards are also available for purchase. 🌵
Adventure Writing Workshop | Thurs., June 16 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Seattle Mountaineers Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way NE | $22+ | Charlotte Austin, an award-winning writer + mountain guide, is ready to share her tips on getting your work published. 📝
Friday
The Dollop Live | Fri. June 17 | 7:30 p.m. | The Neptune Theatre | $33+ | The podcast about peculiar American history brings its live show to Seattle.
Saturday
Black Love: A Form of Resistance | Sat., June 18 | 1-3 p.m. | MOHAI | Free with admission, registration required | In celebration of the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, Mr. Delbert Richardson will conduct a storytelling session open to all.
#IMOMSOHARD | Sat., June 18 | 8 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre | $35.50+ | Best-selling authors, comedians, and best friends Kristin + Jen of the popular web series have a few things to say about momhood during their tour.
Sunday
Be Gay, Make Stuff | Sun., June 19 | 2-4 p.m. | North End Makerspace, 12317 15th Ave. NE., #108 | Free | Grab a spot at the table for this LGBTQ+-friendly crafts workshop, with some tools provided. 🏳️🌈
Benefit for Ukraine: Screening of “Winter on Fire” | Sun., June 19 | 6-9 p.m. | SIFF Cinema Egyptian | $10+ | The documentary following Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan Revolution will be followed by a Q+A with director Evgeny Afineevsky — proceeds will be donated to Aid Ukraine. 🇺🇦
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
National Drink Up Week is July 25-31. | Photo by SEAtoday
Raise your glasses. This toast is dedicated to Seattle’s beverage industry, from morning iced lattes to afternoon power smoothies and evening specialty cocktails. We appreciate what makes our local drink scene unique.
And to kick off our National Drink Up Week, July 25-31, we want to partner with local coffee shops, wineries, bars, restaurants, distilleries + more to shine a spotlight on our local beverage tastemakers. Find out more below.
Well folks, not only is this the longest Seattle has had to wait for 80°F weather, but it’s the 11th time we haven’t gotten there before mid-June since weather records started 78 years ago. And with rain hanging arounduntil next Tuesday, it doesn’t look like that’ll be changing anytime soon.💧 (Seattle Weather Blog)
Sunrise + Sunset
Rise: 5:10 a.m.
Set: 9:09 p.m.
Civic
King County voterswill likely vote in November on whether or not to move local elections to even-numbered years. The proposal, which aims to increase voter turnout by aligning with national election cycles, will go to the county council for approval later this month. 🗳️ (Seattle Times)
Sports
Always good to see an old friend.Former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is stepping out onto the small screen as a member of Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” broadcast team. Sherman — known for being a vocal player — will handle pregame, halftime, and postgame duties. 🏈 (GeekWire)
Edu
Design concepts were just released for the new Alki Elementary School rebuild that will almost double the school’s square footage. Early plans include a covered “front porch,” a big atrium-style common area, and materials that reflect the natural environment. Construction on the $67 million upgrade should begin in 2023. (West Seattle Blog)
Open
Boca Argentine Bakery and Pizzeria, a sister restaurant to Boca Restobar and Grill, is now open at 426 Broadway E.Wed.-Sun. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The owners plan to eventually expand hours with pastries in the morning, cocktails at night + pizza allllll day long. 🍕 (Capitol Hill Blog)
Biz
This spring’s continued cold, wet weather is affecting more than just our moods. Central Washington farmers are reporting that we may be in for the smallest cherry crop in a decade because of stunted growth caused by the odd weather. The cool temps have also delayed harvests, so we’ll be waiting a little longer + be seeing higher cherry prices. 🍒 (Crosscut)
Development
Landmark Propertiesjust purchased a corner plot of land at 1200 NE 45th St. in the U District to build a city-approved, 24-story apartment towerfor students. The company paid $9 million for the lot, or $1,250 per sqft. (Puget Sound Business Journal)
The Bertha Pitts Campbell Place, a supportive housing facility for adults who have previously experienced homelessness, is now open at 12th Ave. + Spruce. The building, named after the first woman of African descent to vote on a YWCA board, was funded by the city and includes 100 studio apartments. (Capitol Hill Blog)
Survey
Take the survey, win $1,000 cash. Take a brief survey to let us know what you think about the SEAtoday newsletter + be entered into a drawing to win cash.
Eat
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Yesterday’s low tide at 12:09 p.m. was the lowest we’ve seen in 13 years, thanks to a little wobble in the moon’s path. The tide’s vertical height clocked in at -4.3 feet(which just means the tide is four feet below a specific reference point) and made some astounding changes to the normal coastal landscape— good news for tide pool enthusiasts. 🦀
The tides will stay pretty low through Saturday and hit everyday in the early afternoon, so there are still some chances to go look if you haven’t yet.
#DYK that your photos and quotes could be featured in our newsletter?
Editor’s pick: I actually got a chance to go explore the tide pools left by the crazy low tide on Tuesday and it was so much fun. I’m an incredibly curious person, so getting a chance to check out the rocks and giggle at the clams that were spitting water everywhere was a treat. You can watch some of the highlights on our Instagram page(which you should also be following *wink, wink*).
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