If the Wallingford neighborhood has a heart, a strong case could be made that Meridian Park and the Good Shepherd Center are a big part of it. The Meridian School and the Wallingford Community Senior Center serve two ends of the local age spectrum. The Wallingford Farmers’ Market draws in big crowds during the summer months. Seattle Tilth attracts eager crowds with an interest in plants with classes and plant sales. The venerable old Good Shepherd Center is home to a delightful mixed bag of community-oriented groups. The old building itself maintains the funkiness that, even in the face of …

This year, Halloween falls on a weekend—Sunday night. For those trick-or-treaters (or their supervisory staff) wondering if there are organized events planned in and around Wallingford: you’re in luck!

Come have fun on Halloween (10/31) from 5-8 pm at the Haunted Alley! There will be Halloween games, decorations, and lots of candy (distributed in creative COVID-safe ways). The Haunted Alley will be one-way to aid social distancing and hand sanitizer will be provided at activity stations. Masks required. Entrance on 52nd St. between Kirkwood Pl. N. and Kensington Pl. N. This event is free and all are welcome, but the …

Many of you have at least a passing awareness of Nickelsville, the semi-nomadic community of people without permanent housing. In Wallingford, we have a Nickelsville “tiny house village” in the Northlake area, near Ivar’s Salmon House. Nickelsville, however, encompasses more than the Northlake site, and includes another village at Othello, in south Seattle. And, there are other tiny house villages in Seattle besides Nickelsville. A recent Seattle Times article counted eight villages with a total of 298 houses; it described plans for an additional 100 houses to be placed at two new sites in North Seattle and an existing one …

News you can use!  And eat!  This important breaking news from Wallyhood Editor Julie:  Dick’s is offering free spicy chocolate shakes today only for Cinco de Mayo!  Available at all locations, today only.…

There is a row of buildings on the south side of N. 45th that I think of as “Bungalow Row”, some older houses that have been converted into new purposes. These include the Chile Pepper Mexican restaurant, and the recently departed much renowned, and already much missed Tilth. Nestled in at 1415 N. 45th is a longtime Wallingford presence, the Assistance League of Seattle Thrift Shop. This unassuming little secondhand store has a heart of gold that benefits the local community and the city at large. Unlike other area thrift stores that are part of much larger nonprofit and for-profit …

I like to think of Meridian Park and the Good Shepherd Center as anchoring the northern side of Wallingford. There’s plenty of intriguing history behind the park and the Good Shepherd Center, some of which I hope to write about soon. But today I wanted to touch on some of the varied activities that take place in the center itself. Specifically, Wallyhood received a notice about the concerts that happen in the fourth floor chapel space. Obviously, public attendance has been curtailed, but the sponsor, Nonsequitur, has made recordings available online from previous performances in the chapel under the heading …

This is a short story about three different businesses in the neighborhood with a combined residence time here of over 70 years.  The ownerships span the range from Mom & Pop, regional chain, to global dominion.  It repeats the altogether too common, and depressing refrain to this pandemic:  businesses faltering, and some succumbing to the loss of traffic from the necessary restrictions that were put into place.  Wallingford is certainly no exception.

The Shoe Store

Wallyhood received a note from reader Denis, who lamented the imminent closing of another business on the margin between Wallingford and Fremont, Sole Perfection.  This …