One of our family’s favorite hallmarks of summer is Seattle’s Annual “Night Out” – a city-wide event of local gatherings for the purpose of encouraging neighbors to come together and deter crime. In north Wallingford, this usually takes the form of good eats, cold drinks and kids on bicycles whizzing around a closed off street. I love the chance to get to know people who live in houses I pass by all of the time and hear about concerns or ideas directly related to our ‘hood.

If your block has not yet picked up the tradition, it’s easy to get …

The Landmark Board Preservation meeting held on Wednesday, April 6^th took up the nomination of the Guild 45^th Theatre submitted by the current owners, Landmark Theatres.  While I was ill and unable to attend, I gratefully received the following notes from Brooke Best of Historic Seattle (this great organization is a Wallingford resident!):

The architectural consultant, Chris Hetzel, confirmed that the owners submitted the nomination because they were considering to upgrade the interior to accommodate 4 to 5 screens, but “had no plans” to change the exterior façade. He said that they are planning to submit redevelopment plans …

(Wallyhood welcomes Julie Martin, the first of a stream of new writers you’ll be meeting in the coming weeks.)

At night, the bright blaze of the Guild 45^th marquee can make you feel like you’re standing in the middle of downtown, instead of the center of little Wallingford. As a teenager growing up in the neighborhood, it was especially great to have such a majestic movie house in walking distance. My best friend and I lived on opposite sides 45^th and met in the middle for shows.

In the years since, we have grown into families and homes …