If you’ve been to our neighborhood QFC recently, you no doubt would have noticed the absence of fresh fish and, possibly, meat at the respective counters. This comes as a blow to many shoppers who are probably hoping to get all their shopping done at one time and in one place, including the purchase of some meat and/or fish. To be fair, the QFC is not totally bereft of these items. There is plenty of pre-packaged meat available (as always), and apparently, a worker from another store has been coming by to cut up fish and shrink wrap it for …

After years of ongoing renovations at Gas Works Park, the project has entered an exciting new phase with visible signs of additional progress. The east entry area and restrooms were recently closed off with fencing. The park remains open but must be accessed from the west entry.

Renovations are expected to be completed by early next summer. Official updates can be found on the City’s project website.

[T]he east entrance of Gas Work Park, the comfort station, and a portion of the parking lot during will be closed as WS Contractor, LLC begins the Comfort Station and East Entry/ADA Improvement…

While none of the actual work this coming week will take place in our neighborhood, use of a storage area along Woodland Park Avenue may affect your travels. We received this from the Seattle DOT:

Starting as early as next week, crews will begin the process of relocating their vehicles and equipment to a new storage site on Woodland Park Ave, between Green Lake Way N and N 46th Street. Crews will be utilizing this area for the next six weeks.

During this process you can expect:

No parking signs in the area as early as next week Daily movement…

Our Wallingford Orangetheory Fitness studio is partnering with Motley Zoo Animal Rescue to help raise life-saving funds and awareness for the local organization.

The non-profit based in Redmond, Washington, is dedicated to rehabilitating, caring for and securing safe homes for animals through a foster and education system. Since 2009, they have placed thousands of pets in loving homes and work tirelessly to improve the lives of animals and reach their goal of ending all neglect and abuse against them.

You may have seen that Motley Zoo is struggling to find a new location as their Redmond building is now condemned. …

Don’t miss this weekend’s return of the Green Lake Pathway of Lights, the annual celebration where lights line the walkway circling the lake. Get your warm gear on and walk the inner path from 4:30-7:30 pm, Saturday, December 10th where thousands of lights will illuminate the walkway and even the docks. There will be three stages around the lake with bands providing entertainment and hot air balloons will also be on hand (weather permitting).

The event is free, but all attendees are encouraged to participate in the huge holiday food drive benefiting Wallingford’s own FamilyWorks. They will have three stations …

Wondering what’s going on in the space on 45th, that was once Starbucks? 

It’s now Young Tea, created by proprietor Caroline Lee.  

I recently had a fun and informative conversation with Caroline.  

Tea is a big part of the culture in her native Taiwan; she named the store ‘young’ because tea, in its many types and variations, is good for you – it keeps you young.  

Caroline moved to New York about 30 years ago and came to Seattle 10 years later.  

Her first store in Chinatown, is now closed – the landlord had ‘other plans’. And when …

If, somehow, you have missed the subtle reminders that went up in Fred Meyer and other establishments the day after Halloween:  we are now in peak Christmas-and-other-December-holiday season. So get into the spirit, darn it!  If you have anything left over after filling your gas tank, buying groceries, and paying for all that heat you’re using because we’re in another La Niña winter—please patronize our Wallingford small businesses so they can try to cover pilfered inventory and repair the broken doors and windows from their latest incidents. Seriously…it’s an awfully challenging business climate in our town these days. It would …