Karen Johnson’s Interview with Herself

Seattle magazine's Web editor, Karen Johnson was so fearful of writing her inaugural blog post that

By Seattle Mag March 19, 2009

Night owls and culture vultures, meet Seattle magazine’s voice of the hard-working, hard-playing crowd, Karen Johnson. By day, Karen brings the world of Seattle mag to the wide-world of the Web as online editor. By night, she is on the hunt for the must-know affordable/fabulous/can’t-miss things to-do and places to go in Seattle. To help you get to know Karen, we grilled her on the ins and outs of Seattle’s young and restless scene.

Who is the Young and Restless crowd?
Gen Y? Millennials? Whatever you call us, the monikers coined to describe 20-somethings are a sad lot. I should know, I’m a card carrying member of a generation that grew up addicted to video games, fast food and MTV. You know us, we’ve been using the internet and computers since, like, forever. The ones who attended college in record numbers, only to enter the workforce in the midst of a war followed by a Depression-era recession? That’s us! It’s no wonder we’ve taken refuge in the confines of new music, art, out there cuisine and interests. Simply put, the young and restless crowd is a group of people who are looking for an up side by staying restless and going out.

What’s the funnest trend you’ve seen emerge in Seattle in recent years?
We may no longer be a two newspaper town, but we seem to be thriving as a two cupcake town! Take for example, this St. Patrick’s Day, both Trophy and Cupcake Royale offered their own Irish-inspired concoctions. For chocolate fans, there was Trophy’s chocolate Guinness stout with Bailey’s butter cream cupcake. For dessert-lovers craving something different, Cupcake Royale’s Irish whiskey maple cupcake was also available as an option. If you ask me, options are always good, especially when it comes to dessert.

Where would you go if you had only $20 bucks to spend on a night out?
I’d grab a friend and head to Capitol Hill’s Oddfellows Cafe. It’s my new default eat and drink spot. This place is huge and the restaurant’s rows of oversized tables make you feel like you’re at a really big German wedding filled with really cool people. The food is decent, the cocktails are good and the fun atmosphere is truly a value-added experience because you feel like you’re at a party when you’re really just grabbing a bite to eat. (Note: the nearly-communal seating arrangement makes Oddfellows a great spot for eavesdropping on conversations!).

When is it okay to delete friends on Facebook?

Do not ever delete a friend unless you don’t care at all if they find out. This advice can be used to your advantage if you’re trying to make a statement (by ditching an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend). When it comes to old schoolmates and colleagues, why deal with the stress of cutting them out of your network when you can learn to use Facebook’s privacy settings?

Why should I get out of my apartment/house this weekend?
Go to The Crocodile tonight. Get in for free and watch a music venue phoenix rises from the ashes.

 

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