
Arts: Seattle’s Rap Party
The sound that is now defining Seattle
Seattle has never wanted to be cool — and that’s precisely what makes it so. When the grunge movement of the ’90s sprung to the forefront of mainstream American culture, Kurt Cobain’s ripped jeans and thrifted cardigans did so in direct opposition to perfectly over-tweezed eyebrows and super-synchronized boy bands. As Clark Humphrey writes in…

Artifacts: Reliving Almost Live!
On the air with John Keister
Once upon a time, during the halcyon days of network television, a Saturday night staple for many area residents was a Seattle sketch comedy show that aired on KING-5. Taped in front of a live audience, each episode began with the host delivering his opening monologue. As he walked out onstage, an “On Air” sign…

Experience all the Fraser Valley has to offer | Sponsored
Enjoy hiking, rafting, fishing, a good meal or just a leisurely stroll
Located just a couple of hours north of Seattle and an hour east of Vancouver, B.C., you’ll find the Fraser Valley. Boasting a diverse range of outdoor experiences, from hiking in the mountains to exploring unique shops and restaurants, there’s something for everyone, regardless of age or ability. It’s an ideal destination for a family…

Essentials: Seattle’s Queer/Pride Fest Returns
Standalone three-day festival begins June 23
Tickets are on sale for the Pacific Northwest’s largest 21 and over music and arts Pride Festival. The Queer/Pride Festival, held from June 23-25 in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, features national and local artists, musicians, drag queens and burlesque dancers. Tier 1 tickets sold out quickly, but single-day tickets are still available….

Essentials: The Meat of the Matter at Baekjeong Lynnwood
Baekjeong Lynnwood eyes rapid expansion across Seattle
Things have gone so well for popular Korean barbecue restaurant Baekjeong Lynnwood since its opening last fall that owner Michael Chon is planning several more in the Seattle area. The Los Angeles-based chain opened its first West Coast location outside Southern California to much fanfare last September. Two-hour wait times were common. While that’s died…

Why Now is the Right Time to Buy
Realogics Sotheby’s report takes note of promising trends throughout the region
Seattle magazine has a strategic partnership with Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty. On one hand, the greater Seattle area is experiencing a housing crisis because of lopsided supply and demand and a lack of affordable housing. On the other, now is a “once-upon-a-cycle” time to buy. Patient buyers have unprecedented negotiation power as pent-up demand…

Sunny Spring & Summer Escapes to Tri-Cities | Sponsored
Fun is just a short drive away
Located in southeast Washington state at the confluence of three rivers, the Tri-Cities has 300 sun-filled days a year, and its dry climate offers visitors a warm, sunny paradise from early spring all the way through late fall. Made up of Richland, Kennewick and Pasco, the Tri-Cities is the third largest metropolitan area in…

Book: A tribute to Northwest Films
New book details a thriving, rich film culture
David Schmader lives in El Paso, Texas, now, but he’s no stranger to Pacific Northwest culture. Schmader is a former staff writer and editor at Seattle alt publication The Stranger, where he wrote the popular column, “Last Days: The Week in Review” for 18 years. He is also a performer, and his solo plays were…

What this year’s Seattle-based SIFF films say about our changing city
Seattle may have parted from grunge, but self-expression in spite of convention remains a local state of mind
Seattle may change, but at its core, it will always be that angsty 90’s kid. This year’s Seattle International Film Festival’s (SIFF) lineup of Northwest-centered films presents a reflection of our city from past to present. Over the years, the ongoing conversations about the changing face of Seattle have permeated all industries from tech to…

Empowering Students through Photography | Sponsored
The arts are an important part of youth and education. Art teaches us to look at the world beyond ourselves and at the beauty of everyday occurrences around us and within each other. Started by high school photography instructors, the Washington State High School, Photography Competition (WSHSPC), believes all children should have the opportunity to speak…

Arts: Seattle’s Architect of Light
Italian-born artist Iole Alessandrini explores the beauty and emotional impact of working with light
How many colors do you see?” Artist and architect Iole Alessandrini asks me this on a cold, windy evening in late February. We’re sitting in an attic-like nook in her apartment at West Seattle’s Cooper Artist Housing, a 36-unit former school that has been transformed into an affordable live/work space specifically for artists. I’m looking…

Essentials: Brinnon teacher chosen for Scholastic project
Kindergarten teacher chosen to participate in national project
A kindergarten teacher at Jefferson County’s Brinnon School will help shape the professional development of teachers across the United States. Lisa A. Johnston is among 12 teachers from around the country chosen to participate in the inaugural Teacher Fellows Cohort from children’s publishing, education, and media company Scholastic. The effort will help inform product development,…

Seattle Police Chief Diaz: A different kind of cop
Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz is the right person in the right place at the right time as the department rebuilds after years of unrest
Name a job in the Seattle Police Department, and Adrian Diaz has probably done it. Major Bruce Harrell officially named Adrian Diaz as chief of police last fall after he had served as interim chief since the summer of 2020, replacing Carmen Best. Diaz had been deputy chief for only a month when he found…

Reclaiming Seattle’s Central District
Ambitious moves aim to bring the Black population back to an historic neighborhood
When Ms. Helen’s Soul Bistro owner Jessi Henton brings her family’s Southern cooking back to Seattle’s Central District this fall, she’ll be dishing up liver and onions, gumbo, catfish, black-eyed peas, and all the other dishes that her mama Helen was known for. To Henton, the restaurant will stand for good home cooking, community, and…

Essentials: Hot Girl Walk Thaws Seattle Freeze
Weekend walkers come together for friendship, community
What began as a way for Courtney Byers to meet some friends in a city known for the “Seattle Freeze” has blossomed into a full-on army. Byers, a women’s strength coach and birth doula who recently moved to the area, created the Seattle chapter of Hot Girl Walk last August. Two women showed up. Nine…

Oregon: The neighbor you think you know
Discover Oregon's many charming quirks
Imagine a dinner party in the neighborhood. The invitation looks familiar, but when you arrive, the event is not at all what you expected. There are many rooms with different themes. The guests are intriguing and inviting. An astronomer chats with a master brewer, a ship’s captain extrapolates on weather patterns with a sommelier, and…

Malama Oahu, and Oahu Will Malama You
History, Hawaiian foods, and where to rest your head. A four-part series exploring Oahu
“Hawaii is not a state of mind but a state of grace.”- Paul Theroux Hawaii takes its responsibility as a tourist destination very seriously, and so should its millions of annual visitors. By leaving the island a better place, tourists enjoy a richer experience from their Hawaiian travels and gain a deeper appreciation for Hawaiian people…

Five Oahu Hotels with a New Look and Old Heart
History, Hawaiian foods, and where to rest your head: A four-part series exploring Oahu
The is the third story in our series on travel to the Hawaiian island of Oahu. From Duke Kahanamoku holding court at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s Mai Tai Bar to Don Ho singing “Tiny Bubbles” at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu is known for its legendary hotels and iconic surf culture. When you stay at…

Book: Revel in the Natural World
Enjoy a wild year outdoors with Lauren Braden's book, '52 Ways to Nature: Washington'
What do forest bathing, storm watching, geocaching, fungi foraging, and razor clamming have in common? These are just a few of the multitude of outdoor activities described in Lauren Braden’s new book, 52 Ways to Nature: Washington: Your Seasonal Guide to a Wilder Year. This book, published by nonprofit outdoor community The Mountaineers last spring,…

Heartbeat: When Hearts and Heads Collide
Perhaps everyone has heard the saying that goes something like “to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results is the definition of crazy.” We all smile knowingly, perhaps even smugly. Of course, that’s true. But we shouldn’t be so smug because if that’s the definition of crazy, we are all…

Clarity – Exasperated and Exhausted
Burnout is more complicated than you may think
I woke up in Florida on a Sunday morning with a hangover and a patch of angry red bumps on the small of my back. I also couldn’t find the Montreal Expos cap I had been wearing the night before. I had a Seattle Seahawks game to cover that afternoon in Tampa, multiple stories to…

Letter to Seattle: Little Things Matter
A small gesture has big meaning for uplift Northwest client
Letter to Seattle highlights the good deeds and positive experiences in our region. This is a letter from Devin Pullium to Uplift Northwest, a Seattle nonprofit that provides job opportunities and job-preparation services to people experiencing poverty and homelessness. I’ve been with Uplift Northwest since 2016 as a day laborer. I love working with Uplift…

The Art of Weathering Winter: Insights from a Money Expert and a Sounders Legend
Tori Dunlap and Fredy Montero share the ordinary routines that help them get by
In the dead of winter, yearning for brighter days can feel like a metaphor for the general “grass is greener” syndrome I sometimes feel about life. As a freelancer and new parent, I’ll find myself thinking, “If only I can get our child to this age, or see this amount in our bank account, everything…
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