Rob Smith
A Broker Weighs in on Housing Prices
Sellers are everywhere. Buyers are not. What gives?
Homeowners want to sell their houses. Buyers are wary. The Northwest Multiple Listing Service recently released its monthly report on housing activity in 26 of the state’s 39 counties, and the statistics are extremely lopsided. The number of homes for sale increased 39.4% year over year, but the number of transactions rose only 1.9%. That’s…
It’s Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks
Washington is home to three of America’s top 10 brands
Download that report to Excel, or play a game of Xbox to relax. Log onto Amazon and grab that Swedish dishcloth you’ve been reading so much about. Then head to Starbucks and grab a latte macchiato or peppermint mocha. You’ve earned it. The Seattle area is home to three of the most valuable brands in…
Fixing Third Avenue, One Step At A Time
New lighting is part of a broader effort to revitalize the street
Third Avenue has long been the scourge of downtown Seattle. It’s been sketchy for at least the better part of two decades. It may not seem like much, but festive lighting has been installed along the “Spark Block,” between Stewart and Pine streets on Third Avenue. The enhancement includes striking catenary lighting and builds on…
This Gym is a Hacker’s Heaven
Bellevue’s Upgrade Labs goes all in on biohacking
Debra Arend wants to live until she’s 120. Her husband, Kevin DeLashmutt, goes several steps further. His goal is 150. That’s just one reason why the couple recently became a franchisee of Upgrade Labs, a Bellevue-based wellness center whose website says is “unlike any gym you’ve ever experienced in North America.” Upgrade Labs is…
Fifth Avenue’s Waitress Delivers
The musical is uplifting, even whimsical at times
I loved the movie Waitress when it came out almost two decades ago. I also loved The Fifth Avenue Theatre’s rendition of the musical of the same name. An almost sold-out crowd last week was boisterous and raucous, with many booing the abusive husband (“Earl,” played by Dane Stokinger) and cheering the relationships between the…
The Pros and Cons of March Madness
Lost productivity costs the economy billions. That's right. Billions.
I haven’t filled out my March Madness bracket yet. When I do, I’ll be sure to do it after work. A report from betting site Action Network estimates that March Madness costs the U.S. economy a staggering $20.89 billion in lost productivity. Fully 40% of fans say they’ve called in sick to watch games in…
Tom’s Watch Bar Opens in Uptown
Popular sports bar features stadium-sized screens
A new bar that plays “all sports, all the time” has opened next door to Climate Pledge Arena. Tom’s Watch Bar, a popular sports bar and restaurant chain, features several stadium-size, high-definition screens in a two-story, 24,000-square-foot space at 105 Lenny Wilkens Way. It’s the bar’s first location in Seattle and 14th overall. A second…
Back Page: Missile Misstep
Bainbridge Island residents fight missile base
Bainbridge Island residents most definitely did not want a missile base built in their community. Back in March 1969, Seattle magazine chronicled their fight, even praising them for raising awareness of national and international issues that “far transcend their private missile feud.” “If the Army goes ahead with its present plans to build a long-range…
Why All The Negativity About Downtown Seattle?
The numbers show that downtown is coming back
My buddy in Kirkland rarely ventures into Seattle. Ask him about downtown Seattle and he gets downright snarky. “It’s a cesspool,” he says. “Why would anyone want to go down there?” I hear comments like this all the time. And I don’t get it. Sure, downtown Seattle — like many other downtowns on the West…
Trendy Darts Bar Set To Open in South Lake Union
Flight Club seeks to recreate a classic, 19th-century British pub with a modern twist
A trendy and lively darts bar that combines a classic pub atmosphere with a modern, upscale twist will open early next year in Seattle’ South Lake Union neighborhood. Flight Club Seattle will feature 11 private and semi-private darts playing areas knowns as “oches.” The bar offers various games and challenges to suit all skill levels,…
Editor’s Note: A Very Interesting Year In More Ways Than One
1975 saw the birth of two Seattle institutions amid trying times
Fred Hutch Cancer Center turns 50 this year. So does Microsoft. Each has shaped Seattle in distinct yet complementary ways, reinforcing the city’s reputation as one of innovation and impact. The birth of those two Seattle institutions notwithstanding, 1975 is a year one many longtime Seattleites probably prefer to forget. It was a turbulent 12…
Gratuities Have Reached a Tipping Point
Washington residents are among the least generous in the country
How much do you tip? How much should you tip? Maybe you don’t tip at all? The average tip in Washington state is 17.51% of the check, about 1.3% below the national average. Only California residents tip less, 17.4%. TradingPedia surveyed more than 2,000 adults exploring tipping behaviors across the United States in late February,…
The Tesla Backlash
My neighbors own Teslas. I try not to judge.
I have two neighbors who own Teslas. One is self-conscious about it. The other is not. One is anti-Trump, anti-Musk. The other is apathetic. Neither are concerned about violence, even in the wake of escalating “takedown” nationwide protests against Elon Musk, and Sunday night’s Seattle fire, which destroyed four Tesla Cybertrucks in a lot near…
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