Looking Back on the Wild, Weird Year That was 2017
Congratulations, you survived a roller-coaster of a year.
By Shannon O'Leary and Seattle Magazine Staff December 20, 2017
This article originally appeared in the December 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.
Climate change, wildfires, ash falling from the sky. A six-story rubber duck. Protests and passion projects. A mayoral scandal, followed by the city’s first female mayor in nearly 100 years. Once-in-a-lifetime planetary events. The never-ending saga of Seattle arenas.
This year, the issues affecting our city ranged from weird and wild to the undeniably awe-inspiring, and the most talked about topics were well-documented across platforms, from yard signs and protest posters to a well-turned tweet. As we look back on the tumultuous year that was, those signs and signifiers best capture the spirit of this year; for better, worse and for what lies ahead.
Year in Review: Food and Drink
The Ups and Downs of Living in Amazonia
Seattleites Poured Their Heart and Soul Into Altruistic Passion Projects
It’s Like 2017 was Trying to Freak the Northwest Out All Year
The Quirky Stories and Characters That Took Our Minds Off the Mayhem
It Took Nearly a Century, But Seattle Found Its Second Female Mayor
2017 Best or Worst? You Decide
Seattle Crime 2017: From the Gross to the Grotesque
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Molbak’s Returns
Popular store launches community hub for gardening
Molbak’s has launched a new community initiative called Green Phoenix Collaborative at Molbak’s, which will transform the former retail site into a community hub for all things gardening. The collaborative will feature programs, classes, and events.
Historic Cornish College Building For Sale
Kerry Hall was the original home of college founder Nellie Cornish
The historic Kerry Hall building, at 710 E. Roy St. in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, was built in 1921 and was the home of Nellie Cornish, who founded the arts college in 1914 and ran it for 25 years. The college was formed in the building and has occupied it since then.
Seattle: Again The Place To Be
Seattle nears pre-pandemic visitor levels in impressive turnaround
Visit Seattle released preliminary figures for 2023 at its annual meeting Wednesday, and found that the region hosted 37.8 million visitors last year, an 8.9% increase from 2022. That’s just 10% less than in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic.
Foot Traffic Rises Again in Downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle Association: Slow recovery continues
Nearly 1.9 million visitors came downtown last month. Downtown averaged 85,000 daily workers, a 16% increase from February 2023. That, however, is only 57% compared to the same period in 2020, right before the pandemic.