Seattle Culture
Downtown Seattle Again Draws More Workers, Visitors
The number of visitors approaches pre-pandemic levels
Downtown foot traffic hit yet another milestone last month. The Downtown Seattle Association says March averaged 101,000 daily workers, the highest average since March 2020. The figure is still only 60% of foot traffic in March 2019 as employees continue working remotely, but is a 12% increase from a year ago. More than 2.5 million…
Humanities Washington Fights ‘Midnight’ Cuts
Nonprofit loses previously approved federal grants with little warning
The letter came without warning, like a slap in the face from an invisible hand. Humanities Washington CEO and Executive Director Julie Ziegler had already been talking with peers in other states, and she readied herself for the blow. The National Endowment for the Humanities (think DOGE) had terminated her nonprofit’s previously awarded federal grant…
Why This Earth Day Is More Important Than Ever
So many ways to get involved across the Seattle area
Earth Day 2025, which falls on April 22, seems more urgent than ever. During the first three months of this year, United States withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time, and severe budget cuts threaten the future of the National Park Service and the country’s beloved landscapes. While some of these international-…
Prairie Townhome Companions
Couple remakes Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired property
Place two architects, a hedgehog, and more than $100,000 under house arrest, and watch the magic unfold. Sandy Wolf founded Seattle’s Office of Ordinary Architecture in the belief that beauty is found in everyday objects. She and her husband — fellow architect Daniel Ash — were not disappointed in that regard in their long search…
Conru Foundation Launches Seattle Prize Masters Fellowship
Effort seeks to cultivate early career artists
After a successful run in the tech world, engineer and entrepreneur Andrew Conru, founder of the namesake Conru Foundation, is leaning in to one of his personal passions — art — with the launch of the Seattle Prize Masters Fellowship. Announced recently through the Conru Art Foundation, the one-year program, according to a press release,…
Another Luxury Brand Opens in Seattle
Women’s apparel company Veronica Beard opens in University Village
Veronica Beard has become the latest national retailer to open in Seattle. The New York-based retailer has becomes popular with women because of its classic tailoring spanning workwear, casualwear, and evening attire. The brand is available at Nordstrom and other select retailers, but this is its first brick-and-mortar store in the Pacific Northwest. The new…
The Pulse: It’s Spring Break in Seattle
Lots of kids, pickleball, and 23-cent bananas
Spring break in some school districts around Puget Sound was this past week. In Seattle, it’s next week. My son will spend most of his time in a gym playing basketball — there are certainly worse things he could do. What about your kids? Like books flying off the shelves at a midnight release, the…
The Changing Face of First and Pike
Beautification effort aims to create a welcoming and safe environment
Sure, it’s only a few pieces of furniture, some new lighting, a bunch of colorful planter boxes, and some twirly chairs. But the latest downtown makeover — this time on Pike Street between First and Second avenues, with the iconic Pike Place Market sign in the background — is an important milestone in contributing to…
Must List: Five Things to Do in Seattle This Week
Apr 10 - Apr 16
Shopping, Blooming, Whale-Watching
Spring has teased us this week, but alas, it’s not predicted to last. Typical. If you do plan on dodging some spring showers, check out Robin’s Restaurant and Market in Fremont, the new eatery from the owners of the popular Greenwood American Bistro. Early reviews are stellar. Maybe take a trip to Seattle’s first Fat…
Making Cents of it All
Coinstar CEO weighs in on pennies, loose change
On one of the many iconic episodes of Seinfeld, Kramer walks into a restaurant and tries to pay the entire bill with pennies, making a mess in the process. He’s thrown out. When was the last time you used a penny? When was the last time you even walked around with change in your pocket?…
Tide and True
How Dilip Wagle and Darshana Shanbhag found their dream second home on Bainbridge Island
By May 2022, Dilip Wagle and Darshana Shanbhag’s dream of retiring on the beach was dead in the water. The Bellevue couple had spent years searching the west-facing waterfront corridor from Bellingham to Oregon, but always found themselves a step behind the pandemic-induced buying frenzy. They were about to give up when they noticed a…
A City of Nerds? How About a City of Cool?
Why Seattle is one of the ‘coolest’ cities to visit
So, Seattle’s the nerd capital of America, huh? I’m not buying it. OK, maybe Washington leads the nation in searches for nerdy things such as cosplay, fan fiction and Rubik’s cubes. Those are geeky things, indeed. But now this study from Betway reveals that Seattle is the fifth-coolest city to visit in America. Seattle ranks…
Poulsbo Joins The Pickleball Frenzy
Pickleball Kingdom features a dozen indoor courts
There’s more good news on the Pacific Northwest pickleball horizon for those who can’t get enough. The sister-brother team of Mara and John Hylton recently converted 31,500 square feet of former OfficeMax and Big 5 space into Poulsbo Pickleball Kingdom PPK, a venue featuring 12, luxurious, climate-controlled, brightly lit indoor courts, as well as onsite…
Join The Must List
Sign up and get Seattle's best events delivered to your inbox every week.