Rob Smith
Grappling With Graffiti
Seattle seeks to create murals to combat vandalism
Tired of graffiti across our beautiful city? Help is here. The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture this week awarded $1.13 million to more than 75 artists and organizations to beautify neighborhoods and nurture the artistic aspirations of youth. One initiative, through the Downtown Seattle Mural Project, will create about 40 murals from Belltown south…
The Seattle Mag Interview: Sports Sage
Bob Whitsitt’s book tells the tales of a colorful career as a force in the front office
“Trader Bob.” The name conjures memories of the ’90s-era Sonics when the NBA club captured the heart of Seattle. It’s reminiscent of the controversial “Jail Blazers,” a term coined by Portland sportswriters to describe late ’90s and early 2000s Trail Blazers teams that enjoyed on-court success while suffering off-court misadventures. Bob Whitsitt’s ability to make…
Art for All
Cornish launches robust community school
Want to learn how to dance? Maybe welding is more your thing. Or drumming or playing the guitar. You can learn how to do all those things and much more through the Cornish+ program. The new community school within Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts offers 60 studio-based classes in music, art, design, dance, theater,…
Costco Goes for the Gold
Have a sudden need for gold bars? Better act fast.
The warehouse retailer known for everything from its popular food court to organic maple syrup and bulk, well, everything, is now in the business of selling gold. That’s right. Costco is peddling one-ounce gold bars online. But you have to be a member to buy them. And they’re not cheap. Shoppers have two options: One…
Target Shuts Seattle Stores, Citing Theft
The two closures are part of nine nationwide announced by Target
Target will close its Ballard and University stores in response to Seattle’s ongoing retail-theft problem. The company announced Tuesday that it will close both stores Oct. 21. The retailer also said it would close seven other stores across the United States because of mounting losses from theft: three in Portland, three in the Bay Area,…
Sea-Tac drops in latest J.D. Power survey
Airport rankings fall from last year
A friend who recently flew out of Sea-Tac International Airport told tales of long lines, unhappy fellow passengers, and an unfortunate bag mix-up. He literally had to buy a new suit for a business meeting once he reached his destination. I heard a similar story from another friend whose family flew internationally on vacation this…
What a (Pickleball) Racket
Seattle pickleball fans, rejoice. New courts open.
I love pickleball. My mother-in-law plays five times a week. A work colleague has a court in his backyard. My neighbor even gave up tennis for the sport, which was founded in Washington state decades ago. Now, Seattle is serving up more options for the sport’s growing legion of fans. Two permanent, bright purple pickleball…
The Twisted Tales of Seattle
New ‘tourism’ book highlights bizarre, infamous, and obscure historical sites
You’ll never hear Seattle tourism officials bring this up, but, like it or not, Ted Bundy is part of the fabric of this region. So is the Green River Killer, the suicides of musicians Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley, the murder of Gits singer Mia Zapata, and the ship pilot who crashed into a West…
Editor’s Note: A Loan and Scared
Young professional deals with overwhelming student debt
Nat Rubio-Licht sat at a desk the day the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s student debt relief plan and stifled the urge to scream. Rubio-Licht, a young journalist with two bylines in this education-themed issue of Seattle magazine (“Higher-Ed Dread,” (page 106), and “Where Innovation Meets Education,” (page 88) owes the United States government…
Yes to the Dress
Bellevue Collection takes fear out of fashion
The Bellevue Collection will unveil its fall fashion collection at its 17th annual fashion event Sept. 8 and 9. “We hope to inspire our guests to be fearless in showing their own style,” says Jennifer Leavitt, vice president of marketing for The Bellevue Collection. The two-day event — dubbed “Fashion Week” — features trend reports,…
Big Mario’s Reopens Northlake After Seven-Month Closure
Big Mario’s reopens venerable pizza spot in time for Husky opener
The Northlake Tavern & Pizza House lives on. Big Mario’s has reopened the popular destination near the University of Washington campus as Big Mario’s Northlake Tavern. The 65-year-old pizza joint closed in January after the previous owner retired. Big Mario’s said at the time that the closure would last only two months, but the full-blown…
Cream of the Crop
Nutpods founder Madeline Haydon named to INC's Female Founders list
Madeline Haydon founded nutpods out of frustration. Ten years later, she finds herself on Inc.’s prestigious Female Founders list. Haydon was pregnant and on vacation at Lake Tahoe when she couldn’t find any dairy-free creamer options at a diner. She decided then and there that she wanted to launch a company. She spent the next…