News
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…
Curvy Cactus, Chub Rub Launch Seattle’s First Fat Mall
The new pop-up marketplace highlights local makers and body-affirming fashion
Seattle Fat Mall — the city’s first-ever — will turn the Curvy Cactus storefront on Fourth Avenue into a monthlong pop-up marketplace for plus-size fashion, art, and gifts from local makers. “We envision Seattle Fat Mall as more than just a retail space. It’s a celebration of our community,” say Amber and Alyss Seelig, sisters…
Downtown Seattle Keeps on Winning
Slew of openings highlights downtown’s appeal, vibrancy
In another win for downtown Seattle, high-end men’s apparel retailer Suit Supply just opened a new store at the base of Rainier Tower. The Dutch menswear brand is known for high-quality tailored suits at relatively affordable prices. I have a few in my closet. The company already operates a store downtown and another in Bellevue….
Seattle’s Security Industry Gets a New Approach
Not just a guy in a polo shirt — this trauma-informed team brings a new kind of safety to the city
HEARTH Protection is the Seattle region’s premier provider of trauma-informed, community-oriented protective services. We are a unique private security company. Our revolutionary approach combines evidence-based security practices with deep community engagement, creating safety solutions that address root causes rather than symptoms. Founded by women and LGBTQ+ leaders, HEARTH operates as a worker-owned cooperative where our…
Sabine Is Coming To The Eastside
Ballard favorite to open in Bellevue next year
One of Seattle’s best cocktail bars is opening another location on the Eastside. Ballard hotspot Sabine will open in Bellevue early next year. Seattle-based Yes Parade Restaurant Group — it operates seven restaurants throughout the Puget Sound region, including Sabine — says Sabine Café Bellevue will open in The Eight, a 25-story office tower. The…
STG To Assume Management of 5th Avenue Theatre Space
The alliance is not an acquisition or merger
Seattle Theatre Group (STG) will assume management of the iconic 5th Avenue Theatre venue in downtown Seattle. STG already manages and presents performances at several of the city’s most iconic venues, including the Paramount, Moore and Neptune theatres. The 5th Avenue Theatre Co. will remain a separate, nonprofit organization. STG becomes the new leaseholder of…
Seattle Shoppers Worry About Retail Theft
Almost 60% say they prefer online shopping due to retail crime
Retail crime is clearly influencing shopping preferences in Seattle. State legislators, in fact, are considering lengthening sentences for organized retail theft (the bill is currently in a House committee), and the National Retail Federation has made retail crime a priority, both here and elsewhere. Technology firm Flock Safety finds that Seattle consumers are significantly more…
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…
Sea the City
Escape winter with a float on a hot tub boat
Here’s a hot (or at least comfortably warm) attraction for Seattle’s cold winter months: a soak in 104-degree water on Lake Union in the city’s original hot tub boat. Hot Tub Boats is the brainchild of Adam Karpenske, who — after moving back to Seattle after working on super yachts in the Caribbean for more…
Seattle Aquarium Names New CEO
Peggy Sloan will replace the retiring Bob Davidson
The Seattle Aquarium has a new CEO. Peggy Sloan, the chief animal conservation officer at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, will begin her new job in May. She replaces Bob Davidson, who will retire after 23 years as CEO. Davidson, one of Seattle magazine’s Most Influential people of 2025, is credited with reinventing the aquarium (it…
Popular Black Diamond Equipment Opens in Fremont
Outdoor gear retailer says the store is its largest and most immersive
A popular and highly regarded outdoor gear purveyor has set up shop in rival REI’s backyard. Black Diamond Equipment, a Salt Lake City-based outdoor gear retailer that sells, among other items, climbing gear, ski equipment, and apparel, just opened its largest and most immersive store yet in the heart of the Fremont neighborhood. It’s the…
Expect The Largest Comic Con Ever This Weekend
Attendance is estimated at 90,000 during the four-day run
Tony Morigi recalls the first Emerald City Comic Con back in 2003. It was a one-day affair that drew about 3,000 people. Flash forward to today, and the Comic Con at the Seattle Convention Center is expected to draw upwards of 90,000 people. “It’s been attracting bigger celebrities,” says Morigi, who has been working at …
Frying High With Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A and other franchisors will be in Seattle next week to pitch their wares
My son would eat at Chick-fil-A every day if he could. There’s one right across the street from his basketball club, and it’s not unusual to see 20 idling cars in the drive-thru line waiting for a spicy chicken sandwich or chicken nuggets. Company executives, along with representatives from four other franchisors, will hit Seattle…