Seattle Culture
Gotcha! 3 Parking Rules to Remember
These little-known laws will get you a ticket in Seattle faster than you think.
Every month, 97 Seattle Police Department parking enforcement officers print around 45,000 citations (about 7 percent of the city’s total population). While most tickets are for commonsense infractions—the most common: not paying or letting your time expire—there are a few lesser-known ways to end up with the dreaded envelope tucked under your wiper. Seattle Municipal…
Worst Traffic Spots in Seattle
Avoid these nightmare spots if you can, or bring a book-on-tape and make the most of the crawl.
It usually feels like the worst traffic spot in Seattle is the one you’re stuck in, but during peak traffic hours (6–9 a.m. and 3–6 p.m.), SDOT says these locations officially rack up some of the most stop-and-go traffic—sometimes minus the go. Check out King-5’s Jam Factor app (king5.m.mlnwap.com) and WSDOT traffic cameras (wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle) for…
The Evolution of Seattle’s 520 Bridge
Big changes are under way on the 520 bridge, the longest floating bridge on Earth.
Just when you thought cross-lake commuting couldn’t get any more fun, tolling on the S.R. 520 bridge went into effect. Now, crossing the floating bridge can set you back as much as $5 one way, depending on the time of day and whether you have a prepaid “Good to Go!” pass affixed to your windshield….
Seeing the Bigger Picture in Seattle’s Transporation Conundrums
Why the rest of Washington state is watching Seattle's every move.
“Seattle process” aside, most of the decisions we make around here are really driven by economic imperatives that are nearly impossible to ignore. Regardless of politics, regional and national economic pressures still ensure that the big transportation projects that matter most in Seattle will get done—eventually. But not without first encountering two major hurdles along…
Is Seattle its Own Greatest Road Block?
Here's hoping our battles over the Alaskan Way Viaduct and other transportation developments will le
It’s almost too good to imagine: The year is 2016, and burly guys in hardhats and blaze-orange vests have swept up the last of the dust from all of Seattle’s transportation construction megaprojects. The State Route 99 tunnel under downtown, the new State Route 520 floating bridge and the University Link light rail extension to…
15 Ways to Stay Fit (While Staying Inside)
A stir-crazy urban athlete’s guide to indoor sports in Seattle.
If the cold, wet weather and shorter days are putting a damper on your outdoor workout, head inside and try something new. Here are a few cool ways to feel the burn—without catching a chill. Climb the walls Perhaps it’s no surprise that the world’s first indoor climbing gym opened its doors in rainy Seattle…
Why More Seattleites are Getting Plastic Surgery
Seattle’s tough job market is prompting a wave of plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry.
Looks aren’t everything, but in the world of finance, they can be a key to success, according to Scott, a 57-year-old Seattle-area certified financial planner and wealth manager. Though things had been going well at work, Scott was worried about losing his edge. He’s physically very fit—a nationally ranked athlete—but until recently, his eyes sported…
Weird Yoga: Embrace Your Hang-ups
Aerial classes turn yoga on its head
January is the month for overly optimistic New Year’s resolutions, so why not dream big by signing up for an aerial yoga class? The exercise trend is taking wing all over the city, and involves airborne workouts similar to traditional yoga (focusing on core strength, flexibility and coordination) but performed while hanging from a ceiling-suspended…
Seattle’s Worst Transportation Moments in 2011
2011 was the worst year in memory to be a Seattle driver. Here are some of the many ways we paid for
Tunnel visionSeattle gets split asunder by a manufactured deep-bore “debate,” which has no actual influence on the already-approved project (but does provide for entertaining and heated “Seattle process” rhetoric). Viaduct and coverTraffic-traumatized Seattleites endure the nadir of no-go during a record nine-day shutdown of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Many consider moving to the actual state…
Viaduct for Dummies: Now, With 25 Percent Less Whining!
So, the world didn’t end this morning in Seattle—but we’re not out of the woods, yet, according to the DOT. Just because this morning’s commute was “a skate” for some of us (not me!), we should still expect serious traffic problems as the week progresses, as people lured into a false sense of security go…
Check In: The Sorrento Hotel
This week I checked in on what’s going on at The Sorrento this fall, as fall is such a perfect time to drop in to Pill Hill’s iconic historic hotel. Fireplaces, books, fantastic brown liquor drinks and good old-fashioned hauntings — what more does a cloud-plagued, sun-deprived Seattleite need? What’s got me most excited is…
Viaduct for Dummies: Friday’s ‘Inconvenient’ Viaduct Shutdown
Oh, WSDOT, you almost had me thinking you cared about my gut-gnawing, borderline obsessive worrying about the impending “Viaduct-pocolypse.” Then today, in a WSDOT press release, comes this little masterpiece of understatement, from someone who might know better: “We know the closure is an inconvenience for drivers, but the demolition work is a vital step…
Best New Restaurant Decor
Our new crop of restaurants is reversing the overdone Ikea-meets-thrift-store trend with eye-catchin
Staple & Fancy’s wall with an old cigar advertisement (see photo above): When crews were renovating Ballard’s historic Kolstrand Building, they unearthed a painted sign proclaiming a former tenant as a “dealer in Staple & Fancy.” Though those words are on the second floor of the building, Ethan Stowell named his newest restaurant after the…