Seattle Culture
Red Tricycle Recommends: 8 Hidden Parks in Queen Anne
Everyone knows about the bigger, popular parks in Seattle’s family-friendly Queen Anne neighborhood, but we’ve found some hidden kid-friendly gems that are worth exploring. Next time you’re in Queen Anne, add one of these eight Queen Anne parks to your must-visit list! 12th West & West Howe Park A tiny little neighborhood park that’s perfect…
The Ultimate Water Saver
Giant rain barrels and Washington's first legal grey water system set this Jackson Place home at a h
The 1,750-square-foot house architect Robert Humble designed for himself and his wife is entirely nontraditional for Seattle. It’s modern, flat-roofed and boxy, and was prefabricated off-site and delivered by truck in sections to the skinny, empty lot owned by Humble and his wife, Nicole. But that doesn’t mean the owner hasn’t tried to integrate it…
A New Low of Toxicity Levels
A Ballard resident uses simple strategies to rid her bungalow of harmful, hidden chemicals.
You wouldn’t think a Ballard bungalow with pink asbestos siding and lead paint would appeal to a couple with an interest in the environment, but Rachel and Izaak Koller planned to remodel the Ballard home themselves—wearing suitable hazmat gear. Thanks to the previous tenants, the couple had to remove or remake nearly everything in the…
Inside Seattle’s Super-Eco Homes
You don't have to go totally gaga for green to reap the rewards of a few simple home-improvement mov
Those who grew up in the 1970s may recall the appearance of a brick in the bathroom toilet tank—a popular do-it-yourself water-saving measure. Fortunately, living green has become a little more sophisticated in recent decades. In Seattle—a city famous for its green-built, LEED-certified offices, restaurants and condos—many residents have taken the green-living ethos into their…
New Medical Practice Finds Strength in Numbers
Local hospitals are pioneering a new kind of care for chronic conditions. Here’s how “group appointm
Unlike most people, Nancy White looks forward to her monthly doctor’s appointment. Instead of waiting alone for her doctor in a cramped exam room, the 80-year-old Seattleite checks in with eight other elderly patients in a conference room, where she gets her blood pressure checked, learns how to better control her diabetes—and catches up with…
Is Seattle Safe for Bikes? Mayor Calls for ‘Safety Summit’
Last week’s heartbreaking news of the accidental death of beloved Seattle barista Brian Fairbrother touched a lot of people, including many who work here at Seattle magazine. Within minutes of word of Fairbrother’s terrible bike accident last week, two conversations happened here. First, fond stories were shared about Fairbrother’s kindness and warmth, his originality and…
Super Efficient Energy
A Rainier Vallery homeowner employs the common sense - and human powered - Passive House standard.
The first time Dan Whitmore welcomed a group of friends to the nearly completed Rainier Valley home he was building for his family, it was a bit like a treasure hunt. “It was our first blower door test,” says the goateed contractor. (A blower door test is performed to check airtightness of a house and…
The Big Idea
If money were no object, what one thing would you do to fix Seattle?
Like most who live here, we’re fiercely in love with Seattle—but our love isn’t blind. Along with our singular natural vistas, thriving neighborhoods, leading-edge innovations and savvy, well-read locals, we have hideous transportation issues, under-performing schools and the all too common big-city heartbreakers: homelessness and hunger. If money were no object, what one thing would…
Orcas Landing Livens Up Hillman City
The glue to any good neighborhood is, of course, its neighborhood bar. Green Lake has The Latona, Phinney Ridge has The Park Pub, South Park would be lost without Loretta’s, and the epicenter of Columbia City is Lottie’s. Beacon Hill came a little undone with the closure of its beloved dive, The Beacon Pub (though…
2011 Seamless in Seattle Winners
Meet the winners of our fourth annual local fashion designer challenge
Each year, Seattle magazine combs the city for emerging designers hungry to change the local fashion landscape. In this year’s fourth annual smackdown, we saw a wild array of fresh designs that go well beyond day-to-day attire, from fanciful lingerie and sweet maternity clothes to collections made for the active Seattleite—hip dance wear, sportswear and…
Local Shopping Finds 2011: Trends
Three clothing and accessory ideas you'll want in your satchel before you head back to school this f
Oxford University (pictured above)Embrace fall’s thesis statement: The latest Oxfords mix prim and proper schoolgirl charm with bold laces and masculine-meets-feminine details for grown-up sass. Fom left to right: Bass “Reid” brown cocoa suede heel with contrasting cognac waxy milled leather panels, $79.95, available at Nordstrom downtown; By Hudson “Lita” gray and tan suede saddleback…
Clothing: New Boutiques and Vintage
Sweet new boutiques are flinging open doors to reveal shelves brimming with locally made designs and
Spun Sustainable Collective (photo above)(Capitol Hill) BEST BET FOR: Casual, affordable and chic clothing proudly made in Washington There may not be a bigger cheerleader for Seattle fashion design than petite and personable Sara Seumae, owner of Spun Sustainable Collective. After having trouble finding local retailers willing to take a risk on emerging talent, the…
Cool Art for Kids and a Local Designer Gets Her Twirl On
Frye Art Museum’s ‘Smalll Frye’ program makes art easier for little ones to swallow; plus, a cool ne
ART CLASS Sometimes exposing kids to culture is akin to getting them to take yucky-tasting medicine: You have to hide it in something sweet to get it down. The folks at Frye Art Museum have figured this out. In an effort to promote community literacy and get little people (and their parents!) into the museum,…