Tag Archives: central district

Business, News

The Central District Jumps the Shark

For better or worse, The Central District is not what it used to be. Signs have been legion: Scenester hangout The Twilight Exit moving to 25th and Cherry. A family-friendly pizza shop claiming the corner of 29th and Jackson–just a block from the putative home of one of the more active street gangs left, the Deuce Eights. And, down the hill on Jackson, the bakery for dogs.

But there has been nothing like this. As I summarized to a few Seattle ex-pats now in New York, here’s the gist: A new bar is opening on 23rd and Union. It will be “a vegetarian-focused bar and grill” with a stated theme of “urban brothel, but not too westerny.”

My friends had these responses:

“I know what each of those words mean but have no idea what their description means.”

“Grab a healthy bite with your newfound riches from Collins Gold Exchange.”

“I want my mommy.” *rocks slowly back and forth*

Due to poor urban planning, the Central District does not have a notable central gathering place or business district. The intersection of 23rd and Union is as close as it gets. Most of the action is on the east side of 23rd. On the south corner, a strip mall type development holds a liquor store, a post office, and a variety of businesses. The north side has always been dedicated to food.

On the corner is a fast food spot. When I was in elementary school, it was a Church’s Fried Chicken. (Which smelled great when the school bus rolled by). Then it became a Taco Bell. When I was in high school, it was a “B’s Beefy Burgers,” perfect for the limited lunch budgets of teenagers. Then I went off to college and I’m not sure what happened, but when I moved back it was a Philadelphia Cheese Steak–until January 30, 2008, when the restaurant’s owner, an Ethiopian immigrant, was shot and killed there. The space just reopened last month as Beehive Bakery, to generally positive reviews.

Just east of the fast food spot, since 1986, has been Thompson’s Point of View, a soul/Southern food establishment. But the owner died last year, and the restaurant closed in September. Now it will become The Neighbor Lady, the aforementioned vegetarian bar, brought to you by the owner of the Twilight Exit.

So, future Seattle historians, I’m about to sum up “The Central District, 1986-2011″ in one sentence for you. The northeast corner of 23rd and Union was, in 1986, home to a fried chicken joint and a soul food restaurant. Now it hosts a kosher-certified bakery and a bar for vegetarians. Cancel the dissertation, that pretty much says it all.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Weekending at the VERA Project and Columbia City Theater

You know it’s the weekend when it’s time to leave Capitol Hill. So that’s what I did the last weekend of September.

That Friday night I was off to Seattle Center. I hadn’t been to the Vera Project since the all-ages venue’s Belltown days, and the last show I can remember seeing there is probably The Thermals in 2004. Part of the reason for that long absence is because the Northwest Rooms are not so convenient a location for a rock venue, and part of it is because I am now an Old.

But I couldn’t miss the chance to see uplifting and catchy California quintet Grouplove, along with the bright harmonies of Family of the Year, and so with a little bit of apprehension, I approached the Friday night show. I took the monorail from downtown (because that is a pro-tip 4 life), and arrived at the Center campus early. It was a lovely warm fall night, so I sat around the fountain and listened to the world-salsa-jazz-fusion mix over the mini-Bellagio water show while skateboarders took turns in the fountain’s bowl.

The Vera was a welcoming place and–phew–I wasn’t the only Old there. I saw a few cool parents in the back of the room, though I don’t know how cool they were with the copious amounts of late summer pot smoke during Family of the Year’s opening set. The quirkiest thing about the venue is the gender-neutral bathrooms. I understand we’re all open-minded and not homophobic or transphobic or whatever, but ultimately, all that means is twice the number of toilets covered in piss.

Grouplove was befitting their name. The LA-based band is feel-good orchestral pop, and their debut full-length Never Trust a Happy Song, features sunny sounds and lyrics about naked kids and funny bunny weed. Christian Zucconni and Hannah Hooper are supercute together, and they even let Irish bassist Sean Gadd have a turn with leading vocals.

Saturday night I was down to Columbia City, via bus and light rail. I always enjoy that trip to the Columbia City Theater. It makes me feel oh-so-urban to take a bus from the Hill downtown, then the light rail, and through a residential neighborhood to the venue. Saturday night there was a firetruck outside the CCT, after a guy passed out (or had a seizure, depending on who you ask) during the first couple songs of beloved Swedish singer-songwriter Jens Lekman’s set.

But Jens wasn’t even aware of the EMTs and continued through his show, which was a mixture of old stuff from the back catalogue (“I Saw Her In The Anti War Demonstration”), his big hits (“Black Cab,” “The Opposite of Hallelujah,” “Sipping on Sweet Nectar”), and songs off new EP An Argument With Myself (“I Broke Up A Fight,” “Cowboy Boots”). Check out the setlist here. Jens was as witty and humble and dear as ever, and after his encore cover of Ten City’s “All I Want is Love,” he snapped his way into “Pocketful of Money,” and left the crowd feverishly whispering, “I’ll come running with a heart on fire.”

After the encore, Jens announced: “I want to meet you and dance with you,” and many took advantage of the offer, standing in an orderly Swedish-inspired line for a photo, chat, or autograph. Instead, I took advantage of the Columbia City Theater’s late-night happy hour ($3 wells, $4.50 doubles starting at 11 p.m.) and chatted with folks from as far as away as Missoula, Walla Walla, and Portland who had made the trip just to hear Jens live.

That Saturday was also the night I learned the hard way that while the light rail runs till 1 a.m., the last train to run the full length of the route leaves from SeaTac at 12:05 a.m., which I discovered when the end of the line was Beacon Hill. Luckily, a 36 bus headed downtown showed up quickly, and I took that till I was at 12th and Jackson, a mile and a half straight-shot from home.

So I walked along 12th, peeking into the business establishments along the way: the Ethiopian clubs, Ba Bar, the new sports bar near Seattle University. Canon still hadn’t figured out temperature control, and Eltana’s late-night bagel window was closed the one time I would have considered stopping for one.