Featured Stories

Seattle is known for it's gray skies, dark blue waters, and dark green trees, but have you ever stopped to look at the city itself and noticed its colors? On overcast days like today, what color gray are the sidewalks, the asphalt, the stone, brick, and glass building,  the clouds, the... (more)

Freehold Theatre Lab/Studio, located in Belltown, offers a range of extraordinary acting classes including beginning acting classes.  For over 20 years, Freehold has offered year round acting classes all taught by working professional actors, directors and playwrights.  If you are... (more)

You might be familiar with TheStranger's blog, "Line Out," and the weekly "What You're Not Wearing" series. Each week, the blog picks a theme and take photos of said them. This weeks edition features people in Belltown and many of your fav 2nd Ave establishments and a few of my favorite... (more)

Today Jim Miller, president of the Belltown Business Association, released a letter to Mayor McGinn in response shooting that occurred on New Year's Eve (see video) outside of the nightclub, Copper Cart Cafe. The letter asks the City and the Mayor to acknowledge and solve the problem immediately. 

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HELLO ALL!

Well it's 2012 now, and planning for a 2012 Founders Day Festival has begun, and we need your help in a few places.... (more)

If you're looking for a great time in Belltown tonight, stop by Tula's for live jazz. Gravity will be playing with Hardcoretet tonight at Tula's, in a battle of the jazz bands.

The show starts at 8pm tonight. Both acts are well known in the Seattle Jazz community and have promised special guests will also be performing tonight.

Gravity is a Seattle based keyboard trio and production... (more)

I've been trying to find more information on this shooting, as it literally happened in my backyard and there has been very little info online. While we had heard first person accounts from residents and bar/restaurant owners, it doesn't paint a picture like this video.

We heard from a witness that the gang units were investigating and at least one person was shot, two people were seen leaving the scene in handcuffs. 

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If you've been out at night in Belltown sometime in the last year, there's a high possibility you've seen Phoenix Jones patrolling our neighborhood. Citizens, as superheros, fighting crime Belltown is obviously an interesting story - for both supporters and opponents.

Here's a recent National Geographic video about Phoenix Jones, with a lot of footage from Belltown. 

Good news, Belltown. The police are ready for the influx of people that will probably be partying in Belltown tonight. 

From KOMO:

Extra police will also be out on patrol, either in uniform or in plainclothes.

Police have already staged a command vehicle nearby that will run a series of remote control cameras watching for criminal activity near the Space Needle.

 

Be safe out there, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I know many of us are hesitant to head out in the hood on New Year's Eve. Sure, it is amateur night and the bridge, ferry and freeway crowd tends to come out in droves. But I promise you, there are events that cater to a more civil crowd, and are sans cover fee. Plus, you can step... (more)

Belltown Community Holiday Party

Thursday, December 22, 6-10 p.m.

At the Rendezvous
2322 2nd Avenue

Hey Neighbors! Let’s celebrate the holidays together! This is a casual, fun event where you can meet some of your neighbors and find out about great things happening in Belltown!

This event is organized by The Rendezvous in coordination with Belltown Citizens on Patrol (BCOP), the Belltown Business Association (BBA), Peoples Belltown Republic (PBR), Founders Day Festival Committee and the Belltown Community Council (BCC) as a way to help create stronger connections between neighbors.

Cash Bar, Complimentary Appetizers and Entertainment provided

The Belltown Business Association is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Belltown Sparkles contest. The contest is open to both businesses and residents of Belltown, with prizes for both categories. 

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Along with a few friends, I was invited to attend the "pre-soft opening" of The Upstairs this past Monday evening. Opened by the same owner of the Belltown tapas restaurant, Pintxo, The Upstairs features craft cocktails, an impressive beer selection (including many great microbrews) and a... (more)

Freehold Theatre Lab/Studio is excited to announce two FREE performances by youth entitled “We Are Tomorrow’s Today” with the Detention All-Stars at Washington Hall on December 10 as part of Freehold’s Engaged Theatre Program.  This performance is the culmination of a residency... (more)

Our Belltown fresh food options (including an amazing butcher) just got a bit more bleak. 

Just got word from the Facebook page of Local 360: 

We're sorry to say that, as of today, our Mercantile is closed. We'll re-open that space for group dining and Chef's Table dinners later this month. Thanks for all your support at our little store, we sure hate to see it go.

One of our favorite local bloggers, TossedSaladandScrambledEggs (that's long) took a visit. She must be a bit of an awkward date at the dinner table, what with taking pictures of everything that comes her way. But, it's a valuable documentary of all the delicious and beautiful treats that Pintxo is well known for serving up.

Their back patio is a personal favorite intimate spot that my wife and I life to kick off a date night at.

Read some more...

On Thursday evening James Corner, landscape designer, New York, once again thrilled those assembled at Pier 66 with his vision of our future. Now that the demise of the viaduct is underway the time has now come to begin serious consideration of “what next”. There is no question that there needs to be a comprehensive plan for what to do after the demise of the Viaduct. But did that plan truly require employing an out of area landscape architect, an architect devoid of local culture, local history, local knowledge and an understanding of our community? Among those assembled there was but one elected official, Sally Bagshaw. The mayor... (more)

Courtesy of Burger King @ 4th & Bell.

From SeattleTimes - By Sara Jean Green

The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program is a local experiment aimed at breaking the cycle of arrest and incarceration for low-level drug dealers, addicts and prostitutes. Completely funded by private foundations, the $950,000-a-year, four-year pilot program offers hand-picked participants individualized alternatives to arrest, from inpatient drug treatment and educational opportunities to housing assistance and microloans for would-be business owners.

Seven men were arrested for street-level drug crimes last month during a two-day buy-bust operation by Seattle police in Belltown.

Two of them caught a huge break.

Instead of being locked up, they were offered the first spots in a new program borne out of collective fatigue with the criminal-justice system's approach to managing the low-level drug dealers, addicts and prostitutes who revolve through King County's jails and courthouses.

Read More

The Belltown Business Association hosted forum on the business climate tonight.   The panel of speakers included a banker, a restaurant owner, a recruiter, a housing developer, an hotelier and a realtor.  The discussion was moderated by BBA President Tim Gaydos.... (more)

A nine-day closure of the State Route 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct will mark the beginning of the end for Seattle’s double-deck highway. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will close the majority of the viaduct until 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 31. To learn more about the SR 99 nine-day closure, visit our website.

 “One Mile Down Demolition Event”

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Reminder, if you are a Belltown business owner (or even a concerned resident) this is the event for you. It's tonight, Palace Ballroom, 5:30-7:30pm.

RSVP to this event here: Belltown Business Climate Forum

From our previous post:

On Tuesday, October 11, the BBA will be hosting...