Absolutely wild to me that you can leave a car with no license plates on the street in Seattle for almost 6 months straight, and the city won't send anyone to do anything about it. This is 50 yards from an RPZ that's patrolled every day, not off in the boonies.
December 8, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Absolutely wild to me that you can leave a car with no license plates on the street in Seattle for almost 6 months straight, and the city won't send anyone to do anything about it. This is 50 yards from an RPZ that's patrolled every day, not off in the boonies.
I'm curious if anyone has ideas for what the city could do with this small triangle of land at MLK and Dawson in Columbia City. It's a tough spot -- not great as green space because it's right next to MLK, and a frequent dumping ground for trash, old furniture and mattresses. What could it become?
September 16, 2025 at 8:12 PM
I'm curious if anyone has ideas for what the city could do with this small triangle of land at MLK and Dawson in Columbia City. It's a tough spot -- not great as green space because it's right next to MLK, and a frequent dumping ground for trash, old furniture and mattresses. What could it become?
We get a lot of different birds in our backyard fountain near Hitt's Hill, but this is the first time I've seen a hawk there. Look at this beautiful Cooper's hawk! It just perched there for a good five minutes while we watched from behind the window.
September 16, 2025 at 2:42 AM
We get a lot of different birds in our backyard fountain near Hitt's Hill, but this is the first time I've seen a hawk there. Look at this beautiful Cooper's hawk! It just perched there for a good five minutes while we watched from behind the window.
There's now razor wire protruding into the sidewalk on MLK near Hudson. This is bad enough during daylight but remarkably dangerous in the dark. The building where it's installed is looooong vacant (King Audio) and I don't know who to contact. What city department would potentially help?
September 4, 2025 at 8:50 PM
There's now razor wire protruding into the sidewalk on MLK near Hudson. This is bad enough during daylight but remarkably dangerous in the dark. The building where it's installed is looooong vacant (King Audio) and I don't know who to contact. What city department would potentially help?
We had a Healthy Street -- pretty much the same thing as a School Street -- in front of Aki Kurose Middle School, and SDOT took it away because it inconvenienced drivers.
Interested in bringing a School Street to your school? Reach out to us & learn the details here: seattle.gov/transportati...
August 29, 2025 at 4:54 PM
We had a Healthy Street -- pretty much the same thing as a School Street -- in front of Aki Kurose Middle School, and SDOT took it away because it inconvenienced drivers.
The Seattle Transportation Plan shows S Orcas St between Beacon and MLK as a future Bike+ Arterial. It's currently being repaved, but it does not appear to be getting any bike upgrades (and did not have any pre-existing bike lanes). Why not add the bike facilities now, during the major repaving?
August 27, 2025 at 8:25 PM
The Seattle Transportation Plan shows S Orcas St between Beacon and MLK as a future Bike+ Arterial. It's currently being repaved, but it does not appear to be getting any bike upgrades (and did not have any pre-existing bike lanes). Why not add the bike facilities now, during the major repaving?
How are we going to manage two line interlining when we can't go a single week without a significant delay on the light rail spine? It really feels like reliability has been regressing, not improving.
August 27, 2025 at 3:22 PM
How are we going to manage two line interlining when we can't go a single week without a significant delay on the light rail spine? It really feels like reliability has been regressing, not improving.
I was told by SPD that they don't have the resources to deal with abandoned or stolen and ditched vehicles in South Seattle. As a result, they sit on the street for months. Did you lose your Mercedes a month ago?
If I'd called about this in Laurelhurst, I would have gotten a different response.
If I'd called about this in Laurelhurst, I would have gotten a different response.
August 26, 2025 at 3:50 PM
I was told by SPD that they don't have the resources to deal with abandoned or stolen and ditched vehicles in South Seattle. As a result, they sit on the street for months. Did you lose your Mercedes a month ago?
If I'd called about this in Laurelhurst, I would have gotten a different response.
If I'd called about this in Laurelhurst, I would have gotten a different response.
There is something incredibly demoralizing about having to wait 90 seconds for a Walk signal at a crosswalk, then being given only 3-5 seconds to legally start crossing the road before you've missed your turn. The first 2 seconds are often just waiting for red light runners to clear the crosswalk!
August 25, 2025 at 9:28 PM
There is something incredibly demoralizing about having to wait 90 seconds for a Walk signal at a crosswalk, then being given only 3-5 seconds to legally start crossing the road before you've missed your turn. The first 2 seconds are often just waiting for red light runners to clear the crosswalk!
Any South Seattle folks know what's going on with the old Salted Sea space on Rainier in Columbia City? It's been vacant for 8 years now. I know there were plans to open a Peruvian joint, Limeña, there, but one of the owners died. It's a huge space to have empty. www.seattletimes.com/life/food-dr...
Tamara Murphy, renowned and beloved Seattle chef, dies at 63
The James Beard Award winner was a mentor to many in the Seattle food scene. She died Saturday, the result of a massive stroke several days before.
www.seattletimes.com
August 22, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Any South Seattle folks know what's going on with the old Salted Sea space on Rainier in Columbia City? It's been vacant for 8 years now. I know there were plans to open a Peruvian joint, Limeña, there, but one of the owners died. It's a huge space to have empty. www.seattletimes.com/life/food-dr...
Any suggestions for dealing with "blackberry lots" in the Rainier Valley? Abandoned properties that have been taken over by invasives+trash, blocking the sidewalk in some cases. No city department wants to help, and we all suffer. I voluntarily do weed/garbage control on 2, but can't do them all.
August 8, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Any suggestions for dealing with "blackberry lots" in the Rainier Valley? Abandoned properties that have been taken over by invasives+trash, blocking the sidewalk in some cases. No city department wants to help, and we all suffer. I voluntarily do weed/garbage control on 2, but can't do them all.
Parking enforcement is broken. I reported an abandoned vehicle near my house 2+ months ago. We get more than our share of abandoned cars around here. Today, SPD closed the request without action: "Closed due to delay in response time to complaint because of short staffing." The vehicle's still there
August 4, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Parking enforcement is broken. I reported an abandoned vehicle near my house 2+ months ago. We get more than our share of abandoned cars around here. Today, SPD closed the request without action: "Closed due to delay in response time to complaint because of short staffing." The vehicle's still there
Huge thank you to the anonymous staffer at the Seattle DSA who booked The Softies for a free concert on Bell St yesterday. What a treat to see this legendary twee band playing outside in the middle of a street closed to cars!
July 27, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Huge thank you to the anonymous staffer at the Seattle DSA who booked The Softies for a free concert on Bell St yesterday. What a treat to see this legendary twee band playing outside in the middle of a street closed to cars!
So bummed that Mt Baker Beach is closed (indefinitely?) right in the middle of peak season and especially on a Bicycle Weekend. I really hope they're able to reopen the beach access soon, even if the bathroom/lifeguard structure is a total loss.
July 27, 2025 at 5:52 PM
So bummed that Mt Baker Beach is closed (indefinitely?) right in the middle of peak season and especially on a Bicycle Weekend. I really hope they're able to reopen the beach access soon, even if the bathroom/lifeguard structure is a total loss.
How do you get parking enforcement help in Seattle? Is there any approach that works? Find It Fix It has never once led to help for me. Calling SPD can take over an hour and even then it's the lowest priority. Meanwhile a car is parked blocking the sidewalk for weeks on end.
Am I doing it wrong?
Am I doing it wrong?
July 9, 2025 at 3:37 PM
How do you get parking enforcement help in Seattle? Is there any approach that works? Find It Fix It has never once led to help for me. Calling SPD can take over an hour and even then it's the lowest priority. Meanwhile a car is parked blocking the sidewalk for weeks on end.
Am I doing it wrong?
Am I doing it wrong?
Me, to SDOT: every single day, this sidewalk near my house, just off Rainier, is blocked by parked cars in an illegal, informal angle parking zone. SPD hasn't helped despite repeated requests. Can we get some parking signs or curbstops please?
SDOT: best we can do is nothing.
SPD: <crickets>
SDOT: best we can do is nothing.
SPD: <crickets>
June 24, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Me, to SDOT: every single day, this sidewalk near my house, just off Rainier, is blocked by parked cars in an illegal, informal angle parking zone. SPD hasn't helped despite repeated requests. Can we get some parking signs or curbstops please?
SDOT: best we can do is nothing.
SPD: <crickets>
SDOT: best we can do is nothing.
SPD: <crickets>
Melancholy Monday morning mood, courtesy of Julie Tippetts. youtu.be/z9w-N_b7mVs?...
Julie Tippets "Now If You Remember" (1975)
YouTube video by Víctor Sanchez
youtu.be
May 19, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Melancholy Monday morning mood, courtesy of Julie Tippetts. youtu.be/z9w-N_b7mVs?...
Several times I've been on crowded light rail trains where the elevated seating area next to the driver compartment has been fenced off for no apparent reason -- no spill, no biohazard, etc. This eliminates 16 seats + standing area. I'm disappointed to learn from ST that this is allowed per policy.
May 6, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Several times I've been on crowded light rail trains where the elevated seating area next to the driver compartment has been fenced off for no apparent reason -- no spill, no biohazard, etc. This eliminates 16 seats + standing area. I'm disappointed to learn from ST that this is allowed per policy.
A bunch of my neighbors have collectively decided to turn this right of way into angle parking, which means they block the (already narrow) sidewalk. Every damn day. If anyone has a source for some free, very large rocks, hit me up.
April 26, 2025 at 12:15 AM
A bunch of my neighbors have collectively decided to turn this right of way into angle parking, which means they block the (already narrow) sidewalk. Every damn day. If anyone has a source for some free, very large rocks, hit me up.
Finally! Just got word that SDOT has upheld the approval of the permit for the Patio in Columbia City after 7 months of Director's Review. A small but sorely needed win!
Five and a half months later (!), we are still waiting on the results of an SDOT Director's Review of the issued street-use permit for the scaled-down, quarter-of-a-block Columbia City Patio on S Ferdinand St. I want to stress that we are talking about four outdoor tables and movable partitions.
April 24, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Finally! Just got word that SDOT has upheld the approval of the permit for the Patio in Columbia City after 7 months of Director's Review. A small but sorely needed win!
Five and a half months later (!), we are still waiting on the results of an SDOT Director's Review of the issued street-use permit for the scaled-down, quarter-of-a-block Columbia City Patio on S Ferdinand St. I want to stress that we are talking about four outdoor tables and movable partitions.
March 13, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Five and a half months later (!), we are still waiting on the results of an SDOT Director's Review of the issued street-use permit for the scaled-down, quarter-of-a-block Columbia City Patio on S Ferdinand St. I want to stress that we are talking about four outdoor tables and movable partitions.