Selling by the seashore

| Pets | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle restaurants | WS miscellaneous

Two retail notes from Alki this afternoon: First, if you look down 61st, you’ll see this umbrella right by the Homestead:

Thanks to the Alki Beach Community group on Yahoo! for tipping us to the little produce stand now set up under that umbrella. Fruit on one side, vegetables on the other, all organic, obtained from Charlie’s Produce. According to what Homestead owner Tom Lin told the ABC group, its operator is a UW student named Eric. First place on Alki you can buy uncooked food since Alki Market shut down again. Speaking of that space …

… that’s the scene next to Cactus, as the future All the Best Pet Care continues getting ready for business. This will be West Seattle’s northernmost pet-stuff store, joining (north to south) Mud Bay, Next to Nature, Petco, Pet Elements, and Pet Pros.

Jan August 23, 2007 (1:54 pm)

what a great idea for the Alki area. Tom Lin didni’t exactly receive the warmest of greetings when he first took over the Homestead, opened slices, wanted to build a hotel on Alki. I hope that the Alki residents realize that he’s putting his money where his mouth is…he didn’t need to donate this space for Eric, nor did he have to offer his refrigeration service for milk, cream, etc.etc., that was mentioned in the Alki neighborhood group e-mail from him. I’m in the Admiral District, and never used the revamped Alki Grocery…I always wondered why it didn’t make it, since there’s such a need in that area…

Dis August 23, 2007 (3:33 pm)

Mr. Lin didn’t get a warm welcome when he bought the mansion up on the hill, either. Is there a pattern here? The lesson = surround yourself with people who know how to work with the public, and be mindful of zoning.

capriquarious August 23, 2007 (3:55 pm)

Dang…that is some expensive (I assume) retail space to be putting yet another pet-stuff store in. Maybe they think all the folks waiting for a table at Cactus will come in and shop. Good luck to them!

Gina August 23, 2007 (5:00 pm)

I always noticed quite a few flies, and an odor that was unpleasant at both the old and new versions of the Alki grocery. Not enough to scare me away from ice cream bars when visiting the beach, but I sure didn’t want to purchase any produce or meat there.

Kathy August 23, 2007 (8:00 pm)

I am Soooo excited for the Pet Store! Now Kiko my Shiba Inu and I can walk there to get her bully sticks! How nice. Thank you. I just hope they carry my brands of food too. AND Bully Sticks!

Alki Res. August 24, 2007 (8:00 am)

The OLD Alki Market (previously IGA) sold meat past the dump date! and a gallon of milk was $5.00!! also past the dump date. When it was remodeled it should have been a Trader Joe’s! A destination grocery store that would have survived the winter… instead of a glorified, over-priced 7-11!!!
p.s. a hotel on Alki !@*#!@#*!

Jan August 24, 2007 (10:55 am)

Alki res….when the Alki grocery went belly-up, my first thought was what a perfect location for a TJ’s….I hate leaving WS to go to one of their stores…which isn’t often, I’ve decided…

Bill August 24, 2007 (2:20 pm)

Jan, you think there’s enough parking for a TJ’s there? It’d be great for the in-area pedestrians, but having the lone TJ’s in WS there would spell traffic nightmare IMO. The Alaska junction Safeway location…there’s a good TJ’s spot!

Alki Res. August 24, 2007 (3:58 pm)

There is customer parking below and in the alley. The Capital Hill TJ’s, also a parking nightmare… but it sure would be nice not to have to get in the car and drive up the hill just for a loaf of bread & some milk.

Jan August 24, 2007 (5:32 pm)

well, being as I live across the street from Admiral Safeway (aka my second refrigerator), I never ever go to the Safeway at Jefferson Square. The few times I did I really didn’t like it…guess I’m just used to this one…I agree with you, Bill…it would be a great location for a TJ’s, especially if they would install an elevator from the underground parking closer to the store…