West Seattle Holidays: A merry Admiral Christmas

What will Santa bring? If Stu Hennessey from Alki Bike and Board knows, he’s not telling. Not even the kids who stopped in and looked up at the “on-reserve” section in Stu’s Admiral District shop (2606 California SW) on Christmas Eve-Eve. AB&B is one of the Admiral merchants who banded together to sponsor WSB this season with an invitation to “Shop Local in the Admiral District” this holiday – here’s the whole group (you’ll find coupons on that page, and more WS coupons here) – also in the group, Linda’s Flowers and Gifts on the SE corner of California/Admiral:

That’s owner Linda Harader, back left; we dropped by as she and her team worked on more pre-Christmas orders. A bit further south – it’s not just retail merriment this Christmas week – think local for your services, too:

That’s longtime WSB sponsor John Moore, whose Northwest Insurance Group is at 3210 California SW, has one of the more unusual office trees in the Admiral District – he says it was salvaged from a Starbucks where it appeared to be destined for the trash one post-Christmas season. We asked him for a holiday message – and he offered some safety advice:

Happy Holidays to our existing clients and future clients from Northwest Insurance Group! Please be extra diligent this Holiday Season to keep gifts and personal belongings out of view in your cars as it is the season for car break ins. Let your Neighbors be aware to keep an eye on your place if you are traveling during the Holidays and be sure to install some inexpensive timer switches for lights to go on and off.

Make sure you double-check that your plumbing lines have been wrapped to protect against freezing weather, and you might consider shutting off the hot water tank if it’s older since they likely to cause the most damage on vacation weekends or holidays. If you are brave enough to deep fry a turkey, please exercise extreme caution and locate the deep frying device a nice safe distance from your house! … . We wish you all a Very Happy New Year!!

(Northwest Insurance Group represents more than a dozen A-rated companies.) More shopping check-ins tonight and tomorrow!

9 Replies to "West Seattle Holidays: A merry Admiral Christmas"

  • the dude December 23, 2009 (5:56 pm)

    Just wanted to say Stu from Alki Bike and Board is a great resource for cyclists in the West Seattle/Admiral area. I recently (yesterday) took my bike in and had a great experience. Thanks Stu!

  • velo_nut December 23, 2009 (9:19 pm)

    Eh…. West Seattle doesnt really have a “Real” bike shop.

    Nice guys but we are really lacking here.

  • JumboJim December 23, 2009 (9:35 pm)

    Not a “Real” bike shop? You mean kids can’t really buy bikes there? Isn’t that a real bike shop if they can? Or are you talking about gadget-freak bikers and those looking for exclusive stuff. Maybe you will have to pedal across town to cure that Jones. Good excercise I hear. No need to insult hard-working, community-minded local business people

  • publicadministrator December 23, 2009 (10:03 pm)

    Alki Bike & Board is a fine shop and Stu has provided on the spot repairs at no charge on occassion. The mechanical expertise and product inventory at Aaron’s Bike at Morgan Junction is among the finest in the city. Recently opened Cycle University is more oriented to fitness instruction but does stock Specialized line and offers custom fitting.

    I’ve been a customer of all 3, and between them hard to see a cycling related retail niche that’s not being met in WS

  • sandybeach December 24, 2009 (12:33 pm)

    The kids were just complaining about the lack of a “real” spandex selection. It’s so hard for them to ride around in jeans.

  • Al December 24, 2009 (12:56 pm)

    Thanks Stu for years of excellent service!

  • Mike December 24, 2009 (3:25 pm)

    Alki Bike and Board is great! They know how to run a shop, know how to keep customers and always have what I need. Super nice staff too.

  • I just gotta jump in here December 24, 2009 (4:17 pm)

    I sought to replace my 24-year old bicycle this summer to remedy some features that constrained my ability and pleasure in biking. I checked out multiple resources in the city to buy a new one, and decided to try to “buy local,” and headed into to Alki Bike and Board to see what they might offer. After a very careful assessment of my specific needs – and complaints about my current bike – Stu configured a bicycle (selecting each component and explaining the options) that satisfied my priorities for fit and feel, navigation, weight, durability (ie sustainable) and aesthetics. The entire staff has been flawlessly professional throughout and very generous with helping to tailor and adjust my new bike. They are great.

  • karma January 9, 2010 (1:20 pm)

    Small businesses are limited on what they can offer, especially during hard times. However Alki Bike and Board focuses on what the true needs of West Seattle bicycle riders are. Always got what I needed and good advise on how to keep within my budget. Thank you !!!

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