By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Though a key feature of the kitchen is a New York-style pizza oven, new restaurant The Neighborhood is not going to be a place you can pigeonhole as a pizzeria, says its proprietor.

Since our first report four days ago about The Neighborhood taking over the ex-Peel & Press space at 6503 California SW, we’ve visited the space for a chat with owner-operator Jenny Almukhtar.

Though her restaurant-to-be is in the throes of a major cleanup and refresh, it already has a friendly feeling. Jenny’s in-laws were doing some interior work when we dropped by; her mom-in-law already has contributed the chalk sketch shown atop this story. That’s not the official logo, though, Jenny explains; they will have one, and it’s being developed by an artist right now. Jenny says it’ll harmonize with the different colors they plan to use to “lighten up the space” from the woodsy ambience of Peel & Press. You’ll see a mural-style version of the forthcoming logo by the front door, place names (like California/Fauntleroy) on the wall, and some other neighborhood-ish touches in back – hopscotch markings on the way to the restrooms, perhaps. And the name will be spelled out in old tap handles that Jenny and husband Ahmed have collected over their years in the hospitality industry.

What about new tap handles, and other beverage plans? The Neighborhood is seeking a full liquor license, which is what Peel & Press had, so no basic change there. They’ll have eight tap handles, with two of them devoted to wine; four or five draft beers, with a local emphasis (something from Georgetown Brewing, maybe Manny’s, will be included, of course). Cocktails? They plan a housemade limoncello that will play a part – such as in a limoncello martini. They’re also working on a Mezcal Negroni. And a lineup of mocktails that Jenny promises will be more flavorful and memorable than just alcohol-free versions of classic drinks.

But not pretentious, she insists. The whole vibe is meant to be casual – even though you might not draw that inference from a place that will only be open for dinner, for starters. That’s not forever, she clarifies. What they want to do is start simple, get everything right, and then look at how they might grow – pop-up brunches, perhaps? Speaking of which, let’s get back to the food.

“We know Italian,” Jenny emphasizes. That includes some time spent living back east, as you’ll glean from this photo she shares of herself and Ahmed:

Italian is a cuisine that’s “easy to execute,” she adds. You’ll likely see a simple menu with several main dishes such as “deconstructed lasagna” and chicken parmigiana, plus four or five appetizers, a few salads, and the pizzas – we took a peek at the famous oven, which can bake other items too:

Baked items, of course, can be sweet as well as savory! In fact, Jenny says they’re planning a lineup of “fantastic desserts,” including tiramisu featuring the aforementioned housemade limoncello, plus butterscotch pudding, gelato or sherbet, and “something decadently chocolate.”

Back to the pizza for a moment – Jenny plans a Pizza of the Month contest, modeled after the Burger of the Month competition from her days down the street at The Bridge: Customers will suggest it, there’ll be an online vote, and the winning pizza will be a menu feature for the month. That’ll be in the spirit of the community vibe she’s hoping The Neighborhood will offer. Having been in the hospitality industry since she was 13 years old, she says it’s her second nature.

That also plays into listening to what the customers want. Aware of the chatter about how the space was potentially destined for a bagel shop, Jenny says they might try making bagels – sometime.

But first – they have a plan, and will work hard to “get it right.” If all goes well, they’ve chalked in April 2 for a grand opening.

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Alki Community Council’s February meeting canceled. Here’s what they suggest you do instead

February 19, 2025 8:12 pm

| 6 COMMENTS

| Neighborhoods | West Seattle news

The Alki Community Council meets most months on third Thursdays, but has had to cancel this month’s meeting – originally planned for tomorrow – due to “unforeseen circumstances.” The group’s announcement has a suggestion of what to do instead: They’re asking for people to join District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka in supporting two bills before the state Legislature, relating to a long-running Alki (and elsewhere) issue: “SB 5417 and companion bill HB 1423. This proposed state legislation would authorize the use of automated vehicle noise enforcement cameras in vehicle-racing camera enforcement zones and allow municipalities like Seattle to deploy automated noise enforcement cameras if they so choose.” The full ACC announcement includes links you can use to contact state legislators if you choose to. Noise enforcement has been a long-running issue in Alki; Saka’s predecessor, Lisa Herbold, was working on it seven years ago, though the plan back then did not involve cameras.

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WEST SEATTLE SCENES: Sunset spectacle, and what preceded it

February 19, 2025 6:21 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Thanks for the photos! A multi-colored sunset has just finished fading away – Mark Dale sent the view above, and Curry Gibson sent the view below, showing the peach that preceded the pink:

(added) Bob Spears sent a wider view of the peach-color stage:

(added) This is what Jeff Johnson saw:

And just before it all, Marc Milrod caught this rainbow through the mist:

Tomorrow, by the way, marks one month until spring!

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WEST SEATTLE BIZNOTE: New future for ex-Pearls – Hagosa’s House

February 19, 2025 4:05 pm

| 13 COMMENTS

| Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants | WS beverages

That sign announces what’s next for the former Pearls at Delridge/Edmunds – Hagosa’s House. We got a reader tip about this pre-sign and have been trying to reach the proprietor, without luck so far, so here’s what its website says about the plan:

Hagosa’s House is a family-owned neighborhood cafe offering coffee and small bites, designed to feel like home. Named after my grandmother, Hagosa, the cafe honors her legacy and celebrates Eritrean heritage. As a Black- and woman-owned business, we are rooted in the community, starting small, growing every day, and dedicated to creating a warm, welcoming space for all.

The website suggests Hagosa’s House will open by month’s end. We still hope to reach the proprietor

BACKSTORY: Last time we mentioned the site’s past identity as Pearls was in May of last year, when a handwritten sign on the door said Pearls was closed for remodeling.

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CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Beach Drive burglary suspect charged, ordered released

February 19, 2025 2:34 pm

| 40 COMMENTS

| Crime | West Seattle news

(Reader photo, Sunday)

Back on Sunday, we reported on the arrest of an 38-year-old man after a reported burglary in the 4800 block of Beach Drive SW. The City Attorney’s Office subsequently charged the suspect, Christopher D. Montano, with a misdemeanor, 1st-degree criminal trespass. At Montano’s arraignment hearing today, according to court documents, the CAO asked that bail be set at $2500, but Judge Faye Chess ordered him released on personal recognizance. According to the police-report narrative in the case file, officers found him outside the house; he told them he had only gone inside for a few minutes and hadn’t taken anything. Officers say he told them he had burglarized that house before, so he was familiar with it, and that he was homeless, staying at a shelter, but looking for someplace “quiet.” He told officers he had gotten inside just by opening a door, but the housesitter, who had left an hour earlier, told them she had locked all the doors. Montano is due back in court in four weeks.

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FOLLOWUP: Seattle Public Schools announces Ray Garcia-Morales’s resignation as Chief Sealth IHS principal

February 19, 2025 12:14 pm

| 42 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Seattle Public Schools confirms today that Ray Garcia-Morales has officially resigned as principal of Chief Sealth International High School and from district employment. He resigned yesterday, according to this memo just circulated to the school community and provided to us moments ago by a district spokesperson:

Dear Chief Sealth International High School Community,

We are writing to share an important school leadership update with you.

Principal Ray Garcia-Morales has resigned from Seattle Public Schools effective Tuesday, Feb. 18.

The district appreciates Garcia-Morales’ dedicated leadership and service to students, staff, and the entire school community, and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.

Hope Perry will serve as the building leader for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year. We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and will begin the process of searching for a permanent principal. Southwest Regional Executive Director of Schools Chris Carter will be supporting the CSIHS leadership team to ensure that students and staff are fully supported during this time.

Should you have any questions or concerns Executive Director Carter can be reached at cecarter@seattleschools.org.

Sincerely,
Dr. Ricardo Torres-Morales
Associate Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools

This was Garcia-Morales’s fourth school year as Sealth principal. His resignation Tuesday was exactly two weeks after the district announced Garcia-Morales was on leave after his arrest following a flipped-car crash at the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge (here’s our original coverage of that February 2nd crash). We’re re-checking the case files to see if anything more has happened

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Mara Haveson, managing broker of Compass West Seattle: Welcome, new WSB sponsor!

February 19, 2025 11:55 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor, Mara Haveson. Our new sponsors get to tell you about themselves and what they do – here’s Mara‘s story:

West Seattle’s #1 realtor in 2024 and managing broker of Compass West Seattle, Mara Haveson’s path has been marked by a steadfast commitment to excellence in the real-estate industry.

Mara‘s career began in Pittsburgh, PA, when she earned her real estate license at the young age of 18. By 19, she had bought and flipped her first house, and by 21, she had closed everything from single-family homes to industrial properties.

In 2001, after honing her skills in the Steel City’s competitive real estate market, Mara made the move to the Pacific Northwest. Here Mara aligned herself with one of the biggest brokerages in Seattle and is now one of the top-producing brokers in the Puget Sound area, with a consistent annual sales volume of over $35 million.

With a vision to create something truly special for her beloved West Seattle community, Mara established her own Compass satellite office in 2020, right in the heart of the action. This satellite office isn’t just a branch; it’s a beacon of expertise and integrity, offering personalized service to clients across the Seattle region.

Mara Haveson places a high emphasis on taking the time to truly understand each of her customer’s unique housing needs, an important component in the negotiations process when seeking a broker. With a track record that speaks for itself, and a portfolio of successful sales that showcase Mara’s ability to command top dollar for her listings, her attention to detail, personalized approach, and unwavering commitment ensures that every transaction is seamless and rewarding.

“I love seeing my long-term clients come back time after time as their lives progress.” Mara reflects, “A client may have bought her first condo with me, then came back to buy her first family home with me, and now she’s ready to step up to a home with a view. It’s very satisfying.”

As the #1 broker by sales volume in West Seattle for 2024, Mara‘s dedication to delivering exceptional results for her clients, in West Seattle and beyond, is stronger than ever.

Stop by the Compass West Seattle office (4531 California SW) or reach out to her team at marahaveson.com to connect about buying or selling in West Seattle!

We thank Mara Haveson for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB. Interested in doing the same? Call or text 206-293-6302.

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Our list for your West Seattle Wednesday!

February 19, 2025 9:58 am

| Comments Off on Our list for your West Seattle Wednesday!

| West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

(Photo by Nicholas Parker)

Here’s our list of what’s happening on your Wednesday, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: As explained here, an event at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) will commemorate the anniversary of the order that led to incarceration of more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry, 11 am at Olympic Hall on the south end of campus.

TODDLER READING TIME AT PAPER BOAT CANCELED: No reading time today because the shop is closed for its move to The Junction (they’re hoping to reopen soon).

REJUVENATE YOGA: Weekly class at Viva Arts, 1:30 pm. Drop-in. $20. (4421 Fauntleroy Way SW)

TODDLER STORY TIME AT SW LIBRARY: 3 pm at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).

HOMEWORK HELP: Canceled this week since many schools are on break.

FIX-IT WORKSHOP: Fix it, don’t toss it! Weekly event, free (donations appreciated), 5:30-7:30 pm at West Seattle Tool Library (4408 Delridge Way SW, northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center). Don’t know much about the WS Tool Library? Learn about it via our recent West Seattle Giving Spirit spotlight!

FREE GROUP RUN: All year ’round! All runners, all levels, are welcome to join the weekly West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) group run – meet at the shop by 6:15 pm.

LIVE MUSIC AT THE LOCOL: 6:30 pm. 21+. Rotating performer slate. (7902 35th SW)

YOGA AND GONG BATH: 7 pm at Inner Alchemy Studio/Sanctuary (3618 SW Alaska).

TRIVIA x 3: Three Wednesday trivia locations on our West Seattle list: Larry’s Tavern (3405 California SW) hosts Wednesday-night trivia starting at 7:30 pm … Quiz Night begins at 8 pm at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) … and at 8:30 pm, trivia with Phil T at Talarico’s (4718 California SW), all ages until 10 pm.

MUSIC BINGO X 2: Two places to play on Wednesdays! Play at The Good Society (California/Lander), 7 pm … Or, at Three 9 Lounge (39th/Oregon), you can play MINGO music bingo, hosted by Mingo Maniac, at 7:30 pm Wednesdays.

SKYLARK OPEN MIC: Ready to take the mic and show what you can do? 7:30 pm signups for West Seattle’s longest-running open mic. (3803 Delridge Way SW)

Planning an open house, reading, tour, fundraiser, sale, discussion, show, meeting, presentation, etc., that’s open to the community? Please send us info so we can add it to West Seattle’s only comprehensive event calendar! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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THINK SUMMER! Registration open for camps at Mode Music and Performing Arts, Mode Music Studios

February 19, 2025 9:04 am

| Comments Off on THINK SUMMER! Registration open for camps at Mode Music and Performing Arts, Mode Music Studios

| West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Summer will be full of creative fun at Mode Music and Performing Arts and sibling Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) in North Delridge! Registration is open for summer camps – here for example is the MMPA schedule:

Graze that and you’ll see camps including Stage Combat, D&D, more. Go here to learn more about the camps.

At Mode Music Studios, rock-band camps are the heart of the summer, with sessions for ages 6-12 and for ages 13+ – learn about those, and register, by going here!

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TRAFFIC CAMS, WEATHER, TRANSIT: Wednesday watch

February 19, 2025 6:00 am

| 6 COMMENTS

| West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

6:00 AM: Good morning – it’s Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES

Rainy and breezy today, high around 50. Today’s sunrise/sunset – 7:07 am and 5:39 pm.

SCHOOL REMINDER

-Some schools go back today after a few days of midwinter break, but others – including Seattle Public Schools – are out all week.

TRANSIT TODAY

Metro buses – Regular schedule.

Water Taxi – Also on a regular schedule.

Washington State Ferries – Regular service on the Triangle Route, with M/V Issaquah and M/V Cathlamet, plus M/V now serving as the “bonus boat.”

CLOSURE ALERT

-As noted here, the Highway 99 tunnel will close overnight Friday night into Saturday morning.

SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS

High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera:

Spokane Street Viaduct – This view usually looks westward, with eastbound lanes at left and westbound lanes at right:

Low Bridge – Looking west:

1st Avenue South Bridge:

Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.

MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here (including links to live video for most); for a quick scan of West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras, see this WSB page.

See trouble on the bridges/streets/paths/water? Please text or call our hotline (when you can do it safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!

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BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS: Victories for both Chief Sealth IHS teams

February 19, 2025 1:32 am

| 4 COMMENTS

| West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

Story and photos by Tracy Burrows
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Both Chief Sealth International High School basketball teams played must-win district-tournament games at home Tuesday night.

After the CSIHS girls’ basketball team’s tough loss to Foster High School in the opening round of the tournament, head coach Mario Martinez decided to play up-tempo ball from the initial possession of their game. The Seahawks deployed a full-court man-to-man press the entire first half and wreaked havoc on their opponent, the Lindbergh Eagles (Renton). Sealth forced multiple turnovers and kept Lindbergh from setting up their offense.

Lindbergh tried to stop Sealth’s Alysse Bland (above), but she had little problem shaking off defenders. Sealth’s smothering team defense, along with a couple of key three pointers from Bethel Bisrat and Keimani Proctor-Mills’ dynamic rebounding helped the Seahawks build a 29-20 lead at the half.

At the start of the second half, Sealth started racking up fouls that gave Lindbergh bonus free throws with over 3 minutes left in the third quarter. The free throws kept Lindbergh in the game as they cut Sealth’s lead to three heading into the 4th quarter. But Bland continued driving and scoring.

Presley Williams (above) drained two timely 3-pointers and the team iced the win 50-37. After the game, Coach Martinez was proud of the determination of the team. “If we keep playing with intensity and energy, we can make it through to the State tournament.” Next up for the Sealth girls is an away game at Cedarcrest High School in Duvall on Thursday at 7:00 pm.

Now to the boys’ game:

After a heartbreaking 69-68 loss to Renton High School on Saturday. the Sealth boys’ team played a must-win game in Tuesday night’s Class 2 District Tournament game against the Evergreen Wolverines from White Center.

After head coach Ja’Lyn Combs made an early adjustment to address Evergreen’s defensive press, the outcome of the game was never really in doubt. The Sealth boys combined outside shooting with effective inside play and led by a score of 32-24 at the half.

The Seahawks went on a quick run to start the 2nd half by forcing turnovers and making quick fast-break points. Sealth players repeatedly beat defenders to the basket and Chase Valdez (above) poured in buckets from the outside. By the end of the game, the Evergreen defense was worn down as the Seahawks notched an 83-57 win.

Chase Valdez led the team with 19 points and Taj Washington (above) contributed 13. The team moves on to play an away game on Thursday night at either Foster or Lindbergh.

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