(WSB photo)

By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Westside Bicycle‘s shop on Harbor Avenue SW has been closed often in recent weeks, with a reader tipping us off to a sign on the door for any customers needing to pick up their bikes. Now the owners have confirmed to WSB that their West Seattle shop is permanently closed, and are thanking the community for their support over the last 10+ years.

Westside was opened by the owners of Woodinville Bicycle, which has itself been in business for 25 years. Founder Mike Rabas and Pete Clancy, who joined as a partner in Woodinville, opened the full-service bike shop at 3418 Harbor Avenue SW in 2015, selling bikes, parts and service. Aside from their core business, Westside was also regularly a part of bike-related events in the area. As recently as the end of April, the shop was listed as being open as a resource for the Emerald City Ride, which had a route that included the nearby West Seattle Bridge. The shop was also a regular participant in the annual Bike Everywhere Day in mid-May, doing bike checks and simple repairs for riders on that morning.

Reached via phone at Woodinville Bicycle today, owner Rabas said he so appreciates the way the West Seattle community came through for the shop while it was open. “Thank you for the support over the years.” He says the Harbor Avenue space still has a lease, and it’s a “possibility” that another business may take it over. Customer questions are being directed to the Woodinville shop.

UPDATE 6:20pm: We just received a statement from co-owner Pete Clancy:

After 18 years with WB and Westside operating for 11 , it’s time to say goodbye.

I was fortunate enough to witness a small slice of life through bicycles — and the many wonderful machines with one to four wheels that brought people together. I saw tears, pure joy, pride from parents watching their children ride, and kids looking up to their moms, dads, friends, and competitors. Thank you for allowing me to be a small part of those moments.

The bicycle is a beautiful thing. Quite frankly, it saved my life in many ways. Because of that, I always felt a responsibility to be a steward of the sport and to help create a shop where everyone felt welcome, regardless of who they were or what they rode. My hope was always that people would leave excited to go ride their bike.

This chapter is coming to an end, and Westside Bicycle is now permanently closed.

Sharing a business can be difficult. Some partnerships are harder than others. But despite the challenges, I remain grateful for the countless riders, families, friendships, and conversations that passed through the doors ove

Thank you to everyone who supported the shop, trusted us with your bikes, shared stories, brought in your children for their first rides, or simply stopped by to talk cycling and life. Those moments mattered more than you probably know.

The shop may be gone, but the rides, memories, and community will stay with me forever.

None of this would have ever happened without the dedicated work of all our employees.   Thank you.

By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce feted 2026’s Westside Awards recipients early this morning in a bustling banquet room. While each one has a different story and mission, they share a core value. “They are not just award winners,” said Chamber Board Secretary Jordan Crawley. “They are examples of what happens when people care deeply about their work and their community around them.”

That makes it no surprise that the dozens of nominees for the Westside Awards come from not just chamber members, but the larger community. Annually, the awards honor an established business, an emerging business, a not-for-profit organization, and an individual, the Westsider of the Year, all chosen from nominations detailing how they make a difference in West Seattle.

This year’s awards, presented by Nucor Steel Seattle (WSB sponsor) and a dozen-plus sponsors, were held at the The Hall at Fauntleroy, with colorful awards in the shape of a cresting wave created by Jen Austin with Green Fern Studio.

Chamber Executive Director Rachel Porter set the stage by pointing to West Seattle’s importance within the city – the oldest neighborhood, with 1/5 of the city population living on the peninsula — and chamber members within the context of the larger business landscape, where small businesses provide half of American jobs. “The work of building a community is too important to do alone,” she said. “You make West Seattle what it is.”

Next, it was award time. Chamber Vice Board Chair and emcee Brian Callanan provided introductions, along with a video featuring the award winner, followed by a few words from those accepting the awards.

The Center for Active Living was up first, with its Not-For-Profit of the Year award, and District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka introduced the video, mentioning funds he helped secure in the last round of budgeting to support senior centers citywide. “They do terrific work,” Saka said. “The center has been truly a cornerstone of this West Seattle community for decades.”

The center’s executive director Amy Lee Derenthal was featured in the video, talking about the ways The Center for Active Living, formerly the Senior Center of West Seattle, is working to make sure older community members don’t feel alone where they live. “Isolation is super real. … but we have something we can do about it here at The Center.” That includes more than 40 weekly classes, meals at Margie’s Cafe and special events. “It shows all the work the board and staff has done.”

Board Chair Kristine Milkovich accepted the award for the board and staff. “On behalf of the center, we are so grateful,“ she said. “I’m 55 years old and I’m the target audience. It doesn’t start at 85 to 90 or 100. It starts today.”

Fourth Emerald Games, which Callanan correctly guessed is a reference to the Shadow the Hedgehog game, opened in 2025 above Rush Hour (4517 California Ave SW, Suite D). A “retro video game lounge,” Fourth Emerald is place to buy, trade and play a wide variety of games in lounge areas, along with an event calendar that includes competitions.

In accepting the award, Joshua and Tiara Silas said they have felt warmly welcomed. “One way I always found to connect with people was through video games,” said Joshua. “West Seattle responded in kind.” He said the enthusiasm has been gratifying, and he sees Fourth Emerald filling a need in the community. “One of the hardest things to get now, and that’s a good time … a novel experience. Thanks to the best side of Seattle.”

The Westsider of the Year for 2026 is Jessica Pierce. If you don’t know her name right off, you likely do know West Seattle Junction FC and West Seattle Rhodies FC, the two semi-professional club soccer teams that call Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex their home pitch, thanks to team founder Pierce. “Two teams in two years,” Callanan exclaimed. “Amazing! She believes in professional soccer.”

In accepting the award, Pierce had news. “The Rhodies are # 1 in the entire country right now.” The loudest applause of the event followed. She also had enticements. “They play again this Sunday. They play the Ballard FC team, Salmon Bay. I hope that you can help join and break our attendance record. It was 1,600 last year.” Nino Cantu has a capacity of 3,500. “We have Ben with Viscon [Cellars] pouring wine, the (DubSea) Fish Sticks food truck. If you don’t love soccer, you will.” Pierce also might get an attendance boost from some free tickets being given out through the West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) and West Seattle Food Bank. “I wanted to make sure that anyone can walk into our stadium on a Sunday afternoon.”

In the video, Pierce said she is grateful for the honor and the support. “We’re very fortunate to be in a community that embraces us. So many key people through the community; the connections have been incredible.” Pierce said she loves to sit in the stands, “and turn my head side to side, seeing my new friends and family.” Rhodies FC games run through the end of June, while Junction FC goes through the middle of July. “West Seattle can have its own little mini-FIFA,” Pierce smiled.

The final award of the morning went to Business of the Year West Seattle Bowl. Co-owner Jeff Swanson couldn’t resist the dad joke, despite the early hour. “We were bowled over,” he laughed. Swanson accepted the award on behalf of himself and the other two owners, Mike Gubsch and Andy Carl. Swanson has been there for 27 years, which is still just a fraction of the bowling alley’s history, which started in 1948. “We’re one of only two centers left in Seattle city limits,” he said. “There used to be 50. We continue to be independently owned. We’d like to thank the community for supporting us.”

Swanson says their family-friendly approach (offering birthday parties, fundraisers, and other celebrations) plus making the alley a “second home” to league bowlers has been a key to their continued success, along with a number of long-term employees. But he also says the sport provides a unique opportunity in a busy world. “Bowling is face-to-face, in person, no phone or distractions. You experience memories with family and friends right there.”

Swanson recounted that the West Seattle Bowl owners branched out last year to purchase Secoma Lanes in Federal Way when it went up for sale (as we reported here), noting that it could have been lost to redevelopment. Swanson says they’re encouraging the next generation of bowlers to get involved by participating in the Kids Bowl Free program again this summer, good for 2 free games a day for kids 17 and younger.

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce started their Business of the Year award in 2007, added the Westsider of the Year in 2010 and the other two awards in 2011. Past winners are listed on the chamber’s website.

Four and a half months after announcing the new home of Thunder Road Guitars and co-housed The Bass Shop (both WSB sponsors), TRG proprietor Frank Gross has revealed the opening date – and he’s inviting you to the celebration:

We’re having a party and you’re all invited!

I am thrilled to announce the grand opening of the new Seattle Thunder Road Guitars. This new location is almost a year in the making and we are over the moon with how it has turned out. Join us for a weekend to remember and help us break in the new store the right way.

Lots of exciting details to come, so stay tuned!

Saturday June 6th & Sunday June 7th. Doors open at 10am. Store ribbon cutting at 9:45am

2611 California Ave SW

Thunder Road Guitars and The Bass Shop are currently at 6400 California SW; TRG was in The Junction and South Admiral before that. The new location was previously the home of Mud Bay, which moved kitty-corner to the northeast corner of the Admiral/California intersection.

(Reader photo)

Thanks to everyone who sent tips about that sign sighted in the Morgan Junction storefront window that was long Little Prague (and briefly a barbecue pop-up). We tracked down Royal Bagel‘s prospective proprietor Eric Brougham, who provided this statement:

Royal Bagel is planning to open in Morgan Junction late this year at 6045 California Ave SW. A homage to the owner’s relative Royal Brougham, the great Seattle Post-Intelligencer sportswriter and local philanthropist, Royal Bagel will offer New York style bagels and schmear to-go with plans to eventually extend its menu. Updates to come as opening plans are established.

West Seattle doesn’t currently have a dedicated bagel shop; Zatz A Better Bagel closed in The Admiral District in 2015.

PHOTOS BY DAVE GERSHGORN FOR WEST SEATTLE BLOG

The first Van Life Fest at new West Marginal Way SW business Castle Climbing Club turned out to be more of a mini-fest, with just a few van owners showing up. Jim Gruff was there showing off the new van he drove up recently from Louisiana, where it was built:

Kirk Hoppy takes his van to national parks for months at a time; he also volunteers with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization. He marks the disasters he’s responded to with stickers on his top cabinet – six hurricanes and five tornadoes, among others.

The vans weren’t the only attraction.

The Climbing Club also had some bouncingjumping going on, with a giant inflatable landing pad of sorts:

We peeked inside too:

Castle also has a sauna.

The vacancies in The Junction continue to vanish, one by one. We’ve already reported on Anchorhead Coffee taking the ex-Starbucks spot, the Dave’s Hot Chicken and Gong Cha plan for the former Haymaker space, Viva Arts going into the ex-Three Little Birds, the official opening of Oona in the ex-Willow storefront … and now The Works Seattle, a Fremont business run by West Seattle resident Kellie Phelan, has uncloaked for the ex-Click!/Seattle E-Bike storefront at 4540 California SW. Phelan just signed the lease for the new home of The Works Seattle this week. We had been talking with her via email since just before the signing finalized her plan. Here’s how she explains The Works Seattle:

I spent the first decade of my career in environmental consulting, drawn by a desire to make a positive impact. Over time, I found myself wanting to focus that impact closer to home: building community, connecting people, and creating space for adults to learn from one another. In 2018, I founded The Works Seattle as the kind of place I felt was missing: somewhere adults could come together to make things with their hands, learn new skills, and connect with others in a genuinely welcoming environment.

We started in my kitchen and grew into a brick-and-mortar studio in Fremont, serving more than 5,000 students a year. Eighteen months in, Covid shut us down. We built DIY Kits to keep our team employed, and they turned out to be something people loved enough to keep ordering long after. We came back from Covid stronger than we went in.

The Works is now eight years old, offering instructor-led workshops, private and corporate events, a drop-in Maker Bar, retail, and DIY kits. The move to West Seattle is the next chapter, and for me, a deeply personal one. It’s my neighborhood. I want to live and work in the same community, and I’ve been waiting a long time to bring The Works home.

Here’s what will happen in the new space, and what she’s adding beyond what The Works Seattle does in Fremont now:

The same things we’re known for: hands-on workshops and classes in printmaking, natural dyeing, embroidery, floral arranging, stained glass, and more. Plus a full Maker Bar. The Maker Bar is a way to make creativity more accessible and flexible, where you drop in, pick a project, and leave with something you’re actually proud of, all for under $50 bucks. We’ll also have expanded retail, a more robust private and corporate events program, and set open hours so people can count on us being there.

The Maker Bar is the biggest addition from what her business currently does: “We’re piloting it right now in Fremont, but the new space gives us the dedicated square footage and infrastructure to run it properly. The expanded retail footprint is also new, as are set open hours.” (Those hours aren’t finalized yet.)

Moving to West Seattle, she says, isn’t just because she lives here:

Bringing The Works home has always been the dream.

Our current Fremont studio is tucked away on a lower level with an alley entrance. You can find it if you know where to look, but you don’t stumble across it. Alaska Junction puts us on the main drag. What if people could just walk by and see us? See their friends and family, their community, all making things, and think: “I want to do that.” That’s exactly what we’re going for.

And this move is personal in another way too. Last year, my daughter went through a bone marrow transplant. Being away from the studio for months gave me a lot of time to think about what matters and what I want to build next. I want to live and work in the same neighborhood. I want my kids, who have grown up in every one of my shops, to be able to walk down the street and see what’s possible when you believe in something and keep showing up for it.

As for the timeline: “We’ve applied for our building permit and will begin construction once that comes through. We’re targeting a fall opening. In the meantime, classes at the Fremont location continue through the end of August.”

Big smiles last night for Matt Vaughan and Kisha Vaughan as they showed off the big award Easy Street Records just won, honored at the Music Business Association‘s Bizzy Awards in Atlanta as Independent Retailer of the Year. Here’s what the award honors, according to the association’s website:

(The award is f)or a retail store who showed exceptional inventiveness and ingenuity in their practices during the past year in their interactions with consumers.

Matt Vaughan opened Easy Street in 1988, so its 40th anniversary is in sight! It’s not “just” a record store, but also hosts live, free in-store concerts – some of which have been turned into records! – as well as signings, listening parties, readings, and art exhibits – plus it’s home to a café and bar – all anchoring the heart of The Junction in the city-landmark Hamm Building on the northwest corner of California and Alaska. We asked Matt for comment on the award; his reply – “Not possible without all of you lovely people in West Seattle. We love breaking bands from all over the world, all genres of music, new and used; all while supporting our favorite labels, distros, pressing plants, graphic designers, engineers, photographers, journalists, radio stations, venues, and the musicians that make it all possible.”

ADDED THURSDAY NIGHT: We asked the Music Business Association for a bit more information on Easy Street’s honor. For one, they sent us more photos from the ceremony, including this one of Kisha’s jubilation while Matt speaks:

(Photo by Picture This! Photography)

We asked about some of the testimonials/comments that helped judges decide Easy Street should win. They sent some examples, such as:

Easy Street Records in Seattle is always on the front lines for our bands. A true partner to labels and distributors. I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with them on projects for over 20 years and their support is always there no matter what.

And this one:

Matt Vaughan and his team have made a real deal community center out of their store and cafe, and stepped it up even more in the last 5-6 years. They made a point to serve their customers during lockdown, bringing smiles to people when they needed it most. All retail had to change their ways during lockdown and think of creative ways to connect with their customers, but Easy Street went above and beyond with the most brilliant of ideas. Instead of hiding away during lockdown, Easy Street literally got out there on the streets! Matt would hand-deliver packages with his son in their Easy Street van. … They are one of the most well-respected stores in the country, and it’s time they awarded by the music industry…BIG TIME :)

One more:

Easy Street Records represents the culture of Seattle. It’s very difficult in this day and age to go to a city that has unique stores that define and represent their city. Easy Street not only is a giant sponge and encyclopedia of Seattle, it represents the past, present and future of the music industry. The store itself is amazing, but the restaurant, coffee bar and bar take it up a notch. It’s a one stop shopping experience! The staff are masters of their craft and you can tell all were hired with intent.

To be in Easy Street makes one feel as though they are a part of something special, the staff, the in-stores, the music playing overhead, the smell of coffee, the delicious food and amazing drinks make me yearn for one in LA, where I live. It is literally one of my most favorite places to visit in the world!

The Music Business Association sent a few others too in response to our request, but from those three, you get the idea.

(WSB photo, February)

Back in February, we reported that Delphinium Delicatessen was on the way for 3902 California SW. We have an update tonight from proprietor Cindy Beaver:

My shop is an homage to a shop on Orcas Island that has since closed (the owners retired) called Roses. I will have fresh baked bread from Seawolf in Fremont/Wallingford, wine, cheese, charcuterie, a sandwich and soup of the day (vegetarian options always available) and kitchen goods/ other foodie items. I aim to carry items that aren’t readily available at Met Mkt, as well as some staples. I will be selling local goods (West Seattle) as well as national and international stuff. I’m currently waiting on plumbing to be completed and hope to get finished and open before June is over.

Once Delphinium is open, Cindy tells WSB, hours will be 11 am to 7 pm Tuesdays through Sundays (closed Mondays).

Just announced, the recipients of this year’s Westside Awards, presented by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce from nominees suggested by the community. Here’s the announcement we received from the Chamber:

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize this year’s Westside Award honorees at its annual Westside Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Presented in partnership with Nucor Steel Seattle, the awards celebrate the businesses and individuals whose dedication, vision, and service shape the character of our community year after year.

“West Seattle has always been a community that shows up for itself, and the Westside Awards are our chance to say thank you out loud,” said Rachel Porter, Executive Director of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. “Every honoree this year represents something powerful: the idea that local business and community spirit are not separate things. They are the same.”

Westside Business of the Year: West Seattle Bowl

(2022 photo, student Nathan Tavel’s fundraising bowl-a-thon at West Seattle Bowl)

West Seattle’s only bowling alley started with 14 lanes in 1948, grew to 32 by 1959, and has spent every decade since proving that great businesses grow by giving back. This past year, West Seattle Bowl rebuilt and expanded its community fundraising program, hosting events like Bob’s Bowl-a-Rama for Ronald McDonald House Charities and Turkey Bowl for the West Seattle Food Bank, reaffirming what they have always believed: that a bowling alley can be one of the most powerful gathering places a neighborhood has.

Westside Emerging Business of the Year: Fourth Emerald Games

(WSB file photo)

In 2025, West Seattle residents Joshua and Tiara Silas opened Fourth Emerald Games with their own hands and one simple belief: games are better when you play them together. Built from the ground up as a true third place, it welcomes every age and background through monthly tournaments, community partnerships, and a retro video game lounge that is rooted in inclusion.

Westside Not for Profit of the Year: The Center for Active Living

(File photo, by Holli Margell)

The Center for Active Living fights loneliness and isolation every day, serving West Seattle’s adults through programs, meals, counseling, and a community that members say gave them their first real sense of belonging. In 2025 they expanded their reach significantly, partnering with a number of organizations to bring older adults through their doors each week for activities, lunch, and critical services.

Westsider of the Year: Jessica Pierce

(WSB file photo)

Jessica Pierce founded West Seattle Junction FC and the Rhodies FC on the belief that professional soccer should belong to everyone, hosting free youth clinics that served over 300 kids this year and partnering with King County to distribute 300 free tickets to every match so that no family is ever priced out of the experience.

Award winners and all nominees will be recognized at the Annual Westside Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, May 20, 7:30–9:00 am, at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Pricing for tickets is $55/65 per person. Get your tickets at wschamber.com.

Previous Westside Award winners in each category are available at www.wschamber.com/westside-awards.

One of the honorees, the Center for Active Living, had a big event of its own today – the annual fundraising breakfast – and we’ll have a full report on that later tonight.