Gingersnap, we haven’t been to BOW in a while but can certainly vouch for the folks there – before they moved around the corner a couple years back, my son and I had a regular walking route for a while that took us past the old location, and we would stop in to have a drink and see the fish (he was in a fish-fan phase back then) – proprietress Heidi always fielded his fish questions with her trademark dry wit. These days, we tend to walk more in the opposite direction, down to, and through, Morgan Junction. But while we’re on the subject of coffeehouses, and sort of apropos to a theme that Chas R keeps sounding, WE WANT A 24-HOUR COFFEEHOUSE! Or at least one that’s open as late as the bars.
I am a daily communicant at Bird on a Wire, located on Henderson, 1/2 block west of 35th. This is more than just a coffee shop; it is a community and the nerve center of our mostly nameless neighborhood near the Southwest Library. Great coffee, friendly baristas, and wonderful patrons.
I wouldn’t recommend All Star Fitness, but I’m basing that on their pool only. The lifeguards are awful and the pool lanes are not organized by speed, which is really annoying for faster swimmers. And there always seemed to be a problem with something breaking, whether it was the pool heater, hot tub or sauna. As far as the classes offered, I liked some of the Spin instructors and there was a large variety, which was nice. Overall, it seemed like a cheesy place and I’m glad that I quit, but other members seemed quite satisfied with ASF. 24 Hour Fitness doesn’t seem too bad and at least it has great hours!
I noticed that too coming home.
I flew by it before I could get my camera out
to take a snap.
Looked pretty messy.
hey…I’ve heard stories about NASA….I hear they have some really crazy astronauts – lol…
Jan..
Work, I worked for NASA. It was adventurous, to say the least. Almost got my head shot off once by a guy who flipped me the bird and then stopped his truck and pulled the rifle off the gun rack in the back of his cab and almost got run over by another guy gunning his car out of a parking lot and just couldn’t believe that someone was actually on the sidewalk in front of him. Yeah, Houston – Don’t Mess with Texas. Oh, you got to love the 100 percent humidity there, too. That and the average height above sea level – 12 feet. Lots of flooding in the storms. One house we owned had a yard which regularly turned into a lake when it rained.
The Metro RapidRide group is having a series of public meetings here in WS for the WS RapidRide. Jan 24 at the Hall at Fauntleroy, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Jan 29 at the WS Senior Center (Oregon@California) also 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. And, on Jan 30 noon to 3:00 pm at the Senior Center.
Presently they want the route to come up from the ferry dock on Fauntleroy and turn north on California and then right at Alaska. The stations would be rather large (though nice) and would be on California basically right in the block with ArtsWest and Elliott Bay Brewery – sort of blocking the street view in both directions.
An alternative routing would be straight on Fauntleroy to Alaska and then right. Both routes would go down Alaska to 35th to Avalon and then onto the causeway ramp at Spokane.
The Fauntleroy routing would probably be faster, wouldn’t disrupt the landscape along California, and would take advantage of whatever new construction goes in at the corner of Fauntleroy and Alaska (old Huling/Gee lots). The disadvantage is that folks would have to walk a few blocks from the current 54 routing on California.
Any preferences? If you have them, by all means show up at these meetings. I’d also be interested in a poll (WSB?) which offered the two options. The service is supposed to begin either late 2010 or early 2011 – about the time the Viaduct is closed for work. It’s also supposed to run 18 hours a day on no less frequent headways than 15 minutes – maybe even 12 or 10.
Thoughts?
Oh…SC, get that looked at soon – speaking from experience. We have the same underground system (concrete ‘pipes’) and unbeknownst to us, one had failed. We didn’t know until the ground had been wet for so long it finally found a very small hole in the foundation. One day during a downpour water started coming in the house. Wrecked carpet, drywall, everything. One has no way of knowing what’s going on with those drains unless they’re dug up. We ended up replacing them all as a preventative measure. Can’t recommend the company we used, as we had to have them come out twice to make corrections, but gutter companies are a good place to start. Good luck and I hope it is just in the downspout!
My number one Christmas pet peeve used to be dead lights in the tree. I never trusted those little lamps and every two or three years I’d have to replace a whole string. The larger bulbs were too hot and were dangerous for little kids so we never got used to having them around. We had one string when our youngest was a toddler and we finally chucked it. This year, for the first time, the tree lights are all LEDs and I’m hoping they last longer than a few years.
Otherwise, all the other pet peeves are okay. I kinda like sneaking over to Southcenter and breezing in and out. I go to Guitar Center and REI there sometimes because it can be quicker than trying to get over to Westlake area – either by bus or in a car. There’s a way, if those are the only places you’re going, to get from Gatewood there and back in an hour or less. Also, if you park by the bus center and just walk in the long way, there’s no real parking hassle. I always park in what we used to refer to back east as West Bumf*** – fewer dints in the car and you usually remember where you parked.
Thanks for the heads-up Jan, unfortunately sign says
“No Pets” which offends my cat mightily. :-)
Looking for a good and affordable gutter cleaner in west seattle just off the WS bridge (near Luna Park).
Jan, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gym that posts its prices on a website, so for that particular service, I wouldn’t necessarily be suspect. But I do find it annoying. If I’ve got $X available for a membership, I don’t care what kind of glitz and song & dance you show me when I get in, I can still only afford $X, even if I think it’s worth more. So I do wish gyms would post a price and just not waste either of our time with the hard-sell nonsense.
The main reason I haven’t checked out Fitness Together is the fact that it’s up a flight of stairs. (It’s over near where the 8 Limbs Yoga is, with alley access.) With my knees, I just can’t walk up a flight of stairs easily (especially since my surgery), yet I can work out for an hour with no problem. I had to leave another gym downtown for the same reason. I guess they figure that if you work out, you won’t mind a flight of stairs, but it’s a purely structural issue that doesn’t keep me from working out, just from doing stairs.
I tried googling to see if anybody had prices listed. A FT in Miami charges $70/hr. Another site (location unknown) said it ranges $65-$85/session. Based on what I paid for personal training downtown, I would think those prices are probably similar to what it would be here, but that’s just my assumption. I would also assume that they have packages where you pay less if you buy more sessions.
I used to use a trainer downtown, but I made a deal with her to only see her 1/2 hour at a time, so I saved money that way. I don’t need a trainer to watch me on the bike or elliptical, so I did that before my 1/2 hour started. Somehow I doubt that FT would allow that, and you’d probably have to spend the whole hour with them.
I’ve been both a driver and a pedestrian and have felt the frustration from both sides of the issue. What I have to remind myself as a driver though is that I have the greater power over the pedestrians, therefore I also have the greater responsibility. A mistake I make as a driver has a much greater impact given that my vehicle weighs thousands of pounds and is typically traveling at speeds of 30mph or more. If I need to pay greater attention or slow down a little in order to spot and wait for pedestrians, then that’s a responsibility I have to accept. It’s the tradeoff I should be willing to make for the speed and convenience of personal motorized transportation.
That said, in practical terms everybody’s got a lot on their minds and sometimes people do forget to check every corner at all times for a pedestrian. One idea that could help is speed bumps. A well-placed speed bump can be just the thing to remind the distracted driver that they need to check their speed and watch for pedestrians. In areas such as 35th where people tend to drive faster (although the speed limit is 35mph), a series of the rumble bumps — not sure of the correct name for them — might be in order.
To me it seems like the least we could do when people are quite literally being killed in the streets.
I can’t recommend anyone in West Seattle. But a trip downtown is not such a bad thing. I can recommend Darren Gray at Smith Barney/Donnelly-Gray. He has helped us from the time we were poor college kids with barely two nickels to rub together. He most recently helped us set up a 529 for our son. From their website:
The Donnelly-Gray Group
Consulting Group
E-mail Us
601 Union Street
Suite 5200
Seattle, WA 98101
tel: 206.343.2933
toll free: 800.426.7837
fax: 206.628.4425
http://fa.smithbarney.com/donnellygraygroup/financialplanning.htm
Sue…interesting…thanks. Is it me or are others suspect about a place who won’t post it’s rates/prices…? Interesting franchise…looks like they’re all over the country…
There is a personal training studio in the Junction called Fitness Together. I have not tried it out, but was interested in doing so at some point. From what I understand, you work one on one with trainers in your own private workout room. I am not sure if you can go in and use the aerobic machines when you’re not doing training though. They do offer a free first session, so you could check it out. there are reviews on Citysearch for a different area location that were positive. I have no idea about the price though. Their website is http://www.ftwestseattle.com
amy, most all massage therapists take a class in pregnancy massage. There are some that specialize in it, though, and they are out there, but sometimes hard to find. I went to school with a woman in lower Wallingford/Fremont (40th and Stone Way, who is train as doula in addition to being a massage therapist. Her name is Heather Owens. She’s not in WS, but easy to get to. I’m sure if you looked on the AMTA website, you could find her number. Or try one of us in the area. Mostly we work with you side-lying…lots of support pillows.If you want your insurance to pay for it you need a doc’s referral…
I’m looking for a recommendation for a WS massage therapist with experience with pregnancy massage. I’m experiencing a stiff upper back and neck pain, and have a month yet to go (and lots more work to do to get ready). I appreciate any recommendations that you have. I may call Head to Toe, but I really don’t need the whole spa experience, just someone I can see for brief sessions for a few weeks. Thanks!
The ID is packed with great Chinese restaurants. It all depends on what you like.
Here are a few of my favorites:
House of Hong, China Gate, O’Asian for dim sum–although most Chinese restaurants do a pretty good job with dim sum in the ID, avoid Ocean City.
For a great Chinese cheap lunch–Shanghai Garden, HoHo Seafood Restaurant, Hing Loon all come to mind.
As for WS–HoWin is about the quality of the Safeway steam table. Don’t worry about labels, just go to Lee’s and order the chinese dishes there on the menu. The chef used to be the lead chef at Wild Ginger for the first several years.
If you are on foot, you tend to feel cars are a menace. If you are on bike, you are annoyed with pedestrians and terrified by cars. If you are in a car everyone is simply in your way.
Stupid peds don’t excuse bad drivers. Most of us drive too fast, with too many distractions–stereo, cellphone, kids, etc. to really pay attention. The difference is that we are piloting a huge metal container around at high speeds.
We need to have better sidewalks, crosswalks, signage and sightlines for pedestrians. As Seattle becomes denser in the future there will be relatively more peds and bikes and relatively less cars. The time to plan is now.
I’m both a pedestrian and driver in West Seattle and Downtown Seattle. The fact of the matter is that there is fault on both sides of the coin on this matter. Yes, there are many drivers that ignore crosswalks but there are just as many pedestrians that either don’t pay attention crossing the road or dont pay attention to the crosswalk signals. When you’re driving 30-40 mph and don’t see a pedestrian until right before the crosswalk, you may be risking an accident more by slamming on your brakes (might get rear ended). The easiest way to avoid all of this is if we simply jail stupid people.
when Pedestrians start PAYING ATTENTION and learn that a Flashing Red Hand does NOT mean (run like hell across the street), maybe that will make a difference. I’m constantly STUNNED how many peds DO NOT LOOK at the CARS or THEIR traffic signals, as well as the walk/don’t walk signs.
and,yes..I have plenty of Rants against bicyclist that think they’re above traffic laws as well.
As far as I know there are 3 gyms: Allstar, YMCA and 24 hour fitness. Where you are located may influence which one is best for you: Allstar and the Y are further north, while 24Hr is in the south part of west Seattle.
I researched this a year ago, and I think that the Y and Allstar are both great. I went with Allstar, just felt better there and it cost less. I love it, particularly all the classes.
Like ’em! Took me a few to figure out that I can separate RRR and Open Discussion topics but that makes it easier to navigate. The big combined list is overwhelming to me otherwise so I like that option.
Recently got to visit a Kidd Valley for the first time in years – son had never been. Grrreat! We did the whole shabang…burgers, deep fried mushrooms, onion rings, banana milkshake (with chunks of fresh banana clogging the straw, mmmm). Please, please come to WS!!
