I’d be interested in hearing more about All Star Fitness. I belong to 24 Hour Fitness and am considering a switch. I currently pay about $21/month at 24HF and was quoted $50/month by ASF. There are way more options at ASF, which makes the extra $$ almost worth it – pool, women’s only workout area, climbing wall, etc. The 24HF facility is small, and at peak times (5 PM – 7 PM) is VERY crowded – members are asked to limit their time on the cardio equipment to 20 minutes when it’s busy. I’m sorry – but if I am going through the effort to get to the gym, I want to work out for how long I want to work out and 20 minutes just isn’t worth it!
Some other things I am not satisfied with are the temperature – it’s very warm at 24HF. Often I am sweaty before I even get on a machine! They also don’t seem to have any cell phone policy, and I have had to listen to someone’s lengthy conversation about what they did last night a few too many times. With the demand on equipment, you can’t really just pick up and move to another machine, so you are held hostage listening to the phone call.
So any input on ASF and whether making the switch is worth it would be appreciated!
Jason Durante, the owner of Durante and Associates. He’s been my personal and business accountant for 5 years. He’s smart, has a frightening encyclopedic knowledge of taxes, saves me money and he’s easy to talk with! His office is right here in the West Seattle Junction too.
Jason Durante
206.933.7839
Lora Lewis
Owner Hotwire Online Coffeehouse
I just received this..thought maybe someone out there might be interested:
Greetings graduates and students!
I am hoping you can assist me in locating 20-22 women to be models for an upcoming Introduction to Pregnancy Massage class. Models will receive a one-hour full body massage from a current Cortiva Institute – Seattle student under supervision of an instructor. Massage will take place in a classroom setting. Clients will be draped at all times for modesty.
The massage will take place on Sunday, January 13, 2008 from 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM at the school – 425 Pontius Ave N., Seattle WA 98109.
All models must be at least 14 weeks pregnant and in good health. Women who are carrying multiple pregnancies, under 18 years of age, over 35 years of age or experiencing gestational diabetes may be considered with physician/midwife release.
If this description fits you or someone you know, please ask them to contact me at 206-282-1233, ext. 102 or khollowood@cortiva.com.
Thanks for your help!
Kelly Hollowood . Continuing Education Coordinator
Cortiva Institute – Seattle
425 Pontius Avenue North, Suite 100
Seattle , WA 98109
t 206-282-1233 x102 f 206-282-9183
khollowood@cortiva.com http://www.cortiva.com/locations/seattle/conted/
I completely agree with adding a Stumptown to WS. Caffe Ladro and Coffee to a Tea are my personal favorite places, and I only go to Starbucks when I receive gift cards, and I very rarely order coffee.
We order from Luciano’s a couple times a month and only once had a problem (and that was with a teenage attitude taking the order). We’ve never been over-charged for anything there, ever. We’ve also always received a repeat word-for-word of our order and a price, with tax.
About 18 months ago I had to have all of water service lines replaced – from the meter on forward. I ended up going with Collier Plumbing and have been very satisfied with their work. They installed all new PEX water service lines and installed an outdoor shut-off (which I didn’t have). I’ve since learned more about plumbing and have double-checked their work and am still impressed. Everything is to code (as it should be) and they pulled necessary permits. I recently called them for a blocked sewer line which they said they don’t do but they referred me to Rapid Rooter who were very prompt and reasonable. I was pleasantly surprised by their promptness and reasonable price.
I know this isn’t water heater related, but that’s my $0.02.
Jan, – Ah yes, Tastykake – I think they were out of Philly and everyone I knew wanted the three-pack of caramel icing-covered cakes. You could eat the whole package in – like – six bites. Perfect for teenagers with no sense of diet (that was me, btw). I used to work in the Harrisburg Farmer’s Market and sold souse, scrapple and tons of other “exotic” items. Scrapple wasn’t that bad if you fried it and poured real maple syrup on top of it. But then, Spam wasn’t that bad either if you sliced it thin and fried the dickens out of it. Almost had a bacon (cheap, albeit) taste and with the addition of maple syrup was totally edible.
I know the option I mentioned is presently not on Metro’s list, that’s why a number of RapidRide advisory members are trying to get a sense of which would be better. Metro never did a route analysis, merely mirroring the existing route of the 54 (not the 54X). A strong showing from residents for the entire alignment being on Fauntleroy would go a long way toward convincing Metro to take another look.
Sue, yes you can go in and do cardio any time you want at no extra charge. I find it more convenient to do my cardio after a workout, but if you want to spend six days a week in there you certainly can!
The caveat: there are only three machines – a treadmill, a bike and an elliptical. So far I’ve never had to wait for one, nor have I ever seen anyone waiting.
credmond, the map on the Metro site shows both alternatives going up California and turning right at Alaska. The difference comes at Fauntleroy, where the bus could either take Fauntleroy to Avalon or continue down Alaska to 35th.
I agree with you, it probably would be much faster to travel up Fauntleroy the whole way, starting at the Morgan Junction (and keep the Alaska Junction free of a big new bus station) but from what I’m seeing your option is not on the table… unless I’m misinterpreting your comments.
Keith, that’s good to know about FT, doing the cardio on your own. I always thought it pointless to pay a trainer $70 an hour to hang out with their friends at the gym while I was on a cardio machine and periodically come over and say “how’s it going?” That’s what happened in another gym I used to go to.
If you have a package at FT for, lets say, 2 sessions a week, can you then go in another 4 days that week just to do cardio? And is that included in the package price you pay?
Maybe I’ll check them out after my never-ending stint in physical therapy.
I started working out at Fitness Together in October and I really like it. You do your cardio on your own, whenever you want — it’s not part of your session with a trainer. I’ve worked out with all the trainers at FT and they’re all great, very focused, encouraging and knowledgeable.
The prices do indeed vary depending on what sort of package you purchase and I think the range Sue mentioned (60-80) is about right. I was expecting a hard sell approach when I went in but it wasn’t like that at all.
I used to work out at All Star. Loved the pool/spa/steam room and some of the classes were good, but I’m getting much better results with FT.
I’ve got a new pet peeve – the low spots in the alley behind Poogie/Husky here little lakes form and the low spots in the Rite Aide parking lot. Yikes! After a days worth of rain you have to be a broad-jumper to navigate these places.
I’ve read reports about HFCS inhibiting (something – an enzyme(?) a brain signal(?)) that tells your body you’re full, so as a result you continue to eat beyond necessity – hence the connection to obesity. I’ve pretty much stopped drinking any sodas/juices with HFCS – I don’t need help gaining weight!
I was somewhat shocked recently to learn that nearly all products with a Nabisco label and all products with a Kellogg label contain High Fructose Corn Syrup. This has been implicated in a number of health-negative effects (obesity being one, possible liver damage being another). By contrast, General Foods (Chex, Cheerios) and Post (Kraft) cereals and most Keebler products contain sugar, invert sugar or brown sugar. None of these has been implicated in negative effects other than being empty calories.
As a consequence, my family decided we would not buy Rice Krispies, Oreos, Fig Newtons, or Corn Flakes until such time as these manufacturers get on the ball and drop their use of High Fructose Corn Syrup. In this forum, I’m calling for the rest of us to do the same. Express our concern over this unhealthy but cheap food additive by boycotting Kellogg and Nabisco products. Yeah, nothing’s better than Corn Flakes with banana or Rice Krispies with raisins, but Corn Chex and Rice Chex taste pretty close even if their texture is different and Shredded Wheat contains only wheat – nothing else (well, BHT in the packaging material).
Although his office is not in West Seattle, Gerry Michael of G.A. Michael & Co. is a lifelong, W.S. native and a good accountant. http://www.gamichael.com/staff.html
you can find the prices for the YMCAs in West Seattle online here:
http://www.seattleymca.org/files/22/Membershipbroch907.pdf
Hi – we have just received confirmation there will be an event this Saturday, 10 am-2 pm, at the Alki Masonic Hall, with the Rainbow Girls auxiliary organization collecting trees for a $5 donation (the trees will be turned into mulch). We put out a call on the site recently for anyone else with events to please let us know — so far that’s the only one we’ve heard from. We also published info on taking your tree to the county disposal site that’s nearest WS, in this post:
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=4849
thanks, TR @ WSB
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?
