Seattle Culture
An Urban Oasis, a Suburban Sensibility
Why Maple Leaf is unique among Seattle neighborhoods
Located northeast of Green Lake between Interstate 5 and Lake City Way, Maple Leaf feels more suburban than much of the city, with single-family homes outnumbering larger apartment complexes. Despite its suburban feel, the neighborhood is firmly within Seattle city limits, and conveniently located with easy access to both the Northgate and Roosevelt Light Rail stations.
Illustration by Martin Haake
The Art of Edmonds
Picturesque waterfront community carves new identity
Edmonds bursts with the smalltown waterfront charm reminiscent of European fishing villages, but with panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains. The view reflects a community welcoming new life while honoring its history.
Illustration by Martin Haake
The City of Sip
Woodinville is no. 2 for wineries, behind only Walla Walla
Woodinville is famous for its wineries, breweries, and distilleries — there are more than 130 in the city — and bouncing between tasting rooms could easily eat up a full weekend and then some. Woodinville has more wineries than any other city in the state except for Walla Walla.
llustration by Martin Haake
Kirkland: It’s the Water
Home to more than 100 tech companies
This vibrant neighborhood is popular with young families and many of the 50 or so city parks include playgrounds often teeming with laughing children. In 2022, Money magazine ranked Kirkland the third-best place to live in the United States. In 2023, Smart Asset rated it the No. 7 most livable small city in the country.
llustration by Martin Haake
Must List: March 28-April 3
Mar 28 - Apr 03
Cosplay, Beetlejuice, and tulips
Catch Beetlejuice the musical, see NASA’s first artist-in-residence Laurie Anderson, or wander through the tulip fields. Get your anime, gaming, and cosplay fix at Sakura-Con, and don’t miss out on the live taping of a fun radio variety show.
Sakura-Con Returns To Seattle
The Pacific Northwest’s largest anime convention kicks off this weekend
“It is one of the only conventions where I have the opportunity to talk with every gamut of the social ladder,” Tobias McCurry says. “You have the people who are there to be silly and have a good time cosplaying, and the opportunity to talk with industry professionals all the way up to people who run the show and put things together.”
Seattle: Again The Place To Be
Seattle nears pre-pandemic visitor levels in impressive turnaround
Visit Seattle released preliminary figures for 2023 at its annual meeting Wednesday, and found that the region hosted 37.8 million visitors last year, an 8.9% increase from 2022. That’s just 10% less than in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic.
Foot Traffic Rises Again in Downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle Association: Slow recovery continues
Nearly 1.9 million visitors came downtown last month. Downtown averaged 85,000 daily workers, a 16% increase from February 2023. That, however, is only 57% compared to the same period in 2020, right before the pandemic.
The Indie Darling
Known for its gritty, industrial past, Georgetown now boasts an eclectic mix of locally-owned cafés, restaurants, and shops
“When I first arrived in Seattle, I was working in a welding shop in Georgetown, and I also lived on Airport Way,” says Tim Ptak, who opened the popular diner Smarty Pants in 2003. “There was nowhere to eat except for grabbing fried chicken at the Shell gas station, and I wanted to open a place where people could get a good lunch and grab something to drink after work.”
Illustration by Martin Haake
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Been to White Center lately? How about Everett or Edmonds?
Seattle’s neighborhoods — suburbs included — are as varied as the landscapes that surround them. Each has its own character and charm. The city’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity fuels that sense of belonging, and fosters a shared responsibility for the well-being and growth of each community.
Illustration by Martin Haake
Seattle Podcast: Tom Mara and Beth Barrett Are SIFF’s Dynamic Duo
Tom Mara planned to retire when he left Seattle nonprofit radio station KEXP after two stints totaling 34 years. That didn’t last long. In August 2022, Mara accepted the CEO job at the Seattle International Film Festival. Here, he and longtime Artistic Director Beth Barrett discuss how SIFF became one of the largest film festivals in the world, and what’s in store as the festival celebrates 50 years. This year’s festival runs from May 9-19 at SIFF’s four venues across the city, including the venerable SIFF Cinema Downtown (formerly known as The Cinerama).
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