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Strawberry Pancakes @ IHOP
Originally uploaded by Ankur's
According to the definition on Wikipedia, IHOP is not on Capitol Hill. However, I think any frequent patron of Po Dog, Barista Boys, or anything on Broadway south of Pike might (also not technically in Capitol Hill by their definition), is more than willing to throw out what Wikipedia says and incorporate the triangle between Pike, Madison, and Broadway into our fair community. God knows they're not part of First Hill or Central District.
So, if you didn't already think of IHOP as part of Capitol Hill, I hope you do now. And to celebrate having a 24-hour restaurant in the neighborhood (Are you aware of any others? Seriously. Are you? I'd like to know.), you should all go to their Free Pancake Day this (upcoming) Tuesday (2/23) from 7AM to 10PM. It's part of their fundraising efforts for the Children's Miracle Network so you should expect to drop a couple dollars in the pot before you leave. You should also probably plan on waiting a while for a table if you go in any large group. But you know it's worth it.
QUICK UPDATE BEFORE I POST: I just noticed that this CHS Blog has already defined the area mentioned above to be the Union Triangle. I'm glad to see that I'm not stepping on any toes that haven't already been stepped on by claiming that the area belongs to us.
E. Union's gourmet hot dog shop Po Dog was hit by a night-time burglary this week. Here's what Po owner Laura Olsen told us about the early Wednesday morning crime:
Police found a guy walking down the street at 4am with our tv (from Po).
Luckily we have security cameras so other than a broken window and a missing tv and broken POS we are fine. No money was taken, just the tv, remote and a few Rainiers and a Coors Light
Today, SPD has released this report describing the capture of the TV thief. Sounds like a local who gets around Pike/Pine -- E. Union, 10th Ave, East Pine. We think SPD screwed up the date of the initial contact with the suspect -- according to Olsen, this happened on the 27th. But good to see they hauled in the big screen burglar in. No mention of what happened to those Rainiers, by the way.
On January 28th an East Precinct patrol officer saw a male subject walking on 10th Avenue with a large television. The officer stopped to investigate further. The subject told the officer that he found the television. Upon further inquiry, the subject’s story was found to be very vague. The officer identified and released the subject, completed a Found Property Report and placed the television into evidence.
Later that day officers were dispatched to a burglary in the same area. Upon examining video evidence at the scene, investigating officers determined that the subject stopped earlier with the TV was the same person in the video. Officers and detectives attempted to re-contact the suspect to no avail. Information about the incident was disseminated within the Department, and officers and detectives were told to be on the lookout for the suspect.
On January 29th at approximately 10:19 a.m. a patrol officer was driving in the 800 block of East Pine Street when he recognized the above listed burglary suspect walking on the sidewalk. The officer stopped the suspect, verified his identity and took him into custody. Burglary detectives interviewed the 37-year-old male suspect and he was subsequently booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Burglary.
New year, new you, right? Gyms are always more crowded in January than any other time, until attendance dwindles to a lull about mid-March. Why is that? Boredom, fatigue or lack of motivation are a few reasons not to drag yourself off the couch and into the gym during the winter.
New Capitol Hill gym Foundation CrossFit promises to change that. They offer outside-the-box workout strategies and fun tools to get you motivated in their new gym, located at 1422 11th Ave., down the driveway underneath the rear entrance of Pacific Supply Co.
The gym's grand opening is this Sunday, January 31st beginning at 11 a.m. You'll get to meet the staff, watch a fitness demonstration and even work out with them if you want to. There will be a special grand opening membership pricing offer to those in attendance. Door prizes and merchandise will be given away and Foundation CrossFit will host a potluck with some local vendors and Seattle DJ Marc Sense will entertain the crowd.
Foundation CrossFit features a 2400 square foot workout space in a warehouse setting - a big change from the 300 square foot garage the company started in. Open space to move and work is essential to the CrossFit philosophy. They have done group workouts at Cal Anderson in good weather and encourage movement.
"We want you to use your body as you would in real life," said gym owner Tony Lau.
Here, treadmills and ellipticals are taboo - kettlebells, sledgehammers, wooden dowels, PVC pipes and even pogo sticks are part of their arsenal.
"Foundation CrossFit is a move away from the typical 'Globo Gym,' " said Andrew Bueno, the head trainer and co-owner of Foundation CrossFit. "When your workspace is fancy and full of plasma TVs, fancy couches, walls covered in mirrors and machines that keep you admiring them instead of using them, you make no progress."
The gym will feature hour-long classes that will begin with a group warm-up then skill lesson, followed by 20 minutes of intense exercise and cool down. Individual progress will be tracked so the member can see what they've achieved after a number of workouts.
"The beauty of our program is that all the exercises are universally scaleable, meaning that all skill levels can workout at the same time," said Andrew. "For instance, whereas a seasoned CrossFitter might deadlift 400 [plus] pounds, a beginner will be taught with a wooden dowel or a pvc pipe filled with sand. Both will receive the benefits of a workout dialed into their personal intensity bounds."
If you're the type of person who walks in to a gym head down with headphones on and walks straight to the nearest elliptical, this gym may not be the place for you. The trainers keep score after the workouts to see who is performing at what level, pushing each to their limit and encouraging friendly competition along the way.
"It's like PE class for adults," said Andrew.
Foundation CrossFit offers a free one-hour individual consultation with Andrew. In that hour he discusses individual fitness goals and special needs, gives a tour of the facility and offers an optional workout to get the ball rolling.
"Our training system emphasizes mechanics, consistency, and intensity," said Andrew.
The drop-in class rate is $20 per class. They will also offer monthly CrossFit rates that reflect a significant discount, depending on how often a client attends the classes - ranging from $135 ($15 per class) for two classes per week to $185 ($8 per class) for unlimited classes per month.
UPDATE - The Grand Opening Promotion will run through the month of February. Unlimited CrossFit at $135/month (originally $185). This promotion is valid throughout the entire month of February, and you may prepay for as many months of Unlimited CrossFit at this rate before the promotion ends.
Find Foundation CrossFit on Facebook, follow them on Twitter or check out their website or Yelp! page.
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A man shot in the chest in what he said was an attempt to steal his watch back in November near Boylston and E. Union is recovering from his injuries in King County Jail, East Precinct Commander Capt. Jim Dermody told the audience at a community crime meeting Thursday night.
"He's someone who was on our radar," Dermody said.
According to Dermody, detectives discovered that the victim in the shooting had a felony warrant out for his arrest. Dermody also said the man was in possession of a firearm and was a registered sex offender.
The November 20th shooting caused a flurry of dangerous activity in a parking lot on Union near Boylston around 6 PM on a Friday night. This woman shared an eye-witness account of the gunfight on CHS. The suspect in the crime was described only as a white male, wearing a red shirt and driving a black Mercedes Benz. Dermody said police are still looking for the suspect.
We'll have complete coverage of the East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition meeting soon.
Police cordon off the streets around the November shooting scene.
CHS Sponsor Po Dog reported today that they were burgled in the early hours of the morning. Asked about loss or damages, Po Dog owner Laura Olsen shared the following:
Police found a guy walking down the street at 4am with our tv (from Po).
Luckily we have security cameras so other than a broken window and a missing tv and broken POS we are fine. No money was taken, just the tv, remote and a few Rainiers and a Coors Light
Po Dog does not currently have a television but expect to have it returned to them once the SPD is finished with their investigation.
Join us for an evening of dinner, dancing, and celebration at our 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Ball: Vegas Nights! Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love the night before Valentine's Day as we raise funds to benefit The Pink Daisy Project (formerly Breast Cancer Sisterhood) in their noble mission to support young women and their families as they undergo treatment for breast cancer.
Les Faeries Vertes is Seattle's Mardi Gras krewe formed in 2008 to raise funds for a charity selected by our members each year. We will be hosting our second annual Mardi Gras event with an evening of Mardi Gras entertainment by Miss Kitty Baby, tableau parade, cocktail hour, a catered dinner, dessert dash, raffle, and night dancing at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 722 East Union Street on Saturday February 13th, 2010.
The suggested ticket donation ticket price of $80/person includes the full catered dinner, drinks, and dancing the night away to benefit The Pink Daisy Project. Tickets available at www.lesfaeriesvertes.org. Advance tickets only -- no ticket sales at the door!
Don't forget to bring cash or your check book to participate in our fabulous raffle for prizes and our dessert dash race!
THIS IS A FORMAL/BLACK SUIT EVENT, SO PLEASE DRESS ACCORDINGLY. Mardi Gras or Las Vegas themed costumes, masks and accessories are highly encouraged as an addition to or in lieu of formal attire!
NOTE: No one under 21 years old will be admitted.
Isabel is wearing this standout coat perfectly by keeping everything else simple and letting the coat speak for itself. Leopard print coats are so often in a peacoat style. Isabel's trench style with a synched waist looks gorgeous. I didn't notice the clever bag until I was looking at the photos later on. I have been seeing some really fun outfits in the recent weeks with all of our mild weather and it is getting me excited for spring way too early.
For more street style photos from around Capitol Hill and the rest of Seattle check out my website: It's My Darlin.
I Love New York Deli announced plans last week for a Capitol Hill expansion beyond their two current locations in Pike Place Market and the University District. Good sandwiches are good news! But there's a big hole in the story -- where exactly will the new Capitol Hill deli be located.
We spoke to owner Jon Jacobs last Friday as he was on his way to delivering a signed lease to the broker. We are still waiting for confirmation from Jon on the location of the new I <3 NY but based on information we have gathered -- the new shop will be 6,000 square feet and is located off Broadway near Pike/Pine -- we believe they will be opening the location at 954 East Union. This is the only space that's been available of this size (there's still another 14,000 square feet available at this location as of 1/13/10) that is off Broadway in close proximity to Pike/Pine.
Just a quick note to let you know we're planning our first CHS get-together of 2010. Join us on Tuesday, January 19th from 5-7p at Po Dog Hot Dogs. We'll be smack dab in the middle of Po's daily happy hour -- 4:30 - 6:30 M-F with Mini Dog Sliders ($4.97) and Homemade Chips & Fries ($1.75) plus PBR Draft ($2), Manny's Draft ($3), Domestic Bottles ($2.5) and Import ($3). -- and we'll also get a 30 minute hh bonus. Po Dog is a sponsor of the site so we like to return some of the love but we're up for getting together anywhere on the Hill. For equal time, let's start planning a CHS hot dog street vendor event for August.
As we noted last month, the Buzz Stop's longtime operator, Roberta Falk decided against signing a lease with the new owner of 1111 East Union Street, Union & Madison LLC. Today marks the official debut of Barista Boyz. Thanks for all the tips about the new name for the little walk-up coffee shop. They were open last week but not their full, normal hours. I spoke to Wayne, one of the eponymous barista boyz, and asked him about the name.
He told me that the name is meant to appeal to Capitol Hill gays, and the coffee stand will be staffed with cute (but fully clothed) baristas. Barista Boyz will not be competing in the bikini barrista space. Their hours of operation will be 6 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 6 am to 3 pm on Saturdays. Check them out and let us know what you think on the Barista Boyz review page.
Seattle Academy students welcome the Boyz
There are two types of businesses that we hear CHS readers commonly ask about: bakeries and sports bars. While we do not know of options other than North Hill Bakery and Essential Bakery (more Madison Valley), we can report that a new sports bar will be coming to the Hill in 2010. Laura Olson of (CHS Sponsor) Po Dog told us to be on the lookout for Auto Battery. Laura describes Auto Battery as the following:
"Auto Battery is a hybrid News coffee shop and Sports bar (complete with shuffle board tables) It will be open 6am-2am. Feature free wi-fi and 14 televisions."
For current sports fans, I have occasionally spied sports on the Chao Bistro televisions and of course at the Elite. We do have a number of venues (like the Hopvine and the Canterbury) that will occasionally have sports on (but do not define themselves as sports bars). As for shuffleboard on the Hill, sadly - shuffleboard at Clever Dunnes ceased earlier this year when the table broke. In other words, Auto Battery will definitely fill a niche. Let us know if we're overlooking any shuffleboard venues and/or sports bars on the Hill. Meanwhile, a few blocks away on Pike, the Unicorn prepares for its multi-colored stripey debut in the old home of the Satellite Lounge. Its Web site says the bar opens in seven days but as with previous bar and restaurant openings on the Hill, don't be surprised if Unicorn misses its target.
We don't cover a lot of sports here on CHS -- and I'm not sure we've ever posted about high school athletics. I assure you it has very little to do with the fact that I spent my lunch periods in high school hiding from the jocks behind the cafeteria. Here's a tip we received from TheSunBreak.com's sports guy Seth about a talented young athlete visiting the Hill tonight who will likely lay waste to our own talented young athletes:
Thought you might want to know about a pretty sweet high school hoops game tonight on the Hill. Well, it won't actually be a good game, but it does feature one of the best players in the state: John Gage of Vashon Island, ranked the #17-best high school center in the nation.
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&;p=8&c=1&nid=4236817
Vashon is playing at Seattle Academy at 7:30 tonight. Not sure whether I'll head over or not (depends on whether I can convince someone to go with me). Gage -- he's 6'10" and has signed a letter of intent to play at Stanford, will probably dominate.
Here is an eyewitness account from a woman who says she and her child were within 15 feet of the victim in Friday night's E. Union shooting. She describes the moment the victim was shot and his struggle to get back on his feet before falling back to the pavement. We're re-posting the report but are redacting her name and her family members' first names even though she posted the information publicly. We are also not linking to the page where she posted this information.
So Fri night, the night before my birthday, I was walking to the store at about 6 pm to meet [redacted] and get some groceries. I made it out of my house a couple of blocks, with [redacted] in the stroller. when all of a sudden, about 10-15 feet in front of us, we saw someone get shot 4-5 times point blank, and then a black car drove off very fast.
The guy that was shot fell to the ground, and got up and then fell down again. Some other people were near me on the sidewalk and they went to help the guy. I headed straight back for home as quickly as possible to get [redacted] safe since some psycho shooter was driving around the neighborhood.
I call the police and told them what i saw as i was going home. they said they would send a medic, and i heard a ton of sirens. i also kept telling people who were walking that way to look out because someone was just shot. I didnt know if the shooter was going to come back again or not.
As I was sitting at home waiting for my fiance to get home, I saw helicopters above our apt building looking down on the crime scene. then i saw a short piece about the shooting on the news. The police called me and asked if they could come over and talk to me about what happened. When they got here, they said they think it might end up being a homicide, the guy was in bad shape when he was sent to harborview hospital i guess.
I am not sure if he lived or not...the police said they will probably want me to come in and do a written statement, and a taped statement. Oh the joys of being a good citizen :-P Hope I dont have to go in... And I really hope the guy didnt die...
Im so glad [redacted] and I are ok, and Im so glad I didnt leave the house a few seconds sooner, or we would have been in the range of bullets...
[redacted]~
The victim was taken to Harborview with life-threatening injuries. There has been no update on his condition. Police are still looking for the suspected shooter. He is described as a white male driving a black, late model Mercedes Benz. He was wearing a red shirt at the time of the shooting. Anybody with information is encouraged to call 911.
Capitol Hill Seattle has been alerted to an apparent shooting near the intersection of Union and Boylston. At 5:55 PM, emergency units were dispatched to 702 E Union St. for an assault with weapons response.
We received the following e-mail from an eyewitness:
Shooting on Union between Boylston and Harvard. One guy shot, was conscious and speaking when police arrived.
More as we get it.
apparent shooting in a parking lot next to an apartment building at the corner of Union and
Boylston.
The man was alert and conscious when officers and medics arrived, but he is being taken to Harborview to be treated for what looks like a fairly serious gunshot wound. According to Seattle Police Department spokesman Jeff Kappel, the victim has life-threatening injuries.
Police are looking for the shooter and a vehicle that may be connected to the shooting: a black, four-door, 2000 Mercedes with dark tinted windows and shiny rims. The vehicle has 3 to 4 bullet holes on the driver-side door.
Was the victim armed?
An officer makes a request at one point for the victim's multiple cell phones to be collected for evidence at Harborview. She says the victim said
Man shot in chest near 7th and Union
On 11/20/09, at approximately 6:00 p.m., the victim was observed in a parking lot directly north of the 700 block of E. Union St. Witnesses heard 4 to 6 shots, observed a black Mercedes flee S/B from the parking lot, and the victim fall to the ground.
Arriving officers located the victim on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest. The victim stated he was shot by the person fleeing in the black Mercedez. He stated that the gun appeared to be a .40 or .45 cal. The victim described the suspect as a white male wearing a red shirt.
The victim was treated by Seattle Fire and transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. Officers located casings and bullets at the scene. Numerous witnesses in the area were interviewed. Area search for suspect was negative. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 911.
I own the SUV hit in the parking lot. It appears only 3 shots were fired. One hit victim. One hit my passenger door and lodged inside, which was retrieved by police. Other ricocheted off pavement and hit my passenger rear window.
Thanks for sharing the information JS -- hope you made it home safely.
Parks was unsure when exactly the store would close doors, but said the owners had a target date during the after-christmas downtime in late december. "When the building's built, we move."
The owners of the building were not available for comment.
Nearly a dozen members of the community showed up Wednesday night at the second design review for 1111 E. Union – a building which has been a long time moving towards it’s arrival at the crossroads of 12th, Union and Madison. Runberg Architecture group made a lengthy presentation of changes to their initial design including shifting and narrowing the driveway, and moving the entrances and pedestrian spaces to Union, away from Madison.
While there was no love on display for the demise of the Under Arms apartments currently occupying the site, there was also an unusual unanimity of disdain for the proposed apartments on the prominent corner. Both the city design review panelists and the neighbors scolded the drab color scheme of assorted greys, the array of siding materials, discordance with the adjacent architecture and the general scattered massing of the large building. One commenter from a nearby condo did venture to say he liked the color, notably the only compliment the design received.
Ironically, the opposing triangular lot on that crossroads, new home to a resurgent Pony – now appears open for business and their choice of metal siding (stolen street signs) works quite nicely.
After a number of false starts, we have a definite opening date for Pony. Mark Stoner, Pony's owner, emailed us to let us know that the resurrected Pony will open Thursday September 3, 2009. Above is a poster from Pony's closing night on 11/28/07.
Sorry, kids, but you're going to have to keep those iPods hidden away when on the street. This from a Seattle University security e-mail:
SU Department of Public Safety (DPS) was advised by Seattle Police of a reported strong armed robbery, which occurred Friday evening, August 7, 2009. This incident occurred near 10th Ave and E. Union (approximately one block north of campus). Police information described that at approximately 6:30 pm the male victim was approached by a male suspect, who suddenly grabbed the victim’s I-Pod. The suspect then ran westbound towards Broadway where he disappeared into the crowd. Police searched the area and no suspect matching the description was located.
The suspect was described as a male in his 20’s. He had a very light skinned color complexion, was approximately 5’9” tall, 150 lbs, with long blonde hair.
The victim reported the suspect was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and a pair of sunglasses flipped up on his forehead.
Or, on the flipside, is this really about what people happen to be carrying in their pockets these days? If the year was 1979 with a 2009 economy, would we be talking about being careful when you walk the street carrying one of these?
Be it '79 or '09, SU offers these safey tips:
- Be alert to your surroundings, any signs of a disturbance, and nearby individuals at all times.
- Keep your head up, eyes open, and be confidently looking around yourself at all times.
- If any spot or sense any concerns for your safety arises, don’t hesitate in leaving the area immediately.
- Walk on well-lit arterials where other pedestrians are present and/or businesses are open.
Runberg Architects has released images of the design for the new 105-unit apartment complex planned for the triangle at Union and Madison (see my previous post about the project here). The project across the street from the Ferrari dealership and the current home of Buzz Stop Espresso, a paint store and the Undrearm Apartments, among others, is slated to break ground next summer, the Daily Journal of Commerce reports. At this time DPD has not schedule the next Design Review meeting for the project.
There were rumors about the future occupant of the florist shop on E. Madison; today I biked by and beyond the unfriendly cyclone fence was the silhouette the hill hasn't seen since the bulldozers came to Pine St...
Via @mattgoyer, we learned that Po Dog will soon set up shop at 1009 East Union (according to Google Maps - the current site for The Mercury - a private goth bar that is showing events through the end of June). From @podog's tweets we expect that at least one of the hot dogs will be composed of bananas, peanut butter and a 100% beef dog - all on a potato bun. Expected hours are on their Facebook page but no opening date is currently listed. I was able to reach Laura Olson the owner and here is what she had to say:
Short video and images from the protesters on the move on Madison headed for their next planned encounter with the Westboro Baptist Church. Neighbor Andrew has also added a few pictures from the morning and a link to the BBC documentary about Fred Phelps' followers and their 'God hates' philosophy.
Central District News also has some great photos and coverage from this morning's events.
