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First we had the Neighborhood Plan Status Update Meetings: most neighborhoods got one, Capitol Hill was so special it got to have two. Now it's time for Neighborhood Plan Status Checks, which will be summaries of what the community told the Planning Commission and the Neighborhood Plan Advisory Committee to change in our Neighborhood Plans during the aforementioned Update meetings. In short, it's time to find out if the city was paying any attention to what we were saying. The Capitol Hill/ Central District/ Eastlake/ First Hill/ Pike-Pine/Belltown/ Queen Anne-Uptown Neighborhood Plan Status Check will be on November 10th from 6-8pm at Seattle Central Community College, Rm. BE 1110/1111. If you'd like to attend a Status Check meeting for another neighborhood, see below.
The fences were up, the bands were playing, the beer was flowing, and money was changing hands. Everybody's happy. Right? I wandered by Vermillion's Capitol Hill Bloxploitation Party to ask its owner, Diana Adams, how business has been with the Block Party going on this weekend. "It's got its ups and downs. It's got its good and bad. It's always been good for business, but it's been slower this year. I think it's just overall - they sold less tickets and less people want to go out." The place was pretty quiet, despite $2 Rainier tallcans and a crowd of thirsty partygoers right over the fence. Cupcakes Royale seconded the observation. "It's been kinda slow", said Leesa of our favorite new baked goods establishment. "We were doing pretty well [right after the Cap Hill store opened] and then it got quiet the last two days." Some of those working and living near the Block Party have stronger opinions about the event. "The Block Party, really, it's a bottleneck, " says a community member who wished to remain anonymous,... 
Happy with your parks? Recent land development? Affordability? Seattle neighborhoods are ten years into a long term plan - on the hill, goals range from building Cal Anderson Park to beautifying the North end of Broadway and maintaining the neighborhood character. You have until July 6 to go here: http://www.seattle.gov/planningcommission/ to fill out a quick questionnaire and let the city know what worked and where their energy and money needs to go now. Here are three steps to completing the feedback.
When I hustled down to the South Lake Union Armory Monday evening, I wasn't expecting much from the Neighborhood Plan Status Update Open House. After ten years of the City largely ignoring the neighborhood plans and with a mayor that sides with developers over residents ten times out of ten, it's hard to have high hopes about the Neighborhood Plan Update process. See 9 strategies to drive what comes next on Capitol Hill for details on the status reports and to download PDFs Things didn't start out terribly well. The PowerPoint presentation the DPD put together as an introduction felt condescending ("...so we're asking you, the experts") in its tone and content. I suppose the City couldn't get out of doing an extensive re-introduction of the history and process of the Neighborhood Plans. But they could have done it in such a manner that acknowledged that all the people in the room that night had the experience of savvy neighborhood activists. If someone knew enough about the plans to show up to that meeting, they really are experts. Once we split up into neighborhood groups (Cap Hill, Pike/Pine - why separate?, First Hill, Eastlake - why are they grouped with us? where's the Central District?, and Queen Anne), the tone and the content of the meeting improved significantly. At the Cap Hill table there was representation from the Capitol Hill Community Council, Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, Capitol Hill Neighborhood Plan Stewardship Council, and the Polish Home Association, along with a few residents who were just interested in the process. The Neighborhood Plan Advisory Committee (NPAC) members assigned to our table did a fine job of guiding discussing and eliciting opinions, and I think they got a pretty good picture of what has changed in the neighborhood since the plans were made and what needs to be accomplished in the Status Report Updates. Topics of discussion: + Key Strategies of the old Neighborhood Plan + The City is too focused on automobiles - the Neighborhood Plan should pay more attention to pedestrian and bike traffic as well as public transit. Parking can't be ignored, but the fact that you can only fit so many cars on the Hill has to be acknowledged. + The best thing the City can do is ensure that the goals of the present Neighborhood Plan are actualized. Very few of the concerns and hopes of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Plan were ever addressed by the city. + East Capitol Hill (Broadway to 23rd) has very different needs than West Capitol Hill (Broadway to I5), and strategies that work well for one side of the Hill may be useless to the other. + Capitol Hill residents love their green space, and according to the City's own documents, they need more of it. So what happens next? There are more meetings to come (time and place TBA) and a lot of organizing to do if our neighborhood voice is to be heard. The Chamber of Commerce and the Capitol Hill Stewardship Council are committed to being involved in the Update process. From what I hear of the Cap Hill Community Council candidates, CHCC will be on that bandwagon as well once their elections are over. Stay tuned to CHS for more updates on the Updates. 
In honor of the late Jane Jacobs (NYC + Toronto urban activist), and in the spirit of the “sidewalk ballet” she wrote about in her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Seattle will join other cities across North America with a "Jane's Walk" in Capitol Hill-Pike/Pine this Saturday, May 2nd at 2pm at the head of the fountain. This is geared toward noticing the little things that make a neighborhood special…it’s NOT an architectural tour! Hopefully it spurs others to do a tour in their neighborhood next year. >;http://www.janeswalkusa.org/janes-walk-seattle for more information about the walk and Jane Jacobs. I am a fan of an inexpensive good time. If you're caught up in recession-fun too, and you're tired of hanging around your apartment playing Scrabble, here's a list of deals that I've found while toodling around the Hill. Enjoy.
Join Sustainable Capitol Hill tonight at 5:30 as we host neighborhood Greendrinks. Come meet your neighbors, network, and eat free food (by Madison Market and Pizza Fusion) and drink free beer (Sierra Nevada)!
The event takes place at Office Nomads, located at 1617 Boylston, at Boylston and Pine behind Seattle Central. http://www.seattlegreendrinks.org/node/797 I've always believed that what my neighbors do with their yards is primarily their own business. However, my friend's story about his capitol hill neighbors leaving a dead pig in their backyard and letting their dogs eat it (?!) may prompt me to reconsider. I'm also confused - are there really a ton of wild pigs roaming the hill? My first reaction to finding one in my yard would be closer to shock and awe than "yay, free dog food this week!" I'm a big fan of neighborhood blogs. I was lucky enough to work on a project to help develop sites in every neighborhood in the country. That project ended but the buzz is still there -- this is an exciting time for local, community-driven journalism and activism. The most amazing elements are independent and homegrown. For the most part, they are unaffiliated with large, corporate entities. Some are businesses. Some are run by nonprofit organizations. Some are simple but productive hobbies. Below, I've listed the Seattle place blogs that best represent this latest generation of community journalism. As a rule, I've tried to only include independent efforts -- so, the Seattle PI's blogs aren't in the list despite a few ongoing, quality efforts. For the most part, I've also included only sites with a multi-month track record of consistent posting. I've focused on sites that are updated regularly and are, for all intents and purposes, logs of the neighborhood's days. These, basically, are blogs. But a few shows signs... Reading greyh's post about making the leap to writing on CHS -- Why I Finally Joined CHS, A Virgin Blogger's Story -- reminded me that we've put this site in your hands without a lot of guidance. Now that CHS has been identified as a leader in an "emerging trend in blogging", we can start being bossy and tell you how to live your life. Take this all as loose guidance -- the point of CHS is that it's driven by neighbors for neighbors. Still, here are twelve rules loose guidelines that will help you out. And, yes, I need to remember to stick to them, too.
The CHS Neighborhood Blogging Code
Where one neighborhood ends and another begins is an exhausting conversation. Luckily, we have lots of energy. An intelligent discussion of how we use those neighborhood names, on the other hand, is worth a read:
Do I tell them I live in Capitol Hill, and thus associate myself with white punk-rawk hipsters, grown-up liberals with trendy glasses and well-dressed babies in designer organic cotton attachment parenting slings, seedy gay bars, ultra-hip gay bars, overpriced restaurants and coffeeshops, Seattle’s old-money-haunted-mansion enclave, and so forth? (And if they’re geographically savvy, will they know I actually live in the CD and think I’m being snobby?)The question the writer -- a local business owner -- poses is what we really mean when we separate something... 
We created the CHS Forums message board last month as an experiment to see what neighbors would do with a chance to talk amongst themselves without a blogging blabbermouth to get in the way. Goody, goody -- a happy byproduct of the new board is all sorts of groovy statistics showing how people are putting the Forums to use. Here are the numbers:
 We're up to 78 members and while things have definitely quieted down after an initial surge of enthusiasm, have to say we're mostly pleased with the results. People have stuff to talk about -- and most of it is interesting. Also, check out that male to female ratio -- good balance :) To the right, you can see a table of the most active 'posters' so far. We've been tossing around ideas on all sorts of neighborhood topics. Here are a few of the threads that have gained the most attention: Most Replies A new way to buy groceries Best Espresso Joint on Capitol Hill? Favorite Pizza on the Hill Most Views Best Espresso Joint on Capitol Hill? Walked...
Justin, here. Or, J, as you might know me on CHS. Late last month, I wrote about starting Capitol Hill Seattle as a hobby and having it turn into an opportunity where I was quitting Microsoft to get involved with a project to build a nationwide network of neighborhood blogs like CHS. Today, I'm ready to start building the network.
People live their lives, it seems, by the school year. Look around -- you probably have a few new neighbors who have recently moved in. Or maybe you're new to Capitol Hill. Welcome. We'll probably post a few newbie guides to the 'hood when we get a chance. In the meantime, we're going to boss you around.
Conventional wisdom holds that transplants should be welcomed by existing residents, typically with cookies. Conventional wisdom, however, is bullshit. People have all sorts of crazy schedules. Knocking on the doors unannounced isn't very comfortable when people are still strangers. Sorry to say, newbies, but you're going to have to take initiative to meet your neighbors. We recommend making a flyer with a short note and contact information you're comfortable sharing and mailing it to your neighbors. For the price of a stamp, you'll jumpstart the neighbor process so you'll have somebody you can ask to feed your betta fish the next time you spend the weekend in Portland. We bet you'll also get your cookies faster...
Georgetown's The Paper Noose continues its pro-neighborhood blog stance (who could be against em, really, no?) with a post highlighting the newish 'hood site -- Captain Columbia City. We've been pro neighborhood blog since we invented the Internet so we've had CCC in our sidebar blog list for months but TPN did remind us of a long overdue update. Neighbors, allow us to introduce you to Mid Beacon Hill -- "Snapshots of plants, lists of drinks, and some painfully earnest commentary by a resident of Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood." Basically, they're ripping us off only doing it in Beacon, not Capitol Hill. Of course, they're writing mostly about Georgetown but we'll let MBH explain that part to you.
Anyhow, the sidebar list is updated. Our work here, done.
Neighborhood blogs come and go. Some stay. Most fade away. We have a new neighbor to the south -- will it last?
Do you live on an arterial street like 15th, 19th, Aloha or the John/Thomas continuum? If so, you're missing out on one of the values of living in a place like our part of Capitol Hill -- you can't close your street for a block party.
We sometimes think of CHS as a block party for everybody. No burgers or ice cream here, of course, but it does give you a chance to meet your neighbors and we're hoping things like our Facebook profile will give some of you a chance to connect and share even more information, advice and neighborhood good times. All of this pales, however, compared to a real live street party with your neighbors. We suggest you turn that frown upside down, neighbor, and transform your unfortunate predicament. To get the full value of living on Capitol Hill, you need to make sure to be invited to all block parties in your area. The next time you see a street shut down don't be shy even if you don't really live on 18th or 20th Ave. It's your special right as an arterial resident to claim nearby blocks...
Seattle Weekly's Best of 2007 edition is out -- guess who got Best Neighborhood Blog.
The blog is like a running conversation you would be having with your next-door neighbor if the two of you actually greeted each other in the hall or at the front stoop.That's right! Smart, funny, chock full of goodness! West Seattle Blog! Actually, it was us -- or some blog the Seattle Weekly called CAPITOL HILL BLOG that we assume is us. Thanks SW. We were just kidding about the Weakly stuff, really. It's nice to be recognized but this is all just for fun. A pastime of sorts. We try not to go about life any differently -- maybe we ask a few more questions here and there but, for the most part, we just listen, watch and write a few posts a week. We credit this award to three simple rules: stay in the neighborhood, don't diary, and be more funny. We'd also like to thanks our brother and sister 'hood blogs out there -- we expect stiffer competition in 2008.
Our cousins at the Miller Park blog remind that Friday is the last day to register your street to be part of Aug. 7th's national Night Out. It's a cool way to take over your street for a night and meet some neighbors -- if you don't live on a major arterial, you get to throw up roadblocks and own the pavement for a neighborhood block party. It also gives you an opportunity to work with the fuzz without wearing a wire or having somebody putting a knee in your back before throwing you in the slammer. More info on the SPD site.
Our introduction on Facebook -- click here to check out the CHS Facebook profile -- is already paying dividends. We have 8 connected buddies now (that's more friends than we have in real life!) and neighbor Elizabeth has hooked us up with local fishing intel:
Apparently Elliott Bay has been rough but the Kings are running and humpy season is about to start.That is friendship gold right there! You should be our Facebook friend too -- what can you offer us, hmm? 
With all this potential neighborly interaction suddenly available on the Internet, we figured that we'd better join the fun. Yup, you can now be CHS's Facebook friend, lucky neighbor. We're not going to start another Capitol Hill group on Facebook but being our friend will give you a chance to connect with other CHS readers if nothing else. Maybe we'll also find a few other interesting way to use the damn thing to keep you entertained.
Puget Sound born and bred real estate site Zillow's recent introduction of neighborhood-based online communities for its customers to share information, comments and photos got us thinking about ways for neighbors to connect online. Here is Zillow's Capitol Hill neighborhood page. It's an interesting start even if participation at this point is pretty light. For now, the most interesting stuff tends to be the demographic data and insights Zillow has compiled about your neighbors:
Zillow isn't the only place to meet your neighbors online, of course....  On the hunt for a new neighborhood where you can easily walk to all sorts of great stuff? You know, like we can up here in god's gift to walkable neighborhoods, Capitol Hill Seattle?Better check out the area's Walk Score before you decide to move in. The service mashes up maps and business listings to calculate the "walkability" of neighborhoods. Basically, points are given for various services and features within walking distance of a location. There are some holes in the idea -- the calculation is at the mercy of how businesses and map entries are categorized so Lake View Cemetery is added to the score as a "park" -- but, all in all, it's a fun tool to play with and the start of a really good concept. You can read more about how they calculate scores here. The Walk Score for a location on 19th Ave is 71 which is near the bottom of the site's Very Walkable range. Score should take another dip with the loss of Rainbow as grocery stores are one of the services that increase an area's score. Balloon stores, however,...
Avoiding some weekend chores? We too. Posting to a blog much more fun than cleaning closets.
If you missed out on your chance to pick up trash in Miller Park's recent clean-up, we're sorry for you. Garbage is fascinating. Good news for you -- you get a second chance this Sunday down on Seattle's southside. This time, because it's Georgetown, there's the promise of cheap beer. Check out Georgetown Stew for details.
--j |
