More of the Same

For the easy-on-the eyes factor paired with the slight climatic resolve of the top ten list genre, herein is my

Ten things I am grateful for about living in Seattle & in Capitol Hill:

10. The View

I know I’ve been pulled in the Pioneer Square direction a lot lately, but hot damn, do I love Capitol Hill. The views are killer and they continue to melt my heart and humble my perspective on a daily basis.

9. The Food

Hana (for sushi)
Queen Sheeba (Ehiopian)
Jai Thai & Siam on Broadway (Thai)
India Express (Indian)
Gyro World & Ali Baba (Gyros & Palestinian)
Than Brothers (Vietnamese)
Baguette Box (Tofu Ban Mi & Fries)
Piecora’s & Toscana (for the best pizza you’ve ever encountered)
Teapot Vegetarian House (self-explanatory)
Madison Market (all organic produce and a great deli section: soups, salads, sandwiches, it’s all good)
Vivace (nobody does espresso better)
Victrola (nobody does drip coffee & ambience better -- on the hill)
Top Pot (doughnuts baby)
Stumbling Monk (Belgian beers with the proximity of stumbling home)
Summit Public House ((good for pints and football (Euro & American))
Emerald City (damn good smoothies)

8. The other Convenience Factors

Although I hate the uber-corporation-ness of it, I must confess that I like having a 3-tier monolith grocery store a block and a half away. A vast beer and wine selection, toilet paper, cat litter and an ice-cream display that can easily consume 45 minutes of an evening. And Madison Market is a 10-15 minute jaunt further up the hill for all of my real-consumption needs.

Bank, post office, Kinkos, pet store and vet all within a handful of blocks.

Atlas, Crossroads, and on occasion Value Village.

Utrecht (for art supplies)

7. Close Proximity to Theatres

Harvard Exit is 2-3 blocks away; cozy and good flicks.
The Egyptian is a short jaunt and is a stunning theatre.
The biggies are just downtown for the occasional hype films (ala Borat).
The Paramount (a stunning venue. Interpol stated that it was, by far, the most beautiful venue they have yet to perform in).
The Moore (not as pretty as the Paramount, but small & intimate)

6. The GreenSpace

Volunteer Park
Cal Anderson Park
Freeway Park
Snoqualmie Falls (sightseeing & simple hike to the base)
Mount Rainier (hiking)
The Passes (I don’t use these as me on skis or a snowboard = pain & danger but I very much like living around mountains)

5. Transportation

Although Seattle is experiencing severe growing pains, it’s still the best city I’ve lived in as far as options are concerned. (Orlando was deplorable and don’t even get me started on LA.)

I can and do walk everywhere I have to or want to go.
I can bike.
Flexcar. Flexcar. Flexcar.
Metro seems to be a pretty decent system.
SeaTac is, overall, a pretty decent airport.
Light Rail is in the works.
Ferries are fun.
Amtrak is always an option.

4. Culture & Art

Yeah, we’re not NY or San Francisco, but we’re pretty art positive.

3. The Politics

Again, we’re not San Francisco, but we’re pretty progressive. Sometimes it can get overbearing and annoying. (There’s a fine line btw. being a progressive and being a close-minded asshole…..The key is to not cross the line or all of your points become instantly invalid.)

2. Bel to the Baines

This little 13-unit apartment complex houses the nicest grouping of neighbors that I’ve ever had. Seriously, good, generous, loving, respectful, smart, & creative people. I absolutely love it here.

1. Finding a Home

Adam and I usually experience the 18-month itch. The desire to pick up and move to a new city. Start over. Start fresh. (Run.) We had our flare-up with Seattle. We thought Portland. We thought Vancouver, BC. We swing with our lust-bouts of NYC, but are realistic. I flirt with San Francisco, but again prefer to visit. I pray that work doesn’t drag us back to LA. We know there’s gonna be a real pull to Europe once we’re finally able to visit.

But, all in all, Seattle has embraced us as our home. Do we intend to continue to travel a lot? Of course. But I think Seattle will continue to be the home base. It’s the geographical location where I realized & accepted the fact that I had to stop running. It’s the city that I decided to start living more in. It’s the city that inspires & demands that I push myself as an artist, as a person. I will always love it for that.

For this life, for this lesson, for this journey, I have found my home.