Exploring the Seattle Pacific Science Center, by Edy Kizaki and assistant Madeleine Anthony

The Seattle Pacific Science Center is packed with fun and adventures for people of every age.  From school field trips to just plain old family fun, the Science Center is always a blast.  Babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers, as well as our school children of all ages, enjoy  playing, exploring, and learning about such wonders as ocean life, reptiles, and the human body.  In fact, the adults have just as much fun as the kids as there is something for everyone!  Many times you’ll see Seattle visitors without kids there with unmistakable expressions of interest and pleasure. I know I learn something new every time I go! The Science Center is huge, with four buildings packed full of different exhibits surrounding the central water park which also has its own experiments about hydrogen energy, bicycling, and sculptures of animals and dinosaurs.

There is never enough time to completely enjoy all that the Science Center has to offer.  Two IMAX Theaters (the Boeing Theater being six stories high!) show all kinds of 3D films ranging from tornados to Sea-Rex. Learn about our solar system in the Planetarium and enjoy a hypnotizing laser show in the Laser Dome.  Check their IMAX THEATER WEBSITE  for current showtimes. Currently the butterfly house is a favorite attraction of most of the kids I know.  The humid exhibit is filled with exotic plants from jungles and tropical forests where hundreds of butterflies flitter past, sometimes to land on your shoulder or shoe.  Before going into the Butterfly House, you must pass through the yucky, creepy bug exhibit where you can observe live tarantulas and scorpions.  Sit at a picnic table where a lunch of fried beetles and bug cookies await.  In another exhibit you can learn about prehistoric dinosaurs and watch the life size models munching on plants and tearing apart fresh meat.   My little guy loves the toddler play area with indoor climbing toys, computer room, musical instruments, and water park (great for the Seattle wet winters which keeps us inside). There are endless experiments ranging from DNA blocks to the chemistry lab, balance and levers to trains and other locomotives.

The Science Center is located in the extensive Seattle Center in the north part of downtown. It would be a mistake to think you can see the whole Seattle Center in one day, split up the museums for several different trips.  You can spend the whole day at the Seattle Pacific Science Center and still not see it all. Bring a sack lunch, some snacks, and take your time exploring all of the scientific wonders and activities at the Pacific Science Center.

Madeleine Anthony, Young Seattle Mom and Real Estate Assistant

First, before you start to drive you can visit the website at seattle.gov/epark and take a look at the interactive map and live feed which show the parking garages that have space available.  You can choose the garage that is closest to where you are going, taking price into account too.

Then when you get to downtown, just go straight to your chosen garage.  There are dynamic signs posted at key points (made so you can’t miss them), which will help guide you.  These useful little signs let you know current information including how many spaces the garages have at that time.

Don’t forget some fun and entertaining ride options once you are downtown, which include the recently returned Seattle streetcars, the light rail, the monorail, horse drawn carriages, rental scooters, and of course the Ride The Duck tours.  And the Center for Wooden Boats on Westake offers free boat rides on Sunday afternoons, as well as some boating lessons and some classes on keeping the art of building old time boats alive.  And for those who like to walk, check out this great walking map put out by the city government which you can enlarge to see each individual walk.

“Childish Things” a third in a series of kids resale shops, by Edy Kizaki and assistant Madeleine Anthony.

Right off the busy Holman Road in Greenwood you will find Childish Things, a small high quality children’s and maternity store.  After struggling to find parking in the small lot outside the store, I walked into a most organized and clean resale boutique.  It is such a nice little store, at first glance it seemed like all new items.  New toys racks are the first you see in the store, and as you continue to browse, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the used toys as they are of such high quality. Not only the toys are in such nice condition, but even the used clothes are steam cleaned and ironed every day so as to appear new when hanging on the racks.

The girls that work here do an exceptional job at choosing items to buy from consigners and they believe this is because their consigning system is different than other resale store in Seattle.  Childish Things “buys outright” which means that they offer people store credit or 75% cash on the spot. In this system, they must be really selective on what they put on the racks in this store otherwise they would lose too much money for the business.

The girls that work here love the fact that they are all so different because their differences allow them to choose a wide variety of toys and styles of clothes to resell in their store.  They also have a great selection of used and inexpensive maternity wear.  There is a whole separate room filled with maternity clothing as well has shelves above filled with educational books for both parents and kids.  It is important to have such a resale store in this neighborhood because families come from all over the Seattle area to visit Carkeek park which is just a few blocks up the road from Childish things.  You might even consider making a day trip out to Greenwood—do some shopping at Childish Things and then go play at Carkeek Park.

Madeleine Anthony, Young Seattle Mom and Real Estate Assistant

Out and about in Seattle?  What has been billed as the “worst” storm in Seattle history (ask the kids and you may hear it’s the “best” storm) has ended up being a little less ferocious than at first thought.  The National Weather Service has revised its predictions and now we are told that we will have up to 6 inches by 2 p.m. today.  That is definitely enough for the schools to be closed for a second day.  We got the expected recorded call from Seattle Public Schools last night telling us there would be no school again today (Thursday the 19th).  Another day of snow fun at the park, apparently!  I wonder if my snow people will still be there from yesterday, at Whitman Middle School in Ballard.

Some of you will be wondering much more urgent things as you try to plan your route to work in the morning.  A new Seattle Department of Transportation website feature, live traffic video available for 24 camera placed strategically around the city, should be of some help.  SEATTLE TRAFFIC CAMERA WEBSITE.  Knowing about this, I will probably use it to predict how long it will take me to get to numerous places across town, whenever I need to be there (to show homes of course!), and certainly they ought to come in handy today as you go about your day.  The site says it’s a new experiment and they want feedback, and I would love to hear from you too on whether it is as useful as it looks to be.  By the way, if you’re in Bellevue, try this BELLEVUE TRAFFIC CAMERA WEBSITE.  And here is a group of local weather cameras located at different schools, SET FOR KIRKLAND.  If you go forward, the next one is at Shorecrest High School in Shoreline.   Lastly, I wanted to include the WSDOT list of webcams in different communities, which includes Issaquah, Lynnwood and Redmond as well as Seattle and Bellevue.

A report on one of my favorite parks, not far from our home in Ballard, by my assistant Madeleine Anthony:

Having spent my childhood in Seattle and now a mother, I must say that Carkeek Park is a favorite park in the north Seattle area.  Between the Ballard and Greenwood neighborhoods at the edge of Puget Sound, lies the huge 220 acres of Carkeek Park.  Hiking trails offer adventures in the wilderness right in the city; explore forests and wetlands, cross bridges and duck under fallen trees.  Barbeque areas of different sizes, all with views of the sound and Olympic Mountains, can be reserved through the Park’s Department for larger parties.

Two great playgrounds serve people of all ages on one side of the giant field where you can find people bathing in the sun, playing soccer, and Frisbee.   Beware of the giant Salmon who eats small children and shoots them through a tunnel slide to land in the play area with mosaic art replicating the Piper’s Creek watershed and beach life of the Puget Sound.  Climb down the stairs to the beach front below and explore the wildlife awaiting. When the tide is out, you will find tide pools full of anemones, crabs, and starfish.  Piper’s Creek meets the Sound to create shallow wading areas which are great in the summer for a cool down in the heat.  Several parking lots are found scattered around the park; depending on what you want to do, you can park at the top of Carkeek and hike in or drive down the windy roads and park closer to the play area or the stairs to the beach.

Go to the Seattle Parks and Recreation for directions as it can be a little tricky to find.

By Madeleine Anthony and Edy Kizaki.

“Kids on 45th” is second in a series on Seattle Kid’s Resale Shops by Edy Kizaki and Madeleine Anthony.

The highly desired Wallingford neighborhood is full of resources for a family lifestyle, and N 45th Street, the walkable shopping corridor through the heart of the neighborhood, offers a great kid’s resale shop!

For twenty four years now, this tiny store in downtown Wallingford has been jam packed with great new and used items for kids.  Although a whole lot smaller than other resale stores in Seattle, you can be sure to find good stuff at Kids on 45th.   Larger items are more limited than other resale stores and are sometimes lost under the disorganized chaos of the used clothing racks, but with such a small space it’s hard to expect much better.

One of my favorite things about this store is the dollar rack.  When clothing items do not sell in thirty days they go straight to the dollar rack no matter the quality.  In wandering the store I spoke briefly with a grandmother who lives in the Wallingford neighborhood and is a regular at Kids on 45th.  She walks everywhere in the neighborhood so stops in all the time to check the dollar rack.  On this particular trip she found several cute tops for her two granddaughters in almost new condition.  I also love the mixed up toy bin in the way back by the shoes.  Here you will find bags of miscellaneous toys for super cheap deals.  Sometimes these bags have toys that are missing parts or have some other minor defects however, they are often filled with great learning tools such as blocks or fun musical instruments that are loved by kids just the way they are.  Kids on 45th is located at the perfect location especially for pedestrians.  It is smack dab in between the two most frequented parks in Wallingford (Wallingford Playfield and Meridian Park) and less than a mile from the Woodland Park Zoo.  If you’re out walking through the neighborhood and you’ve forgotten a ball or lost a shoe, it is really easy to stop in and find something good on your way.   Although a little more chaotic than other children’s stores in Seattle, you can find great deals here with just a little patience. Visit their website for more information .

Me N Mom's in Ballard

Me ‘N Moms, a Labor of Love in Ballard, First in a series on Seattle Kids’ Resale Shops by Edy Kizaki and Madeleine Anthony
It’s incredibly hard work but totally worthwhile to run the largest children’s resale store in Seattle. With over 9,300 consigners and over 500 new items to go through every day, Me ‘N Moms has by far the largest volume of resale children’s products in the area.  According to Wendy, the owner since 2001, it is really important to have such a “recycling center” in the neighborhood.  “To have a resale store with high quality products allows families to save as much as 70%, and that really helps many people,” she

from A to Z, everything you may need and more

tells me.   It is tons of work going through all the junk people bring in, but Wendy picks out the best stuff as she aims to move along 70% of the items she takes in within two months.  She refers to her work as a labor of love and in talking with her it is clear that she truly loves what she does.  She’s really proud of the community and the concern for recycling.  Shoppers and consigners of Me ‘N Moms are “down to earth people who really care”.
Located at the north end of downtown Ballard on Market street, Me ‘N Moms boasts the most extensive and most organized store I have found yet.  Lots of street parking as well a large parking lot make it easy to pop in and out stress free.    If you know what you are looking for, it will be easy to find in this store.  Furniture and larger items such as strollers, cribs, and rockers are found on the upper level immediately when you walk in.  Little neon colored signs are posted all around the store indicating which area you are in.  New and used toys are found in abundance.   Of all the resale stores we’ve visited Me ‘N Moms has the largest and most organized selection of clothes with sizes clearly marked and separated.   Along with stylish items for all seasons there were some really great Halloween costumes as well.  We left with a handful of nice books from the $.25 book bin.  The labor of love has surely paid off with the success of three other stores around the Seattle area all owned by different members of the same family.  Check the website Me N Moms for more information on any of their three stores .

Madeleine Anthony, Young Seattle Mom and Real Estate Assistant

2011 was actually a busy, brilliant year. I got a phone call recently telling me that in 2010 I was in the top 2% of realtors in King County according to the Multiple Listing Service. It made me think about what that might mean… business, lifestyle, how I’m working with my clients to achieve their goals.  And prompted this series of New Year’s resolutions which I hope to share with my clients, and all who are focusing on Seattle Area Real Estate for this year and the forseeable future.

I have a great team and am working with clients in all stages of the search.  In the beginning stages, some are just wondering if the time is right, then starting to ask in-depth questions on location qualities and statistics.  Others are at the point of having settled on which neighborhood offers the perfect fit for their family and lifestyle and starting to get an experiential sense of value, others are now searching high and low within their chosen parameters for the perfect home to satisfy both their family criteria and their dreams, and then comes the transition to the trials and tribulations of the escrow process and finally — at last — right in through the door of their home.  Last night I sat with a couple who had just closed on their dream home last Friday and helped them get their home warranty information in order, while our sons ran up and down the stairs in an exciting game of hide and seek.

New Year’s Resolutions are just tools, but this one I believe is essential to a successful home search.  Get your team in order.  You and your family are definitely part of that and I have a great process I offer to clients that helps get not only couples but even their extended family on the same page.  Your agent needs to be able to think out of your head and communicate in ways that enlighten, inspire and inform.  We have a great process for learning more about what you want, need, hope for, and even secretly dream.  Lastly, the other professionals that can make or break the process, including your mortgage broker (what to look for?  We have a check list), your home inspector, moving company, and even cleaning and garden services in those essential days when time is short and tempers are getting there.  In my next blog I’ll address the nuts and bolts of the list of professionals every aspiring homeowner needs to forward their search and purchase.

sought after Loyal Heights neighborhood in Ballard

It’s the time of year for beginnings, and one of those is doing the things you know will take you where you want to go.  On my list of New Year’s Resolutions for Real Estate this year is knowing the market inside and out in the neighborhoods that my clients are focusing in.  With the last two years seeing some neighborhoods with great bargains and the summer even showing some upturns in value in some neighborhoods, it’s really important to know what happened during the last three months!  This is like a mini portrait of value, something called a “comparative market analysis.”  So if you’re house hunting at the moment please make this your first resolution:  I WILL make sure my agent does extensive research on recent sales on the micro neighborhood I’m buying in, and I will compare my target property in detail to those recent sales, before I decide what I am going to offer!

If you’d like a comparative market analysis of a neighborhood you’re considering, email me (edy@seattlepowersearch.com) or give me a call (206-249-2914).  I’m happy to do it, and explain the effect of bank owned properties and short sales as well.

wonderful character homes line the streets in desirable Ballard

Seattle.  Ballard.  Shilshole Bay.  The marina at sunset.  Welcome to one of the still, luminous moments to be experienced here in the Pacific Northwest.

Next to Puget Sound, in the old Ballard neighborhood, lies Golden Gardens Park and Shilshole Bay Marina.  These days Ballard is one of the cool Seattle destinations, and locals treasure the restaurants and shopping on Market St NW and Ballard Ave.  But then there’s Sunset Hill, the neighborhood just over Golden Gardens Park on the bluff.  Stairs down from 34th Ave will take neighborhood walkers down steep flights to the Sound, or you can drive down.  Or if you go down Market St past the Ballard Locks, you can drive along the Marina north (past two great eating spots, Ray’s Boathouse and Anthony’s) till you get to the park and the beach at Golden Gardens.  Either way the views of the sunset are quietly breathtaking.