Capitol Hill

Madison Park Real Estate Update, Feb. 2010

New evidence of a real estate market turnaround? The big news in the Madison Park real estate market last month was the report by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that the median price of Seattle homes sold in January was actually higher than in the same month a year earlier. For the city as a whole, this represented a 2.63% increase over the past year (houses and combos combined). It is the first time in almost two years that there has been a year-over-year increase in Seattle’s residential property values. The rest of King County did not fare as well, however, with home values continuing their downward trend. But how did prices hold up in our neighborhood? Madison Park itself is a market that’s a bit too small for year-to-year median price comparisons to be meaningful (seven total home sales in January 2009 and only five this year). But for our general area of the City (MLS Area 390, which also includes Capitol Hill, Montlake, Madison Valley, Madrona, and Leschi), the news was pretty good. There was a modest 2.1% increase in value between January last year and this. This improvement, however, perhaps has more to do with a year over year change in the mix of sales... 

Seattle Japanese Gardens 50th Anniversary

Seattle Japanese Garden The Japanese Garden in the Arboretum is about to end its winter hiatus, reopening on Sunday, February 14, for its 50th Anniversary season. Rated by a garden journal as one of the ten favorite Japanese gardens in the country, Seattle’s Japanese Garden was inaugurated in July 1960, after only four months of construction. It’s now ready to celebrate a half century of giving pleasure to visitors seeking sanctuary and a connection to nature. The concept of adding a Japanese Garden to the Arboretum goes back to 1937, but it took another twenty years for the idea to gain enough popular support to enable fundraising to begin for the project (a war against Japan had intervened). In 1959, with funds in hand and the design completed, Juki Iida and Nobumasa Kitamura were hired to build the garden, which originally was scheduled to take up to three years to complete. Using heavy construction equipment, a somewhat scaled-back design, and a capable crew of mostly Japanese-American gardeners, the builders transformed an Arboretum ravine into a colorful and tranquil garden, offset by boulders, water features and formal elements. And they did it all in record time. (That’s... 

Pool, Bowling, and Food at Garage Billiards on Capitol Hill

The Broadway district in Capitol Hill is known for it’s eclectic and artistic population of Seattle.  Now, it is home to a very hip and happening  pool hall and bowling alley,  with a full service bar and restaurant to boot.  Jill Young – Rosenast  and Alex Rosenast converted this 7,500 sqare foot 1928 building that was a former Plymouth dealership and automotive garage into a huge venue and new local favorite hang-out with the help of two Pearl Jam band members.  It  attracts not only the area hipsters and college students, but also  the corporate parties and business clientele. With two additions and expansions, one in 2003 and another in 2008, the Garage became the only new bowling alley opened in the Seattle city limits in the last 40 years while offering an hugely impressive entertainment source featuring a total of 20 bowling lanes, 25 pool tables, 6 bars, and 3 private rooms.  The design is sleek and cutting edge with a retro 50’s yet modern feel and crisp clean colors in the incredible almost 40,000 square foot building.  Plenty of room to party and entertain even the biggest groups and functions, and clearly, many activities to choose from.   The...