Wallingford

Popular Wallingford Teahouse Kuan Yin

You don’t expect to have to wait for a table at a neighborhood tea shop, but Teahouse Kuan Yin in Wallingford (on 45th) has been full several times lately when I’ve stopped by with a friend to have a cup of my favorite Black Ceylon tea (“Nuwari Estate…fresh, bright, and slightly floral, brewing to a golden red…best without milk.”) and hear the lastest. Ever since the teahouse opened on 45th Avenue in the popular, walkable Wallingford main shopping area in 1990, Teahouse Kuan Yin has been serving specialty tea and filling orders from far away. When current owner Marcus Gramps became propriator in 2006, he innovated in various ways, adding gifts and bringing gelatto and many yummies to the teahouse. The serene atmosphere, both Eastern and yet very Seattle, is the perfect place to spend an hour with a friend catching up or planning your attack on the holiday rush. Open at 9 a.m. every day of the week and open until 10 p.m., 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, it’s also a nice place to go after a movie at the Guild 45th Theater just down the street. Besides the wonderful assortment of tea, Kuan Yin serves light meals and deserts, has live music some... 

Wallingford’s Rusty Pelican Cafe for Breakfast

In Wallingford this is one of the really loved places to have breakfast (yes, OK, lunch too, dinner too. But BREAKFAST is just so GREAT.) and sit with friends. There are few places that you can go and sink into a booth knowing that both your heart and your tummy (not a real estate word?) will leave full, but it’s a wonderful ambiance and the waitstaff seems to be there just to enjoy bringing you something good. With helpful suggestions and a ready smile, they are all immediately in the category of “friend.” Oh, and don’t forget the coffee, it’s perfect. There IS Breakfast all day, and I always end up with the banana pancakes…except when I can’t resist one of the 3 egg omelets! Let me know when you go there and what you had! Comments please everyone!     Neighborhood: Wallingford Rusty Pelican Cafe 1924 N 45th St Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 545-9090 Hours: Mon-Thu 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Fri-Sat 7:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Sun 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. by Edy Kizaki Realtor, Team Leader edy@seattlepowersearch.com 206-402-9155  

Happy New Year in Seattle

Here are the photos of the Fireworks at the Space Needle on New Year’s Eve at Midnight! These are a bit blurry, taken in the middle of the night, but hopefully you’ll get the (ooooo! ahhhhhhh!) sense of it. I will never forget New Year’s Eve on the Mound in Gasworks Park, watching the fireworks. Last night around 11:30 p.m. we arrived at Gasworks Park. There were cars everywhere parked nearby, but turning toward the water we discovered the whole parking lot behind the park was empty. But we boldly parked there anyway, and 10 minutes later so did about 15 other people, it just took one car and the whole place filled up! New Year's Fireworks from Lake Union Gasworks Park is just at the north end of Lake Union. It is right down the street from our office and famous for a great kite-flying location (there is even a kite shop just down the street from us!) but there is also a great view of the Space Needle and downtown, and there were, I would say, over 1,000 people sitting on the hillside facing the Lake and the Space Needle. We only got there 15 minutes before midnight, but was my rear ever cold in those 15 minutes. Next time remind me to bring a blanket or at least...