This is a monthly contribution to the Blog by local realtor Doron Weisbarth.

Spring Sale is well on its way. And while sales are still brisk, a good amount of that craziness that we see during the first quarter of the year is gone. Yes, there are still multiple bids for many homes, but not for quite as many homes and not quite as many offers. And since the homes are being listed at prices that are a better reflection of their market value, the price increase above the asking prices is not as dramatic. 

The big question is how the market will react to the higher interest rates. So far, we haven’t seen any changes in buyer’s behavior. With rents rising as fast as home prices, consumers are being squeezed from both directions. Those who can are strongly opting for a purchase. What is true is that the price point that any one individual buyer had been approved for just a few weeks ago is now going to adjust lower. But the only ones who are getting squeezed out of the market are those on the lower end of the market price. 

Overall, it’s still very much a hot sellers’ market that is following the seasonal behavior that we’d been seeing for many years now. 

Have questions about buying or selling a home? Call Doron for a free, no-obligation consultation at 206-779-9808

If life is too short and one should eat dessert first, who is to say one shouldn’t eat TWO desserts first? The Pie Bar at 7402 Greenwood Ave N is finishing up some interior renovations that will allow them to to host the neighborhood out on their patio and for the first time open up the space completely to the public for dine-in. Pie Bar is open Tuesday – Sunday from 4pm -10pm, closing one hour later on Saturday at 11pm.

Even better, to celebrate the are generously offering a buy 1, get one free slice of pie offer to current PNA household and business members! This offer is good from May 17 – May 23, and just intended to be used once per person (your doctor agrees). Not sure if you’re a current member? Email membership@phinneycenter.org to find out.

Pie Bar is a business whose name reveals exactly what it is: a bar that serves drinks and pie. The original location is still in Capitol Hill, though independently owned of this new location and a Ballard location that has been open for several years right on Market Street.

Join your neighbors this weekend (May 14-15) for a huge Buy Nothing Free Day. Hosted Buy Nothing Lower Phinney, over 100 households will have items outside for free between 9 am and 3 pm each day. You can access the full map here. Have fun!

Photo by Simone Pellegrini on Unsplash

The PNA has long been a place for community members to connect, share resources, support each other, engage in social activities, and create programs and services that support the neighborhood. Being part of this community, using services, or benefiting from PNA resources has always been available to everyone. Younger or older…member or not…Phinney resident or otherwise–the PNA helps to connect people.

Because of the support and engagement from both individuals and partners, the PNA does a lot! Grassroots efforts have led to the creation of many long-standing programs such as the Preschool Co-Ops, Tool Library, and The Hot Meal Program. Now the PNA operates in five program locations including the Greenwood Senior Center and the Phinney Center. We offer programs and services to northwest Seattle to help people to create the community that they want to be in be part of.

We also strive for inclusion but recognize that some community members have not felt included or connected to the PNA.

As northwest Seattle is changing, and our neighborhood is growing, we ask ourselves: How does the PNA grow and change with it? Does it still make sense to connect with our community in the same way?

The PNA is conducting a survey to answer these questions and better understand the community and to help raise awareness about current opportunities for engagement. 

The PNA, like many communities and organizations around the northwest, country, and world, has experienced a lot of change and dealt with many challenges the past few years–from racial reckoning, social injustice, political strife, economic hardships, and of course, the COVID pandemic.

The PNA comes out of the past couple of years with a desire to build on what we are doing well and strive to do better. How do we do that? We are not sure yet. We have some good ideas, but we want to hear from you!

Take the survey Now!

We look forward to ongoing conversations and we are excited to engage you in our process.

How can I get involved?

• Fill out our survey – If you’ve subscribed to E-Updates, you’ll receive an email. A paper version of the survey will also be available at the Phinney Center and Greenwood Senior Center, and in the next issue of The Review newspaper. Learning more about the current challenges facing your family and neighbors will be essential in shaping PNA’s services!
• Attend our remote Community Conversation – Join us virtually on Thursday, May 19, 6-7:30 pm, for a  discussion of the changing needs of the NW Seattle community. The project team will give a brief presentation and then lead small group activities that will inform PNA’s long-range plan. Register for this online meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
• Help spread the word!  Share this information with your friends and family, or contact pna@phinneycenter.org for a poster and postcards with survey information to share at your business!

Want to know more? Visit our FAQ page about the project.

The Ballard High School (BHS) Playmakers invite you to indulge in spring reverie at the upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Performances will be May 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21.

“Midsummer is a lovely piece for spring with its references to flowers, music and young love,” says BHS Theatre Director Shawn M. Riley. “The characters explore love, marriage, transformation, and the importance of accepting people for who they are, not based on appearance. We also see the impact of meddling in other people’s lives.”

Ballard’s production is directed by Riley and set in the late 1970s at a disco club.

Tickets
The ticket price is $20 for adults, $10 for students and $15 for seniors. Order tickets at www.showtix4u.com and search for Ballard High School. For any questions please contact Shawn Riley at smriley@seattleschools.org.

Performance Details
Performances will take place at Ballard High School’s Earl Kelly Center for the Performing Arts at 1418 NW 65th Street in Seattle. All patrons must wear a mask. (Subject to change depending on guidance from Washington state, King County and Seattle Public Schools).

Aide-mémoire – 7003 3rd Ave NW
Looking for a special bouquet for mom? On Saturday, May 7 from noon-4pm, Aide-mémoire will be hosting a pop-up by Vanita Floral. They will be celebrating Mother’s Day with an artistic twist by vending local springtime flowers to fill handmade vases, starting at $35 bouquets.

This is part of Aide-mémoire’s exhibition, Vessel + Vine. The show will feature hand-built or wheel-thrown ceramic vases made by a female-strong lineup of ten independent Seattle-area ceramicists. Support women in our arts and crafts community with the purchase of a handmade vase, and fill it with colorful flowers. Treat yourself or delight your mom with a special Mother’s Day gift!

Olive and Grape – 8516 Greenwood Ave N

Our friends down at the Olive and Grape, whose dishes “reflect a lively repertoire of scratch-made meals designed to please any palate” are presenting lovely Mother’s Day 3-course meal on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 8th) from noon – 9pm for $35 per person. You can make reservations here.

Moden Sushi – 6108 Phinney Ave N

Modern Sushi is offering a spectacular pick-up only Mother’s Day Platter for 3 at $40/per person. Details are below, but you must order by 10pm tonight!

A la Mode Pies – 5821 Phinney Ave N

A la Mode Pies, in honor of Mother’s Day, is making it easy to order mom’s favorite dessert. With ten handmade pies on the menu, swing by the Phinney Ridge cafe for a Strawberry Rhubarb, Seasonal Fresh Fruit Tart (pictured below), or the Mexican Chocolate Mousse and don’t forget a pint of their house-churned vanilla bean ice cream.

Busy planning a family celebration? Have a pie delivered. Simply order three or more pies and A la Mode will provide contactless home delivery. For single-pie orders, you can utilize DoorDash and UberEats.
While you’re at it, why not double down on showing Mom your love with an e-gift card for their popular pie-making classes? The classes are perfect solo participants, couples, and small groups – anyone with a desire to learn the fine art of pie-making. The official schedule is listed on their website. 

As we emerge from the pandemic and resume life outside of our homes, this Seattle company wants you to become the strongest version of yourself. Seattle Strength & Performance (SSP) brings a “unique strength-and-joy focused approach to fitness, prioritizing muscle-building as a path to fun and doing things you enjoy, health and happiness over aesthetic improvements.” SSP members enjoy personal, group or race-specific training and also offers youth programs for kids as young as 10.

Today, SSP announced the grand opening of their new Phinney Ridge location on May 11th, expanding from its original Queen Anne location to bring personalized coaching to the neighborhood. There will be a festive open house tonight (Tuesday, May 3rd) from 4:30-7pm. SSP is located in the former Two Birds Tattoo parlor (7408 Greenwood Ave N), between The Chicken Supply and Cornuto.

Owner Chris Travis preaches the importance of strength training for everyone – whether you’re a young athlete or a still-active 80-year-old. After years in the tech world, Chris followed his passion for fitness to grow the brand that brought him life-changing mental and physical results.

“Our goal is to bring what we do to more Seattleites and really be an integral part of people’s lives. One of our core values is that people are capable of more than they think, and we see this every day from our members who not only get stronger physically but also build confidence and have fun in the process as part of our community. We’ve been so fortunate during the pandemic to have been able to build such a loyal and strong community in Queen Anne, and we can’t wait to extend it to Phinney.”

SSP’s approach to fitness is personal training “tailored to your body, goals and lifestyle through small, hands-on group classes that never leave you feeling alone or untrained.” Their trainers focus on form-first to maximize your movement and time, guiding you to become the strongest version of yourself. Starting with a customized 12-week program, SSP creates adaptations in your body to improve strength, function and mobility – creating a solid base to help you reach your goals.

The City of Seattle will be closing Woodland Park early next week in order to transition the last dozen or so people who are currently living there. The remaining people have been longtime residents at the park and outreach workers are helping find their preferred housing option in the next week. Although not everyone else has moved yet, the work of moving is in process. Much care and coordination is happening to ensure that this transition goes as smooth as possible, as it is a stressful process. 

Per Mayor Bruce Harrel’s office:

After taking office, Mayor Harrell named Woodland Park a major priority for his new administration as the last remaining park-based encampment of significant size. Mayor Harrell set dual goals of helping those living unsheltered get on a path towards more permanent housing options and restoring the public park for use by all residents. We all want safe and clean public parks, and we can agree that homelessness is a humanitarian crisis where people should never have to live outside. 

In January, the Mayor’s Office and Councilmember Strauss convened a coordinated effort – for the first time bringing in King County Regional Homelessness Authority with REACH, the City’s Unified Care Team, HOPE Team, Parks and Recreation Department (SPR), and community leaders like the Phinney Neighborhood Association. This collaboration allowed for a person-centered outreach effort in Upper Woodland Park to ensure that we offer appropriate shelter and services, address ongoing public health and safety concerns, and restore community access to the park. 

Through weekly coordination meetings, a strategic and phased engagement plan was implemented in consideration of the encampment’s physical size, the large number of people experiencing homelessness needing connections to shelter and services, and limited shelter availability citywide. 

The first phase started in January and focused on deploying harm reduction while assessing the needs of those residing in the park. The HOPE Team and REACH began visiting the site near daily to build relationships and learn more about the people living in the encampment. Seattle Parks and Recreation began trash removal three times a week and increased access to temporary bathrooms and hygiene support. 

In February, the second phase began which included developing a by-name-list of everyone residing in the park. The by-name-list includes detailed information on desired shelter resources to assist with case planning and service matching with a focus on making lasting connections to shelter. 

Outreach efforts are currently in the third and final phase, when most shelter and housing placements occur. HOPE Team System Navigators, REACH, and other provider partners are actively making connections to services and shelter which include 24/7 enhanced shelter options with onsite services, including non-congregate options such as tiny houses. These efforts will continue over the coming weeks in an attempt to resolve this encampment through outreach strategies alone. 

As of April 28, this engagement has resulted in at least 30 referrals to shelter or housing for the 61 people identified as living in the encampment long term in February. These connections to shelter and housing include: 

• 17 to Tiny House Villages 
• 9 to Enhanced Shelter 
• 1 individual relocated with a housing solution 
• 2 households relocated with an Emergency Housing Voucher 
• 1 individual is currently approved for Permanent Supportive Housing 
• 5 people not on the by-name-list have been referred to shelter from the park 
  • 1 to Enhanced Shelter 
  • 4 to Tiny House Villages 
• 10 people from the by-name-list have voluntarily relocated from the park 

Planning efforts at Woodland Park are now transitioning to focus on returning the park to its intended use. Our goal is to ensure that everyone receives an offer of shelter, and that the vast majority are connected to the best-fitting shelter and support, after which sections of the park will be temporarily closed to allow SPR to begin restoration work in the park after the removal of the encampment. This will include repairs to picnic shelters, public restrooms, and vegetation. 

Photo by Lextrounce