Guest Feature by Chad Frerichs
Across PhinneyWood, small businesses are still at the center of our daily life. They’re where our neighbors gather, where our routines take shape, and where the character of the neighborhood is most visible. In a city with one of the highest concentrations of small businesses in the country, this community stands out for how deeply those businesses are woven into our everyday lives.
Seattle is home to roughly 2.55 small businesses for every 100 residents, one of the highest ratios in the nation. In King County, nearly 79% of local businesses employ four workers or fewer. Behind most storefronts are neighbors—people who live close by, people we see walking their dogs in the morning, people who recognize us before we’ve even said hello. Their work shapes the rhythm of these streets in ways that are easy to overlook, but impossible to replace.
You feel this most clearly in the small daily choices we make. At Phinney Books and Couth Buzzard, regulars drift between shelves, flipping through pages, chatting with staff, and taking in that familiar scent of books that settles into the walls. At Herkimer Coffee and Coffeeholic House, the steady hum of the morning anchors the neighborhood—neighbors greeting each other, baristas who know the usual, dogs waiting patiently outside.
And then there are the everyday places we rely on. Ken’s Market for groceries and the small things that keep the week moving. The salon where you’ve sat in the same chair for years. The boutiques with thoughtfully chosen goods. The local shop where you pick up chocolates or a small gift you won’t find anywhere else. Together, these places form a map of routines that make PhinneyWood feel like home. Not grand gestures—just the simple, everyday actions that define how we move through this neighborhood.
Our restaurants and bakeries fill in the rest. Longtime favorites and new standouts. Quick bites and night-out destinations. Just this month, The Seattle Times highlighted Greenwood Avenue as one of Seattle’s best restaurant streets, a distinction that reflects the diversity and personality of the businesses lining our corridor. The article wasn’t news to the people who live here—it was recognition of something we’ve known all along.
And then there are the moments that remind us just how strong this community really is. For 45 years, the PhinneyWood Winter Festival has brought the neighborhood together in a way few events can—supporting both the PNA and the local makers who help this community thrive. Each winter, artists, crafters, and small vendors fill the Phinney Center with work that’s thoughtful, personal, and rooted in this place. Handmade ceramics, textiles, prints, jewelry—pieces that carry an artist’s story in every detail. It’s a reminder that our neighborhood isn’t just a place to shop; it’s a place where creativity and connection still matter.
For small businesses and artists, seasons like this have real weight—not in dramatic ways, but in the steady math of staying open, planning ahead, and continuing to contribute to the life of the community. A cup of coffee. A book. A haircut. A gift from a boutique. A box of chocolates. These tiny moments don’t feel like big decisions, but together they shape the future of this place.
PhinneyWood’s small businesses—its bookstores, cafés, markets, boutiques, salons, restaurants, and makers—give the neighborhood its shape. They create the texture of daily life and the sense of belonging that brings people back to these streets again and again.
Shop PhinneyWood this holiday season and support your community. Because when we choose these places, we’re choosing the neighborhood we want to call home.
Chad is the owner of Favorite Day Media, a digital-first marketing agency specializing in supporting small businesses in the PhinneyWood community. He lives on Phinney Ridge with his Golden Retriever, Lucien.