jeanineanderson

The Anne Bonny and Cairo have teamed up to bring you a second year of Expo:  the micro fest of film and music  and art in the micro 'hood of Sleepy Hollow/Top Pot/Summit. Expo 87 is three nights and includes two film series, more than 20 bands, and one interactive art installation.  The film series on Thursday are free; $10 will get you an all-festival pass for all events on both Friday and Saturday.

Here's my not-to-be-missed list from the lineup:

Supervideografen : A series of short animated films co-curated by Sean Pecknold;  and Pacific Open - A shorts program comprised of miscellaneous musically driven films from around the Northwest, co-curated by Christian Hansen. Free! Thursday, Cairo 7 - 10pm.

CMYK : dance pop band with a fun and bright sound. Friday, Cairo 7pm.

Seattle Band Map : a cartographic study of musical incest. This graphic illustration/chart of who has played with whom in Seattle bands looks super interesting to anyone who has at least a smattering of familiarity with local bands.  Rachel Ratner writes about the evolution of the chart and shares a preview on the KEXP blog. With musical performances and an audience interactive component.  Friday, Cairo 9 - 11pm

Mt. Eerie: Ballad-driven music from a man and his guitar. Of Mt. Eeerie, the  NY Times said recently, "The gig was a recollected chronicle of awe, sung in a high, light voice, a little like Will Oldham’s, but clearer and straighter, without its coils and burrs." Saturday, Cairo 9pm.

I'm sure there are more gems in the Expo 87 lineup Check out the full schedule, and feel free to add your own picks in the comments.

Coordinates

Getting there: The Anne Bonny and Cairo are located at the corner of Mercer and Summit.  Nearest bus lines are 14, 43, and 49.  Street parking is very limited.

Nearby replenishments: Summit Public House, Toscana Pizzaria, Sun Liquor and Top Pot Donuts are located across the street. A few blocks north and one block west on Bellevue is The Lookout.  Snacks and beverages available at mini-mart Summit Foods next to the Anne Bonny.

The Broadway Farmer's Market will help you dress up your pumpkin this Sunday. Kid-friendly and provided freely are a few pumpkins and a crafty space with sparkly supplies galore. Is there a drag pumpkin in your future? From the market newsletter:

Grab a pumpkin and go to town with all manner of ghoulish deco and artistic accoutrement; paints, glitter, glue, pipe cleaners, googley-eyes, yarn, leaves, corn silk, etc. The decorating choices are endless and the results are always original. Decoration materials are provided by the farmers market, and some pumpkins will be provided by local farmers (shoppers are also welcome to purchase a pumpkin of their choice from market farmers).

Also in season: Kiwis!  I always forget this fruit can be grown locally; they just seem way too exotic for our temperate climate. (Like puffins. I am not making this up. Puffins are local, I swear. I saw one once.) 

Besides pumpkins and kiwis, other in-season goods include squash, carrots, lettuce, onions, pears.

iPhone and iTouch owners can keep up with in-season, locally grown and produced foodstuffs with the iPhone application Locavore. Not only is Locavore helpful with farmer's market purchasing decisions, it also provides recipe suggestions (via Foodista)  for those market treasures.  Read more about Locavore on The SunBreak.

Broadway Farmer's Market
10th Ave East and East Thomas St.
Sundays through Dec 20th, 11am to 3pm

photo The bounty by Fecki from the CHS Flickr group

Another mystery nightclub is for sale on Capitol Hill. Which one do you think this is?

Established Capitol Hill Nightclub  $800,000 2 bars; Special amenities; Great lease; turnkey Gross $1.12M.

Clues indicate it is a currently open, high volume establishment. Let's start with eliminating contenders: not Neumos (3 bars, right?) not King Cobra (they were only asking $500K earlier this year).

Which "nightclub" with "special amenities" do you think this is? The Garage? The War Room? Chop Suey?

That price is a real stunner, innit? Here's a brief rundown of other Capitol Hill area businesses currently for sale, all with lower price tags:

Rosebud  $295,000; India Express  $190,000; and Swoon  $65,000.  Slightly off-Hill listings include: Quiznos (Madison)  $179,000;  and Plaza Select Foods (Madison) $60,000.

And now for the bonus round:
 There's a handful of  no-name-please businesses for sale who have self-identified as being in the Capitol HIll neighborhood. Add your secret identity guesses and insider knowledge in the comments.

Coffee/Tea House w Beer and Wine  $75,000
Well established customers, 2 blocks from Seattle Central.

Cozy Neighborhood Coffee Shop/Cafe $95,000
5 years, loyal customers, local coffee, La Marzocco machine.

Restaurant in Heart of Broadway $179,000
Hardwoods, exposed brick, pendant lighting, efficient kitchen.

Iconic Capitol Hill Cafe   $325,000
Prime location, established 20 years, cafe with beer and wine.

Funky Eclectic Capitol Hill Cocktail Lounge  $99,000
Seats 60, funky and eclectic decor, open 5pm - 12am/2am 6 days/week
Broker listing is for $139,000.

photo/illustration by Faux Post, from the CHS Seattle Flickr group

The fancy-schmancy (wink) Plush You! exhibit comes to Capitol Hill tonight with artists' receptions at two venues, a movie screening, and a post -movie discussion with the filmmaker. (And just to be clear from the get-go, Plus You! is not about furries, despite last month's uptick in sightings.)  All Plush You! events are free, with the exception of the movie screening. Here's how to join in on the plush crafty doings:

Northwest Film Forum
Screening of documentary Handmade Nation 4:00 pm
1515 12th Ave

Vermillion
Happy hour with Handmade Nation filmmaker Faythe Levine, 5:30 pm
1508 11th Ave

Bluebottle Art Gallery and Store
Artist Reception 5 - 10 pm
415 East Pine Street

 The Anne Bonny 
Artist Reception 5 - 10 pm
534 Summit Ave E 

Image: creations from Pilli Pilli, available at Blue Bottle Gallery.

Part coffeeshop, part techshop, part hackerspace, Metrix Create:Space opens October 15th on north Broadway. It is no doubt destined to be a hangout for the Make: Magazine crowd and hardware hack creative types. Under wraps and buildout for months, Matt Westervelt and crew are hard at work preparing to open the DIY center / coffee shop.

Metrix Create: Space will serve coffee, but it is clear this is no ordinary coffee shop with only the requisite high speed internet. Their  passion is in enabling  creative DIY with equipment and supplies not typically stocked by the casual hobbyist .  Coffee is secondary: getting together and making things is the focus.

In the make/hack space Metrix will offer the use of a MakerBot - a robot which makes things! - custom laser cutting and etching, sewing machines, and craft supplies. Soldering irons? Check. Jumper wire? Check. Power supplies? Check. Workspace? Check.

Metrix Create:Space also has a vending machine stocked with both snacks and electronic supplies. It currently holds arduinos, breadboards, jumper wire, solder, flux pens, various adapters and power supplies, Sun Chips, Clif Bars and M&Ms. Stock varys on whim. (I can't imagine what an arduino looks like or what it's purpose is but we know it fits into a vending machine spiral, so it probably isn't a grow-your-own-alien kit.)

I am particularly interested in seeing the MakerBot at work. MakerBot is an open source 3D "printer" which creates objects using a layers of liquid plastic. MakerBot is the brainchild of Bre Pettis, a former Seattlite and god to the DIY community. How do you use a MakerBot? You provide a 3D design file (Google SketchUp is a free software application), and Metrix Create:Space will run the MakerBot to "print" the object using layers of plastic.

Metrix Create: Space
623A Broadway E (below the Deluxe Bar and Grill, next to the Museum of Mysteries)
Hours: 12 noon - 12 midnight, 7 days a week
Opens to the public October 15th

Follow Metrix Create:Space progress on Twitter.

The 2009 Decibel Festival is in your 'hood this weekend, Thursday through Sunday. The popular electronic music festival draws a savvy and fashionable crowd from all over the world to our city and neighborhood to eat, drink, walk, and buy.

Whether you're into the 808 or not  --- 808 is slang for bass, Roland 808 drum machine, cowbell (and Hawaii, but that doesn't apply) -- we'll have lots of visitors roaming the hill.  What say we  thaw a little of that so-called Seattle freeze and help dispel that reputation.  Just a little.

If you want a taste of the electronic music scene without jumping in with both feet, here's a list of where and when things are happening on the hill and the prime lurking opportunities.

Decibel Festival Will Call and Lounge
The Chapel // Thursday - Saturday
All passholders, including performers, must pass through The Chapel.  Rub elbows with the electronic elite, no tickets required. Find a perch at the bar and hang on (and out). Prime time is Thursday and Friday.

 Performances
 Neumos // Thursday – Sunday, 8pm – 2am
 Sole Repair // Thursday – Sunday, 8pm – 2am
 Chop Suey // Saturday, 8pm – 2am
The street and sidewalks between Nuemos and Sole Repair form prime listening real estate. You can count on open windows at Sole Repair and open (but guarded) doors at Nuemos. Hover, stroll, get a snack at Pike Street Fish Fry, have a smoke.

After Hours party
 The Electric Tea Garden //  Friday & Saturday, 12am – 6am
Windows will be open, it get's hot in this space. A good listening spot is the sidewalk across the street, in front of Porchlight Coffee.

Outdoors dB in the Park
Volunteer Park // Sunday, 12pm – 6pm
No skullduggery required, this event is FREE! It was a real blast last year and great for people watching and daylight, carefree dancing.

Conference and OPTICAL
 Asian Art Museum // Sunday 3pm - 6pm
I got nothing for you here. Sorry. It is a museum, after all. They know security.

Off-hill locations include SAM, Motor, The Triple Door, Church of Bass, Little Red Studio, and Olympic Sculpture Park.  Here's a Google map of all Decibel Festival venues.  Check the Decibel Festival site for a detailed schedule and information on all festival events.

 Not sure who to see?   Check   these    show    recommendations.

Decibel Festival is a non-profit, four-day annual music and arts festival. Founded in 2003, the festival bridges the gap between technology and creativity through visual art, workshops, panel discussions and cutting-edge electronic music performances. 

I crossed paths with a friendly neighbor last night who works for the Brix condo developer and gave me the scoop on where to get free food, drinks, and entertainment this afternoon.

Brix is hosting a community party today (Saturday, 1 - 4pm) with food from Buca di Beppo and chocolate martinis from Dilletante. There will also be a DJ and other food providers, but friendly nieghbor's post-bar hopping self couldn't remember the details.

I was assured I don't need to pretend to be interested in buying a condo in order to get a plate and a glass.  I'll probably wander around anyway just to satisfy my real estate-lookie-loo curiousity.

Brix condos go on the auction block Sunday, September 29th. See CHS's story on the auction (and the informative comments) for more infomation.

In city living, a mile can mean a real difference in micro neighborhood flavor and vibe.

A few months ago I moved within the Capitol Hill neighborhood, a distance of just over a mile. Both micro 'hoods are on the hill, both are similarly close to Cal Anderson Park and the future light rail station. Both are eclectic and open-minded. Both are fine residential neighborhoods. Yet, there's something in the details. Kids, dogs. Blackberries, figs. Cityscape, sunset. Mad Market, Top Pot.  Here's my move:

 And  how the micro 'hoods compare:

I like both neighborhoods for different reasons. It is easier to get home to Mad Market from a night of socializing in Pike/Pine area. Pho noodles are cheap and plentiful on north end of Broadway. Worse street maintenance in Top Pot, better sidewalks in Mad Market.  Mad Market wins for happy hour, Top Pot wins for brunch.   Top Pot is quieter, Mad Market is lively.

Which is the better micro 'hood? It depends. Are you a night owl or a lark? Do you prefer strawberry or chocolate? 

I only know of two bars on the hill with air conditioning. There must be more, yes? We can't all fit into these twothree as the temp flirts with 100 degrees this week.

• Sun Liquor at 607 Summit Ave E
• The Satellite at 1118 E Pike St
• Central Cinema at 1411 21st Avenue (editor's note! and CHS sponsor! and counts as a bar, I say! but also may open the comment gates to restaurants! not as interesting as bars!)

Where do you go to cool off and have a cold one?

More from the editor per this old thread:

• The Chapel
• Bill's off Broadway
• Six Arms
• Charlie's on Broadway

I love Cal Anderson Park and the way it reflects and collects the neighborhood character. (And characters.)  I moved to Capitol Hill about 2 years ago so I wasn't around for it's tranformation from Lincoln Resevoir and didn't realize the history of the site, the significance of the name, or what Teletubby Hill is actually made of.  (Hint:: not dead teletubbies.)  The Adventure School fills in my knowledge gap with historical pictures and a short informative account of the park, then and now.

Create your own Cal Anderson Park memories this Saturday at the Independence Day Community Picnic.  Music, root beer tasting, food, games, and more: check the flyer for details on all the activities.

Think you have a chance to win the Pet - Human Look-Alike Contest?  Pics or it didn't happen.