First 2025 totals show East Precinct left out of rest of city’s dip in reported property crime

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The union representing Seattle’s sworn officers does not seem to love the city

The Seattle Times called them out on it

This is Capitol Hill…

And the Central District.

With a debate brewing with the Seattle Police Officers Guild over citywide crime stats showing a drop across Seattle in the first quarter of 2025, the numbers for the East Precinct covering the neighborhoods around Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the Central District tell a slightly different story.

Crime statistics compiled by SPD show property crimes did not dip here in January, February, and March like they did in other parts of Seattle including a 26% drop in the North Precinct, a 25% drop in the South,
30% in the Southwest.

Downtown’s West Precinct was down 7% — right around the East Precinct’s modest dip.

Meanwhile East Precinct violent crime totals including a leap in reported sexual assaults were up in the first three months of 2025.

There are also trends that are not being talked about. Arrests across the city have leapt above the totals recorded in the same period last year — including a 30% jump in East Precinct arrests so far in 2025. Continue reading →

Seattle Fire: Cause of Queen Sheba blaze ‘undetermined’

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(Image: CHS)

The Seattle Fire Department says its investigation could not determine an official cause for Tuesday afternoon’s fire that charred the outside of the old Queen Sheba restaurant at Broadway and John.

“Fire investigators ruled the cause as undetermined,” SFD said. “The fire originated in a dumpster between two buildings and spread to the exterior and windowsills of one of the structures.”

SFD says damage was mostly contained to the exterior of the old house turned restaurant. Continue reading →

Seattle’s ‘Pessimistic Scenario Forecast’ has city looking at tightened belts, ‘new revenue solutions’

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If you think your retirement plans look bad after the last few months, check out the latest forecast for the City of Seattle’s revenue sources. The latest analysis shows revenues for City Hall missing the mark by $244 million over the next two years. Mayor Bruce Harrell is talking belt tightening. The Seattle City Council’s leading progressive and most junior member is talking about “new revenue solutions” and will be holding a series of town hall this summer “to hear directly from constituents.”

“The revenue forecast released today presents a dire challenge that requires immediate action. This shortfall is real, it’s significant, and it threatens critical essential services that Seattle residents depend on daily,” Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck said in a statement. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Community Post | Espresso Vivace celebrates its 37th Anniversary

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From Espresso Vivace

Espresso Vivace celebrates its 37th Anniversary with our Annual Espresso Tasting

David will be on bar!

Featuring shots of
Ugandan Rwenzori
Brazilian Yellow Bourbon
Indian Monsooned Malabar
And Ugandan Endele Swiss water Dcaf

Friday April 18th noon to 2pm at our Brix location
Saturady April 19th noon to 2pm at our SLU location

Come one and all to experience the bleeding edge of espresso perfection.

 

$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE THIS SPRING
🌈🐣🌼🌷🌱🌳🌾🍀🍃🦔🐇🐝🐑🌞🌻 
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you.

Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month -- or choose your level of support 👍 

 

Capitol Hill’s Korn Dog is now Chiqpa Small Chicken Patio where you can get giant chicken tenders… and Korn Dogs

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Capitol Hill’s Korn Dog era has ended — kind of.

New chicken tenders joint Chiqpa is ready to rule the roost — and maybe start its path to sharing its normal, mild, or hot tenders far and wide.

“Chiqpa is actually my first restaurant, and it represents a passion project for me. The inspiration behind it comes from my deep appreciation for Street Roasted and Fried Chicken Fast Food,” owner Babamyrat Davranov enthusiastically tells CHS. “I wanted to create a place where food is not just about the meal, but about the experience — a place where our guests can feel like part of the family.”

It has been a speedy turnaround for the Harvard and Pine space. Former tenant Korn Dog was serving customers as recently as last week. And, then, poof… Chiqpa emerged to take over the corner across from Seattle Central. The official complete name, by the way, is Chiqpa Small Chicken Patio. Continue reading →

CHS Pics | The Capitol Hill Burritos California now brightening E Pine by day and by night

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Those are not burritos!

Speaking of new paint, the northeast corner of 10th and Pine has a bright pulse of new life by day and by night as the new Capitol Hill Burritos California is now operational.

CHS reported here last month on the plans for Burritos California to take over the long-ago Kentucky Fried Chicken where Rancho Bravo held down the fort for years of affordable eats across from Cal Anderson Park. Continue reading →

Reverie Ballroom starts next dance on Capitol Hill with renovations, new paint, and plans for new connections like yoga, circus, and burlesque

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Opening night looked familiar at the Reverie (Image: Reverie Ballroom)

But change is coming with renovations, overhauls, and new paint (Image: Reverie Ballroom)

By Domenic Strazzabosco

Reverie Ballroom, housed on the second floor of the Capitol Hill’s Odd Fellows Hall on the corner of Pine and 10th, is up and running after taking over after 28 years of swing dance, waltz, salsa and more from the Century Ballroom.

“More than anything, I’m holding a vision of this place being a thriving arts center where people can come and try a little bit of all kinds of things,” said Eliza Wilder, the executive director of Reverie Ballroom.

CHS Seattle reported in January that Century Ballroom’s owners Hallie Kuperman and Alison Cockrill were not renewing their lease on the space and that a new group was stepping forward to continue using it in a similar fashion to the last three decades.

Though the transition happened on April 1, there wasn’t a single day when dance classes weren’t available. Wilder noted that since so much of the Seattle dance community relies on the rooms, she feared that even one day off would be too much for everyone. Continue reading →

Seattle passes after-hours club regulations

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The Seattle City Council approved legislation Tuesday regulating after-hours clubs that officials say have proliferated around the city and have become centers of crime and gun violence.

“Over the past decade, there have been dozens of shootings and homicides that have occurred in connection with these venues,”  a statement from council president Sara Nelson said.

The legislation passed unanimously Tuesday creates new requirements that include restricting venues to 21+ age limits, no service of alcohol between 2 AM and 5 AM, requiring at least two trained security personnel, running a security checks for weapons upon entry, providing video surveillance of exits, and what backers say will be “unimpeded police access while operating.” Continue reading →

Another fire damages old Queen Sheba building at Broadway and John — UPDATE

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Thanks to neighbor Teddy for the picture

A fire scorched the empty building formerly home to the Queen Sheba restaurant at Broadway and John Tuesday afternoon.

Seattle Fire was called around 2:45 PM to reports of flames on the outside of the building that spread to the interior. Continue reading →

With the Knights of Columbus at Gridline’s core, Harvard Ave’s newest residential development is 112 years old

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In March, CHS reported on the disappearance of construction cranes and design reviews for new projects on Capitol Hill. There are exceptions. There is also a development to welcome to the skyline in the interconnected zone between Capitol Hill and First Hill.

Capitol Hill’s newest residential development, the Gridline Apartments, has reached near-full occupancy less than a year after opening its doors. The two-building adaptive reuse project developed by SRM Development includes 178 units split between the West Building, with 49 units, and the larger North Building, with 129 units. The development offers a mix of affordable and market-rate housing, catering to a range of renters.

The project has grown up and around the neighborhood’s old Knights of Columbus building. Gridline was born of an overhaul of the landmark-worthy building that surrounded the old structure with new apartments

The smaller West Building opened in November 2023 and achieved 95% occupancy in about nine months. The North Building, which opened in March 2024, reached stabilized occupancy by late January 2025, taking just over 10 months to fill. As of now, both buildings are approximately 97% occupied.

“We’re pleased with how quickly these buildings have filled,” said Mike Erickson of SRM. “The location, amenities, and quality of the buildings have resonated with renters.” Continue reading →