Author Archives: AGPhoto

The Doctor’s Office marks five years on Capitol Hill — ‘It’s going to be one of the best bars in the world’

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Capitol Hill’s The Doctor’s Office is more than just a bar. It is a testament to resilience, passion, and the power of community. Opened just four weeks before the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, this intimate 12-seat bar has defied the odds, earning international acclaim and becoming a part of the neighborhood.

As the bar marks five years of business on Capitol Hill, its prescription for success has been anything but ordinary.

The story of The Doctor’s Office begins with a literal fall from grace. Owner and founder Dr. Matthew Powell was inspecting the vents for the hood system on the roof of the building when disaster struck.

“You ever do that thing where you’re going downstairs and there’s like, ‘Oh, there’s one more step,’ a split second before you would have sworn there is one more step? Just make that the edge of a roof,” Doc Powell recalls. “For the life of me, I could not tell you why my brain was like, ‘There is one more step,’ and I just stepped out into nothing, right onto the pavement.”

The fall shattered his foot, requiring two surgeries and 10 hours of operating time. “Fortunately, the specialist for that fracture happens to be at Harborview, like the best specialist in the nation, if not the world,” he says. But the timing couldn’t have been worse. Continue reading →

‘Save our Science’ rallies — with some of the best protest signs so far — bring fight against Trump cuts to Montlake Blvd E

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Montlake Blvd E above 520 isn’t where you might typically see a protest in Seattle but a “Save our Science” demonstration there Wednesday morning caught the city’s attention.

Workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are raising alarms over looming job cuts they say threaten critical scientific research, fisheries sustainability, and the livelihoods of coastal communities. Speaking anonymously out of fear for their jobs, employees at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Fisheries Science Center are calling attention to the far-reaching consequences of federal funding and staffing reductions.

“Many of us work at NOAA, right here, and a lot of our co-workers are being threatened with their jobs,” one worker said. These employees emphasize their role as public servants, working not just in Washington, D.C., but in communities across the country.

A stock assessment scientist explained the importance of their work: “We set annual catch limits for fisheries on the West Coast and in Alaska to make sure that we can keep catching fish sustainably.” This focus on sustainability is critical to maintaining healthy fish populations and supporting the commercial fishing industry.

Nick Tolimieri, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 8A, represents workers at NOAA’s Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Science Centers. He warns that funding and staffing cuts jeopardize their ability to deliver essential research required by laws like the Magnuson-Stevens Act and the Endangered Species Act. Continue reading →

Piedmont Café brings new life to historic space on First Hill

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Freshly brewed coffee and baked goods now greet passersby on First Hill thanks to Piedmont CafĂ©, a new addition to the neighborhood’s hangouts that echoes with the area’s time before the massive health complexes and high-rise apartment and condo buildings. Nestled in a historic building with a storied past, the cafĂ© is bringing life to the long ago hotel lobby.

“This building was formerly a hotel,” co-owner Charles Scott explained, pointing out the unique layout of the space. “This part was once a plant shop and formerly a storage facility.” The new cafe space now takes over what was the original lobby for the hotel. “For the last 60 years, I guess since ’62, it was sold and made into the Tuscany Apartments. Part of it was even the cafeteria for the charter school a couple blocks away.”

The Seneca Street site was once the Piedmont Apartment Hotel, “with exuberant colored tile and elegant ornament” from one of Seattle’s most prominent architects, the city’s entry on the historically significant structure reads.

Scott and his partner took on the challenge of transforming the historic building into a cozy and inviting cafĂ©. “We built out the bar, added a floating wall for the storage area, and built out the dish area.” Hoping to keep the space feeling old and comfy, all the furniture was bought used, except for the two couches. “We resurfaced the tables and restored a nice hutch we got from Gig Harbor.” Continue reading →

Seattle Black Firefighters fight to protect historic Central District property from controversial sale

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A fight is underway in the Central District to save a home that a group of Black first responders say has long been a cornerstone in their community.

Members of the Seattle Black Firefighters Association are locked in a legal battle to reclaim the property, which was sold last year under controversial circumstances. Saturday, a community rally was held at 23rd and Pike to show support for saving the property.

“It’s just really very disappointing that we cannot, as Black men and women, sit down and talk about the property, and the only solution that the current regime has come up with is to sell it,” said retired Deputy Chief Charles Gill of the Seattle Fire Department. Gill, alongside other retired and active members, has been leading the charge to preserve the house, which has been central to the group’s identity for over four decades.

The house’s sale has ignited outrage not just because of its history but also due to what some say was a lack of transparency and a disregard for the organization’s bylaws. A court ruling in 2024 affirmed that retired members of the SBFFA retain voting rights, yet the sale went ahead anyway. The double-lot property, located in one of Seattle’s most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, was sold for $680,000 — far below its market value, the group says.

The corner marks the latest fight in what is becoming sometimes a house by house effort to hold onto remaining roots of the Central District. Continue reading →

The Wildrose, a safe space, a survivor, and a good place to grab a drink, celebrates 40 years on Capitol Hill

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The Wildrose, Capitol Hill’s iconic lesbian bar, is celebrating an incredible milestone: 40 years as a cornerstone of Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community. With a claim as the longest-running lesbian bars in the nation, the Wildrose has weathered decades of change, remaining steadfast in its mission to provide a safe, inclusive space.

“The original owner was incredible,” recalls co-owner Martha Manning. “She was a civil rights attorney who created a safe space for women because there was a need for it.”

From its founding as a cooperative in 1984, the Wildrose was politically significant, establishing itself as more than a bar — it was a sanctuary.

Fast forward to today, and the Wildrose’s impact continues. Manning reflects on moments when the team felt defeated or jaded, only to be reminded of the bar’s vital role in the community on Capitol Hill — and beyond. “Sometimes you lose sight of what it means to people, but the community’s support has always shown us how much they want this space to exist.” Continue reading →

How SAM’s security guards won their first union contract

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SAAM

After a 12-day strike, the 60 or so guards at the Seattle Art Museum and Capitol Hill’s Seattle Asian Art Museum have secured a contract agreement. The deal, finalized last week, delivers a wage boost from $21.68 to $23.25 per hour and guarantees 4% annual raises from 2025 through 2027 — a hard-fought victory for workers determined to improve their livelihoods while safeguarding some of the city’s premier cultural institutions.

It is a small victory but an important win for a small group left out of protections for their peers that was able to organize — and win — at a smaller scale.

To get there, the security workers had to overcome reluctance from museum leadership — and decades-old labor law.

“There is a law that the union believes the museum exploited to avoid recognizing us under that umbrella union,” Tahlia Segura, a part-time Visitor Service Officer and teaching artist in the museum’s education department who serves as the union representative, said. Continue reading →

Pasta, Grana Padano, and Parmesan — A visit to Capitol Hill’s Cheese Room

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It is not easy to replace a Capitol Hill food and drink legend but the restaurant at the corner of Melrose and Pine is hoping to build its own reputation blending Italian comfort food with a subtle Korean influence. So, what the heck is Cheese Room?

“Cheese and wine is something that we love, so why not — we go with cheese,” co-owner Scott Han tells CHS.

Cheese Room is a pasta-forward restaurant where every dish centers around the cheese. Continue reading →

‘Summit Life’ — Capitol Hill’s Summit Pub turns 20

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Jay Janicek and his business partner Sam Munguia have been the owners of the Summit Public House, a local gem of the Capitol Hill community, for the past 20 years. Their climb, marked by perseverance and a deep love for their neighborhood, started before they became owners. “We took it over in 2004, on St Patrick’s Day they handed us the keys,” Janicek recalls. Over the years, the neighborhood has transformed dramatically, but Summit Pub has remained the local watering hole.

In 2004, Summit Avenue was a different place. “There were no other bars here at all, just Top Pot Donuts, a pizza place next door, and a bookstore,” Janicek reminisces. Today, Summit Pub is surrounded by a variety of establishments, making it a bustling hub of activity. Despite the changes, Summit Pub has thrived, with Janicek attributing their success to consistency and careful management.

“We’re pretty consistent. We have really good local beers and things on tap, and we don’t run out of anything.” Continue reading →

On Capitol Hill’s 15th Ave E, a community mural is restored as a new work rises above

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Billy Davis

 

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Amid a wave of 2020s change, 15th Ave E is getting some artistic touch-ups with an effort to restore a 2000s-era community mural and a massive new mural from an artist synonymous with the 2008 presidential election victory of Barack Obama.

Shepard Fairey is at work this week above 15th Ave E.

Artist Billy Davis just spent the past weeks here after a bout of graffiti vandalism inspired a clean-up of an old project.

The Sanctuary mural was created by Davis on the building constructed in 2000 for the neighborhood’s new Walgreens. The painting’s origin traces to another time of change for Capitol Hill. When the beloved local business City People’s closed and its owners sold the land to Walgreens, many neighbors pushed back on the development. One of the concessions was Sanctuary. Davis was selected to bring it to life.

“There was an outcry in the neighborhood,” Davis recalls, reflecting on the community’s reaction to the changes. “But Walgreens donated a wall to the community.”

The resulting mural was intended to reflect the sense of refuge and belonging that residents associate with their neighborhood, Davis said.

“The name ‘Sanctuary’ is a shout-out to the community,” Davis said this week as he completed word on an extensive restoration of the painting. “The tree in the mural is a kind of totem for the community and a reflection of dream time.” Continue reading →

Cutie Foundation: spreading art and creativity from Cal Anderson to parks across Seattle

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Cal Anderson hosted a Cutie Party in Cal Anderson in May.

Kaitlin Fritz, founder and executive director of Cutie Fest and the Cutie Foundation, has turned a grassroots art initiative into a bustling celebration of creativity and community.

Fritz’s journey, which began as a burst in art creation during the pandemic, is now ready to grow and spread out from its Capitol Hill roots with new events and campaigns including a partnership with the Downtown Seattle Association, promising a bright future for local artists and vendors.

Fritz started Cutie Fest in 2022 after finding traditional art markets and fairs around Seattle prohibitively expensive.

“I wanted to sell my art but I couldn’t afford to do markets,” Fritz said. Her solution was simple yet bold: set up a free market in a park. The initial turnout was modest, with just a handful of vendors but word quickly spread. By the following year, Cutie Fest had grown to host more than 550 creators.

Fritz envisions Seattle’s parks like Cal Anderson becoming hubs for local artists and vendors, much like Pike Place Market. “Public spaces should be used by public people,” she says. This philosophy is a foundation for her efforts to encourage spontaneous vendor markets and community gatherings, ensuring that public spaces serve the people who fund them. Continue reading →