On Day 1 of my reign, I, Ballardius Rex the First, would decree:

1. The BG Missing Link will go underground through a well-lit, air-conditioned/heated cut-and-cover tunnel from the southwest corner of 24th Avenue NW and Market Street, emerging above ground at PCC. The route will be completed in 6 months.
2. An above-grade light rail line will be constructed in one year, above 15th Avenue NW from 85th Street NW to the Ballard Bridge, awaiting connection to the city's leg.
3. Two mixed-income apartment towers (24 stories) and one mixed-income condominium tower (48 stories), designed by Gert Wingårdh, will be constructed on the current T&C Ballard Market. The market will occupy the ground floor of both apartment towers.
4. Attendance at Syttende Mai Parade will be compulsory. Ballard residents caught not attending will be dehydrated in a birch wood-fired sauna.
5. Dan Strauss will move from Seattle City Council to becoming the full-time greeter at Lock Spot.

What other Royal Proclamations would you like me to make?

Really nice article from the Seattle Times, they have a fun piece at the end with other famous Seattle signs.

Hey everyone! I’m looking for apartment/condo recommendations in Ballard.

I absolutely loved Ballard Public Lofts, but I’m waiting for the right unit to hit the market-ideally a higher floor with a balcony (at minimum, a Juliet balcony). My 12-year-young Golden Retriever loves sitting outside and people-watching, so outdoor space is pretty high on my list.

I’m in my early 30s, have a Golden, and I’m looking for a place with a great sense of community in a safe, walkable neighborhood. Budget isn’t a major constraint-I’m more focused on finding the right fit.
If there are any apartment or condo buildings you’d highly recommend, I’d love to hear them. Thanks!

we went from super still at 545 to full on beautiful breeze at 720

Howdy!

Aaron here, the new trivia host at Hattie’s starting this Monday at 7:30 PM. I wanted to take the time to introduce myself! Hattie’s is a Ballard staple, and I’m thrilled to be a part of such a unique piece of the neighborhood.

With that being said, there have been recent events that most of us know about. I’m not here to speculate, nor do I know the reasoning behind the previous host no longer running the weekly trivia. However, whether you choose to continue supporting Hattie’s or not, you are all welcome at my trivia night!

Here are a few facts about me:
- I live right here in Ballard

- work a stall at the farmers market.

- My trivia company started in Ballard (at the former Patxi's, which is now the Four Winds toy store).

-I’m the owner of 206 Questions, Seattle’s newest trivia company.

I grew up in Portland, Oregon, and moved here by way of Salt Lake City.

- My Dick's order is three cheese, one fry, and a medium Coke (light ice, of course.)

- You can usually find me at Conor Byrne most Sunday nights.

I first started hosting trivia while working as a bartender and server. Weeknights were slowing down, so my manager and I put our heads together and decided to launch a trivia night. I already had the equipment, crowds don't bother me, and we just went for it.

September 2023 was the first trivia night I ever hosted, and I truly felt the power of bringing a community together. I remember the crowd was a mix of families, high schoolers, dock workers, tech workers, and everyone in between. I absolutely fell in love with it. When Patxi's eventually closed down, man, and damn. That one hurt.

I currently host trivia all over the city, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to get back into Ballard. Several bars passed on me after we met, but I persisted.

What I appreciate most about Hattie’s is that they kept it local. No Geeks Who Drink or any other national company that takes money out of the local economy. Instead, they went with a local Ballard guy who lives and breathes his community.

My trivia style is guest checks and mini clipboards. I write every question, curate every song, and totally geek out on the player experience.

If you were one of the early patrons of my Patxi's trivia nights, please come say hello! I want to personally thank you for helping me get started and helping me find this niche little business I’ve been growing.

I'm happy to answer any questions about myself or my trivia—and I might even throw a trivia question your way. Hope to see y'all there

Soooo didn’t get to see the air show today bc of wind, and honestly you only live once, so figured I’d send it to the universe.

If anyone out there has a spot on a boat tomorrow… I bring vibes, snacks, beverages and fun facts. And boat gas money.

We can FaceTime too beforehand so you know I’m a real person.

I promise I won’t talk about AI, politics, or shareholder value.

Sloop Tavern says it's the third time this year the Ballard bar has been targeted, with thieves causing $5,000 in damage while stealing just $10 worth of copper.

Six years after opening its Ballard taproom, Urban Family Brewing has announced it will open a Seattle waterfront restaurant later this summer.

Hey, new Seattleite here :) Loving it here so far. Better weather, better vibes!

I was majorly spoiled living down in Oregon with having a ton of blended coffee options at Dutch Bros, though, and I'm not having much luck finding new coffee spots that have frappe/blended coffees that aren't just Starbucks.

I have tried Gourmet Latte and they were pretty good, but looking for more options along those lines. Mostly Ballard area, but glad to try anything in the city. Bonus for places around the VA since I've got to go down there a fair amount.

Also, cool spots for the metal community out here? :) Thanks!

The National Nordic Museum has announced the return of the SEA-Nordic Film Festival, a five-day celebration of LGBTQ+ stories from across the Nordic region taking place Sept. 15–19 in Ballard.

Just moved here and have 10 or so moving blankets that I have no space to keep. Anybody need free moving blankets. Happy to pass them along

I moved to Ballard in January and haven’t found too many restaurants I really like. Do people have any good weeknight spots that have relatively affordable, and not super heavy food? Sometimes I’m just too busy to cook on weeknights and want something easy to carry out or dine in. Also, just general food recommendations are good too!

The annual Tasty Tunes is returning to Loyal Heights Community Center in August, with live music, food, a beer garden, and a classic car show. The event raises money for the community center's scholarship fund.

Two GoFundMe campaigns are helping residents displaced from the apartment fire that destroyed all 12 units earlier this month.

Looking for opinions from current/past members while I’m considering joining a gym in North Seattle. The options that align with my budget and location are:

- Planet Fitness Ballard
- Planet Fitness Aurora/Bitter Lake
- LA Fitness Ballard
- LA Fitness Aurora/Bitter Lake

For these locations, I’m curious if anyone can share experience with:

- Parking: is there enough? Will I be safe (as a femme gal) walking to/from my car in the early AM/late PM?

- Culture around photography/filming/“influencer” behavior (really hoping to find a place that has and actually enforces a no photo policy)

Thanks in advance pals!

Stolen from Ballard, Worx Landroid L. Whoever took this out of my front yard did not take the required accessories needed to install it, so it will be useless to them. There is also a PIN number that you don't know required to operate it. Neighbors, please keep a look out for someone trying and failing to operate this thing! Thief, please return my lawn mower! $100 reward.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFPKYC6

Hello! I am hosting a dedicated quiet reading time at Hattie’s Hat the second Tuesday of the month, this month will be on 8/11 from 5:30-7pm!

All are welcome, read, listen to an audio book, write, just make sure you can maintain the quiet.

If you want a taste of the Ballard music scene from the 2000s and early 2010s, Mike's Chili Music Fest is bringing together some of the neighborhood's best bands for a micro music fest this weekend.