Ballardblog.com

Hey Ladies! Are you in to getting dressed up and drinking beet-infused drinks that end in tini?
Hey Fellas!  Do you like bars where you can drink pricey microbrews and grind up on sorority girls?
If you said ‘yes’ to any of the above two questions… never go to the Golden City Lounge.   Stop reading… stop reading now.

I love the Golden City Lounge (affectionately called ‘The No-Name” by several who frequent there – due to the fact that it appears to be separate from the restaurant and there is nothing noting its presence other than a red door) .  The drinks are ridiculously strong and inexpensive.  The bartenders are sassy and won’t take anyone’s crap.  The patrons are generally diverse and fun-loving, and the atmosphere feels both divey and inviting at the same time.  The jukebox has an interesting selection, and you can get Chinese food until 1 (!) AM.  Add in their recent expansion which features a pool table, a driving video game, and video darts, and you have a great place to enjoy your weekend on the cheap.

It always seems that something both memorable and awesome  happens when I go to Golden City.  In fact, one time I went there and [note:  content deleted for being too awesome and shocking for delicate sensibilities]

Next time you feel like having some real fun and getting away from the Ballard Ave crowds come to The No-Name.  If you say that you read about the place on BallardBlog.com they will give you a free drink.*

 * This probably won’t happen.  However, it might. (?)

On Sunday afternoon, about 200 kids poured into the new gym located at 5313 Shilshole Avenue NW just South of the busy intersection of Market and 24th Street. The 2 hour open house–including open gym time, hamburgers and hotdogs–couldn’t have been more welcome or better attended. Parents lined up to sign their kids up for classes–recession be damned! At least they don’t have to drive to Lake City from Ballard for evening gymnastics classes!

The new gym has very high ceilings and is open and spacious. And it doesn’t smell like the old gyms, at least not yet! It has two trampolines, a tumble track and an air track. Of course there’s the foam pit for end of class fun. The parent’s bleachers are just as small as the old place, so be prepared to stand. If you go, watch the turn from Shilshole Ave. It’s hard to see at first.

For more information about classes see SGA’s website: www.seattlegymnastics.com

Museum of Vinyl: Bop Street Records

Bop Street Records is Ballard’s finest unofficial museum. This giant emporium of records captures an essential element of music history and culture. Upon walking through the door the smell of the thousands of old records will flood you with nostalgia. The helpful and knowledgeable staff aide you in your search for whatever music your heart desires, be it obscure 45’s, or a popular record you lost 20 years ago. Bop Street’s two floors of records have entertained many famous guests looking to improve their vinyl libraries.

Another exciting element of Bop Street is their recent addition of live music. Often on weekends customers can come shop for records while hearing great local bands. I have been able to attend a few of these charming events. They are always free, so you can spend your money on records (of course). Bop Street Records is located at 5219 Ballard Ave NW.

It is no great news that the City of Seattle is low on funds .  Due to the severe dough lackage, they have decided to cut fire station upgrades, trash cans for parks, and, of course, close the library for a week.  In the recently published 2009-2010 fiscal forecast for the City of Seattle, the Seattle City Council Budget committee blames these problems on everything to the deregulation of the 1980s, personal risk taking of the 1990s, and other typical things legislators point at when they don’t want to take the blame for inadequate budgetary responsibility (to be fair, the economic downturn has obviously reduced revenue, but I digress).

In recent times, the city of Seattle has wasted money hand over fist, employing adviser after adviser and the city’s attorneys desire to waste time and money crusading against bars is well documented.  So what did all this get us?  A week of a shut down library, along with other numerous cuts.

Now I know what many of you out there are saying.  So what?  It is just one week, man.  Relax.  Well, there is one thing I am sure of, and that is the people of Seattle (and specifically of Ballard) love their library.  Every time I go in there the computers are full, and people from all walks of life are browsing the net, looking for books, and benefiting from the idea that information and quality literature should be available to the public free of charge, all the time.

The public library is an essential American institution that allows for those of low incomes and limited resources to be provided opportunity to seek meaningful information for the betterment of both themselves and the general public.  As employment in the state hovers at 9%, underemployed members of the community will be cut off for one week from one of the most essential components of finding and obtaining a job in 21st Century America – the internet.

While my fierce opposition to the closing of libraries might seem like an overreaction to some, I issue a warning to those who do not see the slippery slope that the city walks toward.  If you can justify closing a library for a week – why not a month?  Why not charge an annual membership fee?  Why even have a library system at all?  Why not hire some more well-paid policy advisers that will show us how to spend our money better?

What more could you ask for? Oh, and it’s free!

This event is held at the Dutch Bike Company at 4421 Shilshole Ave NW from 6-9pm.

This Friday, August 29, Sustainable Ballard will be holding another community mixer! Enjoy fresh ales from Sierra Nevada Brewing, tunes by the Max Crumble Orchestra and Dutch Bike Co.’s seven person “Conference Bike.”

Sustainable Ballard is a non-profit organization that gathered in 2003 in response to the Iraq war.  They are actively educating the community on how to decrease our dependence on foreign oil. If you are interested in joining, visit http://sustainableballard.org/wiki/index.php?title=Join.

The event will accept donations to contribute to the upcoming 6th Annual Sustainable Ballard Festival.

See ya there!

The Tractor Tavern will be celebrating its 15th anniversary with three consecutive nights of shows by the Maldives, who are celebrating the release of their newest album, “Listen to the Thunder” (Mt. Fuji, 2009). The shows are on Thursday the 27th, Friday the 28th, Saturday the 29th. Each show is at 9pm, and tickets are $10, available at Sonic Boom Records or online.

The Maldives, a Seattle-based country rock group deep in the roots music scene, is composed of nine members playing a variety of instruments, including fiddle, lap steel guitar, banjo, accordion, acoustic and electric guitar, bass, and drums. Each night, they will be performing with other local bands, including North Twin, 17th Chapter, The Moondoggies, Zoe Muth & the Lost High-Rollers, Shim, Thee Emergency, and Pickwick.

The Maldives will also be at Sonic Boom Records for a free, all-ages event on Saturday the 29th at 4pm.

Tractor Tavern
5213 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206.789.3599

“The Hall of Justice” as it was most recently dubbed, is perhaps one of Ballard’s least known historical landmarks. Originally a small grocery store, the now dilapidated building on 4230 Leary Way has been a recording studio for the past few decades. First called Triangle Studios, then most notably, Reciprocal Recordings, the space has seen the likes of Nirvana, Mudhoney, Modest Mouse, and Death Cab for Cutie (to name a few). The building is now mostly vacant aside from rats and old speaker cabinets. Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie was the last recording engineer to lease the space before moving his studio to Portland. The building is unlikely to stay standing for much longer, so go take a peak at it while you still can.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reciprocal_Recording

Starting next Monday, August 31, 2009, all Seattle public libraries will be closed for a week due to city-wide budget cuts and Labor Day. They will reopen on Tuesday, September 8. During that time, there will be no access to the library website, catalog, Wi-Fi, or book-drops, and scheduled events will not take place. The Ballard Neighborhood Service Center will remain open.

Information specific to the Ballard branch:

Last day to check out items: 5pm Sunday, 8/30/09
Book drops close: Noon Sunday, 8/30/09
Return books inside branch: Noon-5pm Sunday, 8/30/09
Book drops reopen: 9:30am Tuesday, 9/8/09
Branch reopens: 1pm Tuesday, 9/8/09

The Ballard library is an indispensable public resource, but don’t worry, it’s just a week! Due to the closure, the loan period for items borrowed before the closure are extended, so instead of the standard 21 days, some items may be due up to six weeks later–not too shabby if you’re trying to read too many books at once.

This week, there are several regular events that will take place as scheduled. On Wednesday, August 26, from 10:30-11am, is Preschool Story Time. This includes stories, songs, and fingerplays for children ages 3-5. Directly following is Toddler Story Time from 11:30-11:50am, for a slightly younger crowd, ages 1-3. On Friday, August 28, from 10:30-11:15am, the morning book group will meet to discuss “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer, a thoughtful and thought-provoking study of Mormonism and the complexities of human behavior. These events are free and open to the public, and no registration is required.

Ballard Branch
5614 22nd Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 684-4089

All kinds of fabric, from bridal to vintage, will be on sale at the New York Fashion Academy on Ballard Avenue, next Sunday, August 30th from 10-2pm.

Bolts of one of a kind, surplus fabric from local designers will be available for sale on the main floor of the school. Prices are cheap for hard to find (in Seattle) fibers like cashmere, crepes and silk organza. This  sale will be a reoccuring event, hosted at the school every other Sunday, starting on the 30th.

So, there may be some of you on the web that are thinking about finding a health club to join.  Maybe you are in between gyms, tired of your old one, or thinking about joining one for the first time.  Well, let me give you my endorsement,  Ballard Health Club.

The ‘BHC’ is located in the basement floor of the Ballard Building on the corner of 22nd and Market.  Neither a corporate, expensive, or full of grunting, spandex-laden gym gods, this gym is for the ordinary guy or gal looking to stay in shape.  The attendees range from young to old and come in all body types, and you don’t get that intimidated/pseudo-scared feeling you get in the weight areas of some gyms.  In addition, there is a wide range of cardio equipment, and a full list of classes for all ability levels that are included  in the ultra-affordable membership fees. They actually post the fees on their site, unlike some of the other Ballard area gyms (no ‘selling’ of the gym membership at different prices by salespeople).  Add in an ultra-friendly staff that is helpful (and again, not held to sales quotas, etc.) and provides free consultations and the Ballard Health Club is looking like a bargain.

So what are you waiting for ?