Market Scarcity in Columbia City

Tonight was the last farmers market of the season for the Columbia City Farmers Market. Seeing as how it was halloween, there were lots of little princesses and robin hoods and butterflys wandering about, and the market vendors were in good spirits.

I dropped by myself (the admiral does love her Andouille Skagit River Sausage) and managed to catch Karen, the Columbia City Farmers Market coordinator. We talked a little bit about the market and what's happening, and she let me in on the current scoop:

• The market is going to stay where it is for at least the next year, if not the next two. After two years, it's definitely moving.
  
• This past year, they actually switched over to renting their current location. They're renting it from the landlords of the Columbia City Plaza, who in turn have a lease from the old landowners. The market had to pass on this rental cost to the vendors, which were (understandably) not too pleased (traditionally the market has used the parking lot rent free).
  
• Of course, Columbia City Plaza was sold to a development firm on the east coast recently, and so when the Plaza owners lease expires early next year, they'll sign a new one with the new owners. The new owners are planning on putting in a mixed use retail & condo development, but they realize that the planning & permitting process will take years, so they've very kindly offered the current space rent free for the next two years while the permitting process takes place.
  
• The market is already looking for alternate locations though. Their rough boundaries are east to Seward Park, north to the intersection of MLK & Rainier, south to Rainier Beach, and west to the eastern bottom of Beacon Hill. They started out from a list of possible locations that was literally 50+ long, and quickly whittled that down to roughly 5 (they need a big space (current parking lot is 1900+ square feet), power and lighting). The current favorite is in fact the school across the street from the current location - it's undergoing renovations now but hopefully will be ready in two years.
  
• If a new location is found, the market might move in one year rather than two to try and get situated early. But so far, they're still on the search.
  
• They do have a preference to stay in Columbia City. One option was the parking lot of the grocery store at MLK and Rainier, but they're not a big fan of it since at that point it's not really the "Columbia City" Farmers Market anymore.
  

So it's good to know the market is in good hands and actively planning contingencies.

Other than a good chat with Karen, other interesting little tidbits learned include:

• There were a LOT of kids in the commercial district. A LOT. So many that I overheard several say that the candy from the businesses had run out by 6:30. Wow. Gotta get there early I suppose.
  
• I visited Villa Victoria for the first time for a little take out Mexican food (I thought the place was named "Tamales" from the huge sign in their window, but the Admiral corrected me). Villa Victoria is just off the main strip on the first floor of the new mixed use developments across from the Shola Grocery. I picked up a tamale and a little square of what I like to call "Mexican Lasagne" and it was good. Wow. At 6:30 no wonder they were already out of every single kind of burrito they offer except for tofu. If all their food was that good, I'll be a regular. Good stuff.
  

That's all for now. Happy Halloween!

Angie's Essence

An article yesterday in the Seattle PI talks about good ol' Angie's Tavern, portraying it as a throwback to the old Columbia City while the new Columbia City grows around it.

"I'm not against the way things have become," he says. "I think there's been some good. But it's different. You can see the, uh, color differential. You see a lot more Caucasians down here than you did before. It doesn't bother me. I get along with whomever."

Which appears clear as he moves through the bar, saying hello to Ted, to Linda, to Coral. As Columbia City moves upscale (read: wealthier, whiter), Angie's remains what it was -- a neighborhood bar in one of Seattle's few black neighborhoods. As McDowell talks, about two-thirds of the bar's 20 customers are black.

At the same time, directly across the street at the Columbia Ale House none are.

The color of the neighborhood does seem to be changing as more investment pours in. It'll be interesting to see what happens after the light rail lines open - I'm hopeful that since those living north of the ship canal are so anti-low-income housing it hurts, that we might be able to see more mixed-income developments like Rainier Vista and be able to keep a nice mixed neighborhood with lots of different viewpoints, personalities, and yes, colors.

That said, I have to admit, despite my protestations otherwise, I've yet to convince the Admiral to go to Angie's with me. Perhaps the chance to see some of the roots of Columbia City, still alive and kicking, might sway her.

Reviewing the reviews

Much to my chagrin, my computer troubles continue, but at least I've diagnosed what I think to be the problem now. Shouldn't be much longer now. Building one's own computer should not be this hard.

Lots has happened over the past month! Some quick thoughts:

Please watch movies!
Did you all hear the pleas from the fine folks at Columbia City Cinema in early October? Apparently rent couldn't be made, tenants in the lower part of the building were delinquent, and the future was hazy. The admiral and I did our parts by going to the movies, and thankfully it sounds like they pulled out of it. Here's hoping they have enough funding now to get through to the opening of a couple more screens.

This was, unfortunately, a new low in their on-again off-again relationship with their movie viewing public. I don't doubt that running a single screen movie theatre is not the best way to see the money roll in, but I must admit I'm starting to notice the frequency with which the pleas are happening. Are we sure that the neighborhood is big enough to support a movie theatre? Are we sure that they're managing their money appropriately? I sincerely hope the answer to both is "yes". Is it too much to ask, in the name of truly making this cinema a neighborhood cause, to open up the books for the public to see?

Where are all the good coffee joints?
I was chatting with a friend recently who lives in lower capitol hill, close to pike and broadway. He was commenting on how his neighborhood is truly spinning up, with lots of great new restaurants (like Cafe Presse) and coffee shops (stand bys like victrola, bauhaus, and new ones like stumptown). I of course didn't miss a chance to talk of the wonders of La Medusa and Kallaloo and all the other great restaurants, but I had to admit the only real coffee place we have is Starbucks.

I know, I know, there's always solstice right across the street from PCC, and it does serve pretty great coffee, but it doesn't quite have the ambiance of a Vivace or a Bauhaus. Where are those new coffee shop entrepreneurs? Columbia City needs you!

Sending mail might get hairy
The Columbia City Newsletter reports that "The Parcel and Post business on South Edmunds west of Rainier is reportedly for sale. Michael provides such an important array of services; here's hoping we don't lose this Columbia City mainstay."

More later. But in the mean time, don't forget the big up and coming halloween attractions this wednesday:

• It's the last day of the Market this season! Come and buy your winter veggies now, and have your face painted free while you're at it (only for kids, or those who are kids at heart and really good at convincing other people of that fact :))
  
• Retroactive Kids will have craft projects going on
  
• Trick or treating will happen all along the business district
  
• Geraldine's is hosting a costume contest for the day
  
• Columbia City Cinema will be showing a couple of scary slasher flicks to celebrate the evening that are locally filmed, starring Columbia City's own Danella, waitress extraordinaire at Geraldine's.
  

Oh Captain my captain, where art thou?

I'm still here. The computer issues have been dragging on, but they're coming to a close now (to no small relief from the Admiral). You'll see me back this weekend with a roundup of some recent happenings in the city.