NWsource | Geoff Carter

Weekend Highlights for July 24-27

Geoff Carter — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:54:00 -0700

For most of this year, you've been shopping indoors, and while you've scored some great deals, your vitamin D levels have dropped precipitously. Fortunately, there are a couple of swell sidewalk sales this weekend -- in Ballard and in SoDo -- that will enable you to get those vitamins back while you shop. So reinforced, you may then check out (indoors!) the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale with a clear conscience.

Ballard SeafoodFest serves up smoked salmon and pedestrian-friendly streets July 26 and 27

Geoff Carter — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:36:03 -0700

The Ballard SeafoodFest is just like Woodstock, only with fish. It's Fishstock. No, wait, that's what you use to make fish soup. Can I start over?

Capitol Hill Block Party: Meet and beat your live music quota

Geoff Carter — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:31:20 -0700

There's something I'd like you to try. Just this once. Don't worry; you'll like it. And after you've done it you can go right back to ignoring most everything I say.

Here's what you do:

1. Grow to twenty times your normal size.

2. Pick up the KEXP offices and the Stranger offices and shake them lightly over the Pike/Pine corridor. Replace them when finished, taking pains not to squoosh Paul Constant or Cheryl Waters.

Rat City Rollergirls say, 'Happy trails, mommacherry!' and get ready for Bout 5

Geoff Carter — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:27:31 -0700

The Rat City Rollergirls packed a lot of eight-wheeled action into the fourth bout of their 2008 season. The Derby Liberation Front edged out the Throttle Rockets in a nail-biter. The Sockit Wenches delivered a crushing defeat to the San Diego Derby Dames. Femme Fatale jumped from Grave Danger to the Sockit Wenches, the Wenches' Drew Blood came off the injured list and returned to play, and the league released a nifty cookbook.

Sink your teeth into the Bite of Seattle, but beware the food coma!

Geoff Carter — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:54:45 -0700

This year I was asked to be on the august panel of judges for the 2008 Bite of Seattle. I've just come from Seattle Center, having sampled the equivalent of three dinners, at least one of them pure salmon.

I figure I've got about 10, maybe 20 minutes tops before food coma gets the better of me, so I'll give you some quick impressions of the event while I'm still able to form cogent sentences.

The five best happy hours in Seattle -- nay, the world!

Geoff Carter — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:49:38 -0700

You're kidding, right? There are hundreds -- hundreds! -- of amazing happy hour deals to be found in the greater Seattle metropolitan area. You really think I could narrow that down to five?

As I did with my recent "five best par patios" piece, I have lured you here with the hope that you'll tell me all about your favorite happy hours. I apologize for the subterfuge, but these are desperate times in the lifestyle journalism biz.

Counterbalance Park: An Urban Oasis is coming soon to a Queen Anne near you

Geoff Carter — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:31:27 -0700

Face it: You love colon usage. You love to see it used in the titles of movie sequels like "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army." You love to see it used in award-winning first novels. And if I were to use a syntactical-deductive colon right now, something wonderful would happen: You would feel very pleased with the world, and the colon's place in it.

Weekend Highlights for July 17-20

Geoff Carter — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:25:43 -0700

Five reasons to visit Greenwood today

Geoff Carter — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:03:42 -0700

Several years back, a friend of mine moved to Greenwood from Capitol Hill. I asked him how he liked it, or if he missed the hipster happiness of the Hill. He said no, he didn't miss the Hill all that much and that he had nothing but love for his new neighborhood.

"I like Greenwood more than I like Seattle," he said.

Hunt for engaging art at Columbia City's Gather

Geoff Carter — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:55:37 -0700

I'm sorry to say that I have yet to attend one of Columbia City's First Friday "Beatwalks."

As much as I enjoy the south Seattle neighborhood's galleries, bars, restaurants and assorted venues, there hasn't been a ... presence, I guess you'd call it, that could entice me to bus or Zipcar the 11 miles from Ballard on a Friday night.