#2HoursInSLU - Art Marble 21

For this installment of #2HoursInSLU, we heard from Mike Kenney from Art Marble 21 Restaurant and Bar.



Mike Kenney, Art Mable 21

Art Marble 21 Restaurant and Bar sits in a building that has been in my family for 3 generations. My grandfather, Frank Kenney, purchased the building in 1979 to be used as the showroom for Frank Kenney Toyota. At that time SLU was very much an industrial area, very different from the tech center that it is today. My grandfather and father sold cars out of that building for over a decade, and I even shot a commercial for a Toyota when I was a toddler right inside what is now Art Marble. So the building itself has a lot of meaning to me and my family.

Even before us, the building has a deep history in Seattle. In 1921 it was built by the Art Marble Company, which was a Seattle based company that specialized in artistic marble work. They did the marble work for some well-known Seattle establishments, such as the University of Washington and St. James Cathedral. They also had a display area where they allowed local artists to display their marble artwork. When coming up with our company name, we felt that tying the original roots of the building to our brand was a really cool way to show that we are one of the last of the old buildings to remain in SLU, and to pay tribute to the originals. And this concept ties into the whole reason we started this project, which was to get back to where we began; a local family owned business on the corner of 9^th and Westlake.

Besides the ties to my family, there are many reasons I love our building and location. We are shaped like a triangle, which is perfect for us because we are a goofy bunch and being different has always come easy for us. It also allows for a great view of the park and lake with

the rounded dining room on the north end of our building. You can sit and eat dinner, drink beer, and enjoy unobstructed views of Lake Union and the park.

Since I live just on the other side of the lake, I love being able to walk to work through the park along the water, looking at the wooden boats and all the happy people relaxing in the sun. Now if only I could convince them all to walk across the street for nachos and a margarita…..

The last time I had 2 free hours in SLU I went to MOHAI to check out their prohibition exhibit and thought it was fascinating. It’s so cool being able to look back at our city 100 years ago and seeing how much things have changed. I would highly recommend everyone goes and checks out the museum’s new location if they haven’t yet.

My Grandpa used to tell me about how he rode the trestle as a kid and what a different place Lake Union used to be. It’s really fun and exciting to be a working part of the new SLU neighborhood, and we are so happy to be a member of this growing and improving community.

Micro-Parks of Westlake Avenue North

Community Meeting @ 415 Westlake September 3, 5:30 to 7:00 pm

On behalf of the South Lake Union Community Council and the Department of Neighborhoods, we invite you to a kick-off community meeting for the Micro-Parks of Westlake Avenue North – a project to improve the Westlake streetscape between Denny Way and Lake Union Park in order to create a stronger pedestrian connection between two of the main hubs of the neighborhood.

Background: As South Lake Union continues to grow, two focal points emerge as welcoming gateways to the neighborhood at either end of Westlake Avenue North. The intersection at Westlake and Denny Way marks the southern end – with its high concentration of neighborhood amenities such as groceries, restaurants and retail, and Lake Union Park marks the north – as a citywide destination on the water. The potential for Westlake Avenue to become a great street is critical to the success of the neighborhood, providing the opportunity to connect the two nodes with an engaging pedestrian experience that fosters activity, neighborhood identity, commerce and a sense of security.

Design Goals: Design considerations include (but are not limited to) planting, seating, lighting and other artistic and/or functional elements, with special attention given to the ground plane under the trees that is currently lacking paving or planting, and suffering from the bulging root systems. Solutions will consider pedestrian traffic and use patterns, relationships to adjacent ground level functions, as well as implementation and long-term maintenance. Thematic elements to consider are technology and international culture, as they are among the emerging subjects of conversation as the community grows. The intent of this project is to achieve an improved, consistent pedestrian and retail experience along Westlake Avenue that bridges the two prominent anchors of the neighborhood.

Design Team: We have selected Goodspeed Architecture and Hewitt to lead the design process, and in our first meeting we’ll see initial studies and analysis of the site, and it will be a great opportunity to voice your thoughts and ideas in order to help shape the design, as well as to inform the team from your various perspectives of the positives and negatives of the avenue as it is now.

Volunteer in the Beer Garden & Support the SLU Chamber

Want great perks at the Seattle Street Food Festival?

Volunteer in the beer garden & help support the SLU Chamber!

VOLUNTEER PERKS

Sign up as a volunteer! Shifts are available anytime Friday 14th (Noon-9pm), Saturday 15th (Noon-11pm), Sunday 16th (11am-8pm)

And get:

• A free Event Staff T-Shirt! •

• An Invite to the End-of-Year Volunteer Party! •

• Snacks! •

• 2 Shifts or More: 2 Passes to the Fremont Outdoor Movies!•

Email director@sluchamber.org to sign up!

#2HoursInSLU - WeWork

For this installment of #2HoursInSLU, Dave Mercer from Athletic Awards interviewed Gina Phillips from WeWork, where the SLU Chamber offices are located.

Gina Phillips, WeWork

I recently had the opportunity to meet up with Gina Phillips with WeWork. Gina leads the company’s Seattle presence and has been here since they opened in February of 2014. Located at 500 Yale Avenue North, WeWork is an office space solution company offering individual and multiple team member offices as well as open spaces for meetings and drop in use.

Currently WeWork has 30 locations worldwide all listed on their website. Members to WeWork benefit from access to all their facilities. As a Seattle member traveling to New York for example, you have the convenience of a location to do business or hold a meeting. They are expanding rapidly and Gina indicated that a new location in downtown Seattle is scheduled for September while a Portland location will open later in 2015.

During my tour of the facilities with Gina, I noted that the open and common spaces were bright and comfortable. The atmosphere was professional yet creative and light. Custom murals adorned the walls with local themes to add to a sense of place. A variety of businesses are benefiting from this unique business model. During the tour I noticed offices ranging from lawyers and large beverage companies to gaming and small startups. 

I asked Gina what she liked most about South Lake Union. She spoke about the excitement of being in an area experiencing so much growth. She is thrilled to be part of the momentum that is happening in this slice of the city. She also indicated that, with so many wonderful options, it was not possible to narrow down her favorite lunch spot. Gina helped to bring food trucks to the east side of Fairview Avenue and finds that her favorites change almost daily.

Consider dropping in to WeWork to check out their facilities. If you make it on a Thursday afternoon you can enjoy their “Happy Hour” with a free beer drawn right from their tap.

For more information give WeWork South Lake Union a call at (202) 688-2302.

Get to know Danah Abarr, our new SLU Chamber Executive Director

What was your background prior to joining the Chamber?
Prior to taking the role as Executive Director, I served on the SLU Chamber’s Board of Directors for 3 years and before that oversaw membership and business development for Washington State’s biotechnology and biomedical industry trade association. I am also the founder of a small local nonprofit and understand the struggles of entrepreneurship and a small business.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time and what is that people would find most surprising about you?
Like many Seattleites, I love being outdoors. One of my favorite past times is hanging off the sides of cliffs – rappelling, rock climbing, canyoneering . . . show me a canyon or rock face and I’m there:)

What do you love most about being involved in South Lake Union?
The energy in this neighborhood is electric. I love being surrounded by such smart, motivated, and passionate individuals. It feels great to help individuals achieve their business goals and the Chamber plays a part in making that happen.

What's on your to-do list as the SLU Chamber ED?
What isn’t! This is such an exciting role in which I get to wear many hats. My first priority is always our members – connecting with them, understanding their businesses and what unique challenges they face. This building of partnerships helps the Chamber to better engage with local stakeholders and better understand their needs so we may advocate on their behalf.

What do you see as some of the goals and opportunities for the Chamber in the coming year?
The Chamber is excited about the growing opportunities to partner with its members to support and get involved in community events and activities. We are working with City officials on improvement projects and economic development opportunities for our local businesses.

Why should someone join the SLU Chamber?
The Chamber offers individuals and businesses great benefits like access to networking and business connections, free business consulting, 401K programs, free marketing and brand visibility. Through the Chamber you are supporting projects like transportation initiatives, construction mitigation and advocacy for neighborhood improvements!

What events do you have coming up?
Summer is just around the corner and we are celebrating with some fun after hours social events! Join us on June 4th at Art Marble 21 for a fun mixer and don’t miss out on one of our most popular events, the Summer Celebration aboard the Virgina V docked in Lake Union on June 17th! I hope to see many of you there!

Ride Transit Month

Ride Transit Month is a month long celebration of transit riders, whether you ride a bus, train, light rail, ferry, water taxi, or van pool, we are in this together! Just keep track of your trips to trips work, school, the museum, farmer’s market, and everywhere in between. 

As you log trips each day with Ride Transit Month, you’ll gain motivation to keep going, not only in reducing your carbon footprint, and increasing your health, but you’ll be eligible for prizes just for riding!  Prizes will be awarded to top riders in the following categories: Overall Ride Leader, Overall Team Leader, Largest Individual Team & Largest Organizational Team. In addition, one daily prize will be awarded randomly! Examples of the daily prizes include: Experience Music Project Tickets, Zipcar Driving Credit, SIFF Cinema tickets, Pronto Annual Membership, Aveda Gift Box, Poquitos Gift Card, and more! And our grand prize winner will receive a $1500 travel voucher to use as they see fit. 

Who can participate?
Everyone! Participate as an individual or as a team, each team has a captain who recruits, leads and keeps tabs on each team member to make sure they’re staying on track, offering assistance with trip planning and being a cheerleader for the group. Each captain who recruits 5 or more team members will receive a free Ride Transit Month T-Shirt.  While we encourage users to join or create a team, you are welcome to log trips as a solo rider.

We make it fun and easy to log your trips:

·         Tracking trips online is easy and a great motivator!

·         Simple registration using Facebook or email

·         Fun transit oriented events all month long

·         Compete for daily prizes and a grand prize drawing if you log 4 or more transit trips.

Learn more: http://www.ridetransitmonth.org/

#2HoursinSLU - Immanuel Community Services

The offices for Immanuel Community Services (ICS) are located upstairs in the Immanuel Lutheran Church, which has been standing on the same ground in SLU for over 100 years. 

Today, Patty Turnberg, Executive Director of ICS, is helping set up the twice-monthly food bank that is held downstairs in the church the last two Mondays of every month. 

"It’s hard to see hunger," she says of the need for such a service. "You can assume that a homeless person is hungry; you can’t assume that a senior that’s living in a building is skipping meals to pay for their medical bills. That’s happening all the time, but it’s not advertised."

The ICS food bank regularly benefits from the fresh food grown just across the street at the Cascade P-Patch, offering fresh and healthy foods for those in the community that depend on the food bank to help feed themselves or their families. It also happens to be one of Patty’s favorite places in South Lake Union.

"I love being across from the park – it’s beautiful. I love walking through the park, going to the p-patch."

For the first time this year, the Immanuel Lutheran Church has a garden plot of their own. Patty is excited to work with ICS volunteers and members of the residential rehabilitation program to grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables.

ICS is fortunate to partner with other service organizations located nearby - food donations for the ICS food bank are stored adjacent to the church at the Cascade Women’s Shelter, which provides another vital service to the SLU community by offering a place for homeless women to live and access vital resources, and the Y at Cascade People’s Center opens its doors to people waiting in line for the food bank, serving them coffee and giving them a place to get out of the elements on rainy days.

But it’s not just access to these organizations that makes Patty love her location in the South Lake Union community. The Row House nearby has plenty of cozy rooms where she can get a great meal and host committee meetings without disturbing other guests. She also loves Paddy Coyne’s reubens, or Caffè Torino for lunch because of their great soups and salads.

If you want to volunteer or make a donation to Immanuel Community Services, visit www.icsseattle.org or call 206-622-1930.