#2HoursinSLU – Samuel Sobota

For our fifth installment of #2hoursinslu, we followed Samuel Sobota, an assistant manager and resident at the True North Apartments on Dexter Avenue. He is relatively new to Seattle, after moving here in December from the Portland metro area, and he loves spending time exploring his new neighborhood.

Photo of Samuel at Coal Creek Waterfall

True North apartments, a brand new luxury apartment building that embodies Northwestern culture, is also the location of the August Chamber lunch, which will take place August 20th at the Summit Room. The Summit room at True North is located on the top floor adjacent to the spectacular roof deck, which also happens to be Samuel’s favorite place in South Lake Union to relax. When Samuel is looking to exercise, he can use the bouldering wall or borrow the kayaks available to residents.

Photo from True North roof deck

Samuel and his friend Cat on the roof deck at True North

When asked how he would spend a typical #2hoursinSLU, being a foodie as well as a having studied culinary arts, of course the first thing he mentioned were some of the excellent dining offerings located just blocks away from his home. Cask & Trotter, a homestyle barbeque restaurant, is hands down his favorite restaurant. However, depending on the day, you may catch him for brunch at Portage Bay enjoying their delicious fruit bar, or at New York Pizza’s happy hour enjoying a weekend cocktail. When he is ready for a caffeine fix, he is fortunate that less than a block away, he can walk to Herkimer Coffee for a delicious, handcrafted beverage from their extremely friendly staff.

Happy Hour at New York Pizza

Meal at Cask & Trotter

Samuel also enjoys getting out and about in his neighborhood, especially during the amazing summer days. On a nice day, he may be spending time walking Lola (his “God Dog”) along with her owner, Alli, around the Cheshiahud loop. Sometimes he’ll also enjoy an “urban hike” on the steep staircase located along Dexter Avenue that connects the South Lake Union and Queen Anne neighborhoods.

Samuel, his friend Alli, and “God Dog” Lola at Lake Union Park

View from Kerry Park at the top of the “urban hiking” staircase on Dexter that leads from SLU to Queen Anne

Samuel has thoroughly enjoyed his transition to Seattle. Living in the South Lake Union neighborhood has given him the opportunity to be steps away from some of the best restaurants and most beautiful outdoor spaces in the city.

    

#2HoursInSLU - Dena Lee

When asked how she “typically” spends two hours in SLU, Dena Lee’s response is, “there is no typical day!” Dena has the energy and enthusiasm many only dream of. Her #2HoursInSLU represents only a tiny portion of the many projects she is up to her elbows in here in SLU.

Walking into Caffé Torino  to meet her, the cafe bustles with members of the SLU Art Walk Team, including artist Carolina Wallin, whom the team is working in collaboration with Bianca’s Mary’s Place on for a woven fence project at Republican between Yale and Minor. Together, Dena and Andrea Florissi, proprietor of Caffé Torino, co-chair the SLU Art Walk Team. This energetic group is, in fact, weaving art right into the fabric of our neighborhood. Over 1200 people attended the inaugural SLU Art Walk on May 2nd. They are hoping for even more attendees at the second one coming up Friday, August 1st, 5-8pm. 

In her spare time, Dena is a dance instructor at the Minor Avenue Children’s House. Carrie Jacobson and Eileen Hood, managers of Shine,  readily agreed to be a venue featuring art by M.A.C.H. children. Dena resides in SLU and regularly attends South Lake Union Community Council meetings as well as local community task forces, such as the force working on the public benefits of the Denny Substation.

Dena and the SLU Art Walk Team are working to show how to create art in our community. It’s working! By actively creating art in South Lake Union, we’re seeing a community come to life right before our eyes. During May's art walk, over 200 people came through Praxis Brazilian Jiu Jitsu studio to view the work of a local photographer. The studio owner, Larry King, must have certainly appreciated the visibility this brought his brand-new neighborhood business!

Dena, Andrea and the SLU Art Walk Team are encouraging non-profits to participate in the August 1st Art Walk: there’ll be hands-on art at the Gazebo at the Cascade People’s Center; children’s art on display at Playdate; Immanuel Lutheran will host art from Orion Youth Center and Cascade Women’s Program; Williams Apartments will display works from Plymouth HousingGroup; and Youth-In-Focus will feature photography at Museum Quality Framing. A map of the August venues can be found here. They hope to spread the idea that art is accessible to everyone. That said, we encourage you to attend the next SLU Art Walk and find yourself inspired by the art, people, and community that’s being created right here in wonderful, vibrant SLU. Be sure to stop by Caffe Torino to view Andrea’s featured artists and have a latte. If you’re lucky, you may even run into Andrea or Dena themselves!

Sign up for the Amazing Race to End Homelessness

Assemble your team and get ready for the 2014 Amazing Race to End Homelessness, a one-of-a-kind scavenger hunt and fundraiser in South Lake Union. We race not just for fun, but to put our collective energy and passion in support of building a safe, caring community for all.

The race begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014 at the South Lake Union Discovery Center. A barbecue and live bluegrass by the Shed Boys to follow. Fabulous prizes for the top teams, including a $500 cash prize for first place!

Your $25 ticket benefits the Compass Housing Alliance capital campaign and the completion of Compass on Dexter, an affordable housing program for low-income families opening in SLU this fall. For more information, including how to register, visit www.compasshousingalliance.org/amazing-race.

Help fill the pantry!

Cascade Women’s Program, serving 32 women here in SLU, has an empty panty.  Why is the pantry so important?  Food stamps and other benefits are not typically enough for the women to get through the month without help.  That’s where you come in!  We are accepting donations of non-perishable food to fill it up Sunday, July 13^th – Saturday, July 19^th at 1205 Thomas Street.  Helping us fill up the pantry will ensure women will have access to food when they need it! Thanks for your donation!

Cascade Women’s Program is a transitional housing program of Compass Housing Alliance. Learn more about their mission and vision for a safe, caring community for all at www.compasshousingalliance.org.

Welcome, Brittany Irwin!

Brittany is a Washington native from the Bellevue area. She graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations. She loves to experience new cultures through travel and spent time studying in Florence, Italy while attending Gonzaga.

Brittany served as the public relations intern and volunteered as a wish granter at the Spokane Make-A-Wish Foundation for the past year. She joined the South Lake Union Chamber of Commerce team as the administrative assistant and events intern in June 2014.

Brittany has a passion for being active in her community and is excited to be part of the SLU Chamber team. She looks forward to meeting members when she is out and about in South Lake Union!

#2HoursInSLU - Lifestring Photography

For our third installment of #2HoursInSLU, we asked Aaron Briggs of Lifestring Photography how he spends two hours in SLU with his family.

As a family living in South Lake Union we have many two-hour recommendations but most involve walking to a park or plaza and one of our daughter’s favorite restaurants. That’s true too for when I have two hours to myself and what I often recommend to families I’m photographing.

One evening last week while my wife was working late, Veronica and I started an adventure to, as she calls it, pokey stick park (Denny Park), to play in the recently built toddler playground. It’s a great space because we almost always meet other parents in the neighborhood there, the structures are simple and age appropriate and it’s shaded. The bark, covering the play area, occasionally stabs one or all of us, but that’s a small price to pay for the benefits of burning toddler energy. The dog park provides additional entertainment and so do the talking squirrels.

Next we meandered to the meatball place (Tutta Bella) for pizza and, obviously, meatballs – Veronica loves them, which cannot be overstated. Tutta Bella has been very good to us the last few years, remembering what we like to order and accommodating Veronica with pizza dough to play with or swizzle sticks. So too has the quesadilla place (Cactus) the cookie place (La Toscanella) and especially the biscuit place (Serious Pie & Biscuit). The restaurants moved in around the same time Veronica was born and the people working there have watched her grow as their restaurants have. We’re grateful to share the community with them. Actually, we send some of them Christmas cards. Tutta Bella also has a chocolate gelato we eat with the grace of barnyard animals. It’s good.

Finishing our two-hours, just a few blocks from home, we stopped to watch a kickball game on the field adjacent to the Discovery Center. On other days, the three of us might as easily have gone to Lake Union Park to watch seaplanes and geese, or to one of the courtyards at the Amazon campus to people/dog watch and drink espresso. We’re happy to watch the neighborhood growing, adding to the possibilities.