A few quick stories from around the neighborhood…
SOARING HOME PRICES: The median home price in the greater Ballard area has risen 9.9% in the last year to $851,500, reports the Seattle Times. For comparison, the Seattle-wide median price is $830,000. In the Queen Anne-Magnolia area, the number is an astonishing $1,135,500, which is up 26.2% this year alone. Just incredible.
ADDO MOVES IN: Chef Eric Rivera’s pop up project Addo at Royal Drummer is becoming permanent. Seattle Mag reports that the Royal Drummer folks will still provide the coffee, and Addo will serve up breakfast, lunch and happy hour beginning next week. Then starting next month, they’ll add brunch and dinner, too.
MAE PLOY IS BACK: Mae Ploy Thai Cuisine at 15th Ave NW and NW 65th St. has re-opened nearly three months after a driver rolled a car into the front of the restaurant. “It more than exhausted their insurance,” said Ted in the My Ballard Facebook group. “Let’s support ’em!”
YAK’S TERIYAKI: The Fremont fixture Yak’s has shut down, and Palmi Korean Cuisine & Teriyaki has moved in the corner spot on Fremont Ave. to take its place. “You’ll find a variety of Korean BBQ dishes, hearty spices in soups and stews, and classic Teriyaki favorites,” explains the website.
SECRET SOVIET MAP: The Seattle Times has a great piece about a secret Soviet Union map of Seattle from 1976. At the end of 24th Ave. NW at Salmon Bay, the map shows the label, “Explosion mechanisms and radio electronic devices.” And it turns out, Honeywell Marine Systems Division was operating there at the time — with high security — possibly on torpedo homing systems.
BIKESHARE REPORT: Today the city council heard a preliminary report on bikeshare use in Seattle. As you might imagine, Ballard over-indexed in use compared to most neighborhoods. One tidbit: 70% of bikes were parked correctly, 26% were partially blocking a walkway and 4% were fully blocking a path. It’s still too early for stats on the new bikeshare parking spots.
BHS ON SEATTLE CHANNEL: Nancy Guppy and her Seattle Channel show, Art Zone featured talented Ballard High School choir teacher Courtney Rowley. You can watch it here.
By the way, the Ballard community calendar is PACKED with summer events in our area, and you can submit your own events, too.