Madison Park has it all (or at least some of it)

Madison Park has just been singled out by Seattle Weekly as having both the Best Beach for Babe Viewing and the Best Pizza in Town. These twin honors have been given to our .9 sq. miles of the City as part of the paper's 25th Annual Best of Seattle awards.

First, about that beach award. It seems that we are outstanding only because the people at our beach are imported from elsewhere. To quote the paper, "Owing to its proximity to Capitol Hill and the U District, Madison's shores become crowded with the toned, tanned bodies of gay men and college students." I guess the college students must be the babes then. At any rate, at least according to the Weekly, once the lifeguards leave the beach in the evening, the skinny-dipping babes appear and things get lively. I apparently am in bed by then.

The best-pizza honor is probably a bit more momentous for most of us here in the Park. The Weekly recognizes Madison Park's recently opened and "unprepossessing" The Independent Pizzeria as being a cozy place with great pizza, even though it's located in an "unlikely" neighborhood.

I'm just not sure that we're getting the appropriate level of respect from this paper, but perhaps we can be content in the knowledge that we've got the pizza--and, however fleetingly, the babes.

[Photo of Madison Park Beach courtesy of the Weekly. For all of the Best of Seattle awards, click here. The Independent Pizzeria is located at 4235 E. Madison Street. As a related aside, I note that CitySearch picks Madison Park Beach as the No. 5 Best Outdoor Venue to Meet Singles in Seattle.]

Summer Real Estate Report

It’s Not all Gloom & Doom in the Local Market

To those readers who were chagrined, appalled, or depressed by my report last month that Madison Park house values may have had a greater fall from the peak than the declines experienced by other Seattle neighborhoods, I now offer some more-encouraging words. Simply put, the sky is not falling, though house prices here obviously have. It’s not the end, and the future may well be bright. That, at least, is the opinion of real estate professionals I’ve spoken with.

Of course realtors are paid optimists, as one of them admitted to me. Even so, it’s a fact that Madison Park has a lot of things going for it, and it’s clear that our community enjoys significant advantages that will continue to make the Park very attractive for home buyers as overall market conditions improve.

Let’s take a minute to remember what makes Madison Park special for those of us who live here. We can start with the neighborhood’s easy access to downtown and (at least until the Arboretum 520 ramps are removed) the Eastside. Proximity to our City center and the UW is always going to be a big plus for the Park, especially as transportation gridlock in the Puget Sound region grows worse.

But the ambiance of the neighborhood is probably at the top of most people’s lists of reasons for living in Madison Park. We’re an end-of-the-road community with many of the aspects of a beachfont town: exciting and crowded in the summer, and quieter and slower-paced in the winter. We enjoy immediate access to nature, with the Lake and the green spaces of the Arboretum virtually surrounding us. We have water and mountain views, eagles soaring, beavers building, ducks quacking, Canadian geese—well, you get the picture. Then there’s the Village, our commercial core, with its “quaint shops” (that quote’s from a marketing piece I picked up), sidewalk cafes and excellent restaurants. Ours is a great walking neighborhood too, with a significant expanse of flat streets and not-too-tough slopes--perfect for runners, joggers, and cyclists as well. It’s a place where, as realtor Leslie Dickinson notes, you really don’t need a car since you can walk to just about everything (among the few things I miss here are a book store and a liquor store). And bus transportation to and from the Park is easy.

For an urban community, Madison Park retains a bit of a small-town feel, with a low crime rate, and friendly neighbors that you’re likely to know. People actually acknowledge each other as they pass on the streets; and like any little berg, news is exchanged at community hangouts (Madison Park Hardware, Bert’s, Starbuck’s, Tully’s and Scoop du Jour). People who grow up here and move away often find themselves coming back, while those who come here from elsewhere often decide to stay. It’s one of those rare neighborhoods where siblings, cousins, parents and even grandparents may live within walking distance of each other. Val Ellis, longtime resident and real estate agent, sums up this family-friendly aspect by saying we’re simply a place “where we all look out for each other.”

Last but not least, let’s acknowledge the advantage to the neighborhood of having an outstanding public school located in our midst. Unlike many Seattle schools, McGilvra Elementary is highly regarded (rated ten out of ten, for example, by greatschools.org), and boasts dedicated, highly involved parents and solid community support.

These are among the major reasons that Madison Park will continue to be an attractive option for many home buyers well into the future. But what about the economics?

Because of its many advantages, Madison Park has historically performed well, relative to other Puget Sound neighborhoods. In the early 2000s, The Seattle Times did a survey of 50 or more communities in the region and found that Madison Park had the highest average annual appreciation over a twenty-or-more-year period of all of them (Federal Way, at that time, had the worst). Madison Park has always been a good place to invest; and even though we are down from the highs of 2007, the economics for our neighborhood don’t indicate that we have suddenly become unattractive. Just a bit pricey. But we can hardly complain, can we, about our house values falling while simultaneously bemoaning the fact that no one can afford to buy a house here? Well, maybe we can.

Here’s what the market has been doing over the past couple of months: people are still buying, sales numbers remain steady, and inventory is on the rise. In May, there were ten home sales, followed by nine sales in June. The level of activity is completely in line with the trend of recent months. There are currently eight homes pending sale.

Here’s the breakdown on the sales for single-family residences during the May/June period:

Median Sold-Home Price: $1.1 million (May)/ $1.6 million (June)

Average Number of Days on the Market for Sold Homes: 126 (May)/149 (June)

Average Discount of List Price to Sales Price for Sold Homes: 5.8% (May)/4.7% (June)

Additionally, there were six condo sales during the two months, with a median price of $337,000. The average sq. ft. of the sold units was actually slightly less than 1,000. The houses that sold, on the other hand, were big as well as expensive, averaging over 4,000 sq. ft.

This is what the market looks like today, based on data supplied by Redfin:

Houses

Listings: 73
New Listings in Last 60 Days: 30
Median Listing Price: $1,950,000
Average Number of Days on Market: 112
Percentage with Price Reductions: 36%

Condos

Listings: 29
New Listings in Last 60 Days: 9
Median Listing Price: $475,000
Average Number of Days on Market: 198
Percentage with Price Reductions: 52%

What’s striking about these numbers is the significant increase in inventory from the levels of a few months ago. As recently as February there were only 71 listings in Madison Park, while now there are 103, a 45% increase. Real estate agent Chris Falskow, however, thinks this may have more to do with seasonality than with some unexplained market spike.

And it does seem to be true that winter is slow for new listings, historically, while things generally pick up in the spring and summer. It’s also true, however, that there appears to be a much higher level of inventory now than there was prior to the point when the local market peaked in September 2007. Lincoln Thompson of Windermere Real Estate has provided me with some data on inventory levels in Madison Park since June 2005 which show that current levels are high, though not as high as at this time last year. In the pre-peak years the inventory of houses ranged between 15 and 35 in any given month. In the post-peak years the range has been between 35 and 90, with June 2009 being the absolute high point. During 2009 house listings averaged 67. Today, with 73 house listings, we’re running ahead of that pace.

Interestingly, the newest inventory is skewed towards the lower end of the market, the kind of properties which in Madison Park have to pass for “affordable.” The number of under-$1 million houses now stands at 13, almost a fifth of the total listings. In recent months we had as few as three listings at this price level, so it seems pretty evident that many sellers in the lower market have concluded now is the time to make their move.

At a ten-sales-a-month pace we have about a ten-month supply of inventory in the Park right now, condos included. This is well under the horrendous levels we saw during several months last year. It's just another item to add to the list of real estate blessings we should be counting.


[Photo Above: The home of Joel Diamond (Diamond Parking) and his wife, located at 4205 East Highland, is one of four waterfront houses currently on the market in Madison Park. Priced at $7,880,000, the 6,500 sq. ft. house features curved rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and sits on an outstanding view site. Photo courtesy of David Dykstra, from his book, “Lake Washington 130 Homes”.

Thanks to Wendy Skerritt of Windermere Real Estate for her help in providing sales data used in this report.]

August Happenings

Blue Angels

Last year at about this time I warned everyone to dig out those earplugs and doggie tranquilizers—and the same advice applies this year. As everyone who’s lived in the Park during Seafair knows, it gets a bid loud down here when those boys do the flyovers. The Blue Angels’ schedule for this year has them practicing on Thursday, August 5, from 10 am until 12 pm and again from 1:30 until 2:30 pm. They will be performing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1:30 until 2:30 pm. Note that there will be I-90 bridge closures related to this schedule. For more information, click here.

MadArt in the Park

Following up on the successful installation of original artworks in the windows of Madison Park shops last summer, MadArt has changed focus this year and moved the venue to Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill. The brainchild of Madison Park resident Alison Milliman, MadArt seeks to “support emerging artists in our community, to bring art into our lives in unexpected ways, and to create community involvement in the arts.” The unexpected art will be produced this time by six “emerging” sculptors, who will create the art in the park during the next week and a half, with a kickoff event celebrating the installations happening on August 12, beginning at 7 pm. As part of the kickoff, Madison Park's own IndieFlix will be presenting an outdoor screening of four short films ("a film Festival in a Box") at 9 pm. Cal Anderson Park is located at 1635 11th Avenue. Additional information on the sculptors and the event is available here.

New Photography Exhibit

Madison Park photographers Noreen Frink and Morgan Davidson will be among seven “luminary photographers” to be featured this month in a new exhibit at the Gallery at Maison Michel (1928 43rd Avenue E.). Also among the exhibitors will be blind photographer William Madison, whose interesting story is available here. The exhibit will open with a (public invited) reception on August 5 (4-8 pm) and run through the start of Madison Park Art Walk (which begins on September 11).

Swim for Life

The 13th annual Puget Sound Blood Center Swim for Life from Medina to Madison Park will happen on Wednesday, August 18th, beginning at 7:30 a.m. The 2.5-mile swim is an individual event as well as a team event, with each team involving four swimmers and a kayaker. This year’s swim benefits the Center’s Bone Marrow Registry. Registration ends August 11, and you may register here. Swim for Life’s fans are on Facebook.

“Pushing Up the Sky”

The UW Botanic Gardens, Friends of Yesler Swamp, and the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) will be putting on a fun event for kids (ages 3 and up) at MOHAI on August 22 (1-3 pm). It will be a series of audience-participation plays for children based on Snohomish tribal legends and folktales from around the world. The plays will be followed by a naturalist-guided nature walk. MOHAI is located at 2700 24th Avenue East. The suggested donation is $10 per family. Proceeds go to the restoration and preservation of Yesler Swamp, “a unique piece of nature in the heart of Seattle.” More information is available at YeslerSwampTrail.wordpress.com.
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[Photo from www.pdphoto.org.]

You can never have too many banks

The story hit the streets yesterday that Key Bank will soon be arriving in the Park, becoming the fourth national bank to have a Madison Park presence. Rumor has it that the bank will be taking the space at 4105 E. Madison Street being vacated at the end of this week by Ropa Bella, as well as the contiguous spaces occupied by Dermaradiance and the recently-departed Sun Precautions. Unfortunately, this is a story which remains unverified at this point, since Key Bank is unable to confirm or deny it and the building’s owner is unwilling.

Key Bank reported that it couldn’t confirm the story because its branch-expansion manager is out of the office until next week. In the case of building owner Sander Properties, however, it appears there is some reluctance to talk to the Madison Park Blogger on the subject. One area merchant had warned me “Oh, Bob will never talk to you!” And this certainly seems to be the case. Although I’ve called several times (and actually walked over to Bob Sander’s office and left my card on one occasion), I haven’t managed to drum up any real response from him. I did get a cryptic “it seems to be the rumor alright” when I called Sander’s office today to ask if the story about Key Bank is true. But that was it.

So, atypically, we are doing a posting based on a rumor—but one that has a lot of people talking. That fact alone makes it newsworthy.

The idea of a big national retail bank moving into space previously occupied by a local merchant is controversial. On one side are those who feel Madison Park should limit itself to local businesses and seek to retain a kind of small-town ambiance. On the other side, presumably, are those more hard-headed realists who believe that the market will determine what is needed in the Park. Key Bank, if and when it arrives on the scene, will be successful—or not—based on whether people want to have the Bank here. That’s how the free-enterprise system works.

But allowing a local building owner to rent to whomever he pleases does not sit well with certain people in Madison Park. One member of the Madison Park Business Association, for example, told me she feels that landlords here (of which she is one) should be concerned about the character of the business district and take an altruistic view. Effectively, no McDonalds, no Subways, and no big national banks should defile the pristine village character of our business district. Some believe that the Park should be zoned exclusively for small establishments, and only local (or, at minimum, regional) retailers should be allowed to grace our fine community. If property owners must accept lower rents from less-well-healed tenants as a consequence, then so be it.

That’s one opinion. But if Bob Sander were talking to us, he probably would present an alternative view. I suspect that just because he lives in Madison Park and owns commercial property here, he doesn’t necessarily agree that he shouldn’t get the highest amount of income off of his property investment that he possibly can. He might point out that a national retailer willing to sign a long-term lease (in this case, rumored to be for 20 years) is a better tenant prospect than a potentially struggling local merchant would be.

One area merchant who has a good feel for both sides of the equation is Lola McKee, owner of Madison Park Hardware. “I understand what he (Sanders) did,” she told me, “but I wonder if it’s going to be good for the neighborhood.” She noted that she had no objection to a bank coming in, if that’s what’s going to happen, but worries about the impact of bank customers on neighborhood parking, for one thing. She told me she’s also concerned about the feel of the neighborhood with a fourth bank on a two-and-a-half block stretch of Madison. She admits she would rather see a local merchant in the space. “I take my money from the neighborhood,” she said, “and I think that I should give back to the neighborhood. But I’m old fashioned.” She notes, however, that she well understands Sander’s situation. “When you own a building you need to be sure it’s rented.”

If Key Bank is on the way to the Park it will arrive to find plenty of competition already in place. Onetime local banks Wells Fargo (formerly, Pacific Bank, later First Interstate), JP Morgan Chase (formerly Washington Mutual), and Bank of America (formerly Seafirst) are longtime players on the Madison Park scene. Apparently (and it’s still just a rumor) another national bank now thinks that Madison Park is where the money is.

McGilvra’s ‘Field of Dreams’ has a sequel

Guest Posting
by Will Lomen

One day a little girl fell on the rough McGilvra Elementary School dirt field, scraping her hands and knees. Years later in October of 1999 that little girl was the president of the McGilvra PTSA and the field was in even worse condition. Zimmie Caner had had enough so she approached another McGilvra parent, Deb Kahn, about chairing a committee to research the possibility of resurfacing the school's field. On that day the "McGilvra Field of Dreams" was born.
Reaching out into the neighborhood the committee found broad support within the entire Madison Park/Washington Park community. Raising funds through City and County matching grants, donations from local citizens and businesses and money jars at local stores the committee raised over $380,000 for the project.

During the field evaluation process the committee realized that the Astro Turf generation was over and that the "infill" generation was on the horizon. The "good news" about Astro Turf is that it is durable and doesn't require a lot of maintenance, but the "bad news" is that the abrasive surface causes rug burns; and its hard sub-surface results in bone-jarring thumps to the head and unyielding hits to shoulders and collar bones. The term "infill" refers to a green-bladed polypropylene material that is supported by millions of tiny rubber granules that are mixed into the synthetic carpet to provide a cushioned, more grass-like surface for sliding and falling athletes. Put simply it is padded carpet installed over an efficient stone aggregate drain field.

Finally, on the hot and dusty day of June 25th 2001, Jo Shapiro, McGilvra Elementary School's principal, attempted unsuccessfully to dig a ceremonial shovel into the rock hard surface of the school's 35 X 70 yard athletic field. If ever there was a validation of the committee's vision, this was it. Throughout the summer, heavy equipment came and went, holes were dug, the drain gravel was laid and one day in late August ten large rolls of carpet were delivered and rolled out looking like an installation for a giant's living room. Then a few weeks later the first soccer game was played between two nine-year-old boys’ teams from the McGivra Soccer Club, the Terminators and the Nomads.

Now nine years later, using funds from the Building Excellence III project approved by voters in 2007, the Seattle School District is in the process of replacing the field built in 2001. According to David Standaart of the Seattle School District, the project, which cost nearly $250,000, should be finished by early August; and he confirms the field will be ready for the McGilvra Soccer Club's practices next month. According to Standaart the existing sub-surface needed a little laser leveling but was otherwise in good shape. He also stated that the District will conduct G-max testing once the field is completed. G-max measures the impact of a body when it makes contact with a surface. Once they establish a "baseline" they will compare that to tests done in the future to evaluate how hard the surface has become. The School District will also be responsible for the yearly grooming and general maintenance of the field.

Bruce Clarkson, the McGilvra Soccer Club president, is excited about the new field and says that it will be complete with lines defining the soccer field and extra markings denoting kickball bases for the school's PE classes. He also pointed out that the original field had reached the end of its life expectancy, with fraying seams and a slippery surface. "It was becoming a safety issue," he said.

One difference between the original surface and the new Sportexe field manufactured by Shaw Flooring is the addition of sand into the rubber infill. According to Hailey Towne, a resident of Madison Park and a project coordinator for contractor D.A. Hogan, this mixture provides a firm surface that enhances speed and accurate ball movement. Supporting the surface are panels called "Brock Pads" which provide safe cushioning and prolong the life of the field. D.A Hogan, with offices locally, has built over a thousand athletic fields all over the country including synthetic surfaces at the Seahawks’ Virginia Mason practice complex and the natural grass surface at the Mariners’ Safeco Field.

It's heartening to have the Seattle School District recognize that the McGilvra Field is not only a public-school asset but also a field that is used by the local community, as well as kids and people from all over the city. The Madison Park/Washington Park neighborhood is pleased that the legacy of the "Field of Dreams" is continuing as a "Field of Reality".

[Will Lomen is a lifelong Madison Park resident who also has his own blog, Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here. Photos above show the 2010 installation and are by Will Lomen.]

And so it begins: initial work on the new SR 520 is officially underway

I received a press release last week from WSDOT (the Washington State Department of Transportation) reporting that field work has begun for the new SR 520 floating bridge. If you’ve looked across the Lake or driven over 520 recently, you’ve probably noticed the large barge crane that’s been moored alongside the floating bridge for the last several weeks. That crane has been involved in a project replacing pontoon cables. The arrival last week of the barge pictured above, however, presaged work on the new bridge, which officially started on Friday.

This barge is the first of several that will be involved in “field work” to study the lakebed in places where support columns and anchors will be placed for the new bridge. Drill rigs on the barges will explore 40 separate locations alongside the floating bridge, taking borings to a depth of up to 100 feet beneath the bottom of the Lake. The results of the bore sampling will then be shared with the design teams working on plans for the new bridge. To quote WSDOT, “Smaller efforts were conducted previously on the preliminary anchor design. This more robust geotechnical work allows WSDOT to advance the design of the anchors prior to issuing the contract documents for the floating bridge.”

It’s been some time since we last did a posting regarding plans for the new 520, so perhaps the beginning of actual work on the project is a good time for an update. Let’s start with the opponents. They remain opposed to the Governor’s “Preferred Alternative” and are currently up in arms about a recent graphic from WSDOT which shows the bridge terminating at our end of the Lake with an “Interim West Approach bridge and bicycle/pedestrian connection.”

Larry Kyle, Program Engineering Manager for the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program has provided this explanation: “Per the legislature’s authorization and funding, the project is limited to replacement of the floating bridge and the connections to SR 520 at either end of the floating bridge. At the eastern shore of Lake Washington, it will tie into the SR 520 alignment just east of the new approach structure approximately at the Evergreen Point overcrossing. At the west end, it will connect the transition span at the end of the floating bridge with the existing west approach north of Madison Park.” In other words, there’s no money appropriated or identified at this point to do anything with the western approach to the new floating bridge other than to create in the water just north of us an interim connector to the old approach. One opponent’s reaction to the new schematic: “Laurelhurst and Madison Park will have years of extra trauma” as a result of WSDOT’s plans.

WSDOT, meanwhile, recently posted a spiffy new video on YouTube of the “Preferred Alternative” for the western approach which will be constructed when funding becomes available. Although the computer-generated graphics show cars traveling over the bridge west to east and provide dramatic aerial side shots the Portage Bay section of the new 520, conspicuously absent are any side shots of the floating bridge itself as it crosses Lake Washington. Take a look here.

I suspect I'm not the only one wondering what WSDOT's reason might be for not showing us what the bridge looks like from the side view.

[This, by the way, is the 250th posting in the 17-month history of Madison Park Blogger.]

Music in the Park returns in August

The 2010 edition of the popular summer concert series, Music in the Park, will make its debut the first Thursday in August and continue throughout the month. Three of the musical groups that performed last year will be back for an encore, joined by one newcomer, The Side Project (pictured above).

This is the rundown of the performers to be featured this year:

August 5: Two Scoops Combo, a piano-sax duo, performs a program of blues, boogie woogie, jump swing, and New Orleans jazz. The combo features Seattle pianist/singer/composer Eric "Two Scoops" Moore, who has performed with legendary blues musicians and with his own combo at blues festivals all over the United States and overseas. A critic calls his singing "soulful," his keyboard playing "ferocious," and his performances "roof raising."

August 12: The Cornucopia Concert Band, a 24-piece ensemble which performs American music of the 1890-1930 period, including ragtime, roaring 20's, and early jazz. The Seattle-based band was a big hit last year (especially with the Park Shore crowd) with its lively playing of pre-Swing Era favorites, including some engaging “hot dance” tunes. There’s a good selection of their music on their website.

August 19: The Side Project, is a Spokane-originated (but now Seattle-based) “adult alternative/pop” ensemble fronted by Suzie Bradford, a vocalist/songwriter/piano player who draws her inspiration from Sarah McLachlan, Aimee Mann, Tori Amos, Cat Power and Neko Case, among others. Bradford formed the seven-member ensemble in 2003 with bassist (and now husband) Ben Bradford, moving the group to Seattle the following year. They have released three albums to date. Samples of their music are available on their MySpace page.

August 26: Jonathan Kingham, is a country/folk/pop/jazz singer and songwriter who apparently does it all. With five albums to his credit, Kingham's music has been used in the soundtracks to films and TV shows, and he is currently on a national tour sponsored by Storyville Coffee. As to his musical influences, he places himself within the same sphere as Norah Jones. You can listen to one of his tracks, “She’s So California,” on his site.

The Music in the Park series is free, thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Madison Park Business Association. The Thursday evening musical programs each begin at 6:30 in the grassy area of the Park (near the Tennis Courts) and are expected to end by 8:00. Kids and pets (quiet ones, at least) are defininitely invited, and picnics are encouraged.

[The City park, Madison Park, is located at 43rd Ave. E. and E. Howe Street. Photo courtesy of The Side Project.]

Police Blotter 7/21/10

Given my last posting about the use of heroin in Madison Park, I had to chuckle at the Central District News police scanner report of someone calling the police at 6 pm yesterday to say that “a juvenile is smoking (pot) and drinking (booze)” at 43rd and E. Madison. Pretty tame for the neighborhood, by all measure. But I also received an email yesterday from a blog reader reporting he recently had the experience of finding a used syringe at the waterfront park across from E. Lynn. I guess that’s more in line with what we can now expect around here.

In spite of all that, there really wasn’t much in the way of Madison Park criminal activity reported to the police during the past couple weeks. There were, however, two incidents of street robberies involving the use of a weapon. One incident occurred at the Madison Street road end around ten at night on July 8. The other incident was at Denny-Blaine Park, just south of us, on the previous day. In that case, according to Sgt. Jay Shin of the East Precinct, a lot of rowdy youths had congregated in the area, drinking was involved, a gun was pulled, someone was robbed, police came, and the offender was taken away. Shin described it as a typical summertime event.

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There were also car break-ins, known in the trade as “car prowls.” These occurred on the 2300 block of 43rd Ave. E. on July 6, on the 4000 block of E. Lynn on July 18, and on the 3900 block of E. Lee on July 15. In the last incident, according to my neighbor, someone attending a tennis tournament at the Seattle Tennis Club had his car broken into and his briefcase and other items stolen from it in broad daylight.

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Not quite as bad as having your car stolen, however. Two such thefts occurred in the past couple weeks, one from the 4300 block of E. Madison (a note to the wise: be careful at this intersection). The other theft occurred near the Edgewater Condominiums (2400 42nd Ave. E.) on July 17. The story on that was reported by a reader who emailed me today:

“I'm a resident of the Edgewater Apartments. My car was stolen last week while parked along E. McGilvra near 41st. The police found it a few days later (yesterday), undamaged but with everything in it missing (toolbox, stereo, etc). My car is a NOT NICE model ('89 pickup), so I'm not sure if it was targeted because it was easy to steal or what. At any rate, residents of our neighborhood should be aware that it happened--and be encouraged to keep their eyes out for suspicious people in the area. I was pretty blown away that the combination of terrible car and nice neighborhood still brought about a theft, but what can you do?”

Finally, there were two reported burglaries since our last police blotter. One was a forced entry in the 1800 block of 40th Ave. E. on July 11 and the other a non-forced entry (that’s where someone enters through an open or unlocked door or window) in the 400 block of 39th Avenue E. (an area known to locals a “Devil’s Dip”).

I will have a posting next week on ways to combat summer crime. Just be aware that it’s the time of year when we can expect a lot more petty crime, as well as some of the other kind.

Heroin in the Park? Surely you jest!

It’s probably not that uncommon an occurrence on Capitol Hill and a lot of parts of town: a merchant arrives at his shop in the morning and discovers drug paraphernalia strewn around outside his door. But likely it's news to some that it can also happen here.

In the last couple weeks two Madison Park merchants, each with stairwell entrances to their places of business, had just that kind of experience. Tim Walsh of Tim Walsh Salon (4105 E. Madison St.) made the first incident report to the Madison Park Blogger last week. Tim even forwarded a picture of what he discovered upon his arrival one day: a fix kit (shown above). He notes that it was accompanied by the remains of what had once been a teriyaki meal. His comment: “It might all be a little rough for the ‘hood.”

Joan Rogers of Joan Kruse Rogers Design (1803B 42nd Ave. E.) has now reported a similar experience earlier in the month. In that case there was just a used syringe. No evidence of any teriyaki meal. Her somewhat secluded stairs, like Tim’s, had served as a cozy hideaway for someone’s evening hit.

Of course we don’t think of our neighborhood as the kind of place where this kind of drug activity happens. Not outside in a stairwell! For our part of town, the thing is best done indoors. But summer changes the scene in the Park, with a lot of people coming here from who knows where--and college kids arriving back home for summer vacation. I’ve been told that the beach is transformed in the evenings once the lifeguards leave for the day. In the words of one of my neighbors, "Broadway Hipsters” descend on the Park as the sun begins to go down, high school kids congregate noisily on the pier, and mysterious figures light beach fires to do we-know-not-what at secluded road ends.

I’m not sure that anything happening here exactly qualifies as rough. But a bit edgy?

Perhaps for us.

Fat Salmon lands at the Park

Though it was a typically gray and chilly July morning in Seattle, the air temperature was probably not much on the minds of the more than 300 long-distance swimmers to who took to the waters of Lake Washington yesterday for the Fat Salmon races. The water temperature, in the mid-to-high 60s, was certainly of more consequence to these hardy souls, many of whom didn’t bother with wetsuits.

The first swimmer piled ashore with a time of only one hour and five minutes for the 3-mile swim from I-90 to the beach. That’s pretty fast for a course where I’m told an hour fifteen is considered a very good time. There was also a shorter swim of just over a mile from Denny-Blaine Park, with about half the swimmers in Fat Salmon electing to take that route to Madison Park.

For good reason, few of those coming ashore sprinted up the beach. But as sun came out, food was served, and awards were given, the recovered swimmers could look back proudly on a race well swum.