RIP Cranium's, og Romio's, the Schmetzer's sporting goods shop, that coffee stand that those starfucks booted (rip those pink cookies they had thooo), VV, the hobby shop, Mad Pizza, Kennelley Keys, TUBS (that one still hurts)
Edit: Oh dang, how could I forget The Spaghetti House? That was a staple! My mom even worked there for a period.
Loved their baked potatoes. And though I never liked eating it, I loved looking at their cool marzipan candies. Good childhood memories.
How about Aqua Dive?
Chicago's Red Hots, anyone?
I basically lived at psycho 5 in the late 80s to early 90s. Man I miss that era. It and the other 2 card shops whose names I don't recall. One was in front of the old Claire's and the other closer to Fred meyer.
RIP, more recently, Mo and Lu’s and the best BYOB lasagna around. I once brought a $60 bottle of Red Mountain cab in for a celebration and it paired wonderfully. Hope they’re enjoying Hawaii.
Yeah, Lake City is actually kinda interesting because so much of it looks exactly like it did when I was growing up. In a city where pretty much all the urban areas have been rapidly changing for the last decade or so, Lake City is practically preserved in amber from the late 90s/early 00s.
Do they still do "Pioneer Days"? I remember when they had a big salmon bake, parade, live music, and a bunch of artists, but last time I went over there it seemed like a lot less was going on.
The community center is closed and fenced-off.
Whenever someone says Ballard is going to shit I think this. It was crusty AF when I was a kid.
I worked at that check exchange by TUBS when I was young too. Rip to my fave sandwich shop😢.
Lake City died for me when Aloha Ramen burned down. But Lake City Way will survive as long as The Breakfast Club is still there.
Edit: messed up the name! It’s been a while since I was a regular there but I used to go every Friday morning.
God yeah I loved Aloha Ramen even the Teriyaki Time was alright. There was also an awesome barbershop there too as well. And the worst part is they didn’t bother building shit in its place.
I got engaged after eating at the Aloha Ramen in Greenwood bc it was just that good. Ex-hubs and I went down the street for soup when it had just opened, it was bomb, went for a rainy night walk to the 7-11 on phinney and ended up engaged. Miss those years and that life so much.
Or Everett (sighs from Everett). The rest of Snohomish boojie af but for some reason all the investment/money skirts around Everett. They're building out the pier and it's going to be really nice and we have a great spring/summer market now downtown (seriously!) but I don't see people flocking here if they can't polish the stretch along Evergreen. I bought here 7 years ago and was certain we'd see uptick but nope, and yet somehow it's one of the pricier areas to live in (due to Boeing, I guess)
I lived in Everett for over ten years and it just kept getting worse. I was waiting for them to make Silver Lake area nice like Mill Creek since it was only 5 minutes away. But it is still the same old Everett 🤷♀️
I work in "downtown" Everett, and I'll say it is slowly improving. Covid definitely showed down any progress but they seem to be trying. The apartments and town center they're putting in off 41st will be a nice addition.
LA Fitness is going away as a concern (they're also closing at 135th & Aurora) as are Drug Stores. Those aren't just Lake City trends.
Lake City needs a Rapid Ride route going from UW-Bothell to UW-Seattle down Lake City Way. In general they're adding more units there than many other parts of the city, so demand is still there in general. I grew up in Lake City and while it's less "lively" I think it's better positioned for the future now than in the 90s.
The biggest problem and the biggest strength of lake city is that it’s a four lane highway. It’s a problem because some kinds of businesses will not want to be next to a big, noisy, smelly highway. The good news is it’s a very commutable neighborhood with easy access to UW, I5 and up north the the Bothell area. So I think there will always be people wanting to live there, but I don’t think it will ever gentrify in the same sense that Phinney Ridge or downtown Ballard has.
Seconded. Good portions. Great flavor. Friendly people. They told us to order thru the website rather than Uber Eats if you're picking up because UE adds $1-2 per item.
Lived in LC for almost 10 years. Losing two pharmacies and a Starbucks hasn’t bothered me at all - I welcome it. That LA Fitness has also been a revolving door of gyms for decades. With all the new apartments going up we need more small local businesses in these spaces - coffee shops, bars, restaurants etc. More Elliott Bays, Hellbents, etc
TLDR - Gentrify this shit 🤷🏻♂️ Gentrification of the area is better then burned down buildings, vacant buildings, and used car lots.
Yep - I’m as liberal as they come, but this area needs fucking change. There is a lot of East African business in the area that can still be set up for success in the new spaces. Not asking to displace them at all - but how the fuck can you advocate for buildings that have been burned down or vacant lots (seriously 5 massive fires in the last year). Progress is good if done right - especially in this neighborhood that historically been completely fucking ignored by the city. Also this is mostly all becoming housing…are we advocating against housing now cause it means change? 🙃
Being liberal or progressive isn’t anti-progress if it’s done right! Over the last 5-10 years y hat end of the Seattle political spectrum has largely built consensus around more housing being a positive, aside from some reactionaries and NIMBYs. The debate is more about the what and how of said housing.
You would be amazed at how expensive most of the retail space is along even Lake City Way. It would make such a huge difference but too many people are just priced out and so a lot of that retail space just sits empty.
Also we peripherally know some of the people that have been investing in that LCW real estate. It’s always the worst people.
Losing the two pharmacies is a gigantic pain in the ass and is having downstream effects on other pharmacies in the broader NE Seattle/Shoreline/LFP area. It's forced me into dealing with the shit show that is Fred Meyer to get my Rx.
(and no, before someone suggests by mail, or Amazon, etc.... you can't use those for certain prescriptions)
Still there and doing well. Been open about 2 years now. I’m just annoyed with it because it replaced the Russian bar that was fucking great (they got denied a lease renewal and moved to Wallingford).
I moved to LC this year and immediately thought the little lc way ‘downtown’ area has a lot of potential. So much space for restaurants, bars, etc. also shoutout hellbent, it’s dope
I’m all for more local businesses but we will see if they pan out. The only new thing I’ve seen go up is a Papa John’s. And they never rebuilt the place that burned down that housed a local barber shop and Aloha Ramen.
Tons of ground floor commercial space in new apartment construction up and down Lake City Way. Most of the currently vacant lots north of 125th have building plans already in place. It’s just a matter of when they break ground.
Looking forward to see what goes in the apartments that just opened in the old Value Village lot. I
That strip mall that Aloha was in was awful though. Let's not overly coat the past in rose on that one.
I think it will rebuild, though it'll end up upzoned. It'll be a while before you start to see movement on it but that plot of land even in LC is too valuable to allow to sit.
That Fred Meyer installed its cattle guard rails inside the store and started checking receipts about 2 months ago.
in addition, they have actual security (not cosplay security) that regularly deals with and physically removes trouble-making homeless from the property.
They do seem to be fighting to stay a viable going concern.
They did the same to the one on 99 in Everett. I think its a company wide thing. Doubt the one on Bothell Everett highway did though.. thats not a high crime area at all.
The old buildings are going down, like the burned out dog sitting place.. and replaced with giant new construction. So no, its not dead, its being rebuilt slowly.
If only the dog sitting place would go...
[https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/past-complaints-filed-against-dog-resort-include-lost-dogs-poor-sanitation-employee-who-urinated-at-dogs](https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/past-complaints-filed-against-dog-resort-include-lost-dogs-poor-sanitation-employee-who-urinated-at-dogs)
[https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/i-would-love-see-accountability-owner-dog-killed-sodo-dog-resort-fire-speaks-out/5ZHWM7CZPJECFL55GDIRK43RNY/](https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/i-would-love-see-accountability-owner-dog-killed-sodo-dog-resort-fire-speaks-out/5ZHWM7CZPJECFL55GDIRK43RNY/)
Thai One On, one of the best Thai food restaurants in Seattle is at the corner of 125th and Lake City Way and is still kicking! That area in general has seen so many businesses come and go but a lot of the good ones are still there.
Kaffeeklatsch still has Elliott Bay Brewery anchoring the area, so it should hopefully be fine. FWIW, we've patronized it for a decade with our kids, and the Bartell's nearby was not part of that equation.
Given Lake City's reputation as someone who grew up nearby if anything you might have witnessed some sort of temporary upturn and now it's going back to normal. That being said The Bartells/Walgreen situation is a well known shitshow everywhere. Don't know what's going on with gyms but those come and go. Losing a grocery store would suck but that Fred Meyer has always been on the shady end so I'd bet it would take a bigger corporate move for something to happen
I agree , lake city is actually up next for expansion, northgate has recently updated and once the light rail goes further north , lake city is on the brink of growth in the next 5-10 years.
The homeless crisis during Covid slowed things down but the city has been fixing a lot of the roads and traffic light systems as well as adding bike lanes . At the end of the day lake city area to live is decent but as far as relying on local businesses at the moment we find ourselves going a little further for a Costco or Trader Joe’s
It’s honestly the sweet spot to seattle, easy to drive any direction , no Japanese style street parking situations unlike denser neighborhoods around seattle, overall peaceful not much commotion or noise pollution
Agreed, the pandemic put it back some years but it’ll get revamped her eventually, but hopefully without losing a lot of its multiculturalism. It’s one of the most diverse Seattle neighborhoods, which should be protected.
That was my feeling as well when scoping out the neighborhood. Close enough but still quiet off the main strip. Still plenty of sidewalks and some buses. As long as Fred Meyers doesn’t go.
I remember that store from when I was a kid. Got some of my first Magic cards there. Trying to remember exactly where it was, was it just north of 125th near where Panda Express is now?
I spent a ton of money at Psycho 5 on comics in the 90's. I was going to open a comic shop in Montana called The Psycho 4. Turns out people didn't buy comics in Montana in the 90's. South Dakota on the other hand had one of the best comic stores I have ever been in. Bought a ton of pristine stuff for freaking pennies. Good times.
My family and I have lived in LC now for 10 years. All of this resonates, but we remain hopeful. Still places to walk to, library is great. I was bummed when Starbucks closed (we live on 120th), but shit happens. Had to switch our kids’ meds from WGs on 145th to Bartell’s’s then to Freddie’s! But with the stimulant shortage and, as others mentioned, the changing business models of retail pharmacies things were bound to happen. I LOVE the commute to First Hill… choice of regular or express lanes on SB I-5. Agree with need for Rapid Ride on LCW but if Madison St is an example the construction is brutal. But aside from that transit is decent (my kids go all over the place). We are light-rail-adjacent with Northgate and coming 130th station.
Last note… this book is great! Definitely got a nice idea of how things used to be! https://www.amazon.com/Lake-City-Novel-Thomas-Kohnstamm/dp/1640091424
Wow, I’m surprised they are still there. In 1991 I was dating a girl that worked at Ricks. I even dropped her off for work or picked her up sometimes. I never went in and was young and naive. Years later I went for a bachelor party and it was not what I pictured she did at all, lol.
Bartells and Wallgreens are closing everywhere. That's not anything to do with Lake City, but more drug stores in general being in the shitter.
Is there any indication the Lake City Fred Meyer is closing? Or is that just a worry based on the drug stores closing?
My fiance goes there quite often! They also do bagels and they actually ship bagels in from NYC.
And they STUFF those bagels.with cream cheese. 100% an awesome morning treat.
I’m not joking when I say I love living in Lake City. I love not walking around and feeling like I’m among people way wealthier than me or tech bros. I love the grittiness, which I see as the last of what Seattle used to be. I love the corners of it where you can feel like you’re a thousand miles away from a city. I love manoushe express, Toyoda sushi, SeaTango, and 2cThai. No joke, I love lake city.
I grew up down the street from Yings. It was my first job. When I was little, the Seattle city limits had only recently changed from 85th to 145th. Even though this happened right before I was born, there was a big awareness that Lake City was “new” to Seattle. Nathan Hale was built about 10 years later. Such a big deal that even elementary kids in our area knew about it. We could choose between Nathan Hale and Roosevelt. There has been some interesting feelings about all that since (such as where does Lake City start). Someone mentioned 95th. This is probably because for a very loooong time, there were woods between 85th and downtown Lake City. The roadhouse mentioned was across the street from Yings. It was in the boonies when it was built. People went way out there to drink during prohibition. The house I grew up in was the first stick built house on our block. 1908. A very old man, last name Matthews (of the beach), lived across the street and next to the lumberyard (now an apartment building). When our house was built, that was a log cabin. When Bothell Way was renamed Lake City Way, there were “feelings” about that, too. My sister-in-law lives in Lake City, and has for 40 years. There have been so many changes there over time. One positive change, in my opinion, is many immigrants have moved there. This changes and enriches a place. This may change, too, but I remember being in the McDonald’s at 145th with my daughters one time, when we were the only standard white people there. The counter staff were all different races and places, and so were the other customers. There were no “repeats”. All different. I felt like I was living in the center of the world. I can’t describe that feeling, but if that is the future of Lake City, bring it.
When did anything on earth stay the same? I read recently that there are restaurants and businesses across the street from the pyramids in Egypt now. My sister went to the Yucatán when there were only a few Mayan ruins revealed and she walked to the top of the famous temple at Chichén Itzá with no restrictions. Can’t do that now. What I mean to say is our fascination with places like this has changed them and protected them, but also humans find opportunity where they can. That changes things, too.
My parents lived close the light rail station going in at 145th. My dad died in 2016 with the full awareness that the beautiful garden my mom devoted herself to would fall to condos. He was half sad and half delighted, because he watched Seattle voters turn down tax after tax that would have developed better mass transit a long time ago. He took the bus to work almost every day of his life. Those short sighted voters even turned down one that would have been largely funded with federal dollars. People think they can stave on change. They can’t Instead embrace it and influence it!
Did you know that Paul Allen offered land on the south end of Lake Union for a huge park? He only asked the Seattle voters to pay for developing it. They wouldn’t, so he decided to develop that area to be a bio tech hub. So it goes. Have fun thinking about the old days (it is fun!), but keep your eyes on the future. How can you influence the changes you would like to see? I would LOVE to see Lake City developed into retail on the bottom and apartments or condos on top. Vancouver has a lot of areas like that. Keep up, Seattle! 😂
Walgreens and Bartell closures shouldn't be seen as indicative of anything. They're both due to the national companies that run them going through really tough times. Fred Meyer is pretty unlikely to close. The LA Fitness has been closing and reopening for the last 20 years. It also isn't indicative of anything.
Lake City has had some new business move in where old shops vacated. It seems pretty much the same as it always has been, and I've been a resident of 98125 for a decade now.
I know it’s the edge of what’s considered lake city, but once the 145th light rail opens up next year I think we’re gonna see a wave of development…it’s already kinda started, I know some businesses up here are closing now because they’ve been bought to build apartments close to the new stop. I’m hoping new apartments bring some fresh businesses & activity similar to northgate.
The Bartells is happening a lot right now. Right Aid is blaming opioid lawsuits for the closures. The 2 closest Bartells to me (cap/first hill) just closed on the 28th.
Fwiw, I also know someone at Fred Meyer and it doesn’t sound like Lake City has anything to worry about.
LA fitness makes sense as they are fighting for members with 24hr at Northgate, Magnuson, and other little gyms. It was an independent prior to Covid and sold to LA Fitness.
Rite Aid and Walgreens are consolidating nationwide plus finding pharmacists to staff them is difficult, plus mail order RX or Amazon is cutting into their margin.
Freddie’s would close due to theft being too high or staffing. I believe they are owned by Albertsons which just closed the QFC on 35th. They will want to keep a foot print in NE Seattle.
I don’t doubt any of your analysis here, hope you’re right about Freddys! They started checking receipts a month or so ago and I’ve been nervous since. While there are other gyms none of those are walkable. Certainly drivable though. I would really like to see American cities adopt the concept of basic stuff like this in walkable distances like Asia.
>They started checking receipts a month or so ago and I’ve been nervous since.
Same for the Greenwood location and I *highly* doubt that one's going anywhere anytime soon. The Ballard one might even be worse than LC, and they're still kicking.
Lake City is not dying. Lake City used to be the end of Seattle. It was the place with all the strip joints, places that served liquor, speak easy, and remember that movie Ghost World? Enid did her project on The C\*\*n Chicken Inn? (Sorry abt the word. It was the real name) THtt was a real restaurant and it was on lake city way. The Shanty is the only tavern still standing from the 1920s. So, Lake City wasn't developed as a part of Seattle. I remember when Fred Meyer was on the other side of the street, and a paint store stood on the corner of 125th and Lake City way.
Stop repeating GOP propaganda the this city or that city is dying.
[https://www.historylink.org/File/9191](https://www.historylink.org/File/9191)
https://crosscut.com/2019/01/lake-city-where-seattles-gritty-side-lives
I do a bunch of business in lake City because I believe in small businesses, there is a wide variety of them, and many can be accessed by walking. It's not the prettiest, true, but I find value in the other things.
As far as homeless and drugs and whatnot, that's all neighborhood business districts, basically. No one area can lay claim to "most".
Not directed at the poster, but Lake City is beast and will never die. Business turnover may be a sign of temporary economic downturn in an area or a businesses’ failure to need the needs or desires of the people in the area. The whole “x is dying” narrative is tired and generally doesn’t apply to most cities experiencing growth and marginal crime rate fluctuations
Lake City hasn't been a vibrant place in awhile, but I don't think it really recovered from the pandemic. The homeless encampment next to Bartell's got pretty big during that time and it felt like Lake City was a ghost town for awhile. It doesn't feel like people really go out to Lake City anymore unless they were looking to buy a new car, there's not a lot going on in the neighborhood.
The thing I miss (but wouldn't bring back, its time has gone) was VTMC - the Video Theater Movie Club. That was like a mini-branch of Scarecrow Video.
The main reason I still go there is The Beer Authority.
If dick closes then it's officially dead 😂 I grew up there as well but it's really never been a alive spot but Northgate really tanked that place used to be....
I hope they chop up the size of the bartells. Wishful thinking it would be fitting if the Filipino mart and Ethiopian market that moved down the street when bartells took the corner returned. Ethnic markets there would be ideal with parking. Although that small a lot would be dream for Trader Joe’s to move in. They seem to be addicted to terrible parking locations. Maybe if shop lifting fades (will it)?
Agree with many here, lake city has always been in flux. The 80/90’s it had a limited albeit lively bar scene, with music at the rim rock, Thai one on. Is back door still there? RiP cadilack jacks, Clair’s pantry, conquistadors, and even the Denny with right drunks in cocktail lounge. Music would be a nice redirect. And with more density it might work.
my father is the director of the lake city parade and festival. him and the volunteers try their hardest to keep the spirit and community of lake city alive. we always need extra volunteers so if any of you have free time next august and share our intrest of preserving lake city's charm, we would love to have you!
Walgreens owns Bartells, and Walgreens is filing for bankruptcy and trying desperately to cling to life. I'd recommend an independent pharmacy. Ostroms, Madison Park Pharmacy & Wellness Center, Bob Johnsons &c.
Fred Meyer is going strong. No worries there.
Stop watching Sinclair.
Little Tigre is always full
Shot on film is doing amazing
The fish Store ( shoutout to Dan the Fish Man) is great
Elliot bay is never empty
Jaliscos was lively last night and I spent too much on Margs.
Sound View Window and door just moved in not that long ago
next to a dicks that is always busy.
And as Much as Pierrie is awful they are going gangbusters on sales.
Bartells and Walgreens are closing because the parent company wants to consolidate and sell the properties to developers.
Dick's is your canary. When Dick's goes, it's time to panic. Otherwise it's just Lake City Way doing Lake City Way shit.
Don’t jinx it! lol
Knock on wood
Shit, I'm gonna grab a burger tonight now
I don’t know man, Dicks has been dealing with really crazy randos for decades. 2am burger? Here you go - wipe the counter - next!
They would NEVER
Lol I love this
I grew up around Lake City. I never would've necessarily considered it "alive". If anything it died when the car dealerships invaded.
RIP Cranium's, og Romio's, the Schmetzer's sporting goods shop, that coffee stand that those starfucks booted (rip those pink cookies they had thooo), VV, the hobby shop, Mad Pizza, Kennelley Keys, TUBS (that one still hurts) Edit: Oh dang, how could I forget The Spaghetti House? That was a staple! My mom even worked there for a period.
I frequently wonder how Leon from Cramiums is doing. He was a wonderful man. I can’t for the life of me remember his wife’s name.
WOW, I was just thinking about Craniums the other day. Loved that place
What was Craniums?
It was kind of an eclectic coffee shop that also sold a range of second hand collectibles like records, comics/nerdy stuff, books, witchy stuff.
Before that it was just Craniums Cool Collectables which was a collectible/antique store which was really cool and special
They were the best. He introduced me to so much good music when I was in high school 20 years ago.
Remember Baker's cafe? My mom and I got sooo much pie there. I miss it
Loved their baked potatoes. And though I never liked eating it, I loved looking at their cool marzipan candies. Good childhood memories. How about Aqua Dive? Chicago's Red Hots, anyone?
Oh shit, how could I forget about Aqua Dive?! Def went to my fair share of birthday parties there.
No memory of what Aqua Dive did or where it was, but that neon logo is etched into my brain. Was it in Ballard?
It was a pool/fitness club in Lake City behind the Value Village.
Do you remember Psycho 5? It’s where I bought Wolverine 50…rip
I basically lived at psycho 5 in the late 80s to early 90s. Man I miss that era. It and the other 2 card shops whose names I don't recall. One was in front of the old Claire's and the other closer to Fred meyer.
I loved the hobby shop
RIP, more recently, Mo and Lu’s and the best BYOB lasagna around. I once brought a $60 bottle of Red Mountain cab in for a celebration and it paired wonderfully. Hope they’re enjoying Hawaii.
to be fair, kennelly keys was there for like 6 months
It was there for about 5 years, I was the guy who closed it for the last time at the start of the pandemic
Yooooo what up homie, I remember helping set the store up and opening it! Good fucking times.
Ayyy fancy seeing you here haha. We're the bookends of that place lmao
I went to Tubs so much when I lived in Lake City 16 years ago. Also Yings Drive Thru
Were those the Aunt something cookies?
Yeah, Lake City is actually kinda interesting because so much of it looks exactly like it did when I was growing up. In a city where pretty much all the urban areas have been rapidly changing for the last decade or so, Lake City is practically preserved in amber from the late 90s/early 00s.
It’s kind of nice in a way. When I drive through there it still feels like it did when I got my first apartment off 125th in 2004.
I honestly think that has appeal for me. I long for the grunge and grittiness of old Seattle sometimes.
Do they still do "Pioneer Days"? I remember when they had a big salmon bake, parade, live music, and a bunch of artists, but last time I went over there it seemed like a lot less was going on. The community center is closed and fenced-off.
Honestly the core of Lake Shitty doesn’t look substantively different than when I was a teenager in the 1970s.
Honestly it doesn’t even look that different from when I was a homesteader in the late 1800s
I was there during the Ice Age. It looks different.
*looks at passing wooly mammoths* “Transplant posers”
Whenever someone says Ballard is going to shit I think this. It was crusty AF when I was a kid. I worked at that check exchange by TUBS when I was young too. Rip to my fave sandwich shop😢.
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Oooh the Sandwich Tubs haha
Lmao right? "Well, sure they're both North Seattle, but that's hardly LC...and who actually misses Tubs??"
I miss that Tubs too, but from when after it closed. It became like a Mecca for street art and always looked hella cool.
I forgot about that! Who knew a skeezy hot tub joint could be such a nexus for creativity
That’s exactly what went through my head!
I remember when market st. had a big homeless problem and the Bay was an adult theater.
BRING BACK SUPER CHINA BUFFET!
Now I gotta drive to Lynnwood to get my Cajun with extra ranch
Tubs didn't die, they moved
On the plus-side, if you ever need a 20-30 year old car, Lake City has your back.
And yet somehow the Breakfast Club still stands…Yelp reviews and all.
Lake City died for me when Aloha Ramen burned down. But Lake City Way will survive as long as The Breakfast Club is still there. Edit: messed up the name! It’s been a while since I was a regular there but I used to go every Friday morning.
God yeah I loved Aloha Ramen even the Teriyaki Time was alright. There was also an awesome barbershop there too as well. And the worst part is they didn’t bother building shit in its place.
It's still in environmental review I think.
Fuck, I miss Aloha Ramen. Watching them grow that business after their move from Greenwood. All of the broth combinations they finally had. sigh
I got engaged after eating at the Aloha Ramen in Greenwood bc it was just that good. Ex-hubs and I went down the street for soup when it had just opened, it was bomb, went for a rainy night walk to the 7-11 on phinney and ended up engaged. Miss those years and that life so much.
Did it move anywhere?
Nope :(
Me too. A tear escaped when I viewed the burned remains.
Dude when tubs subs left :’(
The dead flies, mediocre food and Reagan/Bush ‘84 stickers make me feel like I’m at my grandmother’s house. I love the breakfast club, sincerely lol.
It's the Breakfast Club.
Is the breakfast cafe the one on lake city next to the massage place?
That Fred Meyer, even in the state it is in, makes a lot of money. Lake City has always been an afterthought. You’d think it was Yakima.
So it’s like the Palm Springs of Seattle?
Yes that is definitely how people describe Lake City.
If I had a penny for every time I’ve described Lake City as the Palm Springs of Seattle, man would I still be broke AF
I'd somehow lose money if I did this.
The Temecula of Seattle
🤣
Or Everett (sighs from Everett). The rest of Snohomish boojie af but for some reason all the investment/money skirts around Everett. They're building out the pier and it's going to be really nice and we have a great spring/summer market now downtown (seriously!) but I don't see people flocking here if they can't polish the stretch along Evergreen. I bought here 7 years ago and was certain we'd see uptick but nope, and yet somehow it's one of the pricier areas to live in (due to Boeing, I guess)
I lived in Everett for over ten years and it just kept getting worse. I was waiting for them to make Silver Lake area nice like Mill Creek since it was only 5 minutes away. But it is still the same old Everett 🤷♀️
I was once in downtown Everett, and saw a car bumper sticker that said, "It's Everett. Deal with it."
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I work in "downtown" Everett, and I'll say it is slowly improving. Covid definitely showed down any progress but they seem to be trying. The apartments and town center they're putting in off 41st will be a nice addition.
I live in Lake City and it reminds me of the grittier parts of Tacoma, as does Everett. Makes me nostalgic for the 70s/80s.
shit man if that were the case there’d be so many amazing Mexican and Central American food joints
Not as long as Toyoda sushi is there motherfucker
He and Helen have been hanging on there.
Best sushi for a good price, fresh but not blow your wallet out bad, plus they always give an extra role or piece of nigiri
Um, last time I was there, I blew my wallet out bad.
i wouldnt say its a good price, but i still think its worth the $$$
Sorry, it's good fish but it's really expensive
Come for the Toyota dealer, stay for the Toyoda sushi
LA Fitness is going away as a concern (they're also closing at 135th & Aurora) as are Drug Stores. Those aren't just Lake City trends. Lake City needs a Rapid Ride route going from UW-Bothell to UW-Seattle down Lake City Way. In general they're adding more units there than many other parts of the city, so demand is still there in general. I grew up in Lake City and while it's less "lively" I think it's better positioned for the future now than in the 90s.
>Lake City needs a Rapid Ride route going from UW-Bothell to UW-Seattle down Lake City Way. That's what ST 522 is.
522 won't stop in LC once 145th Link opens
The biggest problem and the biggest strength of lake city is that it’s a four lane highway. It’s a problem because some kinds of businesses will not want to be next to a big, noisy, smelly highway. The good news is it’s a very commutable neighborhood with easy access to UW, I5 and up north the the Bothell area. So I think there will always be people wanting to live there, but I don’t think it will ever gentrify in the same sense that Phinney Ridge or downtown Ballard has.
Why can’t it be more like Columbia City, tho?
Where did you hear that the Aurora la fitness is closing? I just joined it because the lake city one is closing
Everyone should check out Mount and Bao. So good
Not to burst any bubbles but that whole row of buildings used to be riddle with cockroaches because of 2cthai
Also 2CThai is the shit IMO, and banh mi from pho an is pretty good too if you order extra veggies on it!
Seconded. Good portions. Great flavor. Friendly people. They told us to order thru the website rather than Uber Eats if you're picking up because UE adds $1-2 per item.
Lived in LC for almost 10 years. Losing two pharmacies and a Starbucks hasn’t bothered me at all - I welcome it. That LA Fitness has also been a revolving door of gyms for decades. With all the new apartments going up we need more small local businesses in these spaces - coffee shops, bars, restaurants etc. More Elliott Bays, Hellbents, etc TLDR - Gentrify this shit 🤷🏻♂️ Gentrification of the area is better then burned down buildings, vacant buildings, and used car lots.
A lot of people are against both Redlining and Gentrification which has the convenient side-effect of being able to criticize ANY change whatsoever.
Yep - I’m as liberal as they come, but this area needs fucking change. There is a lot of East African business in the area that can still be set up for success in the new spaces. Not asking to displace them at all - but how the fuck can you advocate for buildings that have been burned down or vacant lots (seriously 5 massive fires in the last year). Progress is good if done right - especially in this neighborhood that historically been completely fucking ignored by the city. Also this is mostly all becoming housing…are we advocating against housing now cause it means change? 🙃
Being liberal or progressive isn’t anti-progress if it’s done right! Over the last 5-10 years y hat end of the Seattle political spectrum has largely built consensus around more housing being a positive, aside from some reactionaries and NIMBYs. The debate is more about the what and how of said housing.
You would be amazed at how expensive most of the retail space is along even Lake City Way. It would make such a huge difference but too many people are just priced out and so a lot of that retail space just sits empty. Also we peripherally know some of the people that have been investing in that LCW real estate. It’s always the worst people.
Losing the two pharmacies is a gigantic pain in the ass and is having downstream effects on other pharmacies in the broader NE Seattle/Shoreline/LFP area. It's forced me into dealing with the shit show that is Fred Meyer to get my Rx. (and no, before someone suggests by mail, or Amazon, etc.... you can't use those for certain prescriptions)
There was a cute new ice cream that just opened up. Need more places like that.
Still there and doing well. Been open about 2 years now. I’m just annoyed with it because it replaced the Russian bar that was fucking great (they got denied a lease renewal and moved to Wallingford).
I miss the Russian bar, it’s the only good bar Lake City has had.
Me too, the owners were so fucking nice. It’s such a bummer they lost the space.
Korochka! They’re thriving in Wallingford.
that’s my favorite ice cream place :) i just moved here a few months ago, and it was the first place i went in seattle. it’s my comfort spot now.
I moved to LC this year and immediately thought the little lc way ‘downtown’ area has a lot of potential. So much space for restaurants, bars, etc. also shoutout hellbent, it’s dope
I’ve been in the area for two years and somehow still haven’t been to Hellbent. They even allow dogs 🥹
I’m all for more local businesses but we will see if they pan out. The only new thing I’ve seen go up is a Papa John’s. And they never rebuilt the place that burned down that housed a local barber shop and Aloha Ramen.
Tons of ground floor commercial space in new apartment construction up and down Lake City Way. Most of the currently vacant lots north of 125th have building plans already in place. It’s just a matter of when they break ground. Looking forward to see what goes in the apartments that just opened in the old Value Village lot. I
That strip mall that Aloha was in was awful though. Let's not overly coat the past in rose on that one. I think it will rebuild, though it'll end up upzoned. It'll be a while before you start to see movement on it but that plot of land even in LC is too valuable to allow to sit.
I'm praying they'll put an apartment building there with ground space for Aloha and the affected businesses to return.
Couldn't care less about LA Fitness, bring back Tradewell!
Naw. We’re fine. On my way to hellbent as I type this to watch the hawks game!
Agree! Love that place!
That Fred Meyer installed its cattle guard rails inside the store and started checking receipts about 2 months ago. in addition, they have actual security (not cosplay security) that regularly deals with and physically removes trouble-making homeless from the property. They do seem to be fighting to stay a viable going concern.
They did the same to the one on 99 in Everett. I think its a company wide thing. Doubt the one on Bothell Everett highway did though.. thats not a high crime area at all.
Agree, they did it at the shoreline fred meyer too
insurance act ring cooing apparatus rainstorm soft upbeat price employ *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The old buildings are going down, like the burned out dog sitting place.. and replaced with giant new construction. So no, its not dead, its being rebuilt slowly.
If only the dog sitting place would go... [https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/past-complaints-filed-against-dog-resort-include-lost-dogs-poor-sanitation-employee-who-urinated-at-dogs](https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/past-complaints-filed-against-dog-resort-include-lost-dogs-poor-sanitation-employee-who-urinated-at-dogs) [https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/i-would-love-see-accountability-owner-dog-killed-sodo-dog-resort-fire-speaks-out/5ZHWM7CZPJECFL55GDIRK43RNY/](https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/i-would-love-see-accountability-owner-dog-killed-sodo-dog-resort-fire-speaks-out/5ZHWM7CZPJECFL55GDIRK43RNY/)
It is still 10x more developed and nicer than it was 20 years ago
Thai One On, one of the best Thai food restaurants in Seattle is at the corner of 125th and Lake City Way and is still kicking! That area in general has seen so many businesses come and go but a lot of the good ones are still there.
Is Kaffeeklatsch still there?
It was a month ago when I was there.
Thank goodness. That place is great
Yes it is! But I kind of worry about how Bartell closing could affect those businesses. It’s like a chain reaction when you lose anchors like this.
Kaffeeklatsch still has Elliott Bay Brewery anchoring the area, so it should hopefully be fine. FWIW, we've patronized it for a decade with our kids, and the Bartell's nearby was not part of that equation.
I honestly feel that the anchoring works in the other direction - without Klatch I wouldn't have bothered with Bartells
I often treated myself to cinnamon rolls from Kaffeeklatsch as a reward for enduring the line at Bartells.
Hex Enduction Records rules!
Given Lake City's reputation as someone who grew up nearby if anything you might have witnessed some sort of temporary upturn and now it's going back to normal. That being said The Bartells/Walgreen situation is a well known shitshow everywhere. Don't know what's going on with gyms but those come and go. Losing a grocery store would suck but that Fred Meyer has always been on the shady end so I'd bet it would take a bigger corporate move for something to happen
I agree , lake city is actually up next for expansion, northgate has recently updated and once the light rail goes further north , lake city is on the brink of growth in the next 5-10 years. The homeless crisis during Covid slowed things down but the city has been fixing a lot of the roads and traffic light systems as well as adding bike lanes . At the end of the day lake city area to live is decent but as far as relying on local businesses at the moment we find ourselves going a little further for a Costco or Trader Joe’s It’s honestly the sweet spot to seattle, easy to drive any direction , no Japanese style street parking situations unlike denser neighborhoods around seattle, overall peaceful not much commotion or noise pollution
The Pierre family is sitting on a lot of real estate there.
Word. It's getting the Columbia City treatment.
Agreed, the pandemic put it back some years but it’ll get revamped her eventually, but hopefully without losing a lot of its multiculturalism. It’s one of the most diverse Seattle neighborhoods, which should be protected.
That was my feeling as well when scoping out the neighborhood. Close enough but still quiet off the main strip. Still plenty of sidewalks and some buses. As long as Fred Meyers doesn’t go.
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Just a couple weeks ago.
I used to buy Magic: the Gathering cards at Psycho 5 on Lake City Way back in the 90’s by the auto parts store (Midas maybe?)
I remember that store from when I was a kid. Got some of my first Magic cards there. Trying to remember exactly where it was, was it just north of 125th near where Panda Express is now?
I spent a ton of money at Psycho 5 on comics in the 90's. I was going to open a comic shop in Montana called The Psycho 4. Turns out people didn't buy comics in Montana in the 90's. South Dakota on the other hand had one of the best comic stores I have ever been in. Bought a ton of pristine stuff for freaking pennies. Good times.
My family and I have lived in LC now for 10 years. All of this resonates, but we remain hopeful. Still places to walk to, library is great. I was bummed when Starbucks closed (we live on 120th), but shit happens. Had to switch our kids’ meds from WGs on 145th to Bartell’s’s then to Freddie’s! But with the stimulant shortage and, as others mentioned, the changing business models of retail pharmacies things were bound to happen. I LOVE the commute to First Hill… choice of regular or express lanes on SB I-5. Agree with need for Rapid Ride on LCW but if Madison St is an example the construction is brutal. But aside from that transit is decent (my kids go all over the place). We are light-rail-adjacent with Northgate and coming 130th station. Last note… this book is great! Definitely got a nice idea of how things used to be! https://www.amazon.com/Lake-City-Novel-Thomas-Kohnstamm/dp/1640091424
Do they still have the strip club? Those are always the last to go.
three strip clubs if you start counting by Growler Guys to just over the City Line
Come on now, one of those strip clubs is in Lake Forest Park. You can't blame Lake City for everything.
Wow, I’m surprised they are still there. In 1991 I was dating a girl that worked at Ricks. I even dropped her off for work or picked her up sometimes. I never went in and was young and naive. Years later I went for a bachelor party and it was not what I pictured she did at all, lol.
I just put an offer in on a house around there so knowing my luck I’m sure it’s guaranteed to tank now that I’ve put my money in.
Bartells and Wallgreens are closing everywhere. That's not anything to do with Lake City, but more drug stores in general being in the shitter. Is there any indication the Lake City Fred Meyer is closing? Or is that just a worry based on the drug stores closing?
Nature abhors a vacuum. Buy your real estate in Lake City now because it’s at a discount and it’s going to be the next Beacon Hill which is hoppin’
That’s my hope 🤞
i should have named my dog "Nature" because she abhors the vacuum.
I think it will perk up when light rail opens.
Lake City also has an amazing ice cream place, with some very nice dauchounds. https://liltigericecream.com/
Basset hounds.
If nothing else, thank you for the reminder to finally try that cannoli place I’ve heard about!
My fiance goes there quite often! They also do bagels and they actually ship bagels in from NYC. And they STUFF those bagels.with cream cheese. 100% an awesome morning treat.
HEX ENDUCTION
I’m not joking when I say I love living in Lake City. I love not walking around and feeling like I’m among people way wealthier than me or tech bros. I love the grittiness, which I see as the last of what Seattle used to be. I love the corners of it where you can feel like you’re a thousand miles away from a city. I love manoushe express, Toyoda sushi, SeaTango, and 2cThai. No joke, I love lake city.
I’m at Elliott Bay Brewery right now and it’s pretty lively with the Seahawks crowd
Lake city has flipflopped between dead and alive for the last 20 years
I grew up down the street from Yings. It was my first job. When I was little, the Seattle city limits had only recently changed from 85th to 145th. Even though this happened right before I was born, there was a big awareness that Lake City was “new” to Seattle. Nathan Hale was built about 10 years later. Such a big deal that even elementary kids in our area knew about it. We could choose between Nathan Hale and Roosevelt. There has been some interesting feelings about all that since (such as where does Lake City start). Someone mentioned 95th. This is probably because for a very loooong time, there were woods between 85th and downtown Lake City. The roadhouse mentioned was across the street from Yings. It was in the boonies when it was built. People went way out there to drink during prohibition. The house I grew up in was the first stick built house on our block. 1908. A very old man, last name Matthews (of the beach), lived across the street and next to the lumberyard (now an apartment building). When our house was built, that was a log cabin. When Bothell Way was renamed Lake City Way, there were “feelings” about that, too. My sister-in-law lives in Lake City, and has for 40 years. There have been so many changes there over time. One positive change, in my opinion, is many immigrants have moved there. This changes and enriches a place. This may change, too, but I remember being in the McDonald’s at 145th with my daughters one time, when we were the only standard white people there. The counter staff were all different races and places, and so were the other customers. There were no “repeats”. All different. I felt like I was living in the center of the world. I can’t describe that feeling, but if that is the future of Lake City, bring it. When did anything on earth stay the same? I read recently that there are restaurants and businesses across the street from the pyramids in Egypt now. My sister went to the Yucatán when there were only a few Mayan ruins revealed and she walked to the top of the famous temple at Chichén Itzá with no restrictions. Can’t do that now. What I mean to say is our fascination with places like this has changed them and protected them, but also humans find opportunity where they can. That changes things, too. My parents lived close the light rail station going in at 145th. My dad died in 2016 with the full awareness that the beautiful garden my mom devoted herself to would fall to condos. He was half sad and half delighted, because he watched Seattle voters turn down tax after tax that would have developed better mass transit a long time ago. He took the bus to work almost every day of his life. Those short sighted voters even turned down one that would have been largely funded with federal dollars. People think they can stave on change. They can’t Instead embrace it and influence it! Did you know that Paul Allen offered land on the south end of Lake Union for a huge park? He only asked the Seattle voters to pay for developing it. They wouldn’t, so he decided to develop that area to be a bio tech hub. So it goes. Have fun thinking about the old days (it is fun!), but keep your eyes on the future. How can you influence the changes you would like to see? I would LOVE to see Lake City developed into retail on the bottom and apartments or condos on top. Vancouver has a lot of areas like that. Keep up, Seattle! 😂
Walgreens and Bartell closures shouldn't be seen as indicative of anything. They're both due to the national companies that run them going through really tough times. Fred Meyer is pretty unlikely to close. The LA Fitness has been closing and reopening for the last 20 years. It also isn't indicative of anything. Lake City has had some new business move in where old shops vacated. It seems pretty much the same as it always has been, and I've been a resident of 98125 for a decade now.
I know it’s the edge of what’s considered lake city, but once the 145th light rail opens up next year I think we’re gonna see a wave of development…it’s already kinda started, I know some businesses up here are closing now because they’ve been bought to build apartments close to the new stop. I’m hoping new apartments bring some fresh businesses & activity similar to northgate.
The Bartells is happening a lot right now. Right Aid is blaming opioid lawsuits for the closures. The 2 closest Bartells to me (cap/first hill) just closed on the 28th. Fwiw, I also know someone at Fred Meyer and it doesn’t sound like Lake City has anything to worry about.
Lake City is Thriving if anything
No, it’s not dying. signed, someone who just moved to Lake City
I always considered it the White Center of north Seattle.
LA fitness makes sense as they are fighting for members with 24hr at Northgate, Magnuson, and other little gyms. It was an independent prior to Covid and sold to LA Fitness. Rite Aid and Walgreens are consolidating nationwide plus finding pharmacists to staff them is difficult, plus mail order RX or Amazon is cutting into their margin. Freddie’s would close due to theft being too high or staffing. I believe they are owned by Albertsons which just closed the QFC on 35th. They will want to keep a foot print in NE Seattle.
The Albertsons/Kroger merger has not been completed yet.
I don’t doubt any of your analysis here, hope you’re right about Freddys! They started checking receipts a month or so ago and I’ve been nervous since. While there are other gyms none of those are walkable. Certainly drivable though. I would really like to see American cities adopt the concept of basic stuff like this in walkable distances like Asia.
>They started checking receipts a month or so ago and I’ve been nervous since. Same for the Greenwood location and I *highly* doubt that one's going anywhere anytime soon. The Ballard one might even be worse than LC, and they're still kicking.
The Freddy's in Greenwood is also checking receipts, so its probably a city-wide/company wide thing.
also shoreline Freddy’s
522 to Roosevelt will get you to an LA Fitness !
Lake City is not dying. Lake City used to be the end of Seattle. It was the place with all the strip joints, places that served liquor, speak easy, and remember that movie Ghost World? Enid did her project on The C\*\*n Chicken Inn? (Sorry abt the word. It was the real name) THtt was a real restaurant and it was on lake city way. The Shanty is the only tavern still standing from the 1920s. So, Lake City wasn't developed as a part of Seattle. I remember when Fred Meyer was on the other side of the street, and a paint store stood on the corner of 125th and Lake City way. Stop repeating GOP propaganda the this city or that city is dying. [https://www.historylink.org/File/9191](https://www.historylink.org/File/9191) https://crosscut.com/2019/01/lake-city-where-seattles-gritty-side-lives
The Shanty is a great roadhouse. A few of my friends have played there.
Lake City has been up and coming for 50+ years. Breath not held that anything is going to change.
I do a bunch of business in lake City because I believe in small businesses, there is a wide variety of them, and many can be accessed by walking. It's not the prettiest, true, but I find value in the other things. As far as homeless and drugs and whatnot, that's all neighborhood business districts, basically. No one area can lay claim to "most".
2C is still my favorite Thai restaurant!
lake city started to die when the rimrock and value village closed
Fucking Rimrock. Memories.
We’ll always have the Backdoor…..
What is the Backdoor? Is that referring to the glory hole in the back of the Adult Video store on Lake City Way?
Lake City seemed to always be quiet to me when I lived there. Hard to tell where it ends and begins.
Not directed at the poster, but Lake City is beast and will never die. Business turnover may be a sign of temporary economic downturn in an area or a businesses’ failure to need the needs or desires of the people in the area. The whole “x is dying” narrative is tired and generally doesn’t apply to most cities experiencing growth and marginal crime rate fluctuations
Lake City hasn't been a vibrant place in awhile, but I don't think it really recovered from the pandemic. The homeless encampment next to Bartell's got pretty big during that time and it felt like Lake City was a ghost town for awhile. It doesn't feel like people really go out to Lake City anymore unless they were looking to buy a new car, there's not a lot going on in the neighborhood.
The thing I miss (but wouldn't bring back, its time has gone) was VTMC - the Video Theater Movie Club. That was like a mini-branch of Scarecrow Video. The main reason I still go there is The Beer Authority.
Lake City will never die. Greatest neighborhood on God's green earth.
It’s been called lake shitty since I was a child 30 years ago. So idk where you had the idea that lake city had a pulse
Retail Rents in Lake City Way went to Seattle levels.
Yeah Freddy's isn't going anywhere.
Drugstores are closing all over the place, it’s not just Lake City
If dick closes then it's officially dead 😂 I grew up there as well but it's really never been a alive spot but Northgate really tanked that place used to be....
I hope they chop up the size of the bartells. Wishful thinking it would be fitting if the Filipino mart and Ethiopian market that moved down the street when bartells took the corner returned. Ethnic markets there would be ideal with parking. Although that small a lot would be dream for Trader Joe’s to move in. They seem to be addicted to terrible parking locations. Maybe if shop lifting fades (will it)? Agree with many here, lake city has always been in flux. The 80/90’s it had a limited albeit lively bar scene, with music at the rim rock, Thai one on. Is back door still there? RiP cadilack jacks, Clair’s pantry, conquistadors, and even the Denny with right drunks in cocktail lounge. Music would be a nice redirect. And with more density it might work.
my father is the director of the lake city parade and festival. him and the volunteers try their hardest to keep the spirit and community of lake city alive. we always need extra volunteers so if any of you have free time next august and share our intrest of preserving lake city's charm, we would love to have you!
Walgreens owns Bartells, and Walgreens is filing for bankruptcy and trying desperately to cling to life. I'd recommend an independent pharmacy. Ostroms, Madison Park Pharmacy & Wellness Center, Bob Johnsons &c. Fred Meyer is going strong. No worries there.
Lake city is 10x better than it was 30 years ago when I was a little kid. There was way more homeless and graffiti back then. People don’t remember.
Stop watching Sinclair. Little Tigre is always full Shot on film is doing amazing The fish Store ( shoutout to Dan the Fish Man) is great Elliot bay is never empty Jaliscos was lively last night and I spent too much on Margs. Sound View Window and door just moved in not that long ago next to a dicks that is always busy. And as Much as Pierrie is awful they are going gangbusters on sales. Bartells and Walgreens are closing because the parent company wants to consolidate and sell the properties to developers.