King County Road Services opened a new connection just south of Northeast Novelty Hill Road on Tuesday
a final segment expected to ease congestion
improve reliability and better link residential areas with the Redmond
Monday (May 5) for more than 3,200 seats on city councils
The prosecutor reported that Chase Jones was traveling at 112 mph when he crashed into the victims
Bob Ferguson says federal funds are needed to address $34 million in damage caused by the storm
Between 2012 and 2013, Seattle was the nation’s fastest growing big city ($)
Headline after headline since cheered this revelation
For most long-time Seattle residents and even many newcomers
that narrative isn’t particularly fresh at this point
Because they’re still witnessing a boom as the city’s skylines fill with cranes stretching from Northgate to Pioneer Square to even Alaska Junction in West Seattle
startups and corporations are eagerly adding hundreds of jobs every month in every corner of the city
But what does that mean in percentage terms
Rapid growth rates were most keenly seen in established urban centers and toward the edge of urban growth areas
8 of the top 10 hottest spots for rapid densification weren’t even in Seattle
Balk takes note of one such location beyond the urban fringe:
density has soared by 580 percent since 2000
This had been an entirely rural area until a master-planned development–locals call it “The Ridge”–added 4,500 housing units
there were only about 300 people per square mile there
You read that right: 580% growth for the Union Hill-Novelty Hill census tract
But Seattle highest growth Census Tract 73 (South Lake Union-East) saw a 179% increase over the same time period
using metrics like percentage increases or decreases in growth only tells one side of the story
it tells us that there is still an appetite for deeply suburban and exurban growth by developers
But it also neglects to highlight the really big
underlying numbers that make up the percentages
the census tracts of South Lake Lake-Union East and Union Hill-Novelty Hill had population densities of 6,242 and 323 per square mile
they had grown to densities of 17,437 and 2,134 per square mile
Certainly a growth rate of 179% is less impressive than 580%
but comparing urban neigborhoods like South Lake Union to the expansive hinterlands of Union Hill-Novelty Hill may be more of a case of apples and oranges than an enlightening foray into total regional growth rates
If we played out the same sort of growth in previous time periods for King County–say 1980 to 1994–we would like see a very different trend
One in which very low growth takes place in Seattle while census tracts in Bellevue
There’s little doubt that rapid growth is likely to continue in both Union Hill-Novelty Hill and South Lake Union in the short term
But in absolute terms of density and densification
Union Hill-Novelty Hill will never approach the same level of density or continuous growth of South Lake Union
this is due to low-density zoning policies of Union Hill-Novelty Hill
But the more substantial reason is that its already effectively built-out with little additional upside potential for growth
A good follow-up to Balk’s densification map might be one that shows total growth over the same 14-year timeframe by aggregated rural census tracts and urban census tracts (by city and urban unincorporated areas)
I’m willing to bet that the rural growth rate is substantially more muted than the urban growth rates
Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable
He is especially interested in how policies
and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities
With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork
He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014
The Urbanist hosts social hour meetups every month. In April, we’re hosting four social events and kicking off our urbanism-themed walking tours starting in Kirkland on April 26
we’ll be hosting a booth at the opening celebration at Downtown Redmond Station
Check our urbanist events calendar to see everything happening this month, including events hosted by partner organizations. You can submit your event for inclusion
The Greater Federal Way Chamber of Commerce hosts a task force to support preparations for next summer’s World Cup
The OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center held an open house and ribbon cutting on March 20
The Vietnamese sandwich shop in Federal Way features 12 varieties of banh mi
from more classic options like grilled pork to fusion twists like mesquite chicken
and how much money you have -- and how much money you're about to include along with your filing -- is likely on the minds of millions of people across the country
The Internal Revenue Service has some data which can help show where the wealthiest among us live
we were able to get a snapshot of how much money people from Washington state earned in 2016
the most recent year they have numbers for
And of the top 20 wealthiest zip codes in the state
all 20 have an average income of more than $130,000
The average income is calculated as an average of all the tax returns from each zip code
While zip codes can often cover more than one locale
this (and last) year's two highest slots go to neighborhoods that occupy the entirety of their zip codes -- and they're not exactly surprises: Mercer Island and Medina
The top 20 wealthiest zip codes in King County by income levels:
The story first appeared on Seattle PI
Even in one of America’s most dressed-down cities
a few areas in and around Seattle stick out as anti-fashion hot spots
an Eastside community filled with tech workers
folks are 30 percent more likely to wear Tevas
folks are lining up to gaze upon the peak of chic
The Seattle Art Museum’s current exhibition, “Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style,” puts more than 100 haute-couture dresses by the legendary designer on display
drawing nearly 90,000 visitors so far in its run
the show may be upsetting the natural order of things here
making some Seattleites question their long-standing commitment to casual
the museum’s manager of public relations: “Our staff reports hearing visitors say they’re inspired to dress up a bit more after seeing the exhibition.”
We’ll see — but I fully expect things to return to normal after the show closes
An indifference to fashion is, after all, one of Seattle’s defining characteristics. And I don’t think that has changed much since 2013, when I reported that Seattle ranked as the most dressed-down city in the nation
Comfort is king here. No matter where you go in Seattle — a job interview, a fancy restaurant, a wedding — the word “underdressed” simply isn’t part of the local vocabulary. Even the Seattle Opera, on its website
encourages patrons to show up in Birkenstocks and shorts if they feel like it
some places stand out from the rest — and I used market research from Nielsen to identify our local anti-fashion hot spots
Nielsen relies on surveys and a variety of other sources
to pinpoint consumer attitudes and behaviors down to the neighborhood level
Few things say Seattle more than Teva sandals — they’re like the Subaru Outbacks of footwear
the sports sandals are worn everywhere here — often with socks
You’ll find the highest concentration of sports sandals just to the east of the Microsoft campus
in Union Hill-Novelty Hill (it edged out Seattle’s Green Lake for the win)
Folks here are 30 percent more likely to own a pair than the average Seattle resident
Relevant fact: About one-quarter of the working population is employed in tech jobs
the Eastside boasts some of the most fashion-forward retailers in the region
But Sammamish shoppers steer clear of anything au courant
They’re less likely to buy trendy clothing than anyone else around here
though — the median household income here is nearly $150,000
but don’t be surprised if you see a lot of frayed and threadbare clothing here
Islanders stand out for saying they only buy new clothes when what they already own needs replacing
If all you ever wear are jeans and T-shirts
you probably never set foot in a dry cleaner
the most dressed-down place in the Seattle area is First Hill
where residents are 27 percent less likely than average to say they ever dry clean anything
Rounding out our anti-fashion hot spots are SeaTac
where shoppers are least likely to open a fashion magazine
where folks say they won’t bust the budget on an article of clothing
Residents of these anti-fashion hot spots may be less inclined to visit the Seattle Art Museum’s Yves Saint Laurent show
with attendance over the holidays expected to be robust
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KIRO NIGHTS
BY DYER OXLEY
With the cost of living on the rise in Washington
families are searching for the best bang for their buck — where they can earn a decent living
and not be charged an arm and a leg for it
That’s the question that three professors aimed to answer. Yes, this is another one of those “best places” rankings, using various data from the census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI, and more. This time it’s courtesy of the folks at WalletHub
who put the three profs to the task of determining Washington’s best cities to raise a family
Be honest: Is Sammamish really all that great?
Considering 114 cities across four main factors — family life and fun; education
health and safety; affordability; and socioeconomics — they determined which cities are the best to raise a family
the “affordability” factor is largely why the state’s largest city — Seattle — isn’t in the top 10
Seattle ranks highly in other categories — first in attractions … actually
West Richland has the highest family income when considering the cost of living
In Snoqualmie
and the median house/condo value is $568,963
Bainbridge Island isn’t too affordable
and fun” it ranks near the bottom at 82
Bainbridge is frequently listed as the top school district in the state
many of the communities are just to the side of major cities
Seattle is the fourth best city for vegans
Just a few other interesting points that WalletHub uncovered:
the absolute worst city in Washington to raise a family is White Center
This unincorporated community is apparently
not too into schooling (72) and not fun for families (74)
I didn’t say it — WalletHub did
Often called “City in a Park,” Bellevue, WA
is an iconic Pacific Northwest city situated across Lake Washington from Seattle
Bellevue is home to 151,900 people and is known for its array of outdoor activities and its thriving tech industry
As you begin your homebuying or renting journey, there are four things you should know. The housing market is very competitive, the median home sale price is $1,300,000, the average sale price per square foot is $595, and the average rent price for a two-bedroom apartment in Bellevue is $3,641
Don’t worry if those prices don’t fit in your budget – we’ve got options to help you find a home or apartment that does
We’ve collected a list of the 10 best affordable Bellevue suburbs
And they’re all less than 25 minutes away from the city
you’ll still be close enough to Bellevue to explore the city’s great neighborhoods without the price of living there
Renton claims the first spot on our list of affordable Bellevue suburbs
About 106,800 people live in this suburban area
and you’ll only be about a 20-minute drive from downtown Bellevue
If you’re considering moving to Renton
visit the Renton History Museum to learn about the city and check out Liberty Park to enjoy the flowers and greenery
Taking the second spot on our list is Kenmore
you can visit the Bellevue Arts Museum and Bellevue Botanical Garden in just a quick drive
Some popular things to explore in Kenmore include walking along the shore of Lake Washington
or grabbing a bite at one of Kenmore’s many restaurants
From parks and outdoor recreation to supporting local businesses
there are lots of things that make Bothell a great place to live
Make sure to explore the University of Washington Bothell campus
and check out the local shops and restaurants in downtown Bothell
Only slightly more expensive than Bothell is none other than Issaquah
There are several top attractions you may want to check out in this Bellevue suburb
Make sure to visit Cougar Mountain Zoo and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park
or spend a sunny day at Lake Sammamish State Park
15 minutes from downtown Bellevue is Kirkland, another great suburb to consider moving to. Home to 92,200 residents, this affordable town can be a great choice for people looking to remain close to Bellevue without paying the price for a home in the city. Living in Kirkland
and grab a beer or bite to eat at one of the many local breweries and restaurants
Another well-known Bellevue suburb is Redmond
where the median home sale price is about $115K less than in Bellevue
Redmond has about 73,300 residents and is a great suburb to consider moving to
There are lots of activities to keep you busy in Redmond
You can take a tour of the Microsoft campus
walk or bike ride through Marymoor Park or catch a concert during the summer
Next on our list of affordable Bellevue suburbs is Cottage Lake
which is almost a 25-minute drive into downtown
living in Cottage Lake is a great alternative to the hustle and bustle of Bellevue
If you’re going to call this area home
plan to visit Cottage Lake Park and take a stroll through the beautiful woods
A great place to consider moving to that will get you access to downtown Bellevue in just about 25 minutes is Union Hill-Novelty Hill
Close to 22,700 people live in this suburb
but there are plenty of things to do in Union Hill-Novelty Hill
Last but not least on our list of affordable Bellevue suburbs is Sammamish
you’ll find yourself in Bellevue in roughly 25 minutes
like taking a walk along the Sammamish River Trail and having a picnic at Pine Lake Park
Make sure to enjoy all that Lake Sammamish offers – fishing
You’ll have plenty of activities to explore while living in this charming town
“Our favorite free activity in Bellevue, WA, is a stroll at the Bellevue Botanical Garden,” recommends Copper Kettle Coffee Bar
“Appreciate the most dazzling floral displays
and enjoy a cup of carefully crafted coffee to complete the oasis experience.”
“Our favorite thing to do near Cerasa Apartments is taking a quick 12-minute walk over to Surrey Downs Park,” suggests Cerasa Apartments
and many park benches perfect for an afternoon outing with family and friends.”
“My favorite affordable thing to do in Bellevue is look at farm animals at Kelsey Creek Farm,” recommends Shan Lu Photography
There’s also a playground area that the younger kids love
And make sure you attend seasonal events like sheep shearing and the pumpkin festival.”
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Kiley Lazarus possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the local market
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ice cream sandwiches top lists of favorite ice cream flavors and novelties
according to IDFA Ice Cream & Frozen Novelty Trends Survey
2023—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today announced the annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party will take place on the National Mall on June 21
The celebration on the National Mall just outside the U.S
Capitol Building is one of Washington’s most anticipated for professionals working in food and agriculture
including members of Congress and officials from the executive branch
in a fun event showcasing America’s favorite frozen treats
This year’s Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party will feature America’s top flavors, toppings, and ways to eat ice cream, as detailed by IDFA’s Ice Cream & Frozen Novelty Trends Survey
and vanilla top the list of consumers’ favorite flavors
Sandwiches are the most popular novelty product
Chocolate is the most popular topping sauce
Waffle cones beat out sugar cones 32% to 12% among consumers
but 37% of consumers prefer to eat their ice cream out of a bowl
Whether you prefer a bowl of chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce on top of it
the 39th Annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party will have a wide variety of America’s favorite ice cream treats available to you
“Ice cream is as bipartisan as you can get,” said IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes
“IDFA’s Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party is our way of showing appreciation on behalf of America’s dairy producers and dairy foods makers to public servants
members of Congress and all the individuals working in Congress and in our federal agencies
Come out to the National Mall on June 21st to enjoy free ice cream and frozen desserts!”
The 39th Annual IDFA Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party will take place at Union Square Park on Capitol Hill on Wednesday
The park is located west of the Capitol in the area encompassing the Capitol Reflecting Pool and the Grant Memorial
IDFA Ice Cream & Frozen Novelty Trends Survey:
IDFA partnered with Research America in 2022 to study U.S. ice cream data and trends
More information about ice cream is available on IDFA’s website: www.idfa.org/news-views/media-kits/ice-cream
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)
represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry
which supports more than 3.3 million jobs that generate $41.6 billion in direct wages and $753 billion in overall economic impact
IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies
from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers
all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices
and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world
dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages
The recent decision to forgo a national cost-of-living increase for recipients of Social Security ignores life’s realities for local recipients
“It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Phyllis Reynolds tells me
The 73-year-old Central District resident doesn’t mince words
I am speaking with her about — of all things — cheap gas
Because that’s the main reason that there will be no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security recipients next year
and rock-bottom prices at the pump mean that consumer costs have gone down from last year — at least according to the way the government measures them
But gas prices don’t matter much to Reynolds, who is among the more than 200,000 retired workers in King County who receive Social Security. “Even if I could afford a car, I wouldn’t have one. A lot of seniors don’t drive much,” she says. Reynolds relies on Seattle Senior Service’s Hyde Shuttles for transportation
According to Nielsen Scarborough market research
Seattle-area seniors average 41 percent fewer road miles traveled per week than adults under 65
Seniors here are also less likely to own or lease a vehicle than any other age group
And don’t even try to tell Reynolds there’s been no inflation
And she expects her utilities to go up next year
Reynolds is hardly the only senior who is ticked off about the COLA announcement
we’ve been hearing from our members,” says Jason Erskine
the communications director for AARP Washington
“Social Security recipients spend more of their monthly budget on health care
and all three of those categories have experienced meaningful price increases over the past year.”
The average Washington beneficiary receives $1,298 a month from Social Security
nearly one in four households in the Seattle-Tacoma area receives Social Security income
but it’s still the lowest percentage for any area in the state
46.5 percent receive benefits — that ranks as the 19th highest for any metro area in the U.S
Analysis of census-tract data shows there is one area of King County where more than half of households receive Social Security — two “adult-living” communities are located in this part of unincorporated Union Hill-Novelty Hill
where most residents probably don’t depend entirely on Social Security to make ends meet
But in one Auburn census tract where 49 percent of households receive benefits
the median household income is just $22,000 per year
She worked for the federal government and now receives a pension
but I can always find a way to live within my means,” she says
But for a lot of her friends and neighbors — and her sister
who also lives in the neighborhood — Social Security is all they’ve got
It’s going to hurt a lot of people,” she says
A career expert site called Zippia has analyzed more than 182 places in our great state
and believes they have come up with the ten happiest ones
They used data from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey
and set a minimum population of their 182 places as having 2,000 people
especially to this Seattleite who is very happy (most of the time)
I knew us city folk were out of the running as soon as I saw the fourth bullet above (low cost of living)
Here are the 10 Happiest Places (according to Zippia):
one can see more than 100,000 crosses cramped together
It covers about the width of a football field but lengthwise would only stretch about 65 yards
though it does stand out amid farm fields in the flat Baltic country
I visited the hill last fall during a trip for the European Baptist Federation meeting in neighboring Latvia
I trekked out of the way not for the novelty of the hill but for the history
This isn’t some artificial tourist gimmick — like the “world’s largest ball of twine” — created just to get people to visit
There’s a deeper religious and political story behind the Hill of Crosses
Brian Kaylor at the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania on Sept
The precise start of people putting crosses on this hill is uncertain
but many believe some were first placed at the site of a former fort after the failed 1831 uprising as Polish
and other peoples in the region rebelled against Russian rule
For grieving family members who couldn’t find the remains of their loved ones
the hill also became a place to remember loved ones who fell in other uprisings and battles
including the 1918 independence war that led to the nation of Lithuania
Caught between the imperial ambitions of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union
Lithuania found itself under the thumb of the latter in 1940
that occupation would continue for a half-century
And that’s when the Hill of Crosses gained greater significance
With the atheistic Soviets imposing heavy restrictions on religious practices and expressions
putting up a cross somewhere signaled not only religious devotion but also political resistance
So people started sneaking over to that hill to erect more crosses
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Estimates on the number of crosses at various points before the Soviet era show some fluctuation
perhaps due to poor counting or some wooden crosses degrading in the weather or Orthodox Christians from Russia removing Latin crosses of the Catholic Lithuanians
But the estimates show a clear difference from the first half of the 20th century to the time of Soviet occupation
But as the Soviets restricted religious expressions in the late 1950s
the number of crosses exploded — so much so that Soviet officials actually bulldozed crosses on the hill
And that’s when we realize the level of religious-political resistance
1961 — three days after Easter — the Soviets destroyed about 5,000 crosses on the hill
and banned the placing of new crosses there
So the Soviets destroyed many more crosses on multiple occasions
including annual demolitions in the mid-1970s — one at Christmas time — with hundreds of crosses removed each year
Officials even considered a plan to dam a river to flood over the hill
But people kept bringing crosses despite the threats of arrest or other punishments
When Lithuania regained its independence in 1990
there were an estimated 55,000 crosses on this small hill
In the years since religious freedom returned to Lithuania
the Hill of Crosses has become a pilgrimage site for Catholics and other Christians
Pope John Paul II visited in 1993 and a led Mass nearby
“Sons and daughters of your country have been carrying to this hill crosses
“Climb the hill and remember all the sons and daughters of this country who were sentenced
the Soviet brutality left its mark on the Lithuanian people
Hundreds of thousands of people were deported in the 1940s and 1950s
often because of their political or religious beliefs
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The political role that the cross played as a symbol during Soviet occupation does not diminish its religious significance
But such political implications cannot be ignored
“This was the place of anonymous but surprising persistence to the regime,” explained Eugenijus Bartulis
bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Šiauliai that includes the Hill of Crosses
“The Soviet government considered the crosses and the hill a hostile and harmful symbol.”
Lithuanians made these structures an instrument of liberation from enslavement.”
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Ukrainian symbols at the Hill of Crosses amid the Russian war on that nation
Even since the end of Soviet occupation, oppressed people see that Lithuanian hill — and the cross in general — as a symbol of hope amid death, a promise of freedom amid authoritarian attacks. In 2019, a controversy erupted after a Chinese tourist removed a cross with a message of support for the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement
The woman saw the cross as a threat to the regime she backed
or messages as people expressed solidarity with the nation under attack from an invading Russian empire
the Hill of Crosses still today offers a reminder of the subversive power of the cross
The cross was supposed to be how the Roman Empire ended the messianic movement of Jesus
The cross was supposed to prove him to be a loser since the officials believed that “might makes right.” The cross was supposed to show that there is no king but Caesar
But through the cross and the resurrection
making a public spectacle of them as he triumphed over them
Jesus proved that death didn’t have the final word
that the empire wasn’t the final authority
And that’s very good news — unless you’re the empire
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