Jimothy Sells Out T-Mobile Park. Twice.

Happy Tuesday! If your group chat has been about one raccoon for two weeks straight, you're not alone. My kids report it is a hot topic!

🦝 Jimothy is still going. The Ballard raccoon-turned-celebrity now has his own Mariners night — the Aug. 5 ticket special (Tigers game) sold out so fast the team added a second one, Aug. 7 against the Rays, which doubles as the Alumni Home Run Derby (Griffey hosting, Ichiro swinging). Each themed ticket kicks back $2 to the Ballard Food Bank, so the shirt actually does something. Grab one →

🥡 Also new this week: my Northeast Seattle Takeout Roundup finally posted over the weekend - neighborhood by neighborhood, the order-ahead spots that keep coming up over and over in our house (not a "best of," just the reliable ones based on our experience and yours). Wedgwood down through U Village, organized so you can find something close by. Take a look → Know a spot I missed? Tell me and I'll add it.

🍜 One addition already in the works: Papa Kitchen (Roosevelt) had a booth at Bite of Seattle and came out of it with real losses - inventory and equipment gone by the time vendors were let back to their booths. I won't relitigate what happened at Seattle Center; if you want the details, they're easy enough to find elsewhere. What I'd rather do is point you toward ordering if you’re looking for a takeout or dine-in option — the Vietnamese menu is deep on vegetarian options, and it's going on my list!

🌿 One more good-news story worth two minutes: Ravenna Refills - the little shop in the old Silhouette Antiques building on 16th - got a nice writeup on how it came together. Robin Dreisbach had been making natural home and skincare products out of her own apothecary line; when Jenny Gerstorff and her husband Josh bought the building to save it from demolition and open Ravenna Rocks next door, they built out a shop around Robin's line instead of letting it sit empty. (That's the same Jenny who flagged the Papa Kitchen situation above, it turns out — she's having quite a week.) Refill your dish soap, save an old building. Read the full story →

🔥 Since wildfire smoke is scheduled to move in this week (thoughts going out to everyone dealing with it in Spokane), I'm resurfacing a DIY air filter in case it's helpful — a box fan, four MERV 13 filters, cardboard, and duct tape gets you a purifier that performs on par with ones costing several times more. About $70 in parts, 20 minutes to build. 🛠️ How to build one →

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After years of our girls living their best lives in our minivan — goldfish crackers, mystery goodie bag toys, and whatever else accumulates in the crevices of a family car — we finally gave ourselves a present: Seattle Mobile Detailing. They came right to our house, took their time with both the interior and exterior, and never once made it feel rushed. The result was a car that looked (and felt) brand new. They've got 700+ five-star reviews and serve the greater Seattle area — the whole point is convenience, so you don't drive anywhere, you don't wait anywhere. If your car could use the same gift, book an appointment here and use code: SEATTLE10 for 10% off!

🎬 Movies by the Tower — Saturday, August 8, Maple Leaf Reservoir Park (1020 NE 82nd St), gates 5pm. This year marks its 5th anniversary — a free, all-day event with live music, trivia, and food, with the movie itself ("Superman," 2025) starting at dusk. Presented by Scarecrow Video and the Maple Leaf Community Council. Bring a low-back chair and your own snacks.

🎨 Smol Art Mart — Saturday–Sunday, Aug 8–9, 12–6pm, Magnuson Park Hangar 30 (6310 NE 74th St). 150+ local artists plus food vendors under one hangar roof, free to get in. Details →

📚 Chloe Lauter with G.G. Silverman: The Flayed Man — Tuesday (TONIGHT!), Aug 4, 7pm, Third Place Books Ravenna (6504 20th Ave NE). Same night this issue lands — no ticket, just show up. Details →

🎤 Rahul Subramanian — Saturday, Aug 8, 7pm, Neptune Theatre. One of India's biggest touring stand-ups, known for turning crowd work into most of the set — no two shows the same. Tickets →

🏛️ Government for Adults — Tuesdays, Aug 11, 18, 25 & Sept 1, 6–7:30pm, Northgate Library (10548 5th Ave NE). A free four-part refresher on the Bill of Rights, voting, the branches of government, and state civics — "no judgments," per the flyer. Session one lands the Tuesday right after this issue goes out. Northgate Branch events →

🎸 Yard Act — Monday, Aug 10, 8pm, Neptune Theatre. The Leeds post-punk outfit that landed a Mercury Prize nomination for their debut and got Elton John to guest on a track — touring behind their genre-hopping second album, Where's My Utopia. Tickets →

Something happening in the neighborhood? I want to know about it! Submit your event here. I review submissions each week before sending.

🚧 Ravenna Ave NE / 22nd Ave NE Safety Improvements — Construction starts as early as this week along Ravenna Ave NE, NE 54th St, and 22nd Ave NE: new sidewalks, crosswalks, and a protected bike lane. Crews work 7am–5pm, mostly weekdays but sometimes weekends — expect noise, dust, and temporary lane and sidewalk closures. "No Parking" signs were already going up as of July 31 as crews cleared vegetation. Project details →

🌁 SR 520 Full Closure — Coming up in a few weeks: both directions, I-5 to the Eastside, close from 11pm Friday, Aug 23 to 5am Monday, Aug 26 (SR 520 Trail closes too). A bit further out, but worth planning around if you're crossing the lake that weekend. Details →

📍 11064 Lake City Way NE · Mon–Fri 11am–8:30pm, Sat 11am–8pm, closed Sun

Manna Teriyaki — We found this one through an Infatuation write-up calling it the best teriyaki in North Seattle, and it more than lived up to it. My husband's spicy teriyaki is his standing order now — he doesn't even look at the menu anymore. My pick is the katsu, best I've had in a long time, and it's also the one that disappears fastest once it hits the table, so order accordingly if you're feeding more than yourself. I’ve under-ordered before and paid for it — as in, not nearly enough.

In case you missed them — a few guides worth bookmarking for summer:

🎂 Where to Host a Kids Birthday Party Near NE Seattle: 17 Venues — from our backyard to worth-the-drive

🏕️ Last-Minute Summer Camp Options — still time to sign up for a few of these — just a few more weeks of camp to go!

🌃 Date Night in Northeast Seattle — restaurants, bars, and spots worth staying out for

Can you guess the price of this real estate listing based on just one photo? Hint: 3 Bed, 3 bathroom, 2540 square feet

$1.755M
$1.950M
$2.150M
$2.475M

🦦 John Rogers Otters Playdate | Mondays, 4:30–6pm, John Rogers Elementary (4030 NE 109th St). Standing invite for families finding their way into the John Rogers pipeline — no signup, just show up.

🎷 ArrowSpace Music | 1060 NE 100th St, Seattle, WA 98125 (Maple Leaf)
A packed weekly lineup at this community music space — Saturdays bring "Experiments in Effortlessness" (1pm) and Jam Lessons with a live ensemble (2pm), Monday nights are an all-levels amateur jam (7:30pm), Tuesdays split between a laid-back Jazz Café with vinyl and coffee (noon) and a semi-pro ensemble session (7:30pm). Bring a blanket if you're joining the Saturday movement class. (206) 661-7807.

🎶 U Village Summer Concert Series | Wednesdays 7–8:30pm at the Village Green, running through August (this week features an act called ‘Nite Wave’). Free, with the beer and wine garden opening at 6pm.

Ongoing

Every Tuesday

Every Wednesday

Every Saturday

Every Sunday

🎸 Ravenna Brewing Sunday Fun Day | Free live music on the patio, 4–6pm every Sunday all summer, plus BBQ from Outsider BBQ.

🏟️ Seattle Sports Schedules

📌 Want to reach Northeast Seattle neighbors? Reply to this email to learn about sponsorship opportunities.