Happy Tuesday, neighbors! May has come in full force — 80° weather, full bloom, and yes, my allergies are thriving. Let's get into it.
💐 Mother's Day is this Sunday — and if reservations are already gone, file this away as a gift idea: I published a date night guide with seven spots in Northeast Seattle worth getting out of the house for. Check it out, promise a night out, done. No downtown drive required. Read more here.
🚣 Did you catch the racing (or the traffic) on the Montlake Cut Saturday? It was a gorgeous day! The Huskies won the 40th Windermere Cup in the closest finish in event history — UW edged Great Britain by just 0.165 seconds, a photo finish that wasn't clear until the very last stroke. The British boat had reigning Olympic gold medalists in the shell. Washington held them off anyway. And Northeast Seattle's own Hans Struyzna (Team USA Olympian and neighbor) was also on the water racing for the WAC. What a day on the Cut.
🥟 I drove through U Village last week and discovered that Din Tai Fung is moving to a space that is more than DOUBLE the size where the Bartell’s used to be and next to it a Mendocino Farms is coming in next door too, woot woot!
🚗 Parts of 520 and 99 are both closing this weekend. Big ramp shift happening starting this weekend (with closures from May 8-11). Details below.
🥕🥦 One more thing — I'm exploring making our home a CSA pick-up location for the Wedgwood neighborhood this summer, but I need at least 5 households interested in signing up with Sound Sustainable Farms to make it happen. If you'd want in, just reply to this email and let me know!
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📅 Upcoming Notable Events
🌱 Picardo Farm P-Patch Annual Plant & Bake Sale — Saturday, May 9 at 8040 25th Ave NE (also accessible from NE 82nd St, just north of UPrep). 10am-1pm. This is one of our neighborhood's best-kept spring traditions (and my favorite plant sale): veggie starts, flowers, a bake sale, and Master Gardeners on hand to answer your burning questions. Picardo is Seattle's original P-Patch — the "P" literally stands for the Picardo family who farmed this land in Wedgwood for 50 years. Worth a stop even if you don't have a garden plot. Details here.
🌿 Nathan Hale High School Plant Sale — Saturday, May 9, 10am–1pm at the Nathan Hale Greenhouse (enter off 31st Ave NE at NE 113th St, park in the Jane Addams lot and walk up). Students in Nathan Hale's Horticulture & Urban Farm program have been growing veggie starts, herbs, fuchsia baskets, geraniums, and more all year — and this is where it all goes. A great Mother's Day weekend stop. Follow @haleurbanfarm for updates.
🏫 Sand Point Elementary's online auction is live — and this one's worth your attention. Sand Point is a Title I school, which means they rely on neighbors like us (not just school families) to make their fundraiser happen. Bidding closes May 9 — browse the auction here.
🏀 The Seattle Storm open their 2026 home season this Friday, May 8, at 7pm at Climate Pledge Arena against the Golden State Valkyries. If you haven't caught a Storm game in person, this is a great excuse — the energy at Climate Pledge is something else. The season features 44 games including a big 4-game homestand May 20–27. Catch it live, on ION, or streaming on Prime Video. Tickets and info at the Storm website.
Worth a Second Mention!
🏘️ Northeast Seattle Neighbor Network — Wednesday (tomorrow!), May 7, 6–7:30pm at Seattle Public Library (6801 35th Ave NE). A free workshop on building real connections with the neighbors around you — structured conversations, no agenda, open to all. Space is limited so arrive a little early. Questions? [email protected]
🎭 Legally Blonde the Musical at Nathan Hale High School — May 7–16 (10750 30th Ave NE). Nathan Hale Theatre's spring production runs seven performances including a sensory-friendly "pay what you can" matinee on May 16th. Tickets from $12 at nathanhaletheatre.com.
Got something happening in the neighborhood? I want to know about it. Submit your event here. I review submissions each week before sending.
📷 This newsletter is supported by The Hidden Lens! Your neighbor Julie is a Wedgwood-based photographer who specializes in families, newborns, high school seniors, and headshots (yes, she’s done mine!) — and she has a few Mother's Day mini sessions left to book. Whether it's a gift for your mom, a gift for yourself, or a bribe to get 20 minutes of kid cooperation, it counts. → thehiddenlens.com
Beyond Northeast Seattle
🥪 Worth the Trip: Layer’s Greenlake
Those chips…
Yes, it's just a quick drive outside of Northeast Seattle — and the sandwiches are worth it! Layers started as a food truck with a cult following and landed a permanent spot right on Green Lake, and the hype is fully deserved. Get the Captain Rick — a tuna sandwich with potato chips baked right in — and take a moment to appreciate the rest of the menu, where a seasonal anchovy salad I enjoyed goes by Jon Bon Chovy. These people have their sandwich/salad naming straight! One heads-up: on a sunny day, this place is packed (Green Lake proximity is real). Weekday lunch if you can swing it.
7900 E Green Lake Dr N, Ste 107 — open daily 10am–3pm, verify hours before you go
🔍 Karen's Local Pick
🌮 Karen's (actually her husband’s) Pick: El Camion
Our family's standing answer to "what's for dinner tonight." (We just ordered last Friday) El Camion has two trucks practically in our backyard — one on Sand Point Way, one on Roosevelt — and we default to Sand Point every time (the parking is just easier). Between the four of us, we've worked out a system: arroz con pollo for me, carne asada burrito for my husband, quesadillas & tacos for the kids. Everyone's happy, nobody's negotiating. It's that kind of place. (Pro tip: arroz con pollo is a generous portion & great for leftovers!)
Sand Point: 4529 Sand Point Way NE, daily 11am–9pm · Roosevelt: 6319 Roosevelt Way NE, daily 10:30am–8:30pm
🏡 What's This Home Worth? Brought to you by Janeen Joshi, Lake Real Estate
Can you guess the price of this real estate listing based on just one photo? Hint: 4 Bed, 3 bathroom
📅 Also Happening
Every Tuesday
🧶 Stitching Hour — Project 9 Brewing (1409 NE 80th St), 6–8pm. Bring your project & tools, 21+
🍺 Head in the Clouds Trivia — Ravenna Brewing (5408 26th Ave NE), 7pm
🍺 Head in the Clouds Trivia — Fiddler's Inn (9219 35th Ave NE), 7pm
🚗 Traffic Alert: Major Road Changes This Weekend
Two big closures this weekend affecting key Seattle corridors — here's what to know:
SR 520
Closure window: Friday May 8 at 11pm through Monday May 11 at 5am
What's changing: The northbound I-5 ramp to eastbound SR 520 is shifting to a new location (merging from the left instead of the right)
How long the new setup lasts: At least two years
Montlake Boulevard on-ramp: Closed this weekend
Miss the Montlake exit? You'll cross the lake and owe a bridge toll
SR 99
Closure window: Friday May 8 at 9pm through Monday May 11 at 5am
What's happening: All northbound lanes closed across the First Avenue South Bridge for steel deck panel repairs
Additional closures: Weeknight closures continue May 11–22
Bottom line: Give yourself extra time this weekend and Monday morning on both corridors. Stay updated here.
📅 Key Dates Ahead
Date | Event |
|---|---|
May 7 | Northeast Seattle Neighbor Network Meeting |
May 7-16 | Nathan Hale’s musical production of Legally Blonde |
May 9 | Beat the Bridge Walk & Run |
May 9 | Picardo P-Patch Plant Sale |
May 9 | Nathan Hale Plant Sale |
May 10 | Mother’s Day |
June 15 | ⚽ First Seattle World Cup match: Belgium vs. Egypt (Group G) |
June 18 | First Day of Seattle Public Schools Summer Break |
June 19 | ⚽ 🇺🇸 Second Seattle World Cup match: United States vs. Australia (Group D) |
Aug 4 | Seattle Night Out! |
Sept 9 | 🏈 First Seahawks game (NFL opener) |
📌 Stay Connected: Neighborhood Resources
Seattle Nest Community Group | |
Seattle One Seattle Plan / Zoning | |
Futurewise (Zoning Advocacy) | |
Maple Leaf Community Council | |
Ravenna-Bryant Community Association | |
View Ridge Community Council | |
Wedgwood Community Council |
🏟️ Seattle Sports Schedules
Team | League | Schedule Link |
|---|---|---|
⚾ Mariners | MLB (Baseball) | |
🏈 Seahawks | NFL (Football) | |
⚽ Seattle Reign FC | NWSL (Soccer) | |
⚽ Sounders FC | MLS (Soccer) | |
🏀 Seattle Storm | WNBA (Basketball) | |
🌍 FIFA World Cup 2026 | International Soccer |
📌 Want to reach Northeast Seattle neighbors? Reply to this email to learn about sponsorship opportunities.