Broadway’s Farmers Market Opens for the Season

SEATTLE, WA – This past Sunday behind the Bank of America on Broadway, the seasonal Broadway’s Farmers Market opened its doors to venders from the Puget Sound area all the way to Eastern Washington to come out and set up stalls. Capitol Hill residents crawled out of their winter caves to embrace the locally produced and grown goods… and they weren’t alone. Many brought their furry pals along for the ride as well.

The weather was more than accommodating as an assortment of cut flowers, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, jams, nuts, dairy products, honey, eggs, poultry, mushrooms, meats, fish, shellfish, nursery stock, pasta, breads, preserves, wine, pickled relish and baked goods were put out on display.

The most popular haunt was Little Prague European Bakery, a bakery based in West Seattle, that was selling Czechoslovakian fresh baked goods for as low as $3-$5. The most requested item? A delicious cream-cheese Danish.
As a local musician came out to provide entertainment and the sunshine was sending good vibrations throughout the market, I decided to try a baklava from Ahiska Turkish Lavish Co. for $3.


“I was here last year, and I am excited to be back,” said Mahoumand, an employee that the company had sent to represent them. “You think the baklava is good? Try the bread!”

As I walked around the market, eating baklava and reaping in the environment around me, I stopped by one of the many flower stalls to pick myself up a bouquet for only $5. The little boy selling them to me called them ‘a primary flower arrangement” – which consists of two colors of the same flower (in my case, red and purple tulips). Beautifully arranged and professionally cut by Chao Garden located in Snohomish, WA.

A farmers market is all about boosting Washington State farm produce and processed foods only. It is environmentally friendly and buying local means “less resources are wasted and less pollution is generated in getting the food from farm to table.” The market aims to strengthen the community and help gain support for local agriculture.

“Supporting your neighborhood farmers market can only do good,” says Sarah David, a volunteer who helped set up the market. “I try my best to only buy locally grown food – and a market like this just makes it easier for people like me to help the environment as best as we can.”

So come on you urban folk of Capitol Hill, come out and support your local farmer! Try a cream-cheese Danish, eat a baklava, buy some flowers for your significant other and help the environment along the way. A market aims to help make it easier for people that live in cities to come to a central location to buy locally – so help your local farmer by coming out this Sunday and supporting him in return.

The market opens its doors on May 10th and is located on Broadway Ave. E and E. Thomas and is open every Sunday until December 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.



For a sample list of venders from the 2008 year, click here.
For more information on the Broadway and other markets around Seattle, click here.

Sin City

by: Carolyn K. Huynh


SEATTLE, WA - Every city has crime – it’s all part of the urban ladder. You start off with a studio apartment in a questionable neighborhood, you get promoted, so you upgrade to a trendy neighborhood, eventually you decide to settle in the city with a significant other, so you move into a nice area that’s rumored to be pretty ‘safe’ but is still considered a prime hub culture of city-living.

But you still know the truth. No matter how far you climb up the ladder, you can’t escape crime.

Capitol Hill has an image of being ‘pretty safe’ and it prides itself on being the cultural epicenter of Seattle. The Hill has a thriving population of urban families trying to raise their kids in what they believe would be a nice area to grow up in.

If you’re comparing the Hill to New York City’s East Village, we’re living in Bill Gate’s mansion.

Until you get your wake-up call.

Two-year resident of Capitol Hill, Cherlaine Ordona, 20, just recently became a victim of urban living. A few days ago, her car window was broken into and her iPod, iPod connector, some loose change, and a few CDs were stolen. The burglar unsuccessfully also tried to hotwire her car by taking apart her steering wheel and tooling around with the wires, unable to connect which red wire to whichever blue wire.

“I’m not afraid of walking alone at night, but I’ve certainly become more paranoid,” says Ordona. “I’ve heard that there has been a string of cars being broken into around my area, but I never thought I would be one of those people that drove around with their windows covered with trash bags because it has been broken into. I live on Spring St. for Chrissakes!”

Living in the second most densely populated neighborhood of Seattle, petty theft is pretty common. Some thefts are almost absurd. A few months ago in the parking lot at Piecora’s, a burglar smashed a car window and stole a puppy.

However, there are some crimes that are just unexplainable and out of our hands. Just this past weekend there was a shooting on Madison across the street from Chop Suey. Last year, a woman walked out of her home in broad daylight on 15th and was stabbed repeatedly in the chest by a madman.

According to the 2007-2008 City of Seattle’s crime statistic report, the number of reported crime incidents on Capitol Hill has significantly dropped by 40%. Why is this? Have the residents of Capitol Hill become jaded to crime of any kind?

“I think Capitol Hill is safe, but you should use your judgment and you shouldn’t take unnecessary risks,” says Aubrey Jackson, an employee at Vu Clothing on Pine St. “I was considering getting another job on the hill that required me closing up shop around midnight, but I went against it because I thought it would be unsafe.”

Crime is an essential part of urban living. There’s no escape and there are no pros to having it happen to you. The only thing you can do is help weed it out and strengthen the community. Revamp the Hill and make it safe for kids to grow up in and for puppies to stay in the car while their owners are eating pizza.

Here are some tips given by the Seattle Police Department on how to stay safe in the city and who you can contact to get involved:

Tips on being safe in the city:
1. Plan Ahead – travel in groups of two or more
2. Stay Aware – travel on streets with open businesses
3. Don’t Hesitate – call 911 immediately
4. Act Appropriately – use any defense you are comfortable with (i.e. screaming)
5. Report Incidents – if you are a victim, report it to the Seattle Police Department

DEPT. OF PLANNING and DEVELOPMENT 684-7899
COMMUNITY POLICING TEAM OFFICERS Chronic, ongoing problems 684-4370
SUSPECTED DRUG ACTIVITY Call Narcotics at 684-6797