I Hate Seattle

Neighbours, Seattle’s venerable gay dance club, filed a lawsuit last week fighting for its right to remain in a warehouse-style building in the Pike-Pine neighborhood. The bar opened there in 1983, started serving liquor a few years later, and has since made a patchwork of remodels, from go-go cages to another dance floor in the basement.

But the building’s owners, a land trust comprising several individuals, sent a letter to the bar owners in early August terminating the lease and telling the bar to vacate by the end of the month.

In the letter, landlords claim the bar of violated terms of the lease signed in March of this year. It says the lease allows the tenant to use the space as a “tavern… commissary, restaurant. … and cabaret.” But, it says, “No food, however, is prepared and served on the premises. Furthermore, the current operation of the Premises as a dance club is not a permitted use.” The letter goes on to say that the club remodeled without permission and allowed liquor to be taken outside of the bar, as examples of further lease violations.

But there is a no secret that Neighbours is dance club. Leases over previous decades used similar language, the lawsuit shows. So it seems extremely unusual that the landlords would, after signing another lease in March, suddenly act surprised that Neighbours is, in fact, a dance club. An attorney for the landlords has not returned calls to comment.

“We don’t think there is any merit whatsoever to the landlords’ claims,” says Mark Kimball, an attorney representing Neighbours. He says owners were informed about how the space was used. “We believe the business is accurately described in the lease.”

Kimball would not speculate on why the bar owners were attempting to negate the lease after 25 years. He says the bar owners and the landlords are currently in negotiations. “I am extremely confident that the dispute will be resolved favorably to Neighbours,” he says.

Neighbours has been a staple business in the Pike/Pine corridor and has been almost solely responsible for establishing the area surrounding its business as an entertainment and nightlife area. I mean how many Capitol Hill residents have actually lived in the area for 25 years let alone 5 years. The Capitol Hill community should come together and show them public support against the building owners. What do you think they are planning to do with the building? More freakin' condos that won't sell? They are probably a bunch of tight wad born again Christians that are pissed that they own a building that is occupied by a gay nightclub.

So funny that I just found this site. I am looking for a good "I hate Seattle" bumper sticker before I leave in 2 months. After living here less than a year, I am preparing to take the kids and hit the road, leaving my beloved husband to suffer here in Dante's Third Ring of Hell.

Luckily, we had the foresight to NOT sell our big house on 5 acres for the $230,000 it is valued at. Where the sun shines most all the time.

I seem to have a different complaint about merging as the rest of you. I do stay off the highways here--which means I can't even drive into Seattle proper if I wanted to! Merging is an agreement between friendly people where the driver on the highway slows a bit to LET THE MERGER IN! Come on! Everyone around here drives like they can't even see the incoming cars!

I don't really blame Seattlers for being such pricks, however, since they are all probably vitamin D deficient. People don't wave at each other and everyone frowns. The weather is horrific. The speed-limits are insanely slow.

So, does anyone know a good website or "I hate Seattle" logo to put on a bumper sticker.

just a little reminder of our false premise...

91 year old woman without ID kicked out of bar

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20080120&slug=danny20

Can anyone ask Sherman Alexie to shut the fuck up? If I have to listen to " our cultural voice of the Supersonics" turn this depressing mix of greedy big business and lame politics into his expression of uncomfortably irrelevant feelings any longer, I might really act like a drunk Indian.

It got beyond weird after a cringe worthy comparison of Seattle's long basketball tradition to a place where popcorn and cucumber sandwiches are free and tasty, complete with half dressed men traipsing about. Immediately defensive after his court appearance, he boasted he hadn't felt any nerves fronting for Supersonic pride and history. "I've been representing the voice of Native Americans for 15 years, so this actually felt lighter." But a few weeks later in a cover story for The Stranger, Sherm gives us 61 things he learned during the trial.

#1 ironically was, "I've given thousands of speeches, readings, and interviews...but the trial testimony in Seattle vs. Sonics was by far the most terrifying and stressful public speaking gig I've ever had to endure."

#2 was NOT, "I realized that I am a fiction writer for young adults and completely not qualified to comment on the impact of this franchise to the beautiful cultural fabric of this city of which I am but a thread."

#3 was NOT, "Despite the presence of those skilled in the translation of Seattle Culture to the International Corporate, I did not seek them, because I am witty."

The funny guy’s full list is available here:

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=631015&hp

Here is the p-i post trial story on the literary giant:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008007994_sonitrialside20.html

There was a good article in the Seattle Times about the recent Sub Pop 20-Year Anniversary and how Mayor Nickels tried to get a little PR spotlight to act like he actually gave a shit about Seattle's music and nightlife which is the cornerstone to why anyone in their right mind would want to move to this city in the first place. Seattle's music scene and culture is what attracted me back in 1995 to move to Capitol Hill.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2008057827_nite18.html

Nickels is so influenced by Seattle builders and the commercial real estate community that he has developed a Seattle Nightclub task force and is implementing a Seattle nightclub license that business owners that have a venue of 99+ with live music will have to renew every year with some real funny stipulations on trash, fighting, noise, etc.

He has recently pushed through a new sound ordinance for music venues that I am sure will start getting enforced as soon as their can figure out how to measure ambient noise on the street that can already be louder then the allowed decibel levels from cars passing by and people talking. I wonder how this will effect events like Bumpershoot and outdoor festivals like the Capitol Hill Block Party which is now pretty close to some new condos in the Pike/Pine corridor.

http://www.seattle.gov/council/newsdetail.asp?ID=7052&Dept=28

In the last year, Seattle bar and club owners have organized themselves to have a voice with the newly proposed regulations and laws that the City Council are considering. The Seattle Nightlife and Music Association was formed and has membership and tons of information on this issue:

http://www.seattlenma.org

What would this city be without it's vibrant live DJ and music scene? I am sure drug usage would go through the roof way higher then it already is but in a bad way. I do agree that there should be some guidelines to shut down venues that aren't being responsible in their operations but the mayor is really gunning against our highly cherished nightlife just to appease these new condo dwellers that want to live in an entertainment corridor or downtown in the bar district.

Support your local pub, bar, live music venues and nightclubs. It is bad enough that Seattle lost the Crocodile Cafe this past year.

-Nostalgia B

Looks like the City of Seattle has decided to get rid of public automated toilets. This is due to their widespread use by heroin addicts and hookers.

Who could possibly have predicted that addicts would be the main users of those toilets, back when they decided to put them in Pioneer Square and on Broadway?

If you liked the toilets though, don't despair - the city is selling them on eBay with a starting bid of only $89,000 - throwing away a mere $910,000 of your tax dollars on each one.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/us/17toilets.html

I just heard today that the old Capitol 1524 sneaker boutique that moved out of 1524 E. Olive Way is turning into a Checkmasters check cashing / money advance B.S. business. It is always super frustrating how some residents on the Hill complain about businesses saying that they don't mix in with the neighborhood and I have heard some negative conversations for businesses on this particular block. This is some hard Karma for anyone that ever complained about this store attracting bad clientèle. I am sure they'll put up a nice 24-hour neon sign on both sides of the block (E. Olive and Denny).

Other upcoming businesses on this block that will add some much needed character and flavor are The Bus Stop (being relocated from the new 'mound' parking lot on Pine and The Buck (log-cabin cowboy themed) a few doors down from The Elite gay bar.

"A joining together of two flows; Combine or be combined into a whole; Blend gradually into something else"

If you haven't noticed, freeway traffic (usually) goes about 60 mph and if you're going that speed when merging, you will be less likely to fuck up the flow and perhaps be the target of perfectly constituted road rage. To avoid this, simply follow the step-by-step instructions below or stop fucking using the god damn freeway!! If you're too fucking scared to go 60 and merge at the same time, STOP DRIVING AND GO KILL YOURSELF SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOUR SHIT!

The Art of Entering Gaps:

Merging is designed to permit vehicles to enter and exit a highway without causing disruption in the flow of traffic. Highways are equipped with on-ramps and off-ramps, which generally connect to acceleration and deceleration lanes.

The idea behind this is when you pull onto the entrance ramp, you slowly begin building velocity. At the point where you can make eye contact with the highway, you need to immediately start assessing the gaps and the speed of existing traffic. From here, you should turn on your signal to reflect your intent to other drivers to merge onto the roadway.

Then use the acceleration lane to match the speed flow, and ease your vehicle into an appropriate gap before the acceleration lane ends. Some highways give you slabs of asphalt that are long enough for a jet to take off; others, especially on the East Coast, are so short you will need to make quick decisions or yield.

A successful merge entails you entering the highway almost at or at the speed limit, while causing no disturbance in the speeds of the vehicles behind you.

Thank you and good night.

-MUR

with all the damn construction going on in this city - and the influx of condo's everywhere - it is becoming a no parking zone city. you park anywhere and there's a stupid cop writing a ticket. i thought there was a shortage of cops - not so on the meter maids!! those bastards work 24/7 to make your life hell. Seattle is a 'fee' city and a no-fun-allowed city. if you enjoy doing it - grab your britches 'cuz some law maker is out there trying to pass a law against it, unless, of course, you want to pay a fee or a tax or grease the palm of some corrupt politician.
i've been back in this city for 3 years and have hated - HATED - every minute. i'm planning on going away again - AND GOOD BYE!

Went down to Alki last weekend to see the Seafair Pirates, had hoped to see the landing but too late, story of my life...

Then headed over to Lake Union to see the Center for Wooden Boats boat show. Love the old wooden sail boats in particular; craftsmanship like that is just gone from most of the modern world.

And then drove up Eastlake to find the remains of Daly's Drive-in behind chain link fence. Damned Condo developers strike again! First they ruin any remaining nightlife by bitching about the noise downtown, and now they've destroyed an icon from my childhood. Bastards!