I had so much fun checking out a play here at ArtsWest and it reminded me how much we need the…read morearts! I wanted to specifically see the Matt and Ben show and saw on a poster that it was being performed at ArtsWest, a venue I had never been to before. But what a treasure this was! Located in the Junction neighborhood in West Seattle, it's on the main drag where many of the businesses are, so street parking is your jam here. We came to see a show here on a Sunday afternoon and were told that when we came 15 minutes early, we could hang out or just show up right when the show is to start. It's nice to know that you don't have to be here early like at most places. It's not a huge space for performing arts, as it's on the smaller size. But that really just adds to its charm. I imagine that many people who visit here are frequent flyers, making this place much more of a gem. They do have a refreshments area right when you enter the building, where they serve alcohol, snacks and coffee and tea. The play was a lot of fun, lots of laughs from the crowd and even the actors, and since it's an intimate space, even if you sit furthest away from the stage, you'll easily be able to see the performance. I'd recommend getting tickets ahead of time for a show. When we came, every seat was taken. For the play we saw on a Sunday afternoon, in the front row in the center section, it was about $45, which you can purchase online. I'd be interested to see what future shows they have here as I'm so glad to have discovered this treasured community space.

What a lovely gem set in West Seattle. Parking was easy…read more Really enjoyed Sunset Baby! The cast was excellent and engaged the audience from the first moment they walked on the stage. I was happy that the theater was willing to approach a bold topic and the audience appeared to enjoy it thoroughly. Every seat in the theater has a great vantage point and tickets prices are very reasonable.

OK, so I decided to surprise my partner with salsa lessons before our commitment ceremony. She…read morewanted to do a first dance and I always wanted to learn how to lead, so... Thankfully, Balorico came up when I searched for lessons in the West Seattle area. Vanessa (the instructor) really put me at ease from the start (I can be shy and a little neurotic). She is incredibly good at breaking down the steps/movements in ways that are appropriate to your style of learning. She is very good at knowing when one should be challenged further and when to pull back. She pays very close attention to detail and hey, she even laughs at my lame jokes-my partner and I are full of those. How she gets thru a lesson with the two of us I will never know, but we always have a great time and somehow she managed to make us look pretty damn good. It's really cool to see how much pride she takes in what we learn. There is genuine excitement when she sees that we are putting things together. I really can't say enough. We got a lot of compliments on our dance and that was really cool, but even cooler still is the fact that I can't wait to learn more.

I bought Salsa lessons with Balorico for my wife as a birthday present. We had recently taken a…read morethree week trip to Cuba and fallen in love with Salsa music and dancing and were eager to learn how to dance Salsa ourselves. After doing some research about classes offered in the South Seattle area I landed on Balorico and booked a beginners package with Vanessa Villalobos. At first I really liked Vanessa and was optimistic about what we would learn under her guidance, but would unfortunately find her teaching style frustrating and ultimately discouraging. Vanessa uses a rapid-fire method, introducing a new dance step, running it a few times, and then quickly moving on. I have some experience with dance lessons and am used to strongly incorporating a move into our muscle memory before moving on, which was an opportunity I rarely got with Vanessa. What was increasingly aggravating were her regular proclamations that we were "getting it!" or excited announcements like, "You got it!"... as I looked around at my fellow students that seldom seemed like the case. It was my impression that the majority of my fellow students were equally lost. Overall, I felt very rushed through this course and was so unhappy with it that we didn't even bother to go to the final class. In addition to not feeling like we were being effectively taught Salsa, Vanessa was regularly promoting other classes and events as constantly up-sales. Considering my frustrations with the class this was particularly irksome. I feel the focus should have been on delivering what we had already paid for. Vanessa clearly knows how to dance Salsa and while it was fun to watch her execute moves I don't feel she was very good at passing that knowledge on to beginners. Perhaps her methods are better suited for more advanced students, but I wouldn't recommend her for those starting out.

Great warm and laid back atmosphere. I came in for their vegan tacos and fell in love!…read more I will be back the next time I'm in the area

check your bill!!! Rated 1 because the last 3 times I have…read morehad to double check the bill and the discounts for happy hour were not included and the TOTAL Bill on the reader included and 20% in very small print and ALSO allowed additional tipping. Same stupid excuses given each time about why the discounts were not applied and then stated the bill shows the 20% included before you get to TIP again. CHECK THE BILL... 3 times and same thing. NEVER GOING BACK!

My daughter started playing guitar here and has learned so much while having fun at the same time…read more Having teachers that are passionate about their craft is so helpful with teaching kids. Everyone is super friendly, loves engaging kids in playing their instruments and working together. These are not just music teachers, they are artists, musicians, people who want to share their love of music with others.

This place rocks! (Too dad joke-ish?)…read more I have been an adult student for about 9 months here and I have learned a lot. The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgable but more importantly they have patience and positivity. I look forward to continuing lessons here and will definitely recommend this place to friends in the area. Rock on!

This is my first time to the Georgetown Carnival (The event is free) I honestly I don't know if I…read morehave heard of it before or not since there always seems to be going on in Seattle each weekend. Especially with the warmer weather coming around. There is so many different kinds of things to see here! There is a section where there are all kinds of food trucks where you can get pretty much anything you want. If you desire something a bit more relaxing then you can also go in all of the eating establishments in the neighborhood that are open and ready to receive guests who want to sit and relax. After making it past the food trucks there are just all kinds of vendors selling pretty much anything you can think of as well. From crafts to shirts to jewelry and so much more! There are performers dressed up as clowns, fairies, drag queens and various other kinds of personas that people are totally prepared to be in character for. Throughout the day there are free concerts that take place too! There are events that happen all day but the events I saw was the power tool races where contestants assemble old power tools like saws and sanders into vehicles in which they drag race each other. While it appears that every racer is confident that their vehicle is dependable and fast when it comes down to it sometimes it just doesn't work out at all. Which is part of the quirky charm with this event. The races have very odd and hilarious homemade metal trophies to whoever is the best racer at the end as well as who qualifies in various categories. So much fun! There was also a clown side show where magic tricks were being performed as well as a fun house of sorts where many carnival antiques are housed along with clown masks, face painting and various other activities. Fun! I will definitely keep my eyes and ears open for when the carnival rolls around again next year because I would love to see more of those power tool races again!

Went last year and this year was not as much fun as last year. There were more interesting vendors…read moreand activities last year. This year was quieter and seemed smaller.

If you are looking for a school that equips children for the tools they need in an increasingly…read moreunstable world, this is it! And they do it , while providing a fun, caring and strong community for all. Westside school moved into a permanent home a few years ago and hired a new head of school a few years before the pandemic. These changes have supported the school into a solid place for a child to learn and be amongst others. The balance between academics and Social emotional skills is good and the school has a wealth of talented and dedicated teachers and staff who care about education, the world and making positive change. There is nothing better than seeing my child run to school every morning. We have been there 4 years and I was hesitant to go to an independent school at first. I didn't grow up rich and was concerned. This is truly a great community of people who want to make a difference in the world and value children being seen for who they are.

I feel grateful that my children have the opportunity to be part of the Westside community. Great…read moreteachers, great learning and the other parents are cool too. I'm truly impressed.

A Hidden Gem in White Center. Wolfpack Cellars is hands down one of the best neighborhood wine…read morespots around. If you're anywhere near West Seattle, Burien, or White Center, it's worth going out of your way to visit. First off, the vibe is perfect. It somehow manages to feel cozy and intimate while also being a little sexy and elevated, the kind of place you can stop by casually with your dog after a walk or stay for hours catching up with friends over great wine. One of the things that really makes Wolfpack special is the hospitality. One of the owners, James, is always there and always incredibly welcoming and friendly. You can tell how much care goes into the place and it creates such a warm, neighborhood feel. The wine is fantastic across the board. The sparkling rosé is a must-order, it's seriously amazing. We also love their whites and the Syrahs, but honestly you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. They also have great non-alcoholic options and frosé, which makes it easy for everyone to enjoy. Another thing I love is how connected they are to the community. You can join the Wolfpack Wine Club for exclusive events, but they also host tons of fun events open to the neighborhood, things like puppy socials, Feather & Pages nights, wine & ice events, and more. It always feels lively without being crowded. It's also dog-friendly and kid-friendly, which is rare for a wine spot and makes it feel like a true community gathering place. Great wine, amazing people, and a vibe that makes you want to stay awhile. Wolfpack Cellars is one of White Center's absolute gems.

One of the best assets of my neighborhood. Truly excellent wine and even better hospitality…read more Their wines are world class and a great representation of the incredible plot a across Eastern Washington combined with craftsmanship. Stop in and have a convo with James, the winemaker, and he will answer any questions you may have about their process. Wolfpack is a winemaker to watch. (Also, you can bring dogs and even kids to the winery, so there is no reason not to stop by and give it a try.)