As a musician, I play a lot of weddings and people often ask me about affordable event and…read moregathering spaces. The newly renovated Dakota Place Park Building in West Seattle is a great new venue run by the City of Seatte which can accommodate up to 200 people. It's former City Light substation, located within walking distance of California Junction, a popular neighborhood with lots of shops and restaurants. The building retains some of the old brick architecture, but has lots of modern amenities such as a full A/V system with video projector and built in sound system, a catering kitchen with icemaker, and comfortable tables and chairs. The best part of this venue is the adjoining outdoor patio, which would be great spillover for guests during the summer when weather is nice. Venue rental includes one staff member, who will stay throughout the event and help coordiante cleanup. Visit the city website for more information! http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Reservations/DakotaPlaceSpecialsFlier.pdf

We reserved the Dakota Place Park building for our Dad's 90th birthday party. It worked perfectly…read morefor our group of 100. They have a great setup with tables that roll into place and then lock. We only set up tables for 50 and left 1/3 of the room for people to stand and mill about looking at memorabilia. They have an AV system that we used to show a video of the birthday boy's life. The AV on the east wall didn't work, but the AV on the north wall did. They have screens for both. The venue is open every Saturday morning to go and look and plan for your event. We recommend using that time in the weeks leading up to the event. We rented the building from 1-6 and our event was 2-5. That left very little time to get all the tables and chairs set up, catering to arrive, set up the AV, etc. If you plan well, as we did, you can do it, but we had to develop a good plan on the Saturday morning strategy sessions. Also, be sure to test your video a few times on the Saturday mornings. That's how we found out, on the day of the event, that the HDMI doesn't work on the east wall. Some thoughts: bring your own hangers if guests will be arriving with coats, they only have about 10, but they do have a nice portable coat rack. We put signs on the steps off Dakota directing people to use the west entrance, which is handicapped accessible. It worked well to only use one door. Parking is problematic, as there are only about 3 spots, but no one complained. The Parks Department staff are very helpful, but they're not AV experts, and we didn't expect them to be. You have to figure out the video system mostly on your own. We chose not to use the wireless microphone (provided) because we were sure everyone could hear us. However, once we got 100 people in there absorbing sound and making noise, we wish we had. All in all, it was super. Hopefully they get the HDMI fixed on the east wall. We had to change our seating plan at the last minute once we found out it was not working (the video played, but kept pausing inexplicably). (Oh, and you have to call and bug them after 10 days to get your deposit back...they don't seem to have any sort of system in place to process the refund, but after a couple of calls we got ours back no problem). Great venue. Great staff. Plan Ahead!

Walked in for tasting as we happened to be in west Seattle. Melissa was great. A wonderful host and…read morevery knowledge about the wines. No food but great wines and good ambiance. We'll be back.

This was a comfy, friendly spot in the middle of the junction…read more We got (2) wine tastings and it was complete with a couple extra surprises. The place felt warm and welcoming and the staff exuded the same. Thank you!

Alki Masonic Hall is a nice venue to host smaller events (birthday parties). It is located in a…read morequiet neighborhood and offers a private parking lot. The parking lot is bigger than the venue itself. This helps make it stress-free for guests when it comes to finding parking. The bathrooms are small and outdated. You are not allowed to drink on the premises unless you have an alcohol license.

The Stables in partnership with Jawbreakerevents.com did great work on October 26th for Brayden and…read moreKenny. The venue was ready to go when we arrived to decorate. The staff throughout the night, supported us and were fun to work with. Our event planner CJ was remarkable and found a way to say yes to everything that we needed regardless of unexpected circumstances that popped up. Thank you for making this wedding magical and every thing the couple wanted. From this momma, I'm forever grateful.

The Stables is a great venue! I would recommend holding any occasional parties here. Great…read morecustomer service, great food and awesome host manager! There were very helpful in helping us with setting up our music, drink options as well as food catering. Everything was great. Thank you so much for letting us hold our Annual Employee Appreciation Social Event there!!! -Scholar Fund; a local Seattle non-profit

Beautiful view of marina and Elliott Bay, interesting history. Google map directions takes you you…read moreto base of stairs (locked gate) rather than driveway to the house (private locked gate)

A classic Seattle setting with a beautiful view, tucked into Magnolia Bluff. The historic Admiral's…read moreHouse overlooking Elliott Bay has recently been remodeled, and is quietly making itself available as an event space for weddings & parties. The house and grounds can probably accommodate up to 150 people. Parking at the house is limited, so it's best to plan on offering valet parking for your guest. There is ample parking at the bottom of the hill under the Magnolia bridge. Inside the house, you'll find several rooms, including a bar and fireside room, as well as a large dining room with a dance floor. Outside, a circular driveway around the house offers access to an amazing view looking north over the bay. You'll look past the marina where the cruise ships dock to downtown Seattle and Mt. Rainier beyond. Voted best new place to have a wedding in 2014 by Seattle Magazine!

My wife and I had the best experience renting both Jet City Labs and Revelry Room for our wedding…read morereception, and could not have wished for a better venue! Derek was an incredible help from start to finish, offering expert recommendations on setup, speaker systems, equipment, and food/drinks. With around 75 guests, everyone had plenty of room to relax and enjoy themselves comfortably. Having access to both spaces gave us exactly the environment we were hoping for: a bar area for people to chat and sip, a dance floor, plus extra space for snacking and mingling. Throughout the entire night, the staff went above and beyond, they were friendly, attentive, and truly made the evening seamless and joyful. We honestly couldn't have dreamed of a better venue to celebrate such a special event. Highly, highly recommend!

Updated since the business has moved- I've used this space to host a professional workshop, throw a…read morebaby shower, and had a special surprise Clinton Fearon show thrown for me and my closest. Derek is amazing to work with and makes the rental process simple and seamless. It's an extension of my own home now because I can host our community here and support an amazing business and culture curators. Bonus that the coolest bar in town with the best music is easily accessible.

Where do I even begin? This place was just an amazing, amazing, amazing find!! My daughter picked…read morethis place to have her wedding and we were blown away!! The care, experience, atmosphere and attention to every detail is beyond what I was expecting! We had a couple people come and say they are looking at evening their daughter's wedding here. The food, the bride and grooms rooms were so inviting and welcoming. The rehearsal was such a good experience too!! We used the photo van and the hot dog cart. People are still saying it was the best wedding they have been too!! Check this place out!!!

We can't say enough good things about Georgetown Ballroom! From start to finish, this venue…read moreexceeded every expectation. The space itself is full of character and charm, which meant we didn't have to add much decor. GTB already brings the perfect vibe. Between the ballroom, theater, and patio, we had so many beautiful backdrops for every part of our celebration. The catering was incredible - our guests couldn't stop raving about the food, especially the brisket (which the chef loving tended to into the early morning hours). We also loved that we got to do a tasting beforehand, and the team was wonderful about accommodating dietary restrictions. The bar was just as great! Our specialty cocktail and mocktail were both a big hit. Danielle, the venue manager, was amazing to work with throughout the entire process. Her communication and organization were top-notch, and she was so friendly, knowledgeable, and flexible. On the day itself, Danielle and the GTB team were calm, detailed-oriented, and took care of everything behind the scenes so we could enjoy our wedding without stress. The in-house florist created stunning arrangements, which made things that much easier for us. Everyone we interacted with was warm and welcoming. GTB is very LGBTQ-affirming, and worked seamlessly with our other vendors. We're still getting compliments from guests about how beautiful and effortless everything felt. Georgetown Ballroom truly gave us the wedding of our dreams.

Full circle: I was…read moregraciously invited to a networking meeting for entrepreneurs that was being held at YCAC and when I looked up the name on Google Earth, I got quite a surprise. Turns out, the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center building used to be the old elementary school I attended from 1965-69 called Frank B. Cooper School and located about eight blocks from where I was raised. The meeting was held in one of my old classrooms that had an old piano which if memory serves, I played for my 5th grade teacher. A few other memories I recalled were things like watching a solar eclipse, playing Silent Night in a Christmas show on an auto-harp, my first crushes and the mouthwatering smell of food wafting through the school from the kitchen located near the auditorium. I remember one of the classrooms had a coat closet and when you entered it, there was another door and beyond that, a stairway that led up to the attic where all the duct-work and storage was. A great place to get lost for a bit. Long story short, the last time I was in that building was in 1969 and it is fitting that in a building where the original function was to introduce values, knowledge and the basic skills to successfully interact with American society and culture, I would end up in a networking meeting for entrepreneurs. Talk about full circle! That being said, it was also really cool to combine 3-D visuals with my childhood memories of the place. +1 to the other distinguished Yelpers who reviewed this place and for myself, I left there believing that YCAC is a worthwhile organization for not only renting out my old classrooms, auditorium, or gymnasium, but more importantly, for the education, artistic support, and future of Seattle's teens and potentially, its future entrepreneurs and leaders. Check out their website and if you can, visit the facility when you are in the area because it can certainly use some positive support to keep it going.

I came here for a NIA class. First I missed the turn for the parking lot. Then I was struck by how…read moresmall it was. Not an auspicious beginning... things changed. It is one of those older schools which has been renovated into a community arts, culture and meeting center. In the front doorway are many flyers about interesting art and cultural events. The halls are alive with art and invitations to be involved. Our class used a very lovely high ceiling gym with a good floor for dance and wonderful mirrors.

The Duwamish longhouse is an event space you can rent. A fair sized parking lot is behind the…read morebuilding. Located on a busy road, it's easy to drive past without noticing, but inside is the history of Puget Sound and the indiginous people who live here. There is no fee to enter. At first I thought it was a gift shop, but several displays with artifacts and photos are to your right. There is a lot of information regarding the original topography, before civil engineers rerouted rivers and installed dams. It also documents how this activity contributed to the demise of some Duwamish people who relied on these waterways for food.. Artifacts include hunting and fishing gear, hand made baskets, herbs used medicinally and fibers used to make cloth are on display with information on how they are used. Very interesting. A lesson on living off the land. Inside the longhouse are photographs and a canoe you can checkout. This longhouse is built as the communal longhouses of the past were with an elevated platform around the edges that would have been used for sitting and sleeping. It's a beautiful space. After we read all the info (there's a lot of info) and looked at all the artifacts we browsed the gift shop and made a few purchases. They have a variety of artisan made products including beautiful blankets, jewelry, note cards and wall art among other things. We chatted with the staff member as we made our purchases. She answered a few questions we had and we chatted about family. She was very pleasant. This is a good stop for learning local history and purchasing local art.

If you live in south Seattle then you know well about the proximity of the Duwamish tribal lands…read more(right under your feet) and that the longhouse, where many events are held, is nearby. We had never gone until this past weekend, though, when they held a craft fair. The longhouse is located very near the industrial port area, on the opposite side of Marginal Way, and is very nicely built (wood) yet small. There are two rooms, that we know. The first houses a museum of sorts. In the second was where they put the crafts and behind that is a small kitchen where they were selling a few items, including the hottest item (basically everyone came for this), the frybread. We felt honored to be hosted by the Duwamish. We picked up a beautiful beaded hummingbird. The reason I do not give five stars is because the space was so small, which made browsing the crafts very difficult. Normally I would have liked to learn so much more about each vendor and their items yet here you were lucky if you could even squish close enough to see or buy anything. A couple of vendor spots were less populated, I think because what they had on offer was less of an "easy" sell - gorgeous ledger art and handmade drums. Recommend a visit.