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.

Stopped for lunch on a Sunday. First impression: the most fabulous bartender in Seattle. She made…read moremy very specific drink perfectly. The wings was fantastic. Music was fantastic. A new Sunday Fave.

I love Tim's and have been a long time Tim's patron. Now that they have moved to White Center I…read moredon't go there as much but still try to get there every chance I get since they have such a great menu -- and I love that they have a meat menu and a vegan menu with all comparable items. This last time though was a bit of a disappointment. The drinks were super watered down to the point of wondering if there was even alcohol in them. My friend and I both ordered food -- I ordered the vegan corned beet reuben and my friend ordered the classic original smashstack burger. It was really busy with a band playing inside but it took forever to bring the food out, and when it did come out my friend's smashstack burger was as cold as ice -- basically a hockey puck. I think my sammy took much longer or something -- who knows but it was disappointing -- even the fries were cold. Anyway, I know I will be back because I love Tim's but next time will order shots or something in a can -- and I might not order food if it is really busy.

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!

My friends and I attended Brooklyn's comedy show last week. It was so funny that we couldn't get…read moreenough of it. Brooklyn was very unpredictable, spontaneous and witty during her performance. She was able to engage the crowd and made everyone laugh by making improv jokes. Brooklyn's energy on the stage is infectious - you won't want the show to stop!!

From the owner: Brooklyn Comedy Live is interactive improv stand up comedian. Every show is new different and one…read moreof a kind. It's largely based on audience suggestions and interaction. Perfect entertainment for weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, and more.

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.

The Georgetown Carnival is one of those festivals I hear a lot about it. It is supposed to be…read moreeclectic and unusual, reflecting the neighborhood. Alas, perhaps time has changed things. In the 2026 carnival, the food booths and vendor booths are same as every other festival (I go to many). The 'carnival' has crafty, homemade type of games and designed for children, limited to 5 feet and under. There are two bands on separate stages. The coolest aspects are in the neighborhood itself as I admire murals on the walls. We wandered in somewhere that had free viewing of movies that were made by handheld-cameras; that was unusual though not necessarily enjoyable. The best part was finding bathrooms to use. I doubt I will prioritize revisiting in future years.

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.

Steve and I came across Wolfpack Cellars for the first time on our second time to Whitecenter…read morePride. We didn't know of it's existence prior and they were all ready and welcoming for the Pride attendees. I don't recall exactly what white wine I picked as far as the name but what I had was very refreshing, lightly fruited like a good white wine is. We had just a small pour and not a full fledged glass (or at least that's how it looked in the plastic cup) but it was so, so good! The folks running the outside counter where orders were placed in the designated drining area for the winery were very pleasant and nice. I'd love to come back, maybe when an event isn't happening and just relax where it's a bit more quiet but the wine was excellent! It also makes the experience more joyful and positive when businesses welcome everyone!

The wine at Wolfpack is so good! I loved everything I tried! My friend and I came during the…read more"Taste of White Center" The wine bar is so cute and has a variety of sitting areas. One of the owners was there and he was very friendly. I love that this tasting room is now part of the White Center community. I was staying in WC on a recent visit and I only wished this place had better hours because I didn't get a chance to go there again during this trip! The hours are pretty typical for a tasting room, so I understood but I look forward to returning when I am back in Seattle! The wine was fantastic and I bought two bottles, which I promptly consumed during the rest of my trip! I will definitely be returning!!

I'm so glad I found Sew Katie Did. I signed up for my first sewing class with zero sewing…read moreexperience, and Katie made everything approachable and fun. She's patient, fun to talk to, and a wonderful teacher. I've now taken several classes and even started sewing on my own at home thanks to what I learned. Excited to sign up for another workshop! Below are photos of my first projects. I love how they turned out!

I'm a 73-year-old recent widow who was looking for a new activity. I hadn't sewn in over 50 years…read moreand didn't even own a sewing machine, but I decided to sign up for a class with Katie. What a great decision. Katie is a wonderful teacher, sewing machines were provided and I quickly fell in love with quilting. The class was welcoming, encouraging and I enjoyed learning a new skill. I'm now working on my second quilt, with the goal of donating to hospitals. This experience has given me a relaxing activity and a new chapter in my life. I am so grateful that I took that first step, and I highly recommend this class to anyone-especially those who think it's too late to try something new.