Review of the Kiddo Play Area: So this pandemic thing is really taking a toll on things, and well,…read morewe have been to basically every open air playground around the Greenwood/Broadview/Carkeek area... except we realized that we haven't been to the one behind the PNA. So on a cold, non-rainy day, we took the kiddo there to see if it was any good. Keep in mind that it's reserved for the preschool during the week/business hours, but on the weekend, it was a nice change of scenery. They had a few play structures, on a mulch and rubberized area. Sure, parental guidance is required, and you really should have a "toddler" kiddo here... but for the kiddo, she enjoyed the slides, the "kitchen" and the tires. She being the expert of walking on narrow surfaces, I think enjoyed the areas like a balance beam master in training. If you have been everywhere, and you want a playground that is a nice scenery change, here's one more to add to the list. Also, nearby is Red Mill Burger, so there's that you could be eating, while your kiddo is playing to their heart's delight.

Always the center of the community, offering celebrations, concerts, garage sales, a Farmer's…read moreMarket in the summer months, book clubs, a tool library and so much more. The event on this visit included a celebration of Holi! Fun, music and so much more. Check out their website our the Phinney Review newspaper for more upcoming activities and events.

I recently attended a birthday party here and it was like being at home but better!…read more Really fantastic venue for a party! This spot is hidden on the corner of 5th Ave N. and Aloha! It's a wharehouse loft feel with a homey twist. If you are looking for a venue for lots of options this one should be high on you list. They have a dance floor, fireplace with little vinnettes all througout along with couches and chairs and a full kitchen.

The Uptown is super cute. The owner, Lisa, is really easy to work with. Everything is great about…read morethe place, and there was only one real thing that I didn't love. The speakers are terrible. We had a 100 person wedding there, and Lisa had told us that plugging in our ipod to their system would be sufficient. She turned it on and turned it loud and it seemed perfect, however it was a totally different story with all those people in there. I wish she would have disclosed that their system is really old, because renting speakers would have been an easy and cheap solution. As it was, the speakers kept shorting throughout the entire wedding- about 15-20 times throughout the night. Kind of a bummer. One other thing: Uptown allows you to bring your own booze, but you MUST GET A LIQUOR LICENSE FIRST. It's on the contract, it's clear, but I missed it and that almost sucked. Luckily, it's easy to get, but if the event was starting when the liquor stores were closed, we would have been screwed.

I had planned a work trip up to Seattle and I usually try to find a school nearby to counter all…read morethe sodium heavy company meals and drinks that I expect on work trips. Midnight Jiu-Jitsu was nowhere near the offices I needed to visit nor my hotel. Honestly, what intrigued me was the non-profit model that Midnight had and they allow you a free week's trial, again a week is usually very generous by most school standards and usually for absolute newbs; it's sometimes a nice surprise not to pay for a drop-in or mat fee but you shouldn't expect it, it's a business, respect that. The evening of class, I tried to get there early, evening fighting through rush hour traffic. What I didn't count on was how f'ing difficult it was to find parking. I grabbed my gear bag and ran into class about 15 minutes late. I knew from their website that they gave permission to come late or leave early. As background, depending on the school coming late is anywhere from a minor faux pas to an egregious trespass. Despite knowing this, I was expecting to just sit out and just watch or knock out burpees or push ups. Instead, someone came over when there was a break in the class. I got briefed on what to do and was allowed to change in the back and join the class. Tom and Aaron were there but they just said to call them by their names, again depending on the school titles are a big thing. The class was fun, the rolls were challenging and I learned a couple things. Moreover, I stuck around until closing and got to just sit and chat with Aaron and apologize for my lateness which was totally brushed off as not a big deal. If I'm ever visiting again, I'm going to head back up there-it was enjoyable physically, mentally and socially.

This is the place to train in Seattle! Great people with lots of knowledge and a welcoming…read moreenvironment. Perfect place to learn and develop yourself!

My place to work when I come into the city, hold events, and meet some of the most innovative…read morefounders in Seattle!

Highly recommended! Many rooms to choose from. Discounted parking available. Very accommodating.read more

What a cool space! We were invited to a party in one of the rooms on a day that the actual center…read morewas closed. The room was large and spacious, allowing for the band, food and dance floor to be well accommodated. Directly outside its doors, the playground could be found for those children feeling anxious and in need of MORE space in which to run and explore. The room was clean and easy to navigate. The bathrooms were also clean on this weekend day.

Given that this is a community center with lots of free or very low cost activities & funded by tax…read moredollars, I think it's great. Lets all manage our expectations a little, shall we?! As someone who has come here & used probably every room of the center, as well as every inch of the playground & play fields, I think they are doing a pretty good job. Could things be a little cleaner? Sure. Could service be a little faster? Maybe. Are there things in disrepair sometimes, yes. However none of those things has ever significantly impacted my ability to enjoy the activities overall. Frisbee, soccer, birthday parties, kids classes, dance classes, summer water fountain, playground, tot play gym, tot play room, exercise classes....you name it, they've got it.

I have to say that I was pretty scared to join the YMCA due to all of the reviews, but I have found…read moreit to be a great gym! Just to give you a heads up, I go to the gym from the 9am-12pm time range on the weekdays so I'm not there during the peak time. Pros: 1. The childcare! They are phenomenal! I use the infant care and the 3-5 year old child care. The children are always having a great time. The teachers plan fun activities for the day, like a preschool would with crafts. If an infant is upset, they are hugging and consoling the infant. I have NEVER seen a baby crying by himself. I have never picked up my son with a dirty diaper! My shy boy LOVES coming here! My wild daughter, loves the slide area and the crafts. 2. New equipment: I love the new renovation. It's bright and airy. I can always get on a machine. Almost all machines have a TV. The only complaint is that there has been some tech trouble lately. 3. Warm Greeting from Staff: Major props to Eugene! He always smiles and remembers all of our names during check in! I always get a locker in a good area too. 4. Free Infant Swim Classes! 5. Discount on camps for kids. If you're a member, you get discounts on all camps and programs for your kids. 6. Price: For our family of 5, we pay about $110. That's 2 hours of morning care and 2 hours of afternoon care for all of our kids. If you're not going to go regularly, it's probably too expensive, but for a large family, it's a good price. Also, take advantage of the enrollment fee waiver in January, March, June, and October. If you're low income, they have discounted rates as well. 7. Free 7 Day Pass: This is not a consecutive day pass. This is any 7 days within a 3 month period. This also includes childcare!!! Also, no one pressures you to join. There are also no hidden fees. Cons: 1. Lack of parking and extremely small parking spaces. I don't even bother with the parking lot since my Acura SUV barely fits, and I can't get they baby out of the car seat with my door open. Street parking is a strict 2 hours and they often ticket you if you're longer. 2. Stretch Room: Way too small! Cycle studio people are always brushing by you on their way to class. I've asked for the small workout rooms to be open, but they keep saying no. 3. Group Class Music: I'd love some group classes that are geared towards a younger crowd with some hip music. Seriously, this would make the gym perfect! All of the instructors are really nice, but I kind of feel like I'm part of an 80's workout video. Also, some classes geared towards new moms would be fantastic! There are a lot of us there!

I came in to sign up for a family membership about two months ago. You would think the front desk…read morewould be nicer to people who actually want to become members. We had to wait a couple of hours for a tour and they kept pushing us to the side to check in people. I understand checking in members is important but it's not difficult to scan an ID or ask us to step aside for a second. We finally were able to view the gym and it's beautiful, well-maintained, and clean. There seems to be a lot of classes open and the swimming pool is great. We're still thinking about being members. As a large family, it's quite the financial commitment and the front desk is the first interaction with a place. It wasn't a great impression.

This is the only Jewish organization I've ever been affiliated with and it is the first one to…read morefully embrace my Jewishness and me as a Jew. That was about fourteen years ago. My family joined to help my daughter form her own sense of Jewish identity which she started asking about when she was eight. She now has a sense of Jewish identity that would never have been so well formed had we not engaged with this community. And I have a much deeper understanding of my own relationship with Judaism. I'm Jewish because my father was Jewish and I choose to be a Jew, my mother never converted; they were both firm atheists. The Overbrook delicatessen was my temple, ritual language: Yiddish, ritual foods: lox and other smoked fish, ritual giving: Israel Fund - can on the counter next to the register. Humor was the practice. I've been teaching in the Shalom Sunday school for seven or eight years now and I love the inclusivity and diversity even within our own tribe. This is the place to be Jewish if you love the history, culture and holidays but don't like the irrational parts.

I grew up in an assimilated household, but once I had a child realized that I needed him to have a…read moreJewish experience. I'm not religious, but do hold high values and ethics. I wanted to teach my son the Jewish traditions and beliefs of my people in a non-religious way. Secular Jewish Circle was a perfect fit for us. My son has now received a secular humanist Bar Mitzvah, and is well on his way to becoming a leader in the community. I can't say enough about the Shalom Sunday and B'nai Mitzvah program SJC offers. And I've found a community of like-minded secular Jews who feel like family to me.

Rowing is such a PNW thing to do. And since I've lived here for about 5 years now (and don't seem…read moreto be leaving anytime soon) I felt it was time for me to try this sport out for myself. I'd been eyeing LUC for a couple of years, and had almost signed up for a group rowing class. Unfortunately, the pandemic squashed those plans. Their group lessons were all on hold, but when I saw this spring that they were offering private lessons, I decided to sign up me and my son. I was in contact with Patti, who shared that they were still working on the logistics of offering lessons, and trying to juggle reopening their rowing programs with staffing challenges, but I gave her some options that worked for us and she began lining things up. In the meantime, LUC began offering some summer camps on a limited enrollment basis. My son had never rowed before, but he was excited to get to do normal summer camps again, so I wound up enrolling him in a week-long camp. Unfortunately - shortly after registering him, he broke his clavicle, which took him out of all sports for several weeks. LUC was so accommodating - they gave me a credit for the camp that I could apply towards something else. My parents were coming into town, and since my son couldn't do the private lesson with me anymore, I thought rowing would be a nice father/daughter activity. He's in his 80s, but he's very active and in good shape. I relayed this to LUC, and they were very encouraging, so I signed us up. Our instructor was Gil, and he was awesome! Neither of us knew what to expect, and our previous rowing experiences consisted of kayaks and rowboats. The rowing shells are completely different - the rowing techniques are different than a kayak or canoe, and the shells are really reactive, so my dad and I struggled with balance and timing. Gil was so patient with us. He gave clear guidance and provided the right amount of feedback at the right time. At one point, I wasn't sure that my dad would be able to continue (he's in good shape, but at 82 he has some back problems) - Gil was always encouraging, but didn't try to push beyond my dad's limitations. My dad is also hearing impaired, but he couldn't use his hearing aids during the lessons (in case we tipped over in the water) but Gil was able to communicate clearly, checking in regularly, and making sure my dad was following along. During our final lesson, my dad and I finally found our stride (sort of!) and we were able sync up our rowing and feel more comfortable out on the water. Again, Gil was so enthusiastic - I think he was more excited to see us out there than we were! In the end, my dad said he was glad we stuck it out, and asserted that were it not for Gil's teaching style, his ability to adapt the lessons to our needs, and his optimism, he probably would have given up. If you've never rowed before, and you're nervous, but you're thinking about taking some private lessons anyways, I highly recommend Gil. I guarantee that no matter what your fitness or comfort level is, he will make sure your lessons are successful! As for summer camps - my son (who is 12) was cleared for sports later in the summer. I was able to find a spot for him a "big boat" summer camp, and he had a blast. LUC isn't exactly close to our house and attending required that he wake up early for an entire week, but he was excited to go every day, and also shared that his instructors were all patient, enthusiastic, and fun to work with. I'm already looking forward to future group lessons with LUC!

The attitude of these people is unprofessional and rude. They either don't know the rules of the…read moreroad or simply don't care. To be yelled and cussed at is about as unprofessional and immature as it gets. It amazes me people would pay to belong to this organization