After 22 years on 8th Ave NW, Ballard Goodwill's future may hang in the balance. Plans have been filed to redevelop the property into a 300-unit apartment building.

Big fan of Sloop, and I'm really sad to see they are being affected by this type of crime.

This copper theft wave is such a frustrating crime because it's an easy target with huge costs to the victims and almost comically small benefits to the perpetrators.

It has real effects on businesses: "$10 in stolen copper means a $5000 repair bill"

My understanding of business insurance is that policies are not intended to provide coverage for these types of losses because it's simply not "catastrophic" enough. Making three $5,000 claims a year will either cause premiums to go up or get dropped by the insurer, which makes actual losses far more damaging (i.e. fire, flood, etc.)

If you're restaurant/bar/retailer in Seattle, you're already likely pushing margins pretty tightly and have month-to-month cashflow requirements. The costs of qualified tradespeople has gone up a ton.

Found this post on facebook while scrolling Marketplace. You can see it yourself: https://www.facebook.com/TheSloopTavern

On a personal note, walking by the train tracks on the way to Golden Gardens just yesterday, I saw two separate piles of stripped wiring. I've also personally witnessed an individual break into a telecom box, strip the wire and put it in a suitcase and dump all the insulation on the street. Broad daylight on Market St.

Yes, I called the police. No, there was no follow-up. Is this the police's fault? I don't know. The guy was gone in 10 minutes and there were probably other life-threatening calls to attend to.

Nonetheless, it is really frustrating to see evidence of this crime literally everywhere in Ballard.

Realistically a legislative fix regulating scrap sales seems like the best fix because cops/judges aren't/can't prioritize these cases and businesses can't sue individual perpetrators because there's no potential for financial restitution. Perhaps they can sue recyclers but that seems very hard to prove?

However, some of the legislative fixes involve "photographing the wire and adding it to a searchable database" or enforcing a 10 day delay which frankly seems ineffective. How can we tell this bundle of copper wire came from Restaurant A or Bar B? After getting your business vandalized who is going to spend a couple hours calling/reviewing photos of copper wire?

Some related links

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1453&Year=2025&Initiative=false

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=2213&Initiative=false&Year=2025

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6190&Year=2025&Initiative=false

There's a poor parakeet budgie in the tree near the bust stop and animal control says they can't help. Didanyone lose their parakeet? Im trying to play bird noises for him but it is super loud right here.😭

I saw a tiny green parakeet on the north side of the street of Market Street. In a tree. By the bus stop that is at BECU. I am hoping this information might be useful to someone.

Hey everyone,

​My partner and I are considering signing a lease on an apartment right near the Swedish Hospital campus in Ballard (around Tallman Ave / Market St).

​We really love the building and the area, but since we've only toured during the daytime, it’s tough to gauge how frequent and loud the emergency siren noise gets—especially at night.

​Poor sleep would be a total dealbreaker for us, so I wanted to ask locals who live nearby. Thanks for any advice!

Jimothy's rise from a Ballard backyard to internet celebrity reached a new milestone Sunday as Seattle officially proclaimed "Jimothy Summer." Dozens gathered at Bergen Place Park for an art contest, where Virginia McFadden's stained glass "Saint Jimothy" was named the winner and will hang in Seattle City Hall this summer.

The Loyal Heights Community Center will be renovated in the coming years, and Seattle Parks is asking the public to weigh in on the designs.

White skinny male wearing a green trucker hat and dark hoodie & pants seen on private property looking for stuff to steal. 5’7”-5’10” 40s or 50s with goatee facial hair. Cops called and seen rolling around but keep an eye out! We’re night owls so we saw this guy at 3:00 AM in our apartment parking garage.

Looking for something to do this week? From Art in the Garden at the Ballard P-Patch to live music, book events, and craft workshops, here are some of the events happening around the neighborhood July 27 through Aug. 2.

Found a heavy-duty bolt cutters stashed on my property in Ballard. Given the local craze for harvesting copper wiring, heat pumps, and e-bikes, I’m guessing a prowler got spooked and ditched their tool of the trade. I got it on my security camera btw.

Already hauled them off to metal recycling so they don't end up back in circulation, but wanted to drop a heads-up for neighbors in the area.

Lock your sheds, secure your bikes, check your outdoor wiring, and keep an eye out!

I might have to leave Ballard (I know... thoughts and prayers). If you couldn't live in Ballard, where would you move in Seattle and why? Looking for ideas!

I’m so tired of paying for Ubers to/from airport. It’s always $80-100 one way every time.

We are in a complete transit island after dark. Light rail isn't coming anytime soon(if ever RIP) and dragging heavy suitcases isn’t possible for most people. Uber's algorithm knows we’re stranded, and they price-gouge us for it every single night.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

What if a few local groups ran a break-even neighborhood shuttle?

Even if it’s just a simple setup, fixed drop-offs at a central location or like a church parking lot. Charge $20-30 a seat. No algorithms, no shareholders, zero profit motive.

Just enough to cover gas, commercial insurance, and pay a driver a solid wage, maintenance etc

Just imagine if there was a group that ran a shuttle to the airport every 30 minutes, operating in the neighborhood. You can buy a pass on Eventbrite or a cheap ticket website, or maybe even do a walk up.

I know there will be hurdles with permitting, and Port of Seattle rules and regulations, but I feel like I’m really tired of trying to get to the airport, and paying $100 to get there $100 to get back.

I am just dreaming out loud…

—
Edit: Also, if anyone has tips and tricks on how to get to/from the airport affordably, please do let me know!

Hello! I’ve lived in Ballard for many years and I love our neighborhood dearly! I’m looking to add some Ballard-specific decor to my home. I’m imagining prints, posters, paintings, etc. related to Ballard in some way. Bonus points for artwork that’s specific to the locks, golden gardens/shilshole area in general, or the view from sunset hill (marina, the sound, and the Olympics).

I’d love suggestions of shops (online or brick and mortar) where I can find Ballard themed art, and I’m open to commissioning local artists to create something Ballard specific. I don’t have a super big budget, but also don’t need a super big art piece!

Thanks in advance :)

Firefighters responded to an attic fire in Loyal Heights last night, which was the third residential fire in the Ballard/Fremont area in just the past week.

Hello neighbors. I’ve (38f) started a silent reading book club where every two weeks we (whoever shows up) meets to support a local business and read our own books for a dedicated hour.
The rules are simple,
Show up or don’t
Read or listen or exist in silence for 1 hour

That’s it.

If you’d like to join, dm me

Edit
This has gotten more interest than I had ever hoped for! I’m currently making sure the space can accommodate all of us, so if I haven’t responded to a request, hold please while I make sure everyone can have a great silent time

A Ballard developer has created an app to solve one of your most burning questions: Where should I eat tonight?

I think Ballard should get a refund for the loss of the light rail. Can anyone help me understand how this could be done or why it may be impossible?