Hey, did we mention that this year’s Go Play NW will be held in the Richard Hugo House? Why yes, I believe we did, and we posted photos of it to boot. But where is this fantastic venue? Why, right in the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Some of you may recognize the neighborhood from our first Go Play NW in 2007, as that year’s venue, Seattle University, is just a few blocks south. And of course some of you are from Seattle and know all about it. But for the rest of you, let me give you some idea.
First, right across the street from Hugo House is Cal Anderson Park, and if the weather’s nice, you should consider getting your lunch to go and eating in the park. It’s got a cool fountain and reflecting pool, some large chessboards along the pool, and plenty of places to just relax and enjoy the surroundings.
Hugo House is just a couple blocks away from the intersection of Capitol Hill’s two main commercial districts, the Pike-Pine Corridor running east and west, and Broadway running north and south. Both feature a mix of cool bars, restaurants, cafes, and funky shops. Just within a few blocks of Hugo House, there’s the Elysian Brewing Company (where we had our impromptu Friday night gathering for the first Go Play NW), Molly Moon’s Ice Cream, Boom Noodle, Via Tribunali pizzeria, Caffe Vita, Espresso Vivace, Annapurna Cafe Indian cuisine… and lots lots lots more.
Capitol Hill’s a cultural center as well as a commercial one. It’s generally viewed as the heart of Seattle’s LGBT community, and several bars in the area cater to that crowd. The pulse of Seattle’s music can be felt here too, at clubs such as Neumos, the Comet Tavern, and Chop Suey. Just around the corner from Hugo House is the Northwest Film Forum, and a couple blocks down E Pine Street, the Landmark Egyptian Theatre has midnight movies every Friday and Saturday night. There’s the Repertory Actors Theatre, there’s the art-and-alcohol combo of Grey Gallery & Lounge, there’s old-school dancing at the Century Ballroom and modern electronic music and DJ culture at the Electric Tea Garden… again, more stuff than I can reasonably list out here.
I really enjoyed being at the Freehold Theatre last year, I felt it was fun having our gathering right in Belltown, surrounded by some of Seattle’s nightlife. But I’m really excited to be back on Capitol Hill this year, with its own nighttime craziness like Belltown (though Hugo House is safely insulated from that noise) but a coziness too that Belltown just can’t match. Capitol Hill’s probably my favorite neighborhood in Seattle, and I hope you’ll love it too.