Best Neighborhoods: 34th Avenue, Madrona
Betwen East Spring and East Pike Street lies a hidden jewel that has a habit of appearing and disapp
By Seattle Mag February 8, 2011
This article originally appeared in the March 2011 issue of Seattle magazine.
PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE: Well-groomed urban sophisticates
The Brigadoon of Seattle neighborhoods, Madrona has a habit of appearing and disappearing from our memory radar, but it never fails to charm with the quaint-village perfection of an MGM musical.
EAT/DRINK: It’s easy to imagine Gene Kelly soft-shoeing his way along sidewalks animated by family-favorite breakfast and brunch stops St. Clouds and Hi-Spot Cafe, and the loiter-rific Cupcake Royale. We love Bottlehouse, where an inspired wine list makes oenophiles woozy while enticing others who come for the root beer and ice cream floats. Bistro Turkuaz features mouthwatering Mediterranean fare. The gourmand-pleasing menu at June brings crowds to the cool Roy McMakin–designed space (the front door alone is a trip). If you wonder where the locals gather, stop in at Naam Thai Cuisine for some paradise prawns.
SHOP: Chic votive and vase maker Glassybaby boasts a spectator-welcoming working studio. Buggy (pictured left) is a kids’ consignment shop featuring gently used clothes, toys and a parent-pleasing play area. Drop in to the Euro-style boutique Juniper for designer organic clothing. At Driftwood Consignment Gallery you can find clothing and accessories (from Banana Republic to Prada) at mostly shock-proof prices. The gallery-style space of Hitchcock Madrona befits the artful jewelry there.
SERVICES: Fetch Doggie Daycare and Grooming has experienced groomers and an outdoor supervised play area. Check out Mountain Flow Yoga for upbeat, low-pressure workouts. And it doesn’t have to be raining for kids (prekindergarten to age 12) to enjoy the painting and craft classes at Arts Aloft.
FIND ‘EM
>>Arts Aloft (3302 E Spring St.; 206.920.2015; artsaloftforkids.com)
>> Bistro Turkuaz (1114 34th Ave.; 206.324.3039; bistroturkuaz.com)
>> Bottlehouse (1416 34th Ave.; 206.708.7164; bottlehouseseattle.com)
>> Buggy (1422 34th Ave.; 206.325.5999; shop-buggy.com)
>> Cupcake Royale (1101 34th Ave.; 206.709.4497; cupcakeroyale.com)
>> Driftwood Consignment Gallery (1130 34th Ave.; 206.941.6828; driftwoodconsignment.com) (pictured above)
>> Glassybaby (3406 E Union St.; 206.518.9071; glassybaby.com)
>> Hi-Spot Cafe (1410 34th Ave.; 206.325.7905; hispotcafe.com)
>> Hitchcock Madrona (1406 34th Ave.; 206.838.7173; hitchcockmadrona.com)
>> June (1423 34th Ave.; 206.323.4000; juneseattle.com)
>> Juniper (3314 E Spring St.; 206.838.7496; juniperinmadrona.com)
>> Naam Thai Cuisine (1404 34th Ave.; 206.568.6226; naamseattle.com)
>> St. Clouds (1131 34th Ave.; 206.726.1522; stclouds.com)
>> Fetch Doggie Daycare and Grooming (1411 34th Ave.; 206.720.1961)
>> Mountain Flow Yoga (3308 E Spring St.; 206.380.2558; mountainflowyoga.com)
New to the ’hood:
Zaw’s take-and-bake pizzas are slated to occupy the space at 1137 34th Ave. Next door at 1135, Guesthouse, a new home furnishings and gorgeous custom upholstery shop, opened shortly before Christmas. At press time, all eyes were on the former Dulces Latin Bistro space (1430 34th Ave.), soon to be occupied by a yet-unnamed brick-oven pizzeria.
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