Italian cuisine invades the Valley

Bar Cantinetta set to debut this weekWith its five French restaurants plus a patisserie or two, Madison Valley has evolved into something of an à la française neighborhood over the past few years. French influence, however, took a big hit recently with the demise of both Rover’s and La Cote. Now a new entry onto the scene is about to mix things up in the Valley with a dose of Italian. Later this week, Bar Cantinetta will open its doors in the...

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Police investigating accident

Vigil plannedThe tragic early-morning collision of a cyclist with a pedestrian on Friday has prompted a Seattle Police investigation, we learned today. The incident has also motivated a group of concerned community members to plan a vigil at the site of the accident. The purpose of the vigil is to heighten awareness of the inadequate pedestrian safety measures at the crosswalk and, presumably, put pressure on the City to take corrective action.The...

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Cyclist severely injures pedestrian in crosswalk

Horrific accident apparently resulted from inattentionAt about 8:40 this morning, an unidentified man described as being in his 40's or 50's was struck by a bicyclist at the crosswalk in front of the Wells Fargo branch near the intersection of E. Madison Street and McGilvra Boulevard E.  The man was knocked to the ground unconscious and suffered what are described as life-threatening head injuries as a result of the collision.  According...

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520 Eastbound closed tonight

It's hard to believe that we could have missed another closure of the 520 floating bridge, but we did. Last night the westbound lanes were closed during the night and here's your notice, in case you missed other press coverage, that the eastbound lanes will be closed tonight, beginning at 11 pm and extending until 9 am tomorrow. Although there are no further eastbound lane closures planned through September, there are three more westbound lane closures...

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Second rabid bat discovered here

This one found at the playgroundIt was all over the local news yesterday, but for those who don't follow major media we note that there was another sick bat discovered in our city park last weekend.  The King County Health Department reported yesterday afternoon that this bat, which is of a different species from the sick bat found earlier this summer, was also rabid.  According to the department's press release, "the bat was discovered...

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Madison Park magazine to make its debut

It may be 'old media' but it's new to the local sceneBilled as an exclusive "social magazine" for Madison Park and its enclaves, Madison Park Living will soon be arriving in neighborhood mailboxes, no subscription required. A totally advertiser-underwriten publication, MPL is just the latest monthly magazine to join the local fold of publications from N2P (Neighborhood Networks Publishing), which entered the region in 2008 with a magazine...

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Keeping up

NY Times focuses on bold Madison Park homeWhether you like it or hate it, you'd have to admit that the newest residence to grace the neighborhood is one standout house. This modernistic "passive" home in Washington Park, which was completed last month at 4211 E. Lee Street, has received a lot of unsolicited commentary from passersby since construction began (the term "architecturally aggressive" is a relatively neutral example). But the press has...

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July Police Blotter

It didn't happen hereEarlier this summer, we were taken a little bit to task by a reader who with gentle good humor commented that this blog's neighborhood crime reports are becoming rather dull. She wondered, "Can't you do something to spice them up a bit?"  Well, maybe it's us; but it's just possible that Madison Park has not been subjected to the kinds of criminal activity that  make for interesting reading. Crime does seem to be on...

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Bank reveals plans for ex-Tully's space

HomeStreet will arrive in 2014It's official. The building that for many years housed the Madison Park Tully's  will ultimately be the site of Madison Park's fifth bank branch. But it's not going to happen anytime soon. Our story last week about the increasingly dilapidated state of that building (4036 E. Madison St.) has prompted HomeStreet Bank to confirm its intention to open a branch in Madison Park, as well as provide the timetable...

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Second Quarter Real Estate Report

Sales up, Inventory downThe real estate market in Madison Park continued its acceleration in the second quarter, the quarterly statistics confirming stronger sales volume, quicker closings, and increasing home values.There were 49 residential sales in the second quarter, which is a 53% increase over the 32 sales recorded in the same quarter last year.  And with only 44 homes currently on the market, the absorption rate now stands at less than...

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