Seattle Press on Line - There's Something Going On Every Night of the Week

On Ballard Avenue

There's Something Going On Every Night of the Week

By Unknown Writer #4

Oct 04, 2000 -- Leaves are red on Leary Way, kids are back on the playground at St. Alphonsus, and I've been kindly invited by the fine folks at The Seattle Press to let you in on everything I know about Ballard Avenue. Seems they think I'm somewhat of an expert. Maybe they're right. I've been wandering around the venerable old street since 1988 when I first worked with The Backstage. Prior to that, my only Ballard experience was the night my battery fell through the rusted-out floor of my '63 VW squareback on the Ballard Bridge. There I was, with the bridge up and battery acid leaking all over the pavement. Some guys pulled up in a pickup, took instant pity, hauled out a rope and towed me to a gas station on the corner of 15th and Market. The floor got replaced with a piece of plywood, a new battery was bound with bungee cords and I was on my way. Little did I know then that I'd be bungee corded to this little Scandinavian community for eternity.

But enough car history, you're probably wondering exactly what we're doing here. Twelve years ago at The Backstage, we fantasized about how Ballard Avenue was about to take off. "Yup, any day now," we kept saying. Well, in typical Ballard-time, "any day now" took about 10 years. Burk's, there from the very beginning, is now an institution for scrumptious Cajun chow. There was Guitar Emporium, gracing the street with its gleaming guitar shop. Then came the Tractor Tavern and Conor Byrne. Things started to get lively. Artists began creating work and gallery spaces. Bad Albert's took over a dilapidated tavern and began serving great pub food. Habitude created a lovely spa-space, Hattie's Hat got some new owners and a face-lift. The Old Town Ale House moved in next door. Now the hipsters were mixing with industrial folks and things got pretty interesting. The name "Ballard Hardware" took on a whole new meaning, what with all those nose piercings wandering around. Gift shops found comfy little homes. And just last spring, the Sunset Tavern got a great facelift, too.

There's something going on every night of the week on Old Ballard Ave., be it roots at The Tractor, Celtic at Conor Byrne, or open mikes at Valdi's. It might be rhythm and blues at The Bit, everything else at The Sunset or just a simple martini at Hattie's. This is what we'll be sharing with you every other week: life on Ballard Avenue, the musicians, the artists, the industry, the food, the very soul of an historic street that continues to make vibrant history every day.

I've stood on the Seafood Fest mainstage introducing musicians for years.

Looking out at the glorious, eclectic concoction of humanity on Ballard Avenue, I am ever aware of neighborhood spirit. Ballard Avenue? It's about as hometown as you can get. And I still gotta believe, if ever your car battery falls through the floor on the Ballard Bridge, someone will lend a tow.

Cindy Payne will be writing a regular North End Arts and Entertainment column for The Seattle Press. Payne is a free-lance writer, artist, publicist and event organizer. She currently runs Payneless Promotions from the crystalline shores of Lake Union, but finds herself in Ballard on a regular basis, working with such events as the annual Ballard Seafood Fest. She can be reached via e-mail at (a mailto="cpollyc@aol.com">cpollyc@aol.com.

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