5 things Seattle is talking about
🏗 How the Central District community held Vulcan accountable as a model for inclusive growth. In 2016, Vulcan announced plans to redevelop the block where the Red Apple used to stand. Community members were understandably wary of the news considering that Vulcan was the same company that redeveloped South Lake Union. But thanks to an effort by community leaders, today, the strip mall at 23rd and Jackson is home to a number of Black-owned businesses like QueenCare, Simply Soulful, and BooSH. (KUOW)
🌱 Changes to Washington state’s marijuana laws will make it easier to enter the industry. Starting Oct. 2, a serious felony conviction within the past 10 years will not prevent someone from getting a license to grow, process, or sell cannabis. Other less serious felonies will also be treated differently under the new rules. The hope is to ease the barriers that have kept people of color out of the marijuana industry since it started. (Crosscut)
🎸 Nirvana solidified its name in music history 30 years ago today with the release of Nevermind. “Rolling Stone” declared the record the sixth greatest album of all time in 2020, but that’s just a formality at this point: As anyone who was around at the time of Nevermind’s release can attest, the record reshaped the music realm in its wake and propelled Seattle into the spotlight as the capital of grunge. Charles R. Cross, the author of a best-selling biography about Kurt Cobain, fondly remembers the release of the album and the electric energy that permeated throughout Seattle. (The Seattle Times)
🇨🇺 Enjoy a little bit of Miami in Ballard. The new coffee bar, Papa Changó, is inside the clothing and home goods store, September, and is now open for business. The cafe sells Latin American and Caribbean pastries like Pastelito de Guayaba y Queso and scones de Papaya with guava butter. The menu is inspired by the owner Sergio García’s Miami upbringing. (My Ballard)
📰 Seattle’s only newspaper turned 30 yesterday. Over the years, “The Stranger” has acted as a launching platform for some of the city’s best journalists, many of whom are still around and working for other publications. Known for pushing the boundary with their coverage of everything off-limits, they’ve provided the city with perspectives you can’t get anywhere else. If you feel so inclined, they’re asking for donations. In our humble opinion, one can never support local journalism too much. (The Stranger)