Coffeeneuring destination #5 was an especially special one. I first ran errands at Fisheries Supply and the Fremont PCC. Fremont is chock full of interesting statues, including Waiting for the Interurban (Fremont-Everett train). It is not very heavily decorated at the moment, aside from that small poster on one person's chest.
Then to Café Allegro, just off The Ave. Café Allegro bills itself as "Seattle's Oldest Coffeeshop."
I accompanied my dad on many expeditions to Allegro over the years, and have gone over there on my own or with friends on so many other occasions. It remains my template for the ideal coffeeshop.
It did not disappoint on this most recent visit.
I believe the gentleman with the book and postcard shrine sitting next to the door is at Allegro almost all the time, and has been attending it for years, if not decades. I was grateful to manage to grab a seat where I could include him in my hasty scribble.
My Dad's notes date from 2008, where he noted that he came to Allegro before or after a Physics lecture at the University of Washington. During that visit, he observed construction outside the windows; the replacement of an empty lot that offered a view of campus trees across the street, by a commercial/residential building containing a pizza restaurant. Many would consider that a sign of progress.
There used to also be a church just up the alley that provided a range of services to the homeless and many other community members, but that plot of land is also currently being redeveloped.
The building housing Allegro still seems to be very much the same overall, however. Allegro opened in 1975 and claims it is the oldest continually-operating coffeeshop in Seattle.
Some of the details I appreciated:
Exposed brick from WELL before it was ever cool:
My table offered a surprising (to me) hint about how the Allegro tables are constructed:
I sure have to wonder what those ceiling anchors were for.
At some point after a change of ownership, there was a bunch of work done to move a roaster upstairs, and I think the entire upstairs may have been renovated. I almost never go up there, however.
--
Coffeeneuring #6 was special in other ways, most especially in that I once again had the fine company of![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
annikusrex for a bike ride!
She joined me for yet another Fisheries Supply errand, this time for more epoxy, before we headed onward to Ballard. Unfortunately, at Fisheries Supply we learned they no longer carries the brand and type of epoxy I've been using on my boat. Argh! So in the morning I'll venture back to Ballard to another place that *might* have it or where I'll have to start casting about for other options. The worst-case scenario may mean I won't be able to continue with epoxy until sometime in California.
They did have some other interesting things in stock, however:
(that's a fake brain, presumably for Halloween)
I attempted to assuage my sorrow with an affogato, while AKW worked on submitting her urban coyote sighting from last night to a "Citizen Science" project.
Since there was no hurry to get back to work on the boat at that point, I proposed extending our adventure by traveling over the Ballard Locks and up to Discovery Park. I failed to take any photos of the fun bits of that part of our adventure, but we both enjoyed riding our bikes in places that are new or underexplored. Although "enjoyed" might be a bit of a stretch for describing some of the steeper climbs where our gears, lungs, and legs gave out, heh.
I also don't think I've ever traveled that far out along the South Ship Canal Trail, which we took to connect back up to the Fremont Bridge.
All told, we made it home again before any rain started up, so I'll call that a win.
I now have just one more coffeeshop bike ride to carry out to complete this year's challenge, but it'll have to wait until next weekend because there's a limit to the number of rides a person can complete each week (2).
Then to Café Allegro, just off The Ave. Café Allegro bills itself as "Seattle's Oldest Coffeeshop."
I accompanied my dad on many expeditions to Allegro over the years, and have gone over there on my own or with friends on so many other occasions. It remains my template for the ideal coffeeshop.
It did not disappoint on this most recent visit.
I believe the gentleman with the book and postcard shrine sitting next to the door is at Allegro almost all the time, and has been attending it for years, if not decades. I was grateful to manage to grab a seat where I could include him in my hasty scribble.
My Dad's notes date from 2008, where he noted that he came to Allegro before or after a Physics lecture at the University of Washington. During that visit, he observed construction outside the windows; the replacement of an empty lot that offered a view of campus trees across the street, by a commercial/residential building containing a pizza restaurant. Many would consider that a sign of progress.
There used to also be a church just up the alley that provided a range of services to the homeless and many other community members, but that plot of land is also currently being redeveloped.
The building housing Allegro still seems to be very much the same overall, however. Allegro opened in 1975 and claims it is the oldest continually-operating coffeeshop in Seattle.
Some of the details I appreciated:
Exposed brick from WELL before it was ever cool:
My table offered a surprising (to me) hint about how the Allegro tables are constructed:
I sure have to wonder what those ceiling anchors were for.
At some point after a change of ownership, there was a bunch of work done to move a roaster upstairs, and I think the entire upstairs may have been renovated. I almost never go up there, however.
--
Coffeeneuring #6 was special in other ways, most especially in that I once again had the fine company of
annikusrex for a bike ride!She joined me for yet another Fisheries Supply errand, this time for more epoxy, before we headed onward to Ballard. Unfortunately, at Fisheries Supply we learned they no longer carries the brand and type of epoxy I've been using on my boat. Argh! So in the morning I'll venture back to Ballard to another place that *might* have it or where I'll have to start casting about for other options. The worst-case scenario may mean I won't be able to continue with epoxy until sometime in California.
They did have some other interesting things in stock, however:
(that's a fake brain, presumably for Halloween)
I attempted to assuage my sorrow with an affogato, while AKW worked on submitting her urban coyote sighting from last night to a "Citizen Science" project.
Since there was no hurry to get back to work on the boat at that point, I proposed extending our adventure by traveling over the Ballard Locks and up to Discovery Park. I failed to take any photos of the fun bits of that part of our adventure, but we both enjoyed riding our bikes in places that are new or underexplored. Although "enjoyed" might be a bit of a stretch for describing some of the steeper climbs where our gears, lungs, and legs gave out, heh.
I also don't think I've ever traveled that far out along the South Ship Canal Trail, which we took to connect back up to the Fremont Bridge.
All told, we made it home again before any rain started up, so I'll call that a win.
I now have just one more coffeeshop bike ride to carry out to complete this year's challenge, but it'll have to wait until next weekend because there's a limit to the number of rides a person can complete each week (2).
