The heart of Greenwood in Seattle offers a local vibe out of the fray for a mellow weeknight out. It’s a neighborhood that’s retained remnants of what longtimers think of as “old” Seattle (at least for now—a 72-unit, six-story apartment building is slated to go up in the former gas leak blast site of 2016). When visiting, you’ll find a tight-knit business community; many owners happily support one another, and the “Seattle freeze” is thawed among patrons. There’s a lot to be done within four short blocks with other businesses nestled in among the following recommendations. Park once and poke around!
📸: Seattle ReCreative | Photo by Katie Kurtz
1
Get your thrift on 🛍
Start the evening getting your thrift on with two underrepresented specialty options in the secondhand game: art supplies and men’s streetwear.
You don’t have to be a practicing artist to make a pitstop at the non-profit Seattle ReCreative. Stuffed to the brim with gently used and donated arts and crafts supplies, don’t forget to check the file drawers for various blank, handmade, and specialty paper or even Seafair posters. The broad range of arts and crafts supplies—from stamps to yarn to every kind of pen or pencil—is perfect for trying out a new hobby.
Pop across the street and up a block to Lucky Dog Clothing, a men’s premium thrift shop focused on branded streetwear that has been visited by local and international luminaries such as former Sonics basketball player Shawn Kemp, renowned thrift shop lyricist Macklemore, and comedian Pete Davidson. Tucked inside a 1920s Craftsman-style bungalow brightly painted green, it’s open daily until 8 pm. Gear up with an oversized Loony Tunes sweatshirt, Nike Air Max, Dunks, and Jordans, or a vintage Mariner’s ball cap.
📍 Seattle ReCreative: 8408 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle
⏰ Mon – Sat: 10 am – 6 pm | Sun: 12 – 6 pm
📞 (833) 467-3873
📍 Lucky Dog Clothing (Greenwood): 8201 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle
⏰ Daily: 11 am – 8 pm
📞 (206) 784-6374
📸: Dark Room | Photo courtesy Dark Room
2
Be a teacher’s pet🍸
Circle back and head to the Wu-Tang and photography-themed cocktail bar Dark Room for the golden hour from 4 – 6 pm for Korean-American style meatballs, vegan small plates, and pop culture-inspired specialty cocktails. Continuing a scholastic legacy, the Dark Room is where the Teachers Lounge cocktail bar once was, and in a nod to its former occupants, “Teacher’s Pet” is one of their specialty cocktails. When you hear the theme to Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out! video game, watch for the shot cart with $3 mini daiquiris.
📍The Dark Room: 8505 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle
⏰ Mon – Sat: 4 pm – late
📞 (206) 782-1223
📸: Gorditos | Photo by Katie Kurtz
3
Order a baby-sized burrito 🌯
Try dinner at one of two North Seattle institutions: Gorditos Healthy Mexican that’s been around since 1994 or the très French Gainsbourg, open since 2008—a long time in Seattle restaurant years!
For any transplants missing NorCal Mexican food, Gorditos serves it up Mission-style along with agua fresca and a condiment bar with pickled veggies and a selection of hot sauces. Famed for their “baby-sized” burritos, be sure to check out the photo gallery of newborns alongside a tofu burrito grande.
If you’re feeling bougie and in the mood for swooning to Edith Piaf whilst sipping a French 71, try the French-influenced Gainsbourg for steak frites and Euro cocktails.
📍 Gorditos Healthy Mexican: 213 N 85th St, Seattle
⏰ Daily (closed Tues): 10:30 am – 9 pm
📞 (206) 706-9352
📍 Gainsbourg: 8550 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle
⏰ Sun – Thurs: 4 pm – 12 am | Fri + Sat: 4 pm – 2 am
📞 (206) 783-4004
📸: Coindexter’s | Photo courtesy Coindexter’s
4
Become a pinball wizard 🪙
The night is still young, the parking is free*, and you still don’t have to leave the neighborhood to make a gaming pitstop! After dinner, stop in at Coindexter’s for pinball (where the Medieval Madness is a fixture and the replay is always low), tabletop 4-player Pac-Man, or a friendly round of Hoops. If you’re out with a group, jump on the 8-player Killer Queen.
(Note: Mondays are typically pinball league night at Coindexter’s during half the year—to avoid disappointment, check the Monday Night Pinball schedule in advance. If you really need a pinball fix, Hounds Tooth Public House down the block has a number of machines.)
Food served until midnight.
📍Coindexter’s: 8556 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle
⏰ Daily: 4 pm – 2 am
📞 (206) 706-9352
*Neighborhood pro-tip 🚗
If you elect to park in any of the Piper’s Village parking areas, be sure to pay or else a grumpy security guard will come out of nowhere and jam a ticket under your windshield wiper.
📸: Bingo at the Baranof | Photo by Katie Kurtz
5
Pay for the night with bingo💰
Doing this on a Monday night? Here’s a bonus step.
End the night at the recently spruced-up (but still rooted in its divey past) Baranof for a jocular game of Monday Night Bingo. The posted start time is 8 pm but things usually get rolling closer to 9. Cards are $1 and if you play them right, $20 can get you through five rounds of mystery prizes and a final cash prize round. The more people that play, the bigger the pot with past cash prizes being upwards of $200!
📍 Banarof Restaurant: 8549 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle
⏰ Mon – Sat: 11 am – 2 am | Sun: 9 am – 2 am
📞 (206) 782-9260
