Madison Seattle

From our sister blog SeattleCrime, we received this SPD report of a 5'11" 250 pound woman who assaulted her neighbor in the 800 block of Columbia Street for slamming the door in the early morning hours of 8/5/10:

I responded to an assault with injuries at 8   Columbia St.  I contacted the victim who stated that she lives across the hall from the suspect,   Officers are familiar with suspect  from prior contacts.    has a history of  and is masculine of build and strength standing 5'11 and weighing 250 lbs.   .   saidthat all   does is stare at her.  On this occasion   hadgone outside to smoke. When she came back into the building the door she used slammed shut. That door is attached to suspect   apartmentwall.   came out into the hall and confronted victim  about slamming the door.   did not speak to   and tried to put her keys in her front door to go into her apartment.   thengrabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground.   then got ontop of her and began choking her. V/   stated that she almostblacked out on three occasions and feared that she was going to die.  told her, "I will kill you. You are going to die." V/   felt that she meant it and was intent on killing her.   fought toget away from   by hitting at her arms.   wrestled free of  and attempted to run away to get help.   grabbed holdof her hair and caused her to fall down a stair case. She was able to get ahold of the apartment manager and called the police from there.   returned to her room. Officers contacted   in her room. Sheadmitted that she had been in an altercation with   but that  had started it by slamming a door. I then observed welts andscratches on her arms consistent with   story. I arrested  for felony assault and had her transported her to the west precinct.   suffered from scratched and swollen hands and a verysore throat. She coughed as she spoke and stated that it was caused fromthe choking. I transported her to HMC at her request.   was bookedinto KCJ for Inv of Assault. A/Sgt N. Vales screened the arrest.Photographs of both the victim and suspects injuries were taken and placedinto evidence.

Hotel Sorrento has been putting on an innovative series of events featuring authors, musicians and performance artists. On Monday July 12, as part of the Night School series, the Sorrento will feature artists performing a scene from Intiman Theatre's upcoming production of Ruined, as well as a moderated conversation delving into how the play was created and developed with Artistic Director Kate Whoriskey, several actors, and Tim Appelo. Tickets are available online through Brown Paper Tickets for $20. The event takes place from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. 

Earlier this year, the media (this writer included) was abuzz with reports of I Love New York Deli opening a third location on Capitol Hill.  Owner Jon Jacobs had planned to open his location off Broadway, close to the Pike Pine corridor.  However, he recently announced that his third location will instead be sited on First Hill, near the intersection of Madison and Boren. Jacobs told Hugo Kugiya of Crosscut that the First Hill location will be very different from the original stand at Pike Place Market and the Ravenna location.

First Hill's I Love New York Deli will be "a full-service, authentic, New York-style deli on First Hill, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, helping fill the void in this city of around-the-clock dining . . . [This] third restaurant, near the corner of Boren and Madison, will be his largest by far at 6,300 square feet and will have its own bakery, the culmination of a long-held dream for Jacobs."

Photo posted by @Mkyles007

This rather incredible collision prompted a major emergency response to Madison over I-5 at the tail end of Friday afternoon's commute but luckily none of the medics were needed. No details yet on what led to the tangle around 6:30 PM Friday.

Kabab House, a casual eatery, offering kebabs and Indian dishes just opened up next door to Lundgren Monuments at 1011 Boren Avenue.  This outlet does not seem related to the Kabab House Pakistani chain (with locations in Greenwood and Lynnwood).  We have an inquiry to the Kabab House chain to confirm this.

 We stopped in for a snack of samosas - which were fresh and crisp - and served with a minimal amount of oil.  They have the standard Indian curries: Saag Paneer, Chana Dal, Malai Kofta, as well as kebabs.  Let us know in the comments what you think of this and other items at Kabab House.  For a limited time, they are offering a $1 off on all menu items between 11 am and 3 pm Monday thru Friday.

KIRO 7 just reported that one of two men suspected in the beating death of an 80-year old Arkansas woman has been arrested in Bremerton.  U.S. Marshalls arrested suspect Rene Patrick Bourassa Jr., while he in possession of Lillian Nelson, the victim's car.  

KIRO 7 reported last night that police suspected that two men wanted in connection with Lillian Nelson's homicide had fled to Seattle.  Police were able to track the two men through their use of Nelson's credit card at the McDonald's located at 1122 Madison.  Nelson's body was found in her empty Arkansas church Sunday morning between two church pews. 

Street Treats, a just-launched mobile sweets vendor, will travel to First Hill on Tuesday, June 8.  You can avail yourself of their homemade cookies, High 5 Pie and Half Pint homemade ice cream on the corner of 9th Avenue & Cherry from 12 to 3 pm.  To find other locations and their schedule, check their website and follow them on twitter.

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Originally uploaded by Joey Veltkamp

Greg Lundgren has a beef with the death-care industry, with itscookie-cutter headstones and its flat, identical graveyards: It's impersonal, aesthetically bankrupt, and boring. He began his assault by making luminous, cast-glass headstones, then building a death-care gallery where artists and architects can show off monuments and urns of their own design. He's hosting a group show at this gallery,The Architect and the Urn, with work by Iole Alessandrini, Heather Flood, Stranger Genius Alex Schweder La, and many others. (Lundgren Monuments, 1011 Boren Ave, info@lundgrenmonuments.com. Opening reception 5–9 pm, free.)

Have you tried Kanpai's spicy baked mussels?  The Seattle Weekly recently included Kanpai in its Best Happy Hours issue.  Here is their report:

It's possible you were wandering around First Hill near Eighth and Marion one day when you were stopped dead in your tracks by a delicious smell you couldn't quite identify. That smell is Kanpai's spicy baked mussels, covered in scallops, roe (fish eggs), and something they call a Japanese spicy sauce (think Sriracha and mayonnaise). It is one of the best things I have ever had the privilege of putting in my mouth, and from 2:30–5:30 p.m. daily, 10–11 p.m. Friday–Saturday, and all day Sunday, you can get the world's most delicious appetizer for only $4.50.

Sushi Kanpai is located at 900 8th Avenue (corner of 8th & Marion) and serves lunch Mon to Sun 11:30 am - 2:30 pm and dinner Mon to Sun: 2:30 PM to 10:00 PM, Fri & Sat: to 11 PM.  

This just in from the SPD Blotter about an assault Monday night on Madison near Terry.  According to Dana Vander Houwen, the Seattle Fire Department spokesperson, the victim was a 50 year old male.

On 05-10-2010, at approximately 9:22 p.m., the complainant, an employee of a Security Company, observed a white male suspect assaulting the victim on the north side of Madison Street near Terry Ave. 

The complainant stated that there were two white males in their 40’s watching while another white male was assaulting the victim.   The suspect was described as a white male, 40’s,  long dirty blonde hair, white T-shirt and faded blue jeans.

The complainant stated that he did not know what had started the incident but he observed the suspect kick the victim, who was lying on the ground at least two times in the ribs and once in the head.

The complainant immediately called 911 and yelled out at the suspect.  As the compl. approached the victim, the suspect and his two friends, who had been watching the assault, all walked northbound in the alley where they entered a white colored four-door sedan with a partial plate of “ZWI” and  drove away northbound in the alley.

Officers arrived in the area and contacted the victim, who had obviously been pepper sprayed. The victim would not or was not able to give any information about his attacker.

Seattle Fire Department personnel treated the victim at the scene and then AMR 906 transported him to Virginia Mason Hospital for further medical evaluation.

Since Zhivago's Cafe closed on Broadway earlier this year, we have been searching for a piroshki purveyor that did not necessitate a long distance walk to Pike Place Market.  So, it was with relief that we stumbled on Piroshki on Madison last week.  For under $5, the salmon and cream cheese piroshikis prove satisfying for breakfast and/or lunch.  Piroshki on Madison offers all of the fillings that their corporate sibling Piroshki on Broadway used to offer before they closed in 2008: various combinations of potato, cabbage, cheese, vegetables and meat.  As well, they offer borscht and pierogis.  Pair a piroshki with some of the Verite Coffee dispensed here and you're full of enough warmth to brave the sometime chilly and rainy Seattle spring .

Piroshki on Madison is located at 1219 Madison Street and is open Sun - Thurs from 7 am to 5 pm and on Fridays from 7 am to 4:30 pm.  

The latest from the streets of First Hill and the great nearby. You can find the latest SPD police reports and 911 calls for the First Hill area on the SeattleCrime.com map.

• This went down below I-5 but let it be a lesson to you on your next walk home from Cowgirls:

• A Broadway medical office suffered a break-in and unsuccessful attempt to rip off narcotics:

• A burglary was reported in the 1100 block of 8th Ave:

• A cabbie claimed a man tried to rob him in this early April incident:

SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL OFFENSE HARDCOPY   (ORIGINAL RELEASE)
MEDIA COPY
GO 2010-107474 (INACTIVE) 1206 - 0 ROBBERY-STREET-BODYFORCE
 Related text page(s) 
  Document: NARRATIVE
    Author: 5428 - MILLER, REBECCA
Related date/time: Apr-02-2010 1936
On 040210 at 1836 hours the unknown suspect was arguing with V-  in the
middle of the street mid block at 1000 9 AVE. The suspect grabbed the
drivers door window of the yellow cab and pulled it out and broke it. 
had gotten out of his cab and suspect punched  in the face. At one
point  had the suspect on the ground and the suspect's phone fell out
of his bag or pocket. The suspect got up and ran east bound on Spring ST.
I responded to the call and contacted the  who told me that for no
reason at all the suspect walked up to the drivers side window and broke
the window with his fist and tried to rob him. I asked  was the
suspect said and he told me "give me your money" and that the suspect did
not say anything else and that the suspect had dropped his cell phone at
the scene.
W-  and W-  stated that the suspect was yelling at  about
 hitting him with his cab and the suspect grabbed the window that was
partially open and pulled it back breaking it (the way the window was
broken, it was consistent with this information). Both  and  saw
the suspect and  standing outside of the cab. The suspect punched
 in the face causing a cut to the bridge of his nose. Per the
witnesses  had the suspect down on the ground struggling with him and
that was when the suspect's phone fell from his pocket or bag onto the
ground. The suspect got up and took off running east bound on Spring ST.
Medics responded and checked out  face.  declined to go to the
hospital.
I collected the cell phone that was now sitting on the hood of the cab and
placed it into evidence. I gave  the general offense number and he
then requested to leave. I asked  if he was going to go to the doctor
 and he said no. At that time I advised  that he was free to leave.
Area check for the suspect was negative.
I hereby declare (certify) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the
State of Washington that this report is true and correct to the best of
my knowledge and belief (RCW 9A.72.085)
Electronically signed:
5428 - MILLER, REBECCA Date: Apr-02-2010 Place: Seattle, WA 
** END OF HARDCOPY **
For: ROBERTS, LISA E (6572)  Tuesday April  6, 2010 Page: 2 of 2

Independent bookstore City Books (at 1305 Madison Street) has been holding a closing sale for the past month.  It first announced that it was closing on 4/12/10.  Today is the last day of the closing sale and all transactions must take place before 5 pm.  Below is a description of what remains to be sold:

During the final two days of our store closing sale everything in our store is 75% off the original price or more! This includes all fiction, mystery, romance and kid books, Also all greeting cards, gifts, gift wrap and much more all at 1/2 off or more. Come in soon for the best selection.

Also retail fixtures must be sold - no reasonable offer refused for cards spinners, calendar spinners, acrylic stands, etc. 

City Books has been at this location on Madison for over a decade and invited the community to support it in an open letter published on the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog in January 2010.   

Blue Water Taco Grill would like to invite FHS readers to come celebrate Cinco de Mayo today at Blue Water Taco Grill in First Hill (1213 Madison St.).  We will be offering $5 food and drink specials all day at our First Hill and our other Seattle locations.  Choose any burrito or two tacos (sorry, no seafood) and chips and salsa or a fountain drink for $5. 

Also, we recently launched a Facebook page and Twitter account, we'll be offering an all day "happy hour" special on beer at our lower Queen Anne and 515 Union St. locations for our Facebook and Twitter fans/followers.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I took this photo yesterday on the southeast corner of Madison and 7th just east of I-5.  As you may be able to tell, a typical Seattle misty rain was falling at the time.

Last Monday, a woman and her companion were walking through the Convention Center and out to Freeway Park, when two assailants surrounded them and attempted to wrest the woman's purse away from her.  Our partner SeattleCrime.com has the full story:

At about 4:00pm on April 12th, the victim and her companion were walking through the Washington State Convention Center when they noticed two men following them.

As the victims walked through the convention center and out in to Freeway Park, the two suspects walked up on either side of them, surrounding them.

One of the suspects grabbed the victim's purse and attempted to rip it from her arm. The Woman was pulled to the ground and "dragged" by the suspects, the police report says, leaving her with cuts on her hands and forearms, and bruises on her shoulder.

The woman was able to hold on to her purse, and the robbers eventually fled.

A witness followed the suspects to 6th Ave, but lost sight of them. Police also did an area search but were unable to find the suspects.

Vito's Madison Grill, the currently-defunct bar/ restaurant with a somewhat less than stellar reputation, appears to be under new management. The First Hill Improvement Association has a letter up from Greg Lundgren:

Dear First Hill Community Group,

My name is Greg Lundgren and I am a ten year resident of first hill, and own two businesses here, at 1005 and 1011 Boren Avenue (The Hideout and Lundgren Monuments). Myself and my business partner, Jeff Scott, recently signed a long term lease on the Vito's Restaurant and Lounge space, located at 927- 9th avenue, and are in the early stages of renovation.

We wanted to reach out to the First Hill community to share our vision and committment to providing a quality and safe cultural outlet to the neighborhood, and put to rest any concerns that Vitos of the future will function like Vitos of the past 20 years.

As residents and business owners on First Hill, our top priority is to improve the quality of the neighborhood in all regards. We are well informed about the very negative history Vito's has offered, and have an intelligent, thoughful and dynamic plan for it's resurection.

There will be no hip-hop, rap, karoke or club promoted nights. We have removed the dancefloor and have purchased a beautiful grand piano for live performance. Our goal is to return Vitos to the neighborhood, offer quality food, service and entertainment, and reach out to the three generations of Seattlittes that hold fond memories there.

We would love the opportunity to meet with your group and extend our hand and vision. It has been a derelict space for far too long and once our extensive renovation is complete (late summer of 2010), Vitos will stand as a proud compliment to our neighborhood. Hard to believe, given it's blemished past, but we are in a unique position to do this. We have strong alliances with Town Hall, The Frye Art Museum, The Sorrento as well as many of the local small businesses. We plan on Vitos integrating into this fabric, and offering a very special address for food, drink and classic entertainment.

If you have any questions, or could suggest the best date to introduce ourselves and our vision, we would be delighted to turn any apprehension into enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

Greg Lundgren

As mentioned in his letter, he's already well-versed with First Hill having two businesses and a residence here. Having a revitalized Vito's will surely be a great addition to the neighborhood, especially considering the new owners have a long-term vision for the space.

The expected re-opening is August.

Partners in Preservation, a partnership between American Express and National Trust for Historic Preservation, invites the public to vote from April 15 to May 12 for the places they would like to receive $1M preservation funding.  The winner of the public vote is guaranteed to receive a grant.  The remainder of the $1 million in available funding will be distributed among a yet  to be determined number of projects by American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and an advisory committee comprised of Seattle-Puget Sound area civic and preservation leaders taking into account the results of the public vote.  The final grant decisions will be announced on June 15.  First Hill's own Town Hall is on the list (currently in 2nd place behind the Fifth Avenue Theatre) - you can vote once per day until 5/12/10.   

Sugar Bakery has been open at 1014 Madison since December 2007.  Through its commitment to wholesome ingredients and baking from scratch, Sugar has developed a loyal following.  Seattle's local gumshoe, Cakespy recently touted Sugar's "Economic Crunch Cookies" as "one of the tastiest cookies I've sampled in a while: a crunchy sugar cookie made with almonds, toffee, chocolate, coconut, all of which is coated in coarse, sparkly sugar."  Call ahead before you go (they had 2 packs left at the time of this post) at 206-749-4105.  Weekday hours are 7 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 1pm.     

Originally posted at JigsawRenaissance.org

Frank Heidt did an amazing workshop on urban Bonsai at Jigsaw Renaissance this past Saturday. He talked about his training; the art, theory, and history behind Bonsai; and how to get involved in this amazing art with little to no money. Frank took pruning sheers, wires, and power tools (!!!) to the tree to make a work of art.

Kayobi took pictures and Pip took video.

video one of five

Clicking the image will take you to more, the video link will take you to the first of five.

Frank looks forward to coming back to give us another demonstration, and has graciously offered to auction off the tree at the Pacific Northwest Bonsai Auctionwhen it is ready (maybe not this year, but sometime!).

Looking at art is great. Making art is better. - Frank

You can find out more about upcoming events at Jigsaw by visiting the calendar. We encourage people to drop by the space at 1026 Madison St any time we're open (working on set hours, but someone is usually there any evening, and all day on weekends) and say hello!

The Hideout, an art gallery / speakeasy style First Hill bar celebrates five years on First Hill this Saturday with a party.  In addition to the vending machine and other art delights that can be found there, The Hideout has recruited performers from across the country to perform theater at the space: "We will produce shows seven days a week, with the house opening at 4:00 pm Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 6:00 pm."

Here is the full announcement from co-owner Greg Lundgren:

Dear Friends,

Some of you may recall that The Hideout was created as a 5-year performance piece. We viewed the bar as a stage and the participants - both patrons and staff alike - as actors on this stage. In the world of theater, five years is an unusually long run, and there were many reasons why The Hideout could have fallen short of our expectations.

While five years is a long time for a play to run, it is not entirely unheard of. In fact, many acts of theatre (particularly musical theatre) just run and run and run. It is fair to assume that the producers of Cats did not premeditate an 18 year run, or that Rent would be on Broadway for 12. Phantom of the Opera leads the pack with 22 years onstage and Les Miserables couldn't have been too miserable with 6,680 performances clocked in. Granted, The Hideout did not produce an award winning soundtrack or take home a Tony, but it does hold something in common with these productions - no one could think of a decent reason to stop them. Plays are extended because the cast, the audience and the producers are all having a really good time. And why stop a good time.

Five years ago Jeff Scott and Greg Lundgren turned on a neon cocktail sign, opened the doors to The Hideout and braced themselves for the unknown. They had never owned or worked in a bar, and even their history with theatre was dicey at best (Mr. Lundgren took home the worst play of the year in 2003 for I Am An Artist and Mr. Scott's independent feature film Rewind failed to sway the festival circuit). Five years sounded like an eternity at the time.

Over the course of the last five years we have witnessed amazing things. Some of our original cast are still with us and some have moved on to other successful productions (Tara now in the lead role at Grey and Chuck recently left to pursue his dreams in the Big Apple). More than a handful of our regular cast moved on to the big theatre in the sky, and some just settled down, had kids and retired from the stage entirely. So as we contemplated our extended run, we realized we were short a few characters, that we needed a casting call, to throw a big net, to fortify the cast with freaks and villains and beauty queens. If The Hideout was to carry on with any continued measure of success, we needed to solicit some of the most talented, entertaining, colorful and interesting characters we could find - actors of the most honed skills and discreet intention. And we found them.

For the better part of this year we scouted Los Angeles green rooms and Atlantic City card rooms. We posted fliers all over Las Vegas and spent a week in Saratoga Springs. Our list was long and the requirements were strict. We needed a new creepy lawyer. We needed washed up old men with unbelievable stories. There were emotionally unstable but incredibly sexy soccer moms to track down - first year art students, jazz musicians and butchers and deep sea divers. We found a snake wrestler in Dallas and a magician from Mexico City. Some of them are professionals, others, I don't think, have ever acted before. But it is a circus - a parade of amazing, talented people, an army of artists and writers and drag queens and inventors. And for the next five years, they will be amongst you - chatting, drinking, dancing, asking questions and telling secrets. They are here for you. It is costing us a fortune. So engage, ask questions, play along - order a drink, sit back and watch the performance unfold. It really makes television look dreadfully boring. You won't like all of them, but some you will fall in love with. A few look intimidating and unapproachable, but don't be shy. They will enter and exit with the subtlest of cues and even our staff is not entirely sure who is on the payroll . This is our idea of theatre and we expect this extended run to be a really, really good time. 

To celebrate these first five years and the dawn of a new chapter, we will be throwing one hell of an anniversary party this Saturday night (April 17th). Come down and meet some of the new cast, share stories with some of the original crew, have a good time, play, and know that this is a stage where you are free to experiment, explore and take chances. We don't know how long this performance will last - it's a very uncertain world, but for the time being, we will produce shows seven days a week, with the house opening at 4:00 pm Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 6:00 pm.

In preparation for the extended run, The Hideout will be closed for rehearsals and set changes Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (yes, that is yesterday, today and tomorrow), opening again on Wednesday. Please join us this Saturday to celebrate five years of quality entertainment, and the dawning of a new chapter in The Hideout's history.

Thank you for your continued patronage and support.

Sincerely,

The Hideout

Via a classifieds ad on our sister site, CHS, we learn that Madison is losing an independent retailer:

City Books on First Hill is closing and will be starting a Huge Wall to Wall closing sale Wednesday April 14th at 8 am. Every single item will be on sale including books, gifts and gift wrap, children's books and toys, and much more. Come check out our selection of fixtures, office equipment and furniture -- it all has to go. Hurry in for the best selection. City Books is located at 1305 Madison Street on First Hill. Sale hours after opening on Wednesday April 14th are Monday through Friday 8 am till 5 pm.

In January, owners Cynthia Russell and Kirby McCoy posted an open letter saying they were struggling to stay in business at the 1305 Madison shop:

City Books, like many other small businesses, is in dire straits right now.  Over the last 2 ½  years,  our sales have dropped more than 35% while, of course, our underlying costs have risen.  This store has never been a money-making machine, nor was that ever our priority.  I like being on the sales floor; I like knowing my customers and recommending just the right title for them.  Kirby thrives on selecting perfect cards and dynamite gift items for the store and then using her considerable talents to arrange those items in appealing displays.  We like being able to run this business and still maintain a level of balance in our lives.  We enjoy hearing about your children, cats or dogs or simply what’s going on in your lives.

Some of you have expressed your concerns, and they are appreciated.  Others have commented on the declining number of books on the shelves and want to know if we are going to stay in business.  Our standard answer is “We are here today.”  But if you want us to be here for many more todays, we need to be honest about this situation and say that quite frankly, it is in your hands how many more days we are here.  If we are no longer important to you or to the quality of life in this neighborhood, then it is indeed time for us to close and move on. 

However, if you think we still can contribute in a positive fashion, let us know by shopping here.  Ordering books that we don’t have in the store is never a problem, and special orders usually arrive within a week.  Ordering gift items or cards is a bit harder but we always make the best effort to meet your requests. 

If  we stay in business or not, it has been our privilege to be a part of this community and your lives for the past 12 ½ years. And for that opportunity, please accept our gratitude.

Meanwhile, Elliott Bay Book Co. is slated to open its new Capitol Hill location this week.

Over on our sister site CapitolHillSeattle.com, we're writing about spaces where businesses have either closed down or moved on. First Hill has one of these spaces of its own -- and FHS is happy to report it's about to be reactivated. 1026 Madison, the former home of departed European boutique Mallow, is now home to Jigsaw Renaissance.

"Basically, we're a place for people to learn or create anything," co-owner Lion Kimbro tells FHS.  We have a drill press, band saw, wood, myriad tools, a sewing machine, a fridge, and many many more things.  We're like an unschool for adults."

Kimbro says Saturdays between 12 and 6 PM is a good time for stopping by. "It's our 'open house' time," Kimbro said. This Saturday, Jigsaw is planning to host lessons from a bonsai expert, by the way, so bring your scissors.

Jigsaw is planning a grand opening party for May 8th. The project joins Metrix Create:Space (an advertiser on sister site CHS) on the north end of Broadway in a growing trend of make space businesses in the area.

We also asked Kimbro a couple questions about the new space.

Why Jigsaw Renaissance now?
Because now is the right time!  I think people are really tired of spirituality that are theory oriented, that don't get their hands dirty.  I think people are tired of jobs that are all mindless computation, and don't have visible practicality.  I think people want to connect with each other, and truly change their culture:  Not in an abstract way, but in the day to day interaction.  Everything can be so virtual these days;  We are in a search for the actual.  We want to actualize the power of dream, and we do it by connecting this beam to that bolt, and by watering this other plant so that it comes up leafy green.

These are my own feelings, these are my own thoughts -- everybody comes with a different story.  But this is how it looks to me.

How does the business part work? (how do you make money? :) )

We are member driven.

Membership is most important to us, and a member is a person who strongly aligns with our vision, who strongly aligns with our mission.

After that, there are dues, which are $15/month.  Keyed members contribute $100/month, and people can get a desk space for $200/month.  There are other sources of income that we are exploring.  Presently, we're about 1/2-way to our minimum financing goals.  We're on a track, ...