Seattle Culture

Microsoft Awards $5M Worth Of Grants To AI innovators
The grants are part of the company’s 50th anniversary this year
Microsoft has given 20 organizations $50,000 each as part of its AI for Good grants program. The grants — part of an initiative to celebrate Microsoft’s 50th anniversary this year — recognize organizations for their innovations in artificial intelligence. The organizations — who applied for the grants earlier this year — receive resources to help…

A Big Win for Pioneer Square’s Small Businesses
New grants fuel neighborhood establishments as downtown changes and pressures mount
The federal government is pulling funding from important community services, research and nonprofits. Across the region, organizations are scrambling to stay open — or closing for good. Small businesses are getting hammered by tariffs and recession fears. But in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood, there’s a different story unfolding. The Alliance for Pioneer Square, a nonprofit focused…

Clarity: Back to Where it All Began
Seattle is different than it once was. That doesn’t mean it’s worse.
I like to tell people that sports brought me to Seattle. This is technically correct: My first trip to the city was to watch a college basketball game. This was back in 1987, and I was 12 years old. The truth is that generosity is what got me here, though. My family lived in Southern…

Seattle Podcast: Laura Hoffman: Microsoft AI for Good
The Seattle Podcast talks to Laura Hoffman about Microsoft's AI innovations and how human-centered tech can create positive global impact.
The Seattle Podcast talks to Laura Hoffman about Microsoft’s AI innovations and how human-centered tech can create positive global impact.

Seattle Commute Survey Shows More Office Activity
Both transit travel and driving trips are on the rise
Downtown Seattle foot traffic still isn’t nearly what it was prior to the pandemic, but more people are commuting to offices on a regular basis. The 2024 Commute Seattle Survey finds that both transit travel and drive-alone trips are on the rise as remote working drops. Citywide, the percentage of people reporting that their jobs…

Master of Transparency
Award-winning architect Eric Cobb’s work seamlessly meshes glass, space and light
Noted architect Eric Cobb is collaborating on a second-home project near The Gorge Amphitheatre with a former junior high school soccer teammate, embodying a classic Seattle story of connection. The new Cliffe Pointe at the Gorge project located within the Cave B Estate grounds features 60 second homes surrounded by vineyards, natural sage, and rolling…

Seattle Pride Seeks Support As Sponsorships Dry Up
The nonprofit has launched a fundraising campaign to make up for a $350,000 deficit
For Patti Hearn, no amount is too small. Every little bit helps. Hearn, executive director of Seattle Pride, is working feverishly to bridge a $350,000 fundraising gap because of shifts in corporate sponsorship. Seattle Pride — a nonprofit foundation that produces the annual Seattle Pride Parade and a slew of other events, including Seattle Pride…

The Pulse: Smells Like Spring
Surveillance debates and a Jurassic-sized surprise
It’s been warm enough to eat outside, so we did: enchiladas and cucumber salad on the deck last night, with a light chicken manure breeze for ambiance. No shade to the neighbors — it’s garden season, and I support it 100%. Here’s what’s going on around town… Spice Waala’s soft serve flavor this week? Turmeric…

Sandy Sanctuary
Mercer Island couple find bliss with a cabana on the beach
With 8,000 lakes, fifth most in the country, Washington is a happy hunting ground for waterfront lots. Highly popular Lake Chelan, the third-deepest lake in the United States, is not on the top of the list of affordable freshwater options, at least not anywhere near Chelan, where scarce waterfront residential lots start at $2 million….

Must List: Six Fun Things to Do in Seattle This Week
Apr 24 - Apr 30
Music in the air
Bring it, Seattle. You are stunning under blue skies. If you’re looking for something to check out between iced coffee runs, this art show about climate change looks incredible. The annual City Nature Challenge is back. Log a bug, animal, or plant and help scientists track biodiversity. The state’s trying to hit our bar tabs…

The Space Arranger
Kyle Gaffney and SkB take a holistic approach to building design
To say that Kyle Gaffney backed into a career in architecture may be a bit exaggerated, but he did get a late start. Gaffney, a cofounder and principal at Seattle architecture firm SkB, suffered a devastating knee injury and lost a soccer scholarship to the University of Puget Sound. Instead of college he went to…

Spot. Snap. Identify.
Help Seattle win a worldwide wildlife challenge just by taking pictures
Grab your phone, open your camera, and start looking for bugs. Or birds. Or that weird plant you always see but have no idea what it is. Seattle-Tacoma is back in for the world’s largest bioblitz, kicking off April 25. Around here, spotting an eagle during the afternoon commute or a strange mushroom on the…

Book Excerpt: Old White Man Writing
Seattle resident Joshua Gidding examines his own white privilege
In his book, Old White Man Writing, Seattle resident Joshua Gidding attempts to come to terms with his privilege. Gidding grapples with the rapidly changing cultural norms in 21st-century America while examining his own racial biases and prejudices. As Manhattan Book Review notes: “Old White Man Writing is an introspective deep dive into an eventful life…
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