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The Pulse: January in Motion

Scholarships, piano recycling, and Seattle’s shifting tech scene

Modern geometric building with glass and metal exterior, featuring layered, angular design elements. Trees and people present at the street level.
Seattle Central Public Library
Photo by Joe Wolf / Flickr

January feels like a recovery month. After December’s frenzy, things have finally settled. The days are lengthening, but just barely. I’m re-reading this book to remind myself how to tackle 4:30 p.m. sunsets without turning into a candle-obsessed recluse — or at least to feel better about if I do.

Our new magazine is out! Have you read it yet? Inside, you’ll find bios on each of Seattle’s Most Influential People — they’re all incredible. Here’s the full list.  

Unwanted pianos are getting new life thanks to this recycling program.

Expanded library hours are coming at the end of the month. I always have my library card handy — what about you?

The Best African Restaurants in Seattle.

Who’s joining me in the streets on Jan. 18?

Know a Seattle teen in need of a college scholarship? Many of the deadlines are in February — spread the word.

Looks like Apple is really moving into South Lake Union.

Teenage me would’ve flipped for this Your Last Meal episode with Ani DiFranco. If you’ve never listened, Seattle food writer Rachel Belle hosts the show, asking what people would eat for their last meal — and it’s such a fascinating listen (the John Early episode is also great).

This bill could change how neighborhood cafés (and other businesses) operate across the state.

What do you think, is 2025 primed to be the year of the Eastside?

This series on banned books is so good. We interviewed Jonathan Evison last year. He shared his experience navigating the controversy around Lawn Boy.

Could you live a year without your phone?

Shoutout to Costco for standing firm on DEI. The company rejected a shareholder proposal to roll back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Yet another reason to love the hometown favorite.

This doesn’t come as a surprise.

We’re having friends over for brunch and making these lemony, cheesy berry pancakes.

Congrats to Lily Gladstone who is nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in Under the Bridge.

Plus, our favorite reader comment this week, from our story: Seattle Doctor: Quit Drinking Now

If bars will be less crowded, then I endorse this message.”  — @buildings_of_seattle

 

What’s catching your eye this week? Let us know @seattlemag

Soapbox Project Founder Nivi Achanta Centers Community and Joy in Climate Justice

Soapbox Project Founder Nivi Achanta Centers Community and Joy in Climate Justice

The Seattle organizer shares why taking action helps her stay hopeful—and how anyone can get started. 

If you were asked to envision what the world could look like in the future, you might take a page out of a dystopian book. But what about imagining a future that feels more hopeful, one where you have access to reliable transit, green spaces, and opportunities to gather in community with others? That’s exactly…

Remember When the Eastside Felt Like a Road Trip?

Remember When the Eastside Felt Like a Road Trip?

Months after the Sound Transit 2 Line began crossing Lake Washington, Seattle and the Eastside feel a whole lot closer.

There’s a particular kind of optimism and happiness you feel when a city decides to connect itself to its own future. World-class cities invest in the invisible things that make everything else possible. They make it easier for ideas to collide, for workers to access opportunity, for culture to flow. The East–West light rail Crosslake…

Rearview Mirror: World Cup Fervor, New Local Music, and Soccer-Themed Art

Rearview Mirror: World Cup Fervor, New Local Music, and Soccer-Themed Art

Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).

Experience World Cup 2026 fervor in Seattle! From Death Cab for Cutie’s new album to soccer-themed art at Railspur and Seattle Center sand sculptures.

World Cup 26 Is Keeping the Region Busy. So Are Its Recycling Bins.

World Cup 26 Is Keeping the Region Busy. So Are Its Recycling Bins.

A local expert explains what actually happens after a plastic bottle leaves the bin.

Seattle is buzzing right now. In the first 11 days of World Cup 26, Waterfront Park recorded more than 451,000 visits, including nearly 85,000 on June 19 alone. SEA Airport has also seen some of its busiest travel days ever, with match-day crowds and summer travelers moving through the city. That is a lot of…