Today was the first day in over a year that I walked into a business without a mask. It was a surreal and joyful experience. Life feels, finally, to be on the verge of ordinary.

I entered Pilgrim Coffeehouse, which is celebrating its grand opening over the next few days. The coffeehouse is in Oak Tree Village, at the exact location that one of Starbuck's original North Seattle locations closed almost three years ago.

Even before its official Grand Opening, the coffeehouse has brought new life to the plaza, the freshly roasted coffee bringing me in almost every single day. This coffeehouse near the beautifully re-imagined Aurora Ave N Pedestrian bridge is in a way itself acting as Licton Spring's bridge to a post-pandemic world.

If you haven't been to Pilgrim Coffeehouse, or are just looking for something to do, or want to celebrate the return to some level of normalcy, now is a great time to go! Over the next few days, there will be some fun activities, give-aways, and food vendors. And, as always, a great cup of locally roasted coffee.

Find out more about the Grand Opening on Pilgrim's instagram.

This Saturday be part of a community effort to restore a forgotten neighborhood greenspace! Trees for Seattle needs our help to continue their work with the community to reclaim our forgotten greenspace by spreading mulch and removing blackberry. The weather looks excellent for the event, but please don’t forget to wear long pants, sturdy shoes, and appropriate layers to keep you warm and dry. Make sure you bring your rain gear just in case - we will work rain or shine!

When: Saturday, March 23rd, 2019; 9:00am – 12:00pm

Where: Look for the event on the northeast corner of N 85th St and Meridian Ave N.

What: Blackberry removal, spreading mulch and freeing trees!

Where to park/how to get there: Near the bus stop for the 45, 355, and 994. There is street parking in the neighborhood where we are working, and Bishop Blanchet, the high school directly across the street, has generously opened their parking lot our volunteers, which can be accessed from 82nd Street. The school will also be hosting a sports event, so there may be limited spots. Please use the crosswalk at 85th and Wallingford to safely cross 85th Street. Trees for Seattle should be easy to spot - the group with hot coffee and lots of shovels!

At the event, there will be coffee, water, light snacks, tools, gloves and instructions for everyone.

Together we can improve our neighborhood greenspace!

~Timothy

One year ago today, with a simple post highlighting the beauty of the Licton Springs park as spring came into view, my wife and I started Licton Spring's first community blog; LoveLicton.com. Since that time we've met so many wonderful neighbors and inspiring community groups. We've helped to host countless events, and joined all of you to fight for causes important for our neighborhood. We couldn't feel more lucky to be a part of this community and hope to continue to do our part to keep it a great place to live.

We hope this is the first of many years!

You're neighbors,

~Timothy and Amanda Crosley

Today, for many, was a snow day - as snow covered Seattle's landscape. Licton Springs was no exception, with our schools, parks, and landmarks all covered with a layer of snow.

Stay safe everyone, but take some time to enjoy the snow!

Nesbit Ave N. between N 85TH and N 90TH street has seen more than its fair share of change and disruption over the last few years. A tiny house village opened on the street 2 years ago, while reports indicated that crime was concentrating in the area. Then, after months of escalating tensions, a homeless man was shot and killed on Nesbit. While all of this was occurring, a large seemingly abandoned lot, and 2 large construction projects left few eyes on the street.

This led Seattle Neighborhood Group to create a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) report on the 8800th block of Nesbit at the end of 2017, and then survey neighbors about the area last year.

Since then, the tiny house village has announced its permanent closure, to be replaced with a 112 unit affordable housing project built by LIHI:

On the street, branches have been trimmed, new lights installed to improve visibility, and sharps containers planned. And of course, construction projects are getting closer to completion:

Seattle Neighborhood Group wants to keep this momentum going, and is hosting a community meeting to discuss the survey and improvements this Thursday:

The meeting will be held at the nearby Cascadia Elementary School, January 17th, 6-7:30 PM. Hopefully, as neighbors, we can impact the future of Nesbit together.

~Timothy