Light Industrial Lifestyle

A few months ago I joined a cigar club located in SODO.

Running parallel to the working Port of Seattle, SODO is home to light manufacturing and heavy transport.

It's thought of as Seattle's destination for professional baseball, soccer and football, though the parks for those events define the northern edge of SODO, its border with Pioneer Square.

The designation "SODO" itself acknowledges this. The acronym means (I think) "south of the Dome," a reference to the Kingdome, which in the 90s was torn down to make way for Qwest Field, now dutifully re-branded as Century Link Field. (Some day I have to get my hands on the naming rights contract.)

South of the parks, along First Avenue, are enterprises of all kinds and sizes.

Alchemy Goods, a maker of messenger and laptop bags from recylced bicycle intertubes, is here. The very excellent Macrina Bakery bakes the goods for its various area outlets here. And Starbucks has its international headquarters here, too.

Over the years I've harbored many urban lifestyle fantasies that never quite come off. For instance, I used to wish I'd keep a house friends would feel free to drop in at. That hasn't happened. I have to work at finding summer evenings to invite people over. Another example: I've often resolved to walk to work more regularly. But I never seem to build in the time and end up driving.

But in joining a club located in SODO - and without really intending this to happen - I've shaken up my routine in a way that adds light industrial textures, sounds, colors and flavors to the mosaic of my Seattle experience.

I'm staying tuned.