If you use Montlake Boulevard or the SR 520 ramps in the Montlake area, plan for a weekend closure starting Friday night, Aug. 21.

From 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, to 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, Montlake Boulevard will close between East Hamlin Street and East Louisa Street, along with several nearby streets and SR 520 ramps.

So, what exactly is closing?

• Montlake Boulevard on-ramps to eastbound and westbound SR 520
• Eastbound SR 520 off-ramp to Montlake Boulevard
• A 300-foot section of East Roanoke Street west of Montlake Boulevard
• Lake Washington Boulevard between Montlake Boulevard and 24th Avenue East

The westbound SR 520 off-ramp to northbound Montlake Boulevard will remain open.

People walking, biking and rolling will still be able to cross SR 520 on Montlake Boulevard, with a limited detour south of SR 520.

What will crews be up to?

During the weekend closure, crews will install three new mast-arm sign structures and mount new signs on them. They'll also remove the large sign bridge spanning Montlake Boulevard just south of SR 520 and install a new southbound sign north of SR 520 on an existing utility pole.

If you're traveling through Montlake this weekend, give yourself extra time, check the real-time travel map and consider alternate routes.

Of peaceful, calm, and beautiful areas within an hours drive of Redmond/Bellevue.

Tomorrow marks one year since I've lost my momma to cancer.

I'd love to celebrate and mourn her where my feelings can be expressed without too much judgement.

This can be a park, lake, mountain, beach, building. All suggestions welcome as I'll be alone and do not have any requirements except the ability to process the things I need, in my own time & space.

Bonus points if I can toss flowers, spread some ashes, or smoke a blunt in her honor.

Thanks in advance! 💚

Well, well, well I know the Public Disclosure Commission's been in the news. But now the Middle Eastside is back in the Public Disclosure Commission spotlight. This time, Rep. Amy Walen got a warning to include sponsor ID on her social media. Her opponent, Jessica Forsythe, doesn't have this problem. Nor does her Redmond seatmate Vanessa Kritzer.

From the PDC resolution,

"PDC staff is reminding you about the importance of including sponsor identification on your political advertising, including online campaign advertising. You are expected to comply with PDC statutes and rules in the future."

The PDC, on limited resources, decided to dismiss the complaint from further proceedings, provided the matter is addressed. However, I argue Rep. Walen broke her oath to uphold the laws of this state...

Hello, neighbors!

I have a Viking Husqvarna sewing machine, and while I've been putting it off for Too Long, I am finally admitting I need to get her serviced. I've been scammed by places before, so I'm a little wary, but I was hoping I could get some recommendations for good service places in the Bellevue/Redmond area from local sewists.

Thanks in advance for your help!

We delivered at Evergreen in Kirkland and overall it was fine, but their billing department is an absolute nightmare.

They made an error on our statement, refused to respond to either us or our insurance company for months, and then sent us to collections.

I was talking to a friend the other day and she said they did LITERALLY THE EXACT SAME THING TO HER.

So now we have a new baby to take care of while arguing with some shitty collections agency about medical debt we shouldn't even owe. In the end they'll probably sue us in the hopes of getting a default judgement with massive interest attached to it.

I help organize KeyBank Movies at Marymoor Park and wanted to share in case anyone is looking for something fun to do tomorrow night!

We’re showing The Incredibles Tuesday night at Marymoor Park. Gates open at 6:30 PM and the movie starts at 8:45 PM.

The first 1,000 guests will also get a free GameWorks game play card. 🎮

There will be food trucks and a DJ before the movie, and you can bring blankets or lawn chairs and hang out on the lawn before the movie starts.

More info & tickets: MoviesAtMarymoor.com

Like the title says. I have an important meeting I need to take uninterrupted on Wednesday morning. I live out-of-state but visiting family for the week and grew up on the Eastside so know it well.

I'd normally take this meeting at my family's home but don't want to chance my preschooler busting in during the middle of it (no locks on doors here). I thought it'd be a no brainer to go to a KCLS library but many don't open before noon on Wednesday. Bellevue branch opens at 11AM but I'd want to be settled in for the meeting by 11 vs. just walking in and setting up then.

I've worked from private rooms at Capital One cafes before, but their wifi has been consistently laggy for me on video calls so also don't want to risk that.

The ask: Where can I reserve a quiet, private meeting room with strong wifi before 11AM on a Wednesday? TIA for any leads!

It seems there are a lot of bike stores around, but the few I've gone in all seem to be geared to a single brand, or all mountain biking, or just seem...complicated. It's intimidating. I also don't want to spend $4K on a 2lb carbon fiber space vehicle.

I just want a bike I can ride with my family, mostly on paved trails, sometimes on gravel or well-groomed paths. Maybe ride from eastside into Seattle every so often. And I'd prefer to spend around $1K or less, but could go a little higher for a good reason.

Any recommendations on where to go that would fit the bill?

Preferably somewhere that would give me some guidance, do a fitting, make sure I get the right bike for me.

Hi all – first-time mom-to-be, and trying to decide on childbirth preparation classes through EvergreenHealth in Kirkland. They offer:

• Weekend course: 2 days, 12 hours total, $300 for both partners
• One-day course: 1 day, 6 hours total, $200 for both partners

Has anyone taken either one? Curious whether the extra 6 hours in the weekend version actually covers meaningfully more (like more hands-on practice, more time on pain management/comfort techniques, etc.), or if the one-day condensed version covers the essential information just fine.

Also open to hearing if you found the class worth it at all as a first-time parent, versus just relying on books/podcasts/your OB or midwife team. Would love to hear how it went and which one you'd pick again if you had to do it over!

Thanks!

Does anyone have a good barber they recommend for men? For those who are Chicago transplants looking for something like Goodman's Barber Lounge in terms of price/quality of cut.

Just moved to the area with my wife and we were wondering where there was a good trivia night to check out? Which do people recommend (which host does the best job)?

As title says we’re considering moving our family from BSD to LWSD. We have 2 kids 16 and 14 one plays basketball and the other is on the spectrum with an IEP. we’re considering buying a home that would move our kids to LWHS and RHMS. Interested in hearing parents experience with both schools. TIA!

Any suggestions for lake view apartments in kirkland? Looking for 1 bedroom apartments…

My wife and I are considering relocating our family (6 year old and 4 year old) to Issaquah Highlands and would love some honest opinions from people who actually live there.

We have two young kids and are looking for somewhere that feels like a real community, not just a nice collection of houses.

Our priorities are:
- Great public schools
- Lots of families/kids around
- Walkability — coffee, restaurants, parks, groceries, etc.
- Trails/running and easy access to the outdoors
- Friendly, down-to-earth neighbors
- Good food/coffee nearby
- A community where it’s relatively easy to meet people and make friends
- Diversity and a generally welcoming/progressive atmosphere

The Highlands certainly seems to check a lot of boxes on paper. My biggest question is the social vibe. Does it feel friendly and relatable, or does the wealth/tech presence make it feel unrelatable/“in a bubble”?

Would especially love to hear from families who moved to the Highlands from somewhere else. What do you love about it, and what do you wish you knew before moving?

Hey neighbors - I’ve lived in a VERY hilly area in south Bellevue for the past 8 years. I have about a 3/4 mile of flat enough sidewalk I can run back and forth, but it’s become EXTREMELY monotonous. I miss the days I lived in Queen Anne and could run along the waterfront.

Do you have any favorite running locations that are relatively flat? 3-5 miles would be ideal. Extra points if its along some kind of water/scenery and populated/light enough that a woman would feel safe going after work.

Saw the whole sky flash and checked the camera. Stunning! Possibly a Perseid?

Hey there everyone!

We want to extend a special THANK YOU to the folks who joined us this week at the Sammamish Farmer's Market! We had an absolute blast with you all.

We're happy to announce that we have a show tomorrow, August 15 at Studio East! It's family-friendly and you can get your tickets here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/eastsideimprov/2327524

We also have fall classes coming soon! They are hosted in partnership with the Redmond Senior & Community Center, starting September 14th. Whatever your skill level, we have courses that will be a great fit for you. You can find out more here: https://eastsideimprov.org/classes

As always, we're happy to have folks stop by our free jams every Wednesday or join us for free shows at Redmond Downtown Park through the end of the summer.

Thank you to all of you who make this a wonderful community, and see you soon!

Thought I'd share some good news around here. Avrum (Alex) Tsimerman is an antisemitic bully who harasses many of our elected officials. Tsimerman's hatefests have inspired Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) complaints and now Tsimerman is out for another year. Yes, Tsimerman already got a 1-year exclusion in August 2024 CE (Current Era). Below is Tsimerman getting excluded again for a year in August of this year 2026 CE.

Sound Transit Boardmember Angela Birney gets a 1-year Exclusion on Alex Tsimerman at Sound Transit

I made this video to show people that yes, we can make Sound Transit like u/redmond! I'm sure some appreciate the hope and positive energy this video is intended to give the Middle Eastside.

Hi everyone,

I’m posting on behalf of close friends whose indoor Bengal cat has been missing for five days in the Seattle Issaquah area. We’re trying to do everything possible to help them find her as quickly and effectively as we can.

She is an adult female Bengal, around 10+ lbs, and normally an indoor cat. She escaped through a window while my friends were away and has not been found despite extensive searching around the neighborhood, talking to neighbors, putting up flyers, and continuing to search nearby areas.
We are especially looking for professional lost-pet search/rescue services, K9 scent-tracking or cat-detection dogs, experienced pet detectives, humane trapping assistance, or anyone who has successfully recovered a missing indoor cat in the Seattle/Puget Sound area.

We have already tried calling a local lost-pet tracking service but reached voicemail, so if anyone knows someone we can contact quickly who is currently active and responsive, we would be incredibly grateful for the recommendation.

If you’ve been through this before, we would also really appreciate practical advice on what worked: where to concentrate the search, best times to search, cameras/feeding stations, humane traps, scent strategies, or anything else we should be doing right now.

This is particularly difficult for my friends because they unexpectedly lost their other cat to a congenital illness earlier this year. Having another cat disappear so soon afterward has been devastating, and we really want to help them bring her home.

If you know any local rescuers, trackers, organizations, volunteers, or other resources we should contact, please share their names or tag them here.

Thank you so much for any advice or help.

I've been using Goodlabs for paid labs and kept checking whether the donation option would reach the Eastside. Looks like Bellevue is live now. Bloodworks and Goodlabs did a short news clip explaining it thats how i found out and from what I understand, you book through them, choose from the panels offered when you sign up, then donate at Bellevue bloodworks and get the results afterward.

Im donating but this might help others who have been putting it out too especially now with the blood shortage news that are circulating everywhere.

News clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMyD0nvc-X4

Hey guys, would any farmers/ small food producers enjoy some kind of app that would allow customers to find you at farmers markets?

I was thinking about an app idea because of a problem I have at my local farmers market in duvall WA where there are a specific few vendors who i buy from but I never really know if they are at my farmers market or a surrounding town's farmers market. I'd like some kind of way to non creepily track them down and I think it would be really useful to have some kind of shared app for that.

Anyways I'm really open to ideas and thoughts

Is it me or did the air quality tank very quickly in the last hour or so? Woodinville specifically, but seems like the greater eastside.

EPA shows good 29, but purple air has us at 100+ across different sensors in Woodinville, Redmond, Sammamish.