Taking a walk? Why not sit down and read a book afterwards? Tiny, front-yard libraries are popping up in neighborhoods around Seattle and across the country. Many builders of these birdhouse-sized units are inspired by the Little Free Library movement launched by a carpenter and a community educator in Madison, Wisconsin. The boxes–some basic, some quite elaborate–invite passers by to stop, browse, chat, and to borrow (or leave) a good read or two.
Hillman City and Columbia City are becoming a little epicenter for these libraries in the Seattle area, as shown by Howard Gutknecht’s video tour above. Interested in creating your own little free library? Check out these photos for further inspiration!
Bridge to Beach (B2B) is on Sunday, April 27th this year.
This is the Rainier Valley Day of Service, where neighbors are out picking up trash, weeding planting strips, painting out graffiti, building benches, art projects, or whatever other kind of project that helps beautify our part of the city.
Hillman City residents have already signed up for at least one Bridge to Beach projects, including this one below:
- Bringing Beauty to Hillman City’s Concrete Planters — 8am-4pm; Rainier Ave S between Lucile and Mead. An all-day project to empty, paint, and plant those blue concrete planter boxes in Hillman City with beautiful, drought-tolerant plants. Sign up on this handy volunteer page if you’re interested in helping out and meeting some of your neighbors.
We’ll update this page as we hear of other Hillman City B2B projects in the works.
Got a neighborhood beautification project in mind? Interested in putting a team together to help you? The City of Seattle will provide the supplies! Just register your project HERE, so they’ll know what you need.
Rainier Avenue Church is a Free Methodist Church with a diverse membership, including recent immigrants. With a 100-plus year history of ministry in Rainier Valley, the church is committed to authentic community, social justice, and finding wholeness in Jesus Christ.
Mark Abbott is interim lead pastor, serving month to month from October 2013 until the board and delegates select the next long-term lead pastor.
Some of the ministries, co-housed organizations, and extra activities include the Community Development Team, Undoing Institutional Racism Committee, Urban Impact, and a community knitting and crafting group.
5900 Rainier Ave S
tel. 206.722.5616 www.rainieravenuechurch.org facebook: facebook.com/rainieravenue.church
With its giant willow tree, and rows of raised planting beds, Hillman City P-Patch is one of the Seattle P-Patch Community Gardens administered by the Department of Neighborhoods. Garden plots are tended by gardeners who rent the space from the P-Patch Program for an annual fee.
Visitors are welcome to stroll through the garden, but veggies and flowers belong to the gardeners that tend each individual plot. P-Patch gardeners regularly contribute surplus produce to the Food Bank.
tel. 206.684.0264