Coming to the studio from somewhere other than the Seattle area? Here’s some information about housing, transportation, and food in the area.
VA is located in the Greenwood neighborhood, which is about 8 miles north of downtown. Our specific address is 7601 Greenwood Ave N, Suite 103. The entrance is on 76th under the green awning.
SeaTac airport is located about 16 miles south of downtown Seattle. We have a light rail system that will get you downtown for about $2.50 – take it all the way to Westlake Center if you are staying downtown, and now also extends farther north. Make sure to buy a ticket from one of the machines at the train station – they will come through the cars occasionally to check that everyone paid.
You can also take a Lyft/Uber/cab but it will be at least $50 to get to the studio.
You may want to consider renting a car, depending upon where you are staying relative to the studio.
You will find nicer hotel options downtown than in our immediate area. Somewhere like the Holiday Inn Express at Seattle Center would put you right on Aurora Ave/Hwy 99 as well as the #5 bus line, and you’re also very close to downtown should you have any free time or energy for exploring. There are a few other hotels in that immediate area that seem comparably priced. Closer to the studio would be the Days Inn farther north on Aurora Ave, which looks pretty affordable and has some good reviews. Be wary of cheap accommodations on Aurora Ave in general – many are pretty skanky.
The are also a bunch of AirBnB and VRBO options in the area. Nearby neighborhoods include Green Lake, Fremont, Ballard, Phinney, and Wallingford.
We are right on the #5 bus line, which runs to and from downtown. The #48 bus also comes within a few blocks of the studio.
All of the various ride-sharing services (Uber, Lyft, etc) are alive and well in Seattle. If you are staying near VA but not right on a bus line, they might be cheaper than renting a car.
If you do have a car…parking is free on parts of Greenwood Ave and on the residential streets around us, and usually plentiful other than on Sunday mornings during church services. Watch out for the 2-hour spots on Greenwood Ave if you are staying all day – you will get ticketed. Do not park on the north side of 76th (where the studio entrance is) or in the parking spots directly across from our door – those are private residence spots.
There are plenty of places near the studio where you can fuel up and/or buy supplies for your day of training. These include Ken’s Market at 72nd and Greenwood (basic groceries, deli, fresh produce, some pre-packaged foods); PCC at 75th and Aurora (natural foods coop); and the newly-expanded Fred Meyer at 85th and 1st (a block west of Greenwood), which has a surprisingly awesome selection of organic and natural foods.
There are more coffee options along Greenwood Ave than you will ever get through in a weekend, but Bev personally recommends Makeda (77th, a few doors west). Other staff members prefer Herkimer on Greenwood.