Belltown Messenger

As of this issue, your fantabulous Belltown Messenger has been publishing for two years. The terrible twos are among us. Expect the next few issues to include awkward growth spurts, petulant acts of rebellion, and unexpected emotional outbursts. But don't worry too much-our staff's been trained in the latest progressive parenting techniques, so the paper won't be spending too much time in time-out mode in the corner.

However, there are times when a little willfulness is in order. One such occasion was when a recent acquaintance scoffed to me at the idea of a newspaper about Belltown. "What news ever happens there? Is it a paper all about girls in tank tops yelling 'WOO'?"

No, there are many, many stories to be told in this odd little sliver of a neighborhood. Some 10,000 people now live in Belltown. That's more than in Snohomish, Port Townsend, Snoqualmie, North Bend, Leavenworth, Ocean Shores, Hoquiam, or Sumner. And 20,000 people work in Belltown, at RealNetworks, restaurants and bars, KIRO and KOMO, Sub Pop, doggie day cares, the Fourth and Battery Building, condo construction, boutiques, architectural firms, and scores of small businesses. (Another 10,000 people live, and another 140,000 people work, in the rest of greater downtown Seattle.)

This is an active, growing, dynamic place, that's retained much of its funky can-do spirit. It's a place where people still walk around, where different social castes still interact. That's a lot of real-life human drama, and we're just getting started. With this much to feed on, we'll grow into a big boy in no time.