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Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Greenwood Space Travel Supply store is open for business

Posted by on November 29 at 11:41 AM

I’ve written about 826 Seattle — fronted by a space travel supply store, called Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. — several times already, even though the grand opening hasn’t even happened yet.

A quick history of our coverage: A year and some change ago I wrote this profile of executive director Teri Hein, who was planning to start a writing center for students ages 6-18. She was going to call it Studio 26, and it was going to be in Columbia City. Her project was modeled on 826 Valencia, the writing center Dave Eggers founded in San Francisco a few years ago. Then Eggers invited Hein to make her project an official 826 chapter — there are also 826s in New York (where Sarah Vowell is president of the board), LA, and other cities… Hein found a home for 826 Seattle in Greenwood over the summer (as written about here). Then Dave Eggers, Sarah Vowell, and Death Cab for Cutie did an 826 Seattle fundraiser at Bumbershoot (previewed here). After the event, Eggers wrote a piece for The Stranger about how it all went.

The reason we’ve devoted all this coverage to the project because it’s led by Teri Hein (who was named a Stranger Genius one-to-watch this year). Local organizations live and die by their leaders, and Hein is a leader like no other. She would do terrible at a place like Hugo House or Seattle Arts & Lectures or Bookfest (when Bookfest was around). She’s no-bullshit. She hated teaching in public schools. She has decades of experience. Teenagers love her. This will not be your standard Seattle literary nonprofit. Ahem.

Anyway, 826 Seattle has been open for drop-in after-school tutoring for weeks (send your kids: it’s free, they can do their school work with a volunteer tutor [I am one], talk about writing, hangout and read, etc.) and the writing workshops start this week (also free, but you have to register). And this coming Saturday is the grand opening, from noon to 6, featuring George Saunders, Ryan Boudinot, some musical guests, and other stuff. And Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co., designed by Stranger Genius filmmaker Web Crowell, will be open for business. They sell, among other things, gravity. Here’s a picture courtesy of store volunteer Paul Hughes:
gravity_and_more.jpg
And here’s what the store looks like from the street:
GSTS_sign.jpg
And here’s a zoom to the left:
space_travel.jpg

The address is 8414 Greenwood Ave N, just south of 85th Ave N on Greenwood. The number 5 bus takes you direct from downtown. The 48 takes you direct from Rainier Beach.