I hate to sound like a scold but,
in order to have "dive bars" you need the blue collar clientele that's been largely priced out of the city.

So sad - more casualties of a successful economy. I'm still smarting over the loss of the Canterbury on 15th. It's NOT still the Canterbury now, it's just another upscale shitty joint full of young mo pricks. Bitter? You betcha. Give me a quiet, non-scene place to have a drink and good conversation. The Pacific Inn in Fremont is one of the last holdouts now. I'm sure some rich asshole with "a vision" will buy it up and turn it into something upscale.

@2: NO!! The PI is terrible, no person who doesn't hang there already, should never go there, go to Murphy's a few blocks away.

The PI is the best bar in this city, hands down. Great fish and chips, good beer selection, killer juke box, just enough attitude behind the bar, and a mixed enough clientele to keep it interesting. Take out the fish and chips and that describes the streamline.

I go to the Streamline every week and the rumor is true - I believe New Years Eve is their last night.

Sounds like the pool for dive bars is getting rather shallow.

The entire block the great, great Streamline is on is being turned into the South Korean consulate next year.

There are dive bars all over the suburbs and small towns around Seattle and all along aurora ave n and Pac highway south.

Sure the dive bars are being gentrified out of Ballard, Capitol Hill, and QA, but they are all over the rest of King Co. Maybe it's time for trucker hat wearing, $5 PBR swilling, hipsters to put their money where their waxed mustache is and move to Gold Bar?

Is going cash-only to prevent their creditors from seizing in their already overdrawn bank accounts ?

There will always be dive bars, they just move around now and then.

I always preferred the neighborhood-style dives, like Targy's.

Redwood on Capitol Hill is supposedly closing by the end of the year as well.

Good riddance. Want cheap beer, buy it from a grocery store and drink it. Dive bars suck ass for all the same reasons they are called dive-bars.

Disappointing.

You can still get $1.50 miller at the Mecca though, so it's not a total loss.

A short (not-comprehensive by any stretch) list of in-the-city chill/divey bars from someone who grew up here:
Leny's Place-- Wallingford
Pacific Inn Pub--Fremont
Central Saloon-- Pioneer Square
Targy's-- Upper Queen Anne
Smoke Shop-- Ballard
Back Door Pub-- Lake City
Loretta's -- South Park
Souvanny's-- Rainier Beach
Double Header-- Pioneer Square
The Hummingbird Saloon-- Columbia City
Lava Lounge-- Belltown
Resevoir Tavern-- Maple Leaf
Siren Tavern-- SODO
Maxim's Sport's Bar-- Hillman City
The Crescent-- Capitol Hill
Victory Lounge-- Cascade/Eastlake
Quarter Lounge-- First Hill
Merchant Restaurant-- Pioneer Square

Some of these are a little newer, some are as old as Seattle. Some are more music-oriented, others are straight up darts-and-whisky hangouts. There's more than this, but just off the top of my head (without mentioning a few of the obvious ones.)
This list isn't meant to deny the real and pretty awful gentrification of the city, but there are still a few low-pretense hangouts left.

Booo!!! I miss it already - but I will get in there for a few more cocktails before it is too late. If someone comes in to rescue the joint I hope nothing changes. Big love to ya 2-bit!

Hard to believe The Roanoke is pretty much the oldest place left on the Hill now that The Canterbury, Comet and Piecora's are gone. Though I guess some might consider that Eastlake. Everyone seems to want new and shiny these days.