Some Capitol Hill residents and business-owners said the 2015 Pike People street event was much too rowdy. Credit: CITY OF SEATTLE
Some Capitol Hill residents and business-owners said the 2015 Pike People street event was much too rowdy.
Some Capitol Hill residents and business-owners said the 2015 Pike People street event was much too rowdy. CITY OF SEATTLE

This summer’s iteration of the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Pike People Street program kicked off last night during Capitol Hill Art Walk. Sections of 11th Avenue, 10th Avenue, and Pike Street were closed off to cars for a “street activation,” which included live painting, craft booths, and several wackily-painted pianos available for public jam sessions. Visitors were even able to enjoy drinks from Spirit in the Bottle, which sits inside Marmite in Chophouse Row, outside in a small, fenced-off cocktail garden.

SDOT officials spent time last summer gathering community feedback about previous street closure events. Some of those events were held late at night and resulted in a Mardi Gras-like atmosphere with “head-butting testosterone”-fueled assholes roaming the area, some business-owners said.

Yesterday’s Pike People Street daytime event, which ran until 10 p.m., was much different.

Here’s what was going on around 7 p.m.

The fenced-off area outside of Purr was rather sleepy early in the evening.
The fenced-off area outside of Purr was rather sleepy early in the evening. ASK
Not gonna lie, a car-free Pike Street was quite a sight to behold. Folks gathered at little metal cafe tables to chat, drink coffee, and eat snacks from local shops.
Not gonna lie, a car-free Pike Street was quite a sight to behold. Folks gathered at little metal cafe tables to chat, drink coffee, and eat snacks from local shops. ASK
The painted pianos, supplied by Pianos in the Parks, were quite a hit, as were these talented dancers.
The painted pianos, supplied by Pianos in the Parks, were a hit, as were these talented dancers. ASK

If you missed last night’s event, Pike People Street events will be happening every Saturday from now until August from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. and on Capitol Hill Art Walk nights from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Happy summer!

Ana Sofia Knauf reports on Neighborhoods for The Stranger. When she’s not commuting to work by bus, she’s worrying about Seattle’s rising rents, giving herself headaches thinking about race, or trying...