[Author’s note: Today, Monday, October 15, is the grand opening of Little Big Burger in the Smith and Burns building on 45th Street. To mark the occasion, LBB is offering free burgers all day long. I dropped in on a “soft opening,” where I compiled the following story.]

I could have taken a hint from the guy from Portland who stepped up to the counter and enthusiastically ordered two burgers. Or I could have paid more attention to the name: Little Big Burger. And then there was the price of the cheeseburger I ordered: just $5. But it only came …

Woodland Park installed gates on roads leading into the park over the summer and early autumn.  The gates sat idle for some time after installation, but I noticed the gates recently being locked overnight starting in late September.  

However, the gates seem to be closed with no regard for the presence of cars in the parking lots.  Most mornings, I walk by the lots on the south side of the park just east of Aurora and half the time cars are in the lot including large motor homes.  By being locked in, it seems to be providing extra security to …

Jeff Garfield, owner of Bedrooms and More gave me a sneak peek tour of the new building they’re putting up at the corner of NE 45th and 4th Ave NE and, while it is actually pretty incredible, and will serve well, I believe, as the northwest corner of the Gateway to Wallingford, it was something Jeff told me about their existing store, half a block to the west, that amazed me the most.

Bedrooms and More has occupied the same spot since 1972, but they knocked down their original building in February, 1986. In July 1986, they opened the doors …

Neighborhood children rejoice! Just in time for the start of the rainy season, the new playground at Gas Works Park is open for business.

I took my little ones to the park to get their take on the new facilities, and was told it gets “eighty thousand thumbs up!”

There are large and small climbing structures, a couple of slides, a swinging net big enough for multiple children, a super-popular spinning climber, and even a lovely patio for parents to sit and enjoy the fine views.

Once the Wallingford Playfield closes for construction, this will be our new neighborhood destination …

The season is changing and the warm summer crops are withering along the streets of the neighborhood. Enjoy the last of those tomatoes… but believe it or not, there is still one more crop you can get in the ground that will thrive in our mild winter with very little assistance. That fabulous crop is… garlic!

Garlic doesn’t take up a lot of space or require a lot of attention. Plant it before Halloween and it will be ready to harvest around the Fourth of July. Once it is in the ground it is really a “set it and forget …

While many are the stores that carry Purina and Friskies, the sole source in our neighborhood for food for the more discriminating dog or cat has long been Wallypets near Wallingford Center. In the next few months however, Wallypets will be getting some competition for the business of catering to the fine-dining needs of our pets.

Coming sometime this fall, All The Best Pet Care will be moving into the space formerly occupied by Fusion Beads at 3830 Stone Way. Fusion Beads closed its doors about a year ago.

All the Best is a small, local chain with about a …

Well, if you’re a sequoia tree, being one year old ain’t much, but if you’re a small business, one is something to celebrate. Last year, we wrote about the opening of Pacific Northwest Shop’s first Seattle store. (They already had one in Tacoma.) Today, they celebrate their first year here in Wallingford.

From their facebook announcement:

We’re excited to celebrate our first year in Seattle and in Wallingford! Come and join us anytime from 10 to 6 on Saturday the 29th for tasty nibbles and drinks, door prizes, and other giveaways. We look forward to seeing you!…