Whistle Stop Co-op will bring a community cafe and community bicycle co-op to the neighborhoods around Othello all in one shop.

The Whistle Stop Co-op, located on the northeast corner of MLK and Othello, is holding its grand opening celebration Saturday starting at 1 p.m.

Also, Ellie Weiss tells us some of the folks behind a recent call for a While Center bike shop are leading a group ride from Caffe Delia (in Proletariat Pizza at 16th Ave SW and Roxbury) in White Center to Whistle Stop at 11 Saturday.

From Whistle Stop:

Everyone is invited to join Seattle Deputy Mayor Darrell Smith and other distinguished guests on November 5 to celebrate the grand opening of Whistle Stop Co-op, Beverages, Bagels, and Bikes, a new coffee and bike shop beside the Othello light rail station at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr Way and Othello Street.  The Nzira Marimba Band will begin playing on the patio outside at noon while free samples of espresso drinks, sandwiches, soup, and other treats are shared inside the comfortable living room setting of the shop. 

The program will begin at 1:00 pm with greetings, storytelling, community-building, and fun. This event will celebrate the rapid conversion of a formerly vacant lot into a community gathering place, complete with Wi-Fi and everything needed for a tasty, healthy breakfast, or lunch.  At one end of the building is a small bike shop so customers can have bikes fixed while eating and visiting with friends.

According to its co-founder, Mona Lee, Whistle Stop is based on some  “revolutionary notions” about community.  Every neighborhood should have a coffee shop,” said Lee.  “And big corporations don’t have to provide all our resources. We can own them together.” Enrollment in the co-op is free of charge but customers and employees will share any future profits.

Lee said the most radical motivator behind Whistle Stop Co-Op is the desire is to improve quality of life and the environment by reducing car usage. “You don’t have to spend your life stuck in traffic,” she said.   In addition to its immediate proximity to light rail which accesses down town and the airport in minutes, Metro bus # 8 to Capitol Hill stops right in front of the shop.  Along side Whistle Stop’s own large bike rack, Metro bike lockers and racks adorn the same corner .   “You can get from here to the entire world without a car.” said Lee.

To highlight its alternative transportation commitment, The Whistle Stop Co-Op grand opening will feature  “Undriving.” Undriving is an organization that issues “Undrivers licenses” to people who make a commitment to reduce their car use for one month.  During the celebration, participants can obtain Undriving licences, make commitments tp drive less, and/or support the organizations work in Seattle and other communities. 

For further information phone Mona Lee at 206-721-5672 or email [email protected]  or  http://undriving.org/whistle-stop-co-op   or www.facebook.com/WhistleStopCoOp  or www.whistle-stop-bbb.org

The neighborhood is also getting a completely reworked Othello St/Myrtle Pl. The neighborhood received a large projects grant from the Neighborhood Street Fund to improve safety on the key street in the neighborhood’s core.

There is an open house tonight (November 3) to discuss the project.

From SDOT:

Come learn about the project at our OPEN HOUSE

WHERE: New Holly Gathering Hall, 3815 S Othello St

WHEN: Thursday, Nov 3, 2011, 6 to 7:30 pm

• All are welcome!
• Presentation at 6:15 pm

Project Overview

S Myrtle/Othello Street is an east-west arterial that connects the Seward Park and Brighton neighborhoods with Othello Park, Othello Station, New Holly, Beacon Hill and further west to Georgetown.

Residents of this community have been advocating for improvements along S Myrtle/Othello Street since 2009 and successfully obtained funding through the Neighborhood Street Fund in 2010.  This project will significantly improve safety and mobility for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles along the corridor.

Project Location

S Myrtle/Othello Street between Beacon Ave S & Seward Park Ave S

Project goals:

1. Improve safety for all users of the corridor: pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, freight and vehicles
2. Reduce speeding
3. Reduce collisions

Project Schedule:

2011 Winter:  100% Design
Early 2012:  Advertise for construction
2012 Spring/Summer:  Construction Begins