Jessica J.

Best Plumbing & Sewer

We went to Best Plumbing to choose all of the new fixtures for our kitchen and bathroom remodel. Although we thought this was going to be easy it turned out to be incredibly overwhelming! Best Plumbing had so many choices in their showroom - and not only high end "I wish" pieces, but the more practical middle of the road choices as well. We went on a Saturday morning and it was an absolute madhouse! As a result it took us a while to get help, but once we did the service was great. The person who helped us was very knowledgeable and extremely patient. We ultimately ordered a number of items from Best and our sales person was able to see us all the way through the process, right up until the time all of our purchases were delivered. A great experience!

Custom Builders

Everyone I know has a story about what a nightmare their remodel was. Not us. Custom Builders was absolutely a dream to deal with. They did an entire kitchen remodel, including moving an exterior wall, and bathroom remodel in about ten weeks. The project was exactly on budget and exactly on time. Not that you could ask for anything more from a contractor, but in addition to being on time and on budget, they also made a huge effort to make sure that the construction mess was well contained so that we could continue to live in the house during construction. These guys were great!

City Builders

What a terrible experience. We met with a number of contractors prior to beginning our kitchen remodel process, most of them were great, City Builders was the exception. City Builders refused to give us even a rough bid until we went through their design process - supposedly free of charge. However, at the end of the design process, they gave us a VERY high bid. When we decided not to use them they suddenly wanted to charge us for the design work, including the work of an interior designer who was absolutely terrible and who we complained about multiple times during the course of the "design" phase. In the end it was a massive pain and we were glad to end the relationship

Patenaude Starla - Wallingford Pediatrics

Dr. Springer is the only MD at this office and it is a bit tricky to get an appointment with him. However, the ARNPs, who we usually see, are absolutely wonderful. Not only is their bedside manner wonderful, but they offer naturopathic remedies for minor ailments, don't push antibiotics for every little cough and have a more staggered vaccination schedule if you are worried about overwhelming your little one with multiple shots right away. The after hour care is wonderful as well. My only complaint is the parking. Three spots in their lot and the remainder is street parking - not always ideal when you have a squirmy toddler with you.

Shenmen Healing Ctr

I really can't remember how I found Shenmen Healing Center, but I am so glad I did! I went for acupuncture and saw Heather Coyle. Heather is everything you want in a provider. She really listens and works with you to pinpoint what she can help you with. Among other things, I saw Heather when I was trying to get pregnant, when other things had not worked, acupuncture did. I also saw her before getting pregnant a second time. I have also referred friends and relatives to Heather for a variety of problems and she seems to have been successful with bringing relief to every one of them. I can't say enough good things about Heather and would recommend her to anyone!

Shenmen offers a variety of services, counseling, acupuncture, etc. The only downside is the parking, which can be a bit tricky on weekends.

Ramona Cleaners

My husband and I have a TON of dry cleaning and we used to have a great dry cleaner. When we moved to a new neighborhood the search was on for a replacement. We tried Ramona Cleaners because it was so near our new home. However, our first and last experience there was a total disaster.

When I picked up our dry cleaning, we discovered several shirts were missing. When my husband returned to ask about the shirts, he was first told that Ramona absolutely did not have them - we must have miscounted. When he finally convinced them to double check, the shirts were located. My husband was then told that I must not have paid the full amount due ($75) when I picked up the first batch of cleaning. So my husband paid for the newly located shirts - again. In order to get a refund on the double payment for the shirts, we then had to return with our original receipt showing that I had in fact paid the full $75 the first time around. Instead of apologizing, the person at the counter told my husband she had undercharged him for one blouse and would refund him the difference minus the ($2) undercharge.

Obviously mistakes can happen anywhere, no big deal. But the attitude at Ramona seems to be - the business is always right and the customer is always wrong. There was never an apology or an effort to make things right. We won't be back.

Metro Tailoring

I have had nothing but good experiences with Metro Tailoring. It is, literally, a hole in the wall on the top floor of the Westlake shopping center, owned and operated by one of the nicest women. The prices are reasonable, about the same as what Nordstrom would charge for the same work. The turn around time is always fast, sometimes overnight if you ask. I have always been satisfied with the quality of the work, and on the rare occasion I thought things should have been done differently, it has never been a problem to make a minor adjustment here or there.

Bulldog News

This is one of the best places in Seattle to find newspapers and magazines for every taste. Bulldog carries everything from local journals to mainstream magazines of every kind to newspapers from around the world. Bulldog also offers internet access by the minute and their rates are pretty good. The staff is always friendly and knowledgeable and can usually help you find whatever you are looking for - no matter how unusual. While you are there you can pick up a pretty good cup of coffee as well.

University Book Store

University Book Store is a great example of a thriving independent book store. University Book Store carries a great selection of books ranging from textbooks and non-fiction to current best sellers. There is also a great gift shop, and an excellent art supply section downstairs. In short, if they don't have it, you probably don't need it. Best of all they host a great deal of the authors who come through Seattle. The University District location is generally easy to access - except at the beginning of each academic quarter when it is an absolute mad house.

Athena Flora

I really can't say enough good things about Athena Flora. I had a general idea of what I wanted, but Athena really brought it to life. She listened to everything I said about the style and tone I wanted, looked at the colors for the wedding party and my gown and made suggestions that were completely on the mark. The flowers were more beautiful that I had imagined. We had a Jewish wedding, and Athena did the chuppa as well. It was really amazing - absolutely a work of art. Not only was the finished product great, but Athena was super easy to work with, great about returning phone calls and emails. What a great experience!