Once upon a time Seattlest considered North Aurora to be a shithole, to be avoided at all costs. But, eventually, we had to go to Home Depot and a used car lot, and that car rack store, and (doh) the unemployment office, and the movie theater, and IHOP and the European deli and Computer Stop and Chubby & Tubby (so far not Stupid Prices, though) and Kmart, Burgermaster, the cemetery and a hundred other tiny......

The Seattle Times is reporting that the last hardware store downtown is in danger of getting squeezed out. Rainier Hardware apparently has some prime storefront space in the Market and the bane of independant businesses everywhere -the re-negotiation of the lease- is rearing its head. You'll forgive Seattlest for thinking that the last hardware store downtown has been gone for years. Furthermore, we were under the impression that there weren't all that many left in......

The only reason we’re mentioning Stupid Prices is because we love its irresistibly ridiculous name. But as long as we’re on the subject... Stupid Prices is a local chain of liquidation outlets, selling all manner of merchandise dumped off by big retail stores. The first of its nine no-frills Western Washington stores -- including Woodinville’s Stupid Furniture -- opened in Federal Way in 2003. Stupid Prices has since become a favorite of thrift-minded bargain-hunters, with......