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From learning the healing powers of Chinese herbal remedies, to experiencing the hustle and bustle of a Laotian market, more than 50 local travelers sampled their way across the globe this summer without ever leaving Seattle. How?
For the past six years, NeighborWorks network member HomeSight and the Martin Luther King Business Association (MLKBA) have played cultural ambassador for those looking to explore the sights, sounds and tastes of the Othello and Graham business districts through a business tour. These free tours help neighbors and visitors from all over the Puget Sound area, and as far away as Germany, discover one-of-a-kind, locally-owned, small businesses, restaurants and other hidden gems in one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Seattle.
Tour participants visit Co Lam Pagoda.
MLK Jr. Way, located between Othello and Graham Streets, features more than 150 mostly immigrant and refugee businesses, where close to 60 different languages are spoken. Starting in 2017, 20,000 square feet of new retail space will open as well.
With so much new development and competition in the Othello area, the tours help promote small, family-owned businesses that, for generations, have served a diverse and historic landing place for immigrant and refugee communities for more than a century.
In addition to offering a slice of history, the tours dish out food from Thailand, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Somalia. The restaurants, delis and bakeries featured on the tours often provide samples and introduce participants to signature plates, featured spices and the correct way to scoop up the last of the rice on your plate in East Africa. Hint: it involves a banana.
The real treat, according to participants, is meeting the business owners themselves.
"I enjoyed hearing the business owner's stories,” said one participant, "like the owners of Huarachitos, Che Dessert Lounge, The Chinese Herb Shop and Thai Savon."
Another participant said, "Going into the businesses and meeting the owners was a great way to learn about the neighborhood and encourage visits in the future."
Many of those who joined the tours admitted that they often passed the Othello and Graham business districts but never entered because of anxiety over not being able to communicate or being overwhelmed by the unfamiliar.
"I never would’ve gone in by myself. I’ve seen a lot of these places before but it’s nice to walk around with people who know the area."
It’s hard not to immediately feel comfortable on the tour with a guide like Susanna Tran, an MLKBA board member whose parents owned Tony’s Bakery and Saigon Dynasty prior to that. She spent a lot of time in Othello helping her parents. Her knowledge of the community is rivaled only by her friendliness and enthusiasm for introducing new people to the shops that she once called neighbors.
Susanna’s family was also instrumental in founding the Vietnamese Buddhist Temple, Co Lam Pagoda, whose expansive manicured garden with golden sculptures and meandering dragons has become a crowd favorite on the tour.
This year, MLKBA partnered with On Board Othello and FeetFirst to put on the tours.
For the past six years, NeighborWorks network member HomeSight and the Martin Luther King Business Association (MLKBA) have played cultural ambassador for those looking to explore the sights, sounds and tastes of the Othello and Graham business districts through a business tour. These free tours help neighbors and visitors from all over the Puget Sound area, and as far away as Germany, discover one-of-a-kind, locally-owned, small businesses, restaurants and other hidden gems in one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Seattle.
MLK Jr. Way, located between Othello and Graham Streets, features more than 150 mostly immigrant and refugee businesses, where close to 60 different languages are spoken. Starting in 2017, 20,000 square feet of new retail space will open as well.
With so much new development and competition in the Othello area, the tours help promote small, family-owned businesses that, for generations, have served a diverse and historic landing place for immigrant and refugee communities for more than a century.
In addition to offering a slice of history, the tours dish out food from Thailand, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Somalia. The restaurants, delis and bakeries featured on the tours often provide samples and introduce participants to signature plates, featured spices and the correct way to scoop up the last of the rice on your plate in East Africa. Hint: it involves a banana.
The real treat, according to participants, is meeting the business owners themselves.
"I enjoyed hearing the business owner's stories,” said one participant, "like the owners of Huarachitos, Che Dessert Lounge, The Chinese Herb Shop and Thai Savon."
Another participant said, "Going into the businesses and meeting the owners was a great way to learn about the neighborhood and encourage visits in the future."
Many of those who joined the tours admitted that they often passed the Othello and Graham business districts but never entered because of anxiety over not being able to communicate or being overwhelmed by the unfamiliar.
"I never would’ve gone in by myself. I’ve seen a lot of these places before but it’s nice to walk around with people who know the area."
It’s hard not to immediately feel comfortable on the tour with a guide like Susanna Tran, an MLKBA board member whose parents owned Tony’s Bakery and Saigon Dynasty prior to that. She spent a lot of time in Othello helping her parents. Her knowledge of the community is rivaled only by her friendliness and enthusiasm for introducing new people to the shops that she once called neighbors.
Susanna’s family was also instrumental in founding the Vietnamese Buddhist Temple, Co Lam Pagoda, whose expansive manicured garden with golden sculptures and meandering dragons has become a crowd favorite on the tour.
This year, MLKBA partnered with On Board Othello and FeetFirst to put on the tours.
