Ballard Homestead

Fremont Abbey operates another venue in Ballard. My boss when I was an intern invited me to a weekend concert there with a smile that I hadn't seen in ten years, saying, "Shohei, you're Abbey Family forever.

It was a little up the hill from downtown Ballard, in a quiet residential area. I noticed a large number of cars parked in one of the large, elegant houses. I walked up the stairs and opened the door. The receptionist greets me with a smile. I tell her my name. I am led behind a curtain, welcomed by a simple, warmly decorated light, similar to the one I catch a glimpse of every night at Fremont Abbey.

The music begins. A singer-songwriter from Canada is on stage that day. His gentle voice, acoustic guitar, and chorus echoed through the air. The beauty of the evening is that you can't help but think that this is the music of the Pacific Northwest, the music of Abbey. Ballad Homestead.

I left the venue with a smile on my face with beautiful records. After the show with a friend who lives in Seattle came to see me at the late night, we stop by the Ballard café, which is open late into the night. I happily listen to voices I haven't heard in years, and have a decaf coffee together. I eat a cinnamon cookie with ice cream on top as my supper.

I feel as if a part of me that is weaker than usual is flowing out of me as the night wears on and the coffee tastes so good. I wonder if it is because of the people standing in their natural state I met this days, and I feel a little chilled and taste the clear air. It's nice here, it feels good, I think about it with the comfort of the friend's car that took me home.

Ballard Homestead
6541 Jones Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98117
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