Capital Hill Treasure!

The Friday ad hoc group of Urban Sketchers met this morning at ADA'S Technical Bookstore and Cafe.  What a great find!!  Located right on 15th Ave. in Capital Hill, next to Coastal Kitchen, Ada's now occupies the old ramshackle house/bookstore  once called Horizon Books.  Before Ada's took over, the entire house had a much-needed make-over.  And for a sketcher (or a techy nerd,)  Ada's is full of "treasures."  Each table in the cafe part is actually a deep wooden frame-case, covered with clear glass.  Inside the case sits a collection of padlocks, or a collection of slide-rulers, or an antique telescope and guide to the stars.  One long table contains at least a a couple hundred compasses!

Then there's the decor!  Of course there's bookshelves, and some really cool technical "toys" and games.  But also the entire ceiling is full of mobiles from which hang plexiglass-framed ?letters?   And one entire wall is made to look like two doors stacked on top of two doors.  Lights in a column of this wall turn blue, then green, magenta, then red.  And two skylights allow sunshine to stream down into the cafe, as you can see from my sketch: