Header image: Timber Baron Manor 1896 // Garret Hunt

Whew, we’ve almost made it through 2021. It’s been a tough year, but we’re seeing light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. Music venues are back open and booking bands like crazy. Community events like Sorticulture and Fresh Paint were back. We held the Everett Food Truck Festival after taking a pause last year. It’s no surprise that our food truck preview articles were among our top 10 because you were excited to be back on the street eating all the delicious dishes from some excellent food trucks. We’re leaving them out of this list, but if you really must read about the food trucks that were there click here and here. 

Without further ado, here are the top 10 Live in Everett blog posts of 2021. 

10. A Look Inside: Everett's Timber Baron Manor 1896

Lucky Christopher Bragg took a tour of the beautiful Timber Baron Manor and reported back on the stunning home. As with all of our Everett home articles you were happy to voyage with him. 

9. Variety and Value: Furniture and Decor from Everett Consignment

A post about a consignment shop? I suppose we’ve been spending a lot of time at home and freshening up our digs may be top of mind. In his article, Christopher Bragg lays out some great reasons to check out the huge 60,000 square foot Everett Consignment, if not just to get out of the house. 

8. Better than Toys ‘R Us: Flying Squirrel with Fun, Snacks and Beer

Deep into the second year of the pandemic, Garret Hunt told us about where to find a little fun. We were excited about something new, even if it was just in the parking lot of the old Toys “R Us. After remodeling the former toy store Flying Squirrel has recently opened its doors for some indoor fun. Garret’s on his way and will have an update for you soon. 

7. The Simpsons/Everett Connection

We didn’t even republish this great article by Richard Porter as a Throwback this year. It must have been picked up on social media and gone viral. It seems the fictional town of Springfield in The Simpsons, a parody of American culture, is actually Everett, WA. Simpsons creator is from Everett and there’s apparently a lot here to inspire the show from offbeat relatives to the great tire fire in 1984. 

6. Out of the Way and Out of this World: Everett’s Best Hidden Eats

I guess we are all just looking for new, good places to eat. I came up with this story idea and I was honestly surprised that it did so very well. Christopher Bragg found some great spots to get a meal that you may not have thought of before. 

5. A Look Inside With an Opportunity to Buy: 2511 Grand Avenue

We are a curious bunch and love to get a peek into other people’s houses, especially the beautiful, old ones. 2511 Grand Avenue was no different and Christopher Bragg gave us a grand tour when it was on the selling block this fall. 

4. Everett's Best Christmas Light Show: Irwin Family Lights

Originally published in 2018, Irwin Family Lights by Nick Shekeryk is our most popular post of all time. You love Christmas lights and they never get old. Enough said. 

3. Everett Shipwrecks Ahoy!

Second, only to food posts, history posts are your favorite. Richard Porter told us about some old ships off Jetty Island that most all of us did not know about. Richard and Garret made a quest to document the ships. There was some controversy on social media about calling them shipwrecks when they were intentionally placed there, but “intentionally placed” doesn’t do well in SEO which may explain why none of us knew about them. 

2. 10 Reasons to Visit Everett Mall

After not having spent much time in the mall for years, I was genuinely surprised by all the things there were to do and wanted to share on the blog. All the comments I received indicated that you too were surprised. The article was shared broadly and I even received a request to write a similar story about a mall in Oregon. 

1. Made in Everett: A Pallet-able New Kind of Shelter

The top spot goes to an article by our civics contributor Angela Di Filippo. In late 2020, Snohomish County was awarded a grant for use in developing housing. As county and city leaders discussed using the funds for a Pallet Shelter community, Angela detailed how “no”, the housing was not made from pallets and shared how they could help our homeless neighbors. A Pallet Shelter community is now a reality on Smith Avenue so maybe it’s time for an update Angela? 

And that’s a wrap! Thank you to all our great writers and you, our readers. Wishing you all love, joy and peace in 2022. We’ll get to work on more stories about the good things in Everett. 

What was your favorite story of 2021? Let us know in the comments. 

Linda War Bonnet represents south Everett on the Live in Everett Team. When she isn’t working, she is running the Westmont-Holly Neighborhood Association. You might spot her walking her dog in the Holly neighborhood.