Forget ghosts, goblins and things that go bump in the night. We've got four letters that'll send a shiver down any driver's spine: B-U-S-Y.That's right, another weekend of closures is creeping up on us.

Inspired by true (upcoming) events. Rated B for BUSY. Coming to a freeway near you Oct. 16–18:

NB I-405 CLOSED in Bellevue

- Closed between SE 8^th St to NE 4^th St. from 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 to 4 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19. The following ramps will also close at this time: SE 8^th St. on-ramp to NB I-405 and NB I-405 off-ramp to NE 4^th St/NE 8^th St. (Exit 13 A/B). Crews will pave, install concrete panels and set an overhead sign structure.

NB I-5 CONTINUED LANE CLOSURES across Ship Canal Bridge in Seattle

- Reduced to two lanes across the Ship Canal Bridge until the end of 2026. The express lanes will remain open NB-only 24/7.

EB I-90 LANE REDUCTIONS in Snoqualmie

- Two right lanes of EB I-90 closed from east of SR 18/Snoqualmie Parkways to SE N Bend Way, 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Maintenance crews will use this closure make bridge deck repairs.

You know that friend who looks over at you right before the jump scare in a horror movie? Yeah, that's us. Except instead of ruining the movie, we're giving you a heads-up about weekend closures. Check the travel maps, know your route before you go and give yourself extra time to get to that pumpkin patch.

It's my husband's birthday (early 30s) this month and I'm thinking of booking a hotel stay in Woodinville, along with some chill activities. Would love to hear your recommendations for hotels and activities to do! Would want it to be budget friendly and not too expensive. Activities, something chill like a vineyard maybe. Thanks!

Grand opening was Friday October 9 2026. Located on Gilman. How is the wait and parking?

My latest State Farm bill has gone up 20% from last year. Has anyone recently gone thru the ordeal of getting home owners insurance quotes? If so, what have you found?

Also, do you have earthquake insurance?

Hi everyone! Looking for recommendations for hands-on STEM classes, workshops, or local centers for a child turning 7.We want to avoid general robotics/Lego programming and instead focus on:

• Tinkering & physical engineering: Building, tactile invention, and understanding how hardware works.

Questions:

1. Are there specific local academies, maker spaces, or enrichment programs that offer dedicated electricity/electronics modules tailored for early elementary kids (ages 6–8)? TIA

Hey everyone!

I’m a big fan of Elvis Tribute Artists (ETAs) and would love to connect with other fans around Redmond or the Eastside.

Are there any fellow fans here who might be interested in getting a small group together to check out an upcoming local show or tribute night? Also open to recommendations for any great ETA performers or venues around the Puget Sound area!

Feel free to comment or reach out if you'd be interested!

Just lower my PSE bills. These renewables are an excuse to raise rates.

We're furnishing our place and are looking for recommendations for stores on the eastside or Seattle area. We love the clean Scandinavian modern look of a lot of pieces at Dania, and the prices feel reasonable for the quality. Their service and delivery time are great too! We're looking for other stores with a similar style and price range, ideally in person, though online shops are fine too.

Has anyone found other places they've been happy with? Hidden gems welcome. Thanks!

Has anyone had experience with a birth (and/or postpartum) doula on the eastside? I'm a first time parent, due next spring and planning to deliver at Swedish Issaquah with the midwives. It's unfortunately not covered by my insurance so I'm still trying to decide if it's worth hiring a birth doula or maybe just a postpartum one since we do plan on taking some pre-birth education classes and we will be with the midwifery program. Would love to hear folks' experiences!

Has anyone had botox injections for migraines administered by neurologists/neurology at Overlake Medical Center and can share their experience? Any specific providers recommended? My current neurologist is retiring and I am being referred to Overlake in Bellevue for my injections going forward. Do they only follow the migraine protocol there or do they adjust to follow the pain as needed and not make patients come out looking wonky? Thanks!

Ate at my favorite Indian restaurant in Bellevue, the server showed me the tablet for payment and literally said the words "20%".

I'm wondering if this is coming from the restaurant management or that particular server? If there's tip pressure on servers I can imagine maybe the owner is keeping a cut. Alternatively the server was being obnoxious with the pressure to increase their own earnings.

I'm inclined to not go there anymore but the food is amazing. Anyone else have a similar experience? It's a sit-down, not very fancy but not ultra casual either.

It was NOT Banaras but another restaurant with similar pricing/sit down aesthetic.

Could be anything. Easy parking, a quiet trail, a grocery store that isn’t annoying, a coffee spot nearby, or a commute that doesn’t ruin your mood. Feels like the longer you’re here, the more those little things start to matter.

What’s yours?

Hey there folks!

Eastside Improv is excited to share that we have two upcoming shows! We're excited to be partnering with Studio East in Kirkland. Come join us for some fall themed fun, or a romantic escape:

Spooky Show

• October 11th at 7:30 PM @ Studio East in Kirkland

Love is Bland

• October 16th at 8:00 PM @ Studio East in Kirkland

You can get your tickets here: https://eastsideimprov.org/tickets

Want more? We're partnering with Redmond Parks and Rec to bring you some fun classes for the fall:

• Beginner Improv Express
• Beginner Improv Musical
• Improv Reps (Tuesdays)
• Beginner Improv 50+
• Intermediate Improv 50+

Find out more or register at: https://eastsideimprov.org/classes

As always, we offer weekly free-to-attend jams and we would be happy to welcome you there as well. Thanks again for being a wonderful community and joining us for some fun!

Hello, I’ll be in Woodinville for a wedding over the weekend and I’d love some recommendations. I’ve never been to the area and will be with my husband. We are artists in our early 30s. Love a divey vibe but also interested in any midrange upscale places. Restaurants, bars/taverns, breakfast spots, karaoke!!(Can just be a bar with karaoke night on Sunday), day spas, cool vintage shops or thrift within Seattle or in a town up on the way to Woodinville, nature, etc. I also heard there’s good Ethiopian food in the area. We will have a rental car and definitely plan to have a day in Seattle so recommendations for Woodinville area and any gems in between Seattle proper are welcome ❤️ I appreciate any guidance

Meet and chat with other 3D makers on the Eastside at this informal meetup at the Bellevue Library. Consider bringing a recent model you’ve printed or a design you’ve made (whether a great success or an interesting failure). Connect with fellow makers, whether you’re into functional prints or aesthetic prints, a novice or been doing this for years.

https://eastside3Dmeetup.eventbrite.com

UPDATE: Added another session for Saturday, November 7th.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eastside-3d-printing-meetup-november-2026-tickets-2003249242410

Has anyone had a positive experience delivering twins vaginally at the Overlake childbirth center (Bellevue)? Can you please share your experience?

Walked past a game at the park last weekend and now I want to try it, which I recognize is the most Bellevue sentence I’ve ever typed. Public courts that aren’t a waitlist? Beginner drop-in that won’t get me yelled at? Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, I’ll go wherever the net is free.

New to the area and exploring schools. I have heard decent things about the Bellevue school district but highland middle school seems to have mixed feedback (and a low great schools rating). Would love first hand perspectives on that school!

Hi Eastside. We're Learner Labs, an Eastside team that makes SAT Prep Quest. We're running a free practice SAT with the King County Library System and wanted to share it with families here who have high schoolers.

**When:** Sunday, October 18, 2:00 to 5:30 PM Pacific

**Where:** Redmond Library, or online from home

**Who:** High school students, grades 9 to 12

**Cost:** Free, with registration through KCLS

**What students get**

- A full-length practice SAT

- Real test timing, so the pacing on test day isn't a surprise

- A score review afterward that shows where to focus next

**Register:** https://1.kcls.org/RedmondLibrarySAT

We'll be in the comments to answer questions about the format or the online option.

Hey everyone! I'm a big England national team fan, absolutely loved the atmosphere during the World Cup. Now that it's over, really missing the excitement of watching soccer with a crowd, especially since most sports bars have switched back to NFL and basketball.

Does anyone know of any soccer-friendly bars around Seattle or the Eastside that regularly show matches? Especially big games like El Clásico, the Nations League, or other international matches.

Would love to find a place where people actually get excited about soccer and cheer together!

FALL BALL IS BACK Y’ALL. And what better way to celebrate than with a steaming hot kupp of closures? We’ve got a full closure of southbound I-405 in Bothell, ongoing northbound I-5 lane reductions and an overnight closure of the I-5 express lanes in Seattle. Add Seahawks and Huskies football games to the mix, and you’ll definitely want a game plan before heading out. 

-BOTHELL: SB I-405 will CLOSE from 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 to 4 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12 between SR 527 and SR 522. The following ramps will also close at this time: SR 527 on-ramp to SB I-405, NE 195th on-/off-ramps to I-405 and SR 522 off-ramp to SB I-405. Crews will use this closure to work on drainage, pavement reconstruction and bridge repair.

-SEATTLE: NB I-5 express lanes will CLOSE overnight from 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 to 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 to complete drainage work underneath the Ship Canal Bridge. The two right lanes of NB I-5 and the SB express lanes across the bridge also remain closed around-the-clock. 

Before you grab your Paint Map pitchforks, we know there’s more happening this weekend than football. But if you couldn’t already tell, this isn’t a traditional Paint Map, so we didn’t pack this one with all the usual drawings. Consider this our little fall-football-freeway crossover episode.

You know the drill. Plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to get where you're going. GO HAWKS and GO DAWGS!