Lovestruck in Seattle 💘📚

Booklovers are head over heels for Seattle Restored’s newest pop-up in Lake City. Lovestruck in Seattle is the first brick-and-mortar romance book and gift shop in the city. On opening day, fans lined up around the building for their chance to shop the store’s variety of romance books.

Seattle Restored, which works with property owners and small businesses to host pop-up shops in vacant spaces, expanded the program to Lake City earlier this year. Lovestruck in Seattle is one of several pop-up shops and artist installations in the neighborhood.

📖 Read more about Lovestruck in Seattle’s pop-up plans.

Recognizing Seattle’s small businesses 🏬

Celebrate the small businesses that make our neighborhoods thrive! Nominations are now open for the 2025 Intentionalist Awards.

These awards honor local business owners whose passion, creativity, and hard work go far beyond the goods they sell. In 2024, they received more than 400 nominations.

Know a small business that deserves to be celebrated? Nominate them today and help shine a spotlight on the entrepreneurs making a difference in our community. Award winners will be announced at a special ceremony in October.

Nominate a small business for the Intentionalist Awards.

City and State opportunities and resources

Get funding for your community projects

The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is accepting applications for the Neighborhood Matching Fund. This program offers grants to support projects that strengthen communities, including neighborhood clean-ups, block parties, community art projects, and more. There are two grant opportunities:

• Community Partnership Fund: Up to $50,000 for bigger projects like public art, park improvements, cultural events, and more. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 8.
• Small Sparks Fund: Up to $5,000 for smaller activities, including block parties, neighborhood clean-ups, workshops, and more. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through October 31.

Not sure where to start? There are two virtual workshops in August to help you turn your idea into reality. Learn more about the workshops and funding opportunities.

Virtual session for Seattle businesses: Guide to Service Animals

How well does your business know service animal laws? Do you know your rights and responsibilities for serving people with service animals, and what questions you can legally ask? Join the Seattle Office for Civil Rights for a free online training about service animal laws, duties and rights under the law, and best practices. 📆 Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 12 – 1 p.m. 💻 Register for the virtual Seattle Business Guide to Service Animals session.

Seattle Public Library expands English language learning programs

The Seattle Public Library was awarded a $450,000 grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York to expand English language learning programs over the next two years. The grant will help SPL expand programs such as English Conversation Circles, English classes including an annual advanced ESL program for college readiness, adult tutoring sessions, and computer classes offered in multiple languages. 

To offer these programs, SPL partners with trusted local organizations such as Evergreen Goodwill, Hopelink, Literacy Source, Seattle Colleges, and Villa Comunitaria. Find more information in the announcement.

📆  Some programs will be reflected on the Library’s Adult Learning page and on the calendar at www.spl.org/Calendar.