Meet Contributor Erica Grivas
Erica is a professional writer and has written for the New York Post, Real Simple, Flower Gardens, Chicago Parent, and Connecticut Home and Garden magazines. She holds a certificate in Landscape Design from The New York Botanical Garden. She is a lifestyle writer for Seattle Greenlaker and has lived in Green Lake since 2009.
You will be hearing more from her on all things plants, life around Green Lake and much more. But first, here’s an introduction to Erica:
Why do you enjoy living in Green Lake?
Well, there’s the natural beauty, the lake, but to me what makes it home is the quirky artistic side of people that flourishes here. Recently someone painted over the traffic circle sign on my block, stenciling “RIGHT ROUND BABY”. Why? Why not? Keeps me guessing – and smiling.
You’ve written for a wide variety of publications, but what has been the most unique or entertaining article?
It’s a toss-up between trying to track down the original “Exorcist” child for “Inside Edition” and writing about a Dachshund convention at Green Lake led by a group which advocates hiking with “wieners”.
As a garden expert what do you like most about living in this area – plant wise? Definitely playing chicken with “zone denial” – getting to grow plants that are marginally hardy here, from places like Chile and New Zealand. The first sidewalk palm tree I saw stopped me in my tracks.
What’s your favorite Green Lake hidden gems?
1. Not so hidden, painted in very un-Seattle lime and teal and right near the Green Lake Way tunnel on Linden Ave. and 63rd St. but still largely undiscovered, is Bongos Caribbean restaurant. (The location previously housed the “farmers market” selling Yakima cherries.) Get the Desi sandwich or anything with plantains. Delish.
2. By rights the Woodland Park Zoo Rose Garden should be mobbed from May – November, because there are roses in bloom near constantly, and fountains, and topiary… luckily, not too many people realize that. Oh wait!
