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The queen of Capitol Hill is moving downtown

Derschang inside her recently opened Little Oddfellows (Image: CHS)

Derschang inside her recently opened Little Oddfellows (Image: CHS)

Daydreaming about your glamorous life in Linda Derschang’s $1.7 million Interlaken home is one thing. Dealing with the realities of maintaining the 90-year-old house is another. After calling Capitol Hill home for the better part of 30 years, Derschang tells CHS she is leaving for the simpler life across I-5. This week, she starts her move to a condo in the Denny Triangle.

“My friends say ‘you’re not really moving into a neighborhood,’ but I don’t really need to move into a neighborhood,” she said. “I still spend so much time on Capitol Hill.”

Derschang and Capitol Hill have been inextricably linked since the late 1980s, when she moved to the neighborhood and opened her first Seattle business, a punk clothing store called Basic. Even so, Derschang is downplaying the significance of her neighborhood departure .

Derschang will actually be closer to Linda’s Tavern, Oddfellows Cafe + Bar, and her office above the 10th Ave restaurant in her new home at the base of Capitol Hill. She insists she hasn’t grown tired of us, either: Had there been more new condo options on Capitol Hill, Derschang said she would’ve stayed in the neighborhood.

“Let’s try to keep everything the same for a little while.”

The lifestyle change isn’t something Derschang says she sees as part of a trend among the old guard of Capitol Hill business owners, who have either already moved on or never called the neighborhood home in the first place. The move, she said, is rooted in much more universal impulse: “As we get older, we want to downsize.”

As far as the Derschang Group’s food and drink empire is concerned, Derschang says she has no plans to either shrink or expand following this month’s opening of Little Oddfellows inside the Elliot Bay Book Company.

“Let’s try to keep everything the same for a little while,” she said after laughing off the suggestion that the Denny Triangle could be home to her next venture.

Derschang has been a nonstop nightlife force in Seattle for two decades. She opened the Baltic Room in 1997 and Chop Suey in 2003. In 2006 she opened King’s Hardware in Ballard, and then returned to Capitol Hill to open Smith in 2007 and Oddfellows Cafe in 2008. Bait Shop came in 2012 and Tallulah’s opening closed out 2013.

Last year CHS looked back at the history of Linda’s Tavern as the beloved watering hole turned 20 and glanced ahead at what the future might hold amid so much neighborhood upheaval. At the time, Derschang said she was unsure if the “nice place for nice people” would be able to roll with Capitol Hill culture changes for another 20 years. The future hasn’t necessarily become any clearer for Derschang, but she will have a good vantage point from which to survey it all.

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18 Comments
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sheesh
sheesh
8 years ago

“Rich lady moves but, not very far.” Excellent reporting, guys.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
8 years ago
Reply to  sheesh

“Bitter! Party of 1: your table’s ready!”

sheesh
sheesh
8 years ago
Reply to  Jim98122x

How is that bitter? I just don’t think it’s newsworthy.

Luke
Luke
8 years ago
Reply to  sheesh

Then scroll right past it and move on.

sheesh
sheesh
8 years ago
Reply to  Luke

Had I known before reading it was going to be a waste of my time, I would have skipped it. Thanks for the terrific suggestion, though.

All sarcasm aside, I really don’t see the point of this article? Had she moved completely away from the area or the city, sure. But, as the article points out, “Derschang will actually be closer to Linda’s Tavern, Oddfellows Cafe + Bar, and her office…”

Just seems like a slow news day/click-bait to me.

TREx
TREx
8 years ago
Reply to  Luke

Whenever you type up a story with her name in it there is going to be flack because it’s like choking on your own vomit. My only assumption is that she pays you to pay attention to her. That’s how this works, right? That or she pays her social media donkey to email you to let you know she’s moving.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
8 years ago
Reply to  Luke

Here’s a thought: Linda’s has been there for a long time. Lots of people like the bar. Some of them probably even *know* her. Some might even LIKE her and think of her as a friend (what a concept). Some of those people who actually know and like her might actually be interested to know this. Go figure.

sheesh
sheesh
8 years ago
Reply to  Luke

Jim98122x: What you described sounds more like a Facebook post than news. And, not even a good one at that. Are we now expected to see articles about every notable area person when they move, even if it’s only 3 miles away (yet still in the area and close to her establishments)?

My only theory (aside from what Tre said) is that they felt this was newsworthy because she was selling her large home. Which is also something I wouldn’t expect to be reading about on here.

Janesays
Janesays
8 years ago
Reply to  Luke

It will define irony when they replace Linda’s tavern with a row of condos Linda will miss out on.

TheREALgenesimmons
TheREALgenesimmons
8 years ago

“more condo options on Capitol Hill”??? What are all those tall things with windows?

Silverback
Silverback
8 years ago

apartments

Timmy73
Timmy73
8 years ago
Reply to  Silverback

This really highlights the need for more high-end condo’s on the hill. How many more of our neighborhoods wealthy will be forced off the hill when they decide to downsize?

Basic
Basic
8 years ago

Had *there been…

jseattle
Admin
8 years ago
Reply to  Basic

fixed :-/

Shewhoruns
Shewhoruns
8 years ago

Maybe this will start a trend for rich white women to take their yoga pants and get off the hill.

Zach L
Zach L
8 years ago
Reply to  Shewhoruns

Wow, nice misogyny there.

Fred
8 years ago
Reply to  Zach L

actually, to determine whether that comment by Shewhorns was soggyknees or a righteous takedown of white privilege, we would need to know their own personal ranking in the Oppression Olympics, or whether they are #transracial.

codysea
codysea
8 years ago

Small thing but she opened Kid Mohair which later became the Baltic Room.