Humor writer and Wedgwood resident David Volk released “The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Seattle,” the latest travel book in a national series targeted at not only tourists, but locals looking to have fun without breaking the bank.
“I think it’s for everyone in Seattle,” Volk said while relaxing at Ravenna’s Espresso Express. “Times are tough, and it doesn’t look like things are changing anytime soon. It’s really all about doing the things you’d already do for less, and working within the system while having a good time doing it.”
After the series received commercial success in New York, Chicago and Boston, Globe Pequot Press decided to tackle the Northwest.
“We needed an insider’s perspective for the book,” Editorial Director Amy Lyons said by phone from Guilford, Connecticut. “This one is very much for the person that lives in Seattle.”
“I’m the perfect person to do this book because I know how to pinch pennies till they scream,” declared Volk, who makes his living as a freelance journalist. “I wrote about what I’ve been doing for years — surviving on cheap haircuts and happy hours.”
A resident of Seattle for the last 20 years, Volk highlighted some of his favorite spots and events for free and inexpensive fun in Fremont:
- Fremont Almost Free Outdoor Cinema at Phinney Ave. N. and N. 35th St.: The granddaddy of them all, this is the gathering that launched the outdoor movie movement in Seattle. Admission free. Suggested donation $5. Saturday from late June through mid-August (pg.66).
- Fremont Fair at Fremont Ave. W. between N. Canal and N. 36th Streets: Seattle’s only festival that comes complete with a parade featuring nude bikers (pg.256).
- Fremont First Friday Art Walk at 34th St. below Highway 99 N. to 36th St. and west along 35th and 36th Streets to Leary Way and 1st Ave.: The one-time artsy bohemian area that calls itself the Center of the Universe may have gone so upscale that the artists who made its reputation can no longer afford to live there…This walk goes on from 6 to 9 p.m…(pg.215).
- Fremont Wine Warehouse at 3601 Fremont Ave. N.: All tastings are free. One last bit of good news for cheap bastards: Although the store focuses on small wines, all of the wines in stock are under $25 (pg.112).
“I do so love Fremont and Wallingford,” said Volk, who used to live in Fremont before he had a family. “I could see myself living there forever.”
Tyler Steele is an intern for our sister site, PhinneyWood. He is a journalism student at the University of Washington.
Beginning this evening, thousands of zombies will converge on Fremont in an attempt to break the world record for a zombie flash mob. Organizers with Fremont Outdoor Movies expect as many as 5,000 zombies as part of the “Red, White & Dead” 
