Take a city with 105,000 people.
Throw in a patriotic guy with a flag-tattooed face who waves at motorists, a 20-foot muffler man statue atop a building, killer pastrami sandwich, a mosaic masterpiece, beachy fun, craft beer … and what do you get?
Everett.
What’s up with that?
Those are some of about 20 Everett-centric icons on a new T-shirt by the founders of a hyperlocal blog, LiveInEverett.com. (And I’m proud to say that some of those icons have been featured in this column.)
The “Good Things Happen Here” shirt, a steal at $15, is the brainstorm of bloggers Garret Hunt and Tyler Chism with illustrations by artist Kim Williams.
“It signifies the good things in Everett, shining light on things that make Everett unique and fun and cool,” said Hunt, 30.
“Tacoma, Seattle and Bellingham are really good at advocating for where they live,” said Chism, 29. “The iconic shirt helps inspire people to advocate for Everett.”
The trio met in Everett about six years ago and they all call the city home.
Hunt grew up near Arlington and Chism is a Marysville native. They launched the blog last October and host the EVVYs, a monthly social media contest about the city’s bests, such as happy hour, burger and cutest dog.
The shirt is so people can wear their Everett pride on their chest.
“It is so easy to talk negatively about Everett, it’s so ingrained in the DNA of Everett,” Chism said.
“It has its issues, like any city, but there’s a lot of good stuff, too,” Hunt said.
“A place is what you make it,” added Williams, 30, who is from Indiana.
The icons are pared from a list of more than 100 Everett-isms they came up with for the shirt, which is screen-printed at The Salt Foundry in Everett.
“I tried to select the icons I could stylize,” Williams said, “but also I wanted to use not only the things we were interested in and cared about but to make sure there was even representation. I’ve never been to Barney’s Pastrami, but I’d heard awesome things about it.”
Everybody is family at the hole-in-the-wall Evergreen Way pastrami shop, where the owner renames celebrities on the wall with his surname.
“When I first moved to Everett about seven years ago, that’s a place I heard people get really excited about,” Hunt said.
He and Chism are agents with Lamoureux Real Estate. They plan to give shirts to clients to fuel enthusiasm about Everett and its gems, such as Jetty Island: “I was blown away the first time I went to the beach there,” Hunt said.
The Wetmore Theatre Plaza wall is another favorite: “It is so beautiful they way they did the mosaic. It is one of the most remarkable pieces of art in Everett,” he said.
And Anchor Pub, famous for its “train beer.” Whenever a train rolls by a few feet from the window, patrons get a beer for $1.
And, of course, patriot Samiu Bloomfield, featured in a recent What’s Up With That.
“It is fun seeing him on the street corner, waving his flags,” Hunt said. “He adds some flavor to Everett.”
As Chism put it: “When we told him we wanted to feature his face on a shirt of Everett icons he was stoked. When we asked if he’d like to be compensated for the use of his likeness, he said, ‘Yes, give me a shirt. No wait, make it nine shirts for my family.’”
If you’re not a relative of Bloomfield’s, no problem.
T-shirts are sold online at LiveInEverett.com.
Check out the blog, even if you don’t want a T-shirt.
Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
