Rob Smith

Seattle

Executive Editor at Seattle Magazine

Executive Editor at Seattle Business

Executive editor at Seattle magazine and Seattle Business magazine. News tips welcomed at [email protected].

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Articles

Funko’s WNBA Deal Showcases Top Stars

3 days ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

I love the Seattle Storm, and all things WNBA. My passion for women’s basketball even predates Caitlin Clark. My wife and I recently bought a partial season-ticket package, and my basketball-obsessed son closely analyzes games to help him improve.
The Numbers Are In: Seattle Tourism Is Back

6 days ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

Forty-one percent of visitors to the greater Seattle area last year came to visit friends or relatives. Almost one-third came from other cities in Washington. Fifteen percent came from California. Visit Seattle’s annual tourism report, released yesterday, contains information on “visitor profiles” for the first time. Many of the numbers — which pertain to domestic visitors, or 89% of visitors — are fascinating.
Selling A Home? You’ll Have To Be Patient.

1 week ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

Home sales across Washington state are off to a slow start during a typically active spring season. The Northwest Multiple Listing Service says homes for sale in 26 of the 39 counties in Washington state it monitors rose 47.4% year over year, but buyers remain wary because of high interest rates. Interest rates were 6.76% at the end of April. The median price for residential homes and condos was $650,000, a slight decrease from a year ago.
Washington Shines in Best State Ranking

1 week ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

Washington may be an “outdoor enthusiast’s dream,” but the state fell slightly in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of best states. The publication ranked the state No. 10 overall, down two spots from its No. 8 ranking last year. Washington finished No. 1 in both 2019 and 2021. Washington received high marks in education, the natural environment and infrastructure, economic opportunity and equality, but finished near the bottom for its lack of affordability and public safety.
A $670,000 Mattress? Really?

1 week ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

If you’re in the market for a $670,000 mattress, mark July on your calendar. That’s when Swedish mattress maker Hästens will open a showroom in Bellevue. The brand previously opened a store in downtown Seattle in 2007. It closed a year later. The company says each bed is made from “the finest natural materials,” including sustainably sourced horsehair, organic cotton, wool, and slow-grown Swedish pine.
Seattle Author Wins Pulitzer Prize

1 week ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

Seattle author Tessa Hulls has added a Pulitzer Prize to her growing list of accolades for Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir. The 2025 Pulitzers were announced May 5. Feeding Ghosts won in the “Memoir or Autobiography” category.
What Now for Bartell Drugs?

1 week ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

The future of Bartell Drugs just got murkier. Parent company Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, just eight months after it exited Chapter 11. The company says customers “can continue to access pharmacy services and products in stores and online,” though customers and health care providers have complained of poor service and inventory shortages throughout stores since the Rite Aid acquisition.
Seattle Pizza Chain Goes National

1 week ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

Seattle’s Tutta Bella pizza has signed a deal with Kroger and will now serve its Neopolitan-style pies in 1,200 stores in 40 states. Kroger’s first order of 85,000 pizzas generated more than $1 million in sales. “We didn’t set out to become a national food manufacturer — it happened organically, one pizza at a time,” says Tutta Bella Founder and CEO Joe Fugere.
Washington Brewers Win Big at Beer Cup Awards

1 week ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

Remember that old Tom T. Hall song, I Like Beer? I was a kid when it came out in the mid-1970s, but it must have stuck with me, because I’m definitely a beer guy. I was keenly interested, then, when I learned that seven Washington breweries took home Gold medals in the annual World Beer Cup competition. All told, 24 beers from 21 different breweries won medals. Winners were announced yesterday. Gold medal winners are: Champagne Toast, from Bellingham’s Wander Brewing.
Microsoft Awards $5M Worth Of Grants To AI innovators

2 weeks ago | seattlemag.com | Rob Smith

Microsoft has given 20 organizations $50,000 each as part of its AI for Good grants program. The grants — part of an initiative to celebrate Microsoft’s 50th anniversary this year — recognize organizations for their innovations in artificial intelligence. The organizations — who applied for the grants earlier this year — receive resources to help develop AI, collaborations with Microsoft’s AI For Good Lab (including access to researchers and data scientists) and training and mentorship.