Originally published Saturday, November 16, 1996

By MARK HIGGINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

The seemingly sleepy burg of Ballard is one of the city's most essential entertainment districts.

Within an area of roughly six blocks along Market Street and Ballard Avenue are a handful of venues and bars that thrive on a down-home feel far removed from the touristy trappings or hipness quotients associated with night-life hot spots such as Pioneer Square or Capitol Hill.

Ballard's music tends toward rootsy eclecticism; the clientele dresses less to impress than for casual comfort.

Rising more recently to the forefront of the Ballard scene has been the Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W. The Tractor has found its niche by focusing more specifically on traditional forms, mixing Irish and Cajun music with alternative-country, '50s rockabilly and straightforward rock 'n' roll. Whereas The Backstage is more of a showcase venue, the Tractor is more of a down-home hangout.

The Ballard Firehouse, 5429 Russell Ave. N.W. -- an old fire station converted into a club -- caters primarily to "dinosaur" acts who may have once been big enough to fill theaters or arenas but have long since faded from prominence. The Firehouse also frequently plays host to local cover bands playing classic rock and pop hits from the '50s-'80s.

Other live music venues in Ballard include the Old Town Ale House, 5233 Ballard Ave. N.W., which tends toward lesser-known local jazz and blues acts; Conor Byrne, 5140 Ballard Ave. N.W., which occasionally features fine purveyors of Celtic folk music; and the Old Pequliar, 1722 N.W. Market St., which offers Irish and blues music on a semiregular basis and features a pool table plus a cozy lounge area complete with old books on the shelves.

A handful of bars help define the personality of the neighborhood, most notably Hattie's Hat, 5231 Ballard Ave. N.W. Hattie's combines a restaurant featuring a classic diner counter with an old-style wooden bar area and is frequented by both longtime regulars and overflow customers from the Tractor on busy nights.

Other bars rounding out the Ballard Avenue stretch are Smith & Maki's, 5144 Ballard Ave. N.W.; Bad Albert's, 5100 Ballard Ave. N.W., and the Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W.