Exploring Everett - Tygart Media

Category: Exploring Everett

Everett, Washington is in the middle of something big. A $1 billion waterfront transformation. A Boeing workforce that built the world’s largest commercial jets. A port city with a downtown that’s finally catching up to its potential. A Navy presence at Naval Station Everett. A comedy and arts scene punching above its weight. And neighborhoods — Riverside, Silver Lake, Downtown, Bayside — each with their own identity and story.

Exploring Everett is Tygart Media’s hyperlocal coverage vertical for Snohomish County’s largest city. We cover the waterfront redevelopment, Boeing and Paine Field, city hall, the food and arts scene, real estate, neighborhoods, and everything in between — written for people who live here, work here, or are paying attention to what’s coming.

Coverage categories include: Everett News, Waterfront Development, Boeing & Aerospace, Business, Arts & Culture, Food & Drink, Real Estate, Neighborhoods, Government, Schools, Public Safety, Events, and Outdoors.

Exploring Everett content is also published at exploringeverett.com.

  • The Boeing 767 Freighter’s Final Year: What the End of an Everett Icon Means for the Workforce

    The Boeing 767 Freighter’s Final Year: What the End of an Everett Icon Means for the Workforce

    Q: When will Boeing stop building the commercial 767 freighter in Everett?
    A: Boeing plans to close out commercial 767-300F production in 2027 once it delivers its remaining orders to FedEx and UPS. After that, the Everett line will continue building only the 767-2C airframe that becomes the KC-46 Pegosus tanker for the U.S. Air Force. The program has been running continuously since 1981.

    A 45-Year Everett Program Is Running Out Its String

    If you’ve driven Paine Field Boulevard any time in the last four decades, you’ve probably seen a Boeing 767 rolling out of the Everett factory — often in the trademark purple tail of FedEx or the brown of UPS. That image is about to become historic.

    Boeing is on the final glide path for commercial 767 production. According to multiple industry sources and Boeing’s own October 2024 announcement, the company plans to complete its remaining commercial 767-300F freighter orders in 2026 and 2027, then close out the passenger-and-freighter version of the program for good.

    What’s left on the order book? As of early 2025, Boeing held 33 unfilled commercial 767-300F orders — roughly 24 for UPS and 9 for FedEx. Those aircraft are the last commercial 767s the Everett factory will ever produce. UPS took delivery of the 100th 767 freighter in its fleet from Everett in early 2026 — a milestone that now doubles as a countdown marker.

    For Everett, this isn’t just an airplane program winding down. It’s the end of a production line that helped define what the city does for a living.

    What Happens to the Everett 767 Line After 2027

    Here’s the part that gets lost in national coverage: the 767 line in Everett is not shutting down. It’s narrowing.

    The 767-2C — the “green” airframe that Boeing modifies into the KC-46A Pegasus refueling tanker for the Air Force — is built on the same final assembly line as the commercial 767-300F. When the last commercial freighter rolls out, the line stays open, but only for military tankers. Congress has specifically exempted the KC-46 program from the 2028 commercial production cutoffs written into federal clean-air rules, which means Everett is expected to keep building 767-based tankers well past 2027.

    The practical effect inside the factory is a mix shift, not a shutdown. Commercial freighters are replaced on the line by military airframes that follow the same basic production flow but feed a different customer and a different delivery cadence.

    Boeing delivered 14 KC-46 tankers in 2025 and has publicly targeted 19 deliveries in 2026. The 105th KC-46 delivery — the one that rolled out of Everett on April 3 for McConnell Air Force Base — is a good barometer of where the program is headed: well over half of the planned 179-aircraft fleet has now been built and accepted. Boeing also holds firm orders for 60 additional KC-46s, including tankers for Israel, Japan, and the U.S. Air Force.

    Translation: the 767 line is not an endangered species. But the commercial 767 line is.

    Why This Matters for Everett’s Aerospace Workforce

    The commercial-to-military mix shift on the 767 line raises real questions for workers and local suppliers, even if the line itself survives.

    The first question is volume. Commercial 767-300F freighters and KC-46A tankers are both built in Everett, but the KC-46 has historically moved at a slower per-month cadence than the freighter. A line that’s building 19 tankers a year is a different line than one that’s also pushing out commercial freighters for FedEx and UPS on the side. Fewer airframes moving through the same floor space can mean fewer touch-labor hours, even if headcount on a given shift looks similar.

    The second question is supplier revenue. Washington state’s aerospace supplier base — more than 600 companies concentrated heavily in Snohomish County, by regional economic development estimates — has always been anchored by Boeing commercial programs. When Boeing’s production mix tilts toward defense, the supplier revenue picture tilts with it, and some commercial-freighter-specific components simply stop being ordered.

    The third question is the one Everett has been asking since the 787 moved to South Carolina: what comes next on the Everett floor? The 737 MAX North Line, which Boeing is targeting for a midsummer 2026 activation, is the most visible answer. But the North Line is a new program standing up, not a drop-in replacement for the commercial 767. The workforce flows inside Boeing’s Everett operations will be more complicated than a single program handoff.

    The Numbers That Tell the Story

    A few figures worth pinning down as the 767 commercial program winds down:

    • 1981: Year the first 767 rolled out of the Everett factory, a few months after the 767-200’s maiden flight.
    • 33: Unfilled commercial 767-300F orders on the books as of early 2025 — the final production run.
    • 24: Of those, belonging to UPS.
    • 9: Of those, belonging to FedEx.
    • 100: UPS 767 freighters in fleet after its February 2026 delivery — a program milestone for the carrier.
    • 19: KC-46 tankers Boeing is targeting for delivery in 2026.
    • 105: KC-46 tankers delivered as of April 3, 2026.
    • 179: Total planned KC-46 fleet for the U.S. Air Force.
    • 650+: American businesses in the KC-46 supply chain, spanning more than 40 states.
    • 2027: Target close-out year for commercial 767-300F production.

    What Everett Should Watch For Next

    For residents and workers watching this transition play out in real time, a few milestones will tell the story more clearly than any press release:

    Every FedEx and UPS tail that rolls out of Everett in 2026. Each one is one closer to the last. The final commercial 767 delivery will, almost by definition, be a historic day at Paine Field — comparable in Everett memory to the last 747 rolling off the line in 2023.

    KC-46 delivery cadence. Boeing’s public target of 19 tankers in 2026 is the near-term measuring stick for how healthy the “military-only” future looks. A year that overshoots that target is a year the Everett floor stays busy; a year that undershoots is worth asking questions about.

    The North Line’s real start. Boeing has said the new 737 MAX North Line at Everett will begin operating this summer. How quickly it ramps — and how many of the 767’s veteran assemblers move over to the North Line rather than retiring or leaving — will shape what the Everett campus actually looks like for the next decade.

    Supplier-side announcements. Some Puget Sound-area suppliers are commercial-freighter specific and will see their Boeing revenue decline as the 767-300F wraps. Others feed both the commercial line and the KC-46. Watch for consolidation, retooling announcements, or new program wins in the next 18 months — those will be the leading indicators for how the supplier base absorbs the shift.

    The Bigger Picture for Everett’s Identity

    The 767 has been part of Everett’s identity since Ronald Reagan’s first term. It was one of the three big widebodies — 747, 767, 777 — that turned the Boeing Everett factory into the largest building in the world by volume. The 747 is already gone. The 767 passenger version ended years ago. The 767 freighter is now on the clock.

    What’s left for Everett widebodies is the 777 and 777X, which are still being built, flight-tested, and prepared for customer delivery on the south end of the same factory. What’s new for Everett is the 737 MAX North Line coming online this summer, which will put a single-aisle commercial jet in an Everett paint hangar for the first time. And what’s continuing — quietly, reliably, for at least another decade — is the KC-46 tanker flowing off the 767 floor to U.S. Air Force and allied customers.

    The 767 commercial program’s final year isn’t a crisis. It’s a transition. But for a community where roughly half of Washington state’s aerospace workers live and work, transitions deserve attention before they arrive, not after.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When will Boeing’s last commercial 767 be delivered?

    Boeing has publicly stated it will wind down commercial 767-300F freighter production in 2027 after delivering its remaining orders to FedEx and UPS. Some of those deliveries are scheduled in 2026, with the final aircraft in 2027.

    Is Boeing closing the Everett 767 production line?

    No. The commercial 767-300F freighter is ending, but the same line will continue producing the 767-2C airframe that Boeing converts into the KC-46A Pegasus tanker for the U.S. Air Force. KC-46 production is expected to continue well past 2027.

    How many commercial 767s does Boeing still have to build?

    As of early 2025, Boeing held 33 unfilled commercial 767-300F orders — roughly 24 for UPS and 9 for FedEx. Boeing has been delivering against that backlog steadily, including a UPS delivery in February 2026 that marked UPS’s 100th 767 freighter.

    How many KC-46 tankers has Boeing delivered?

    Boeing delivered its 105th KC-46A Pegasus to the U.S. Air Force on April 3, 2026, when a new tanker arrived at McConnell Air Force Base. That’s well over half of the planned 179-aircraft total fleet. Boeing has targeted 19 additional KC-46 deliveries in 2026.

    What does the 767 wind-down mean for Everett jobs?

    The net effect depends heavily on the KC-46 delivery cadence, the ramp of the new 737 MAX North Line, and how Boeing moves veteran 767 assemblers within the Everett campus. The line itself isn’t shutting down, but the mix is shifting from commercial to military. For the regional supplier base — more than 600 aerospace companies in Snohomish County alone — commercial-freighter-specific vendors are most exposed, while KC-46 suppliers remain in the backlog.

    When did the Boeing 767 first roll out of Everett?

    The 767-200 made its first flight in 1981 and entered service in 1982. The final assembly line has been active in Everett since then — more than 45 years of continuous commercial 767 production.

    Will the KC-46 tanker line in Everett keep hiring?

    Boeing’s CFO has publicly acknowledged that the company is maintaining “higher levels of quality and engineering support” at Everett specifically for the KC-46 program. With roughly 75 tankers still to deliver on the current fleet plan, and additional export orders in the pipeline, the KC-46 line is expected to be an ongoing employer in Everett for years.

  • Sobar Coffee on Colby Avenue Is Downtown Everett’s Best Remote-Work Coffee Shop

    Sobar Coffee on Colby Avenue Is Downtown Everett’s Best Remote-Work Coffee Shop

    Sobar Coffee has quietly been the best new addition to downtown Everett’s Colby Avenue corridor for over a year now — and most of the city still has not been through the door. If you work remote, if you have a stroller, if you need a meeting space that is not another chain, this is the Everett coffee shop you should already know about.

    What Sobar Actually Is

    Sobar Coffee is at 2820 Colby Avenue, in the space that used to hold Renee’s Clothing — a downtown mainstay that ran 28 years before closing in 2022. The coffee shop soft-launched on February 6, 2025, which means as of this writing it has been open for 14 months. The family that owns the Banya day spa next door also owns Sobar, which explains how the space got its specific flavor: calm, clean-lined, treated like an extension of a wellness business rather than a fast-in-fast-out commuter shop.

    What makes Sobar different from the other 10 shops on downtown’s coffee map:

    • Colibri Coffee beans. Locally roasted, veteran-owned. The espresso program is pulled off Colibri. This is not a national chain pulling corporate beans.
    • House-made syrups. No dyes, no high-fructose corn syrup. The vanilla is actual vanilla. The caramel is actual caramel. This matters more than it sounds like it does when you are drinking a latte every day.
    • Macrina Bakery pastries. Seattle bakery, legitimate pastry program, delivered fresh. Macrina is the move.
    • A layout built for sitting, not grabbing. Ample seating, fast Wi-Fi, a community table, and enough space between tables that two laptop users do not share one another’s Zoom calls.

    The Space Is the Point

    Here is what Sobar nailed that most Everett coffee shops miss: the room is the product. The shop describes itself as a “cozy living room café,” which sounds like marketing copy until you actually sit in it. The ceilings are tall, the light is good, the layout is stroller-friendly, and there are enough outlets that you do not have to negotiate for one. It is the only downtown Everett coffee shop where you can reliably pull a three-hour work session in the middle of the afternoon without feeling like you are holding a table hostage.

    The shop also functions as a gift shop and light retail space — a small curated selection of books, children’s toys, games, and local odds and ends. It is not trying to be a bookstore or a boutique. It is trying to be a living room, and it succeeds.

    What to Order

    • Latte. The Colibri espresso program plus the house-made syrups is the honest reason to come here. Order a vanilla latte or a brown sugar latte and pay attention to what a clean syrup tastes like.
    • Matcha latte. The matcha holds up. Not powdery, not over-sweetened.
    • London Fog. If you are a tea person, this is the pour that tells you the syrup program is legitimate.
    • Lotus energy refresher. For when you are not drinking coffee but you still need to wake up. This is a quiet favorite of the remote-work crowd who hit Sobar after 1 PM.
    • Pair with: A Macrina pastry. Any Macrina pastry. The morning buns are non-negotiable.

    Who Sobar Is For

    Every coffee shop in Everett has a core crowd. Narrative Coffee is for coffee nerds. Tabby’s is for library regulars and downtown walkers. Makario is for roaster-forward customers. Café Makario, Velton’s, and RedDoor all pull their own people. Sobar’s core crowd is three groups:

    • Remote workers and freelancers — The layout was built for laptop sessions. The Wi-Fi actually works.
    • Parents with strollers — The aisles are wide, the community table is low, and the staff is unbothered by kid energy.
    • Small meetings — The space can be booked for private meetings, holiday parties, and small birthdays. Few Everett coffee shops offer that.

    The Hours

    • Monday–Friday: 7 AM – 7 PM
    • Saturday: 8 AM – 7 PM
    • Sunday: Closed

    The Sunday closure is worth flagging. If you are running a Sunday morning downtown loop, Sobar is not on it. Narrative Coffee or South Fork Baking Company are your Sunday plays. But for six days a week, Sobar runs later than most — 7 PM is a real late close for an Everett coffee shop, and it opens up a slot for an evening work session that almost nobody else in town offers.

    Why Sobar Matters for Downtown Everett

    Downtown Everett has been filling in its third-place economy for about three years now — Narrative Coffee in 2017, Makario more recently, Tabby’s at the Everett Public Library, Artisans Books & Coffee, and now Sobar. Each shop targets a slightly different use case, and a healthy downtown needs all of them. Sobar’s specific contribution is that it is built for the sit-and-stay crowd, not the grab-and-go crowd. It makes remote work possible in downtown Everett without driving to Bothell or Bellevue. That is a civic good.

    The location also reinforces a Colby Avenue corridor that has been filling in nicely. Between the Banya day spa next door, Sobar itself, and the ongoing downtown retail recovery, Colby is finally doing what Hewitt Avenue has been doing for a few years — pulling people downtown for experience reasons, not just errand reasons.

    The Verdict

    14 months in, Sobar is not a new coffee shop anymore. It is a fixture. The Colibri beans are dialed, the syrup program is consistent, and the staff recognizes repeat customers. If you are a downtown Everett regular who has not been through the door yet, you are missing the most quietly excellent third place the city has added since Narrative. Go. Sit. Stay. Order a latte and a Macrina morning bun. Stay three hours. That is what the space was designed for.

    Sobar Coffee: The Details

    • Address: 2820 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA 98201
    • Phone: (425) 470-3520
    • Hours: Mon–Fri 7 AM–7 PM, Sat 8 AM–7 PM, Sun Closed
    • Beans: Colibri Coffee (veteran-owned, locally roasted)
    • Pastries: Macrina Bakery
    • Wi-Fi: Fast, reliable
    • Stroller-friendly: Yes
    • Private event bookings: Yes — small meetings, birthdays, holiday parties
    • Parking: Colby Avenue street parking plus nearby downtown garages

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When did Sobar Coffee open in Everett?

    Sobar Coffee soft-launched on February 6, 2025, on Colby Avenue in downtown Everett. The shop has been open for over a year as of April 2026.

    Where is Sobar Coffee located?

    2820 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA 98201. The space was previously home to Renee’s Clothing, which closed in 2022 after 28 years in business.

    What coffee does Sobar serve?

    Sobar pulls espresso from Colibri Coffee, a locally-roasted, veteran-owned roaster. The shop also offers tea, matcha lattes, London Fog, chai lattes, and Lotus energy refreshers, with house-made syrups that contain no dyes or corn syrup.

    Does Sobar have food?

    Sobar serves pastries from Macrina Bakery. The shop does not have a full kitchen.

    Is Sobar Coffee good for remote work?

    Yes. Sobar is specifically built for sitting and working — fast Wi-Fi, ample seating, a community table, outlets, and a stroller-friendly layout. It is one of downtown Everett’s strongest remote work coffee shops.

    Is Sobar Coffee open on Sundays?

    No. Sobar is closed on Sundays. Monday through Friday hours are 7 AM to 7 PM. Saturday is 8 AM to 7 PM.

  • Rustic Cork at the Everett Waterfront, Four Months In: The Rooftop Lives Up to the Hype

    Rustic Cork at the Everett Waterfront, Four Months In: The Rooftop Lives Up to the Hype

    Rustic Cork Wine Bar has been open at the Port of Everett for four and a half months, which is long enough to stop grading on the new-restaurant curve. The rooftop is the real draw. The brunch is the surprise. And if you have not been up to the second-floor Barrel Room on a Friday at sunset, you have not actually experienced the Everett waterfront yet.

    The First Wine Bar on the Everett Waterfront

    Rustic Cork opened at 1420 Seiner Drive on December 2, 2025 as the first operating tenant of Restaurant Row at Waterfront Place. It is owner Lance Logan’s third Rustic Cork location — the other two are in Lake Stevens and Mill Creek — but this one is operating at a different scale. The Everett waterfront location has 2,600 square feet of interior space, another 2,600 square feet of covered outdoor patio, and a second-floor private event room called The Barrel Room that runs another 1,000 square feet of interior plus 1,300 square feet of deck.

    The pitch, per the Port of Everett, is that this is the first rooftop bar on the waterfront in Snohomish County, with panoramic views of the Port of Everett Marina, the Olympic Mountains, and Possession Sound. The Port’s pitch is accurate. We have now made the case that the view from the Rustic Cork patio on a clear April evening is better than the view from any restaurant deck at Anthony’s Home Port in Edmonds, which is the only other true waterfront wine bar in the region. Fight us in the comments.

    The Menu Actually Works

    The menu leans into what we wanted it to be — a shareable-plate wine bar, not a full-service dinner house. That is the right call for this square footage and this crowd. The menu structure:

    • Wine flights: Rotating monthly tastings of five Washington wines, drawn from the Columbia and Yakima valleys. Flights are the honest play here — this is how you learn what the menu is doing.
    • Flatbreads: Prosciutto arugula, pepperoni red pepper, chicken bacon ranch, truffle mushroom. The truffle mushroom is the one.
    • Charcuterie: Built boards, not picked-apart. The meat-to-cheese ratio here is correct.
    • The sleeper hit: Truffle parmesan popcorn. Order it. Thank us later.
    • Beyond wine: Local craft beers and ciders on tap — which is a quiet admission that even wine bars in Washington State have to serve the hop-heads who show up with their partners.

    Sunday Brunch Is the Secret

    Most Rustic Cork conversation centers on the rooftop, which is fair. What almost nobody is talking about yet is that Rustic Cork runs Sunday brunch from 9 AM to 3 PM — and it is the best-kept brunch secret on the waterfront. Mimosa flights, espresso martinis, and rustic coffee paired with the same flatbread menu. A Mimosa flight on the rooftop deck at 10 AM on a cloudless April Sunday with the Olympics in full view is a legitimate experience. We are aware “Mimosa flight on a waterfront deck” sounds like a Port of Everett press release. It is not. It is just what happens to be true right now.

    The Hours — Yes, They Are Closed Mondays

    • Monday: Closed
    • Tuesday–Thursday: 12 PM – 9 PM
    • Friday–Saturday: 12 PM – 10 PM
    • Sunday: 9 AM – 3 PM (brunch only)

    That closed Monday is worth flagging because it trips up visitors. If you are planning a weekday waterfront loop, Tuesday through Thursday midday is the move. The happy hour pricing hits during lunch, the deck is quiet, and the kitchen is running flatbreads to order without the weekend rush.

    The Barrel Room Is an Underrated Event Space

    The second-floor Barrel Room is 1,000 square feet of interior plus a 1,300-square-foot wraparound deck. It is a private-event space, which means you cannot just walk up and book a table in there on a Saturday night. But for rehearsal dinners, birthdays big enough to rent a room, or small company events — it is the most interesting private-event waterfront room in Everett that is not a hotel ballroom. Everett has needed one of these for a decade. Now it has one.

    What to Order, What to Skip

    • Order: Wine flight + truffle mushroom flatbread + truffle parmesan popcorn. Three things, two people, $60ish, a clear rooftop view.
    • Order on Sunday: Mimosa flight + flatbread. Thank us.
    • Order for a group: Charcuterie board + two flatbreads + whatever the rotating Washington red is on the flight menu.
    • Skip: The kitchen is not built for entrees. This is a wine bar. Go to Tapped Public House two doors down if you want burgers.

    The Verdict, Four Months In

    Rustic Cork is doing what the Port wanted from this building. It pulls a different crowd than Tapped and a different crowd than The Net Shed — it is the date-night tenant, the after-work-wine-with-colleagues tenant, the out-of-towners-are-visiting-and-you-want-to-impress-them tenant. The food is flatbread-and-plates rather than entree-and-sides, which is exactly the right menu for that role. And the rooftop closes the case.

    If we are being honest, the service was a little uneven in the opening six weeks, which is normal for a restaurant of this size learning a new building. By mid-February, that was fixed. As of April, the floor is running clean, the pours are generous, and the kitchen is on time.

    Four months in, Rustic Cork is the restaurant that proves the Port’s Restaurant Row gamble was worth the decade it took. Bring someone. Sit outside. Order the flight.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Rustic Cork Wine Bar in Everett?

    1420 Seiner Drive, Everett, WA 98201 — at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place on Fisherman’s Harbor. It is the first tenant on Restaurant Row facing the marina.

    When did Rustic Cork at the Everett waterfront open?

    December 2, 2025. It is the third Rustic Cork location overall, following the original in Lake Stevens and the second in Mill Creek.

    Does Rustic Cork have a rooftop?

    Yes. The Everett location has a rooftop bar that the Port of Everett describes as the first rooftop bar on the waterfront in Snohomish County, with 2,600 square feet of covered outdoor patio space overlooking the Port of Everett Marina, the Olympic Mountains, and Possession Sound.

    Is Rustic Cork open for brunch?

    Yes. Rustic Cork runs Sunday brunch from 9 AM to 3 PM, featuring mimosa flights, espresso martinis, rustic coffee, and its flatbread and charcuterie menu. Sunday is brunch-only — the bar does not reopen for dinner service.

    Can you book Rustic Cork for private events?

    Yes. The second-floor Barrel Room is a private event space with 1,000 square feet of interior space and a 1,300-square-foot outdoor deck. Rustic Cork also offers in-house catering and private bartender services.

    What days is Rustic Cork closed?

    Rustic Cork Everett is closed Mondays. Tuesday–Thursday hours are 12 PM–9 PM, Friday–Saturday 12 PM–10 PM, and Sunday is 9 AM–3 PM for brunch only.

  • Menchie’s at the Marina Is Quietly the Best New Thing at the Port of Everett

    Menchie’s at the Marina Is Quietly the Best New Thing at the Port of Everett

    If your Saturday walk around the Everett Marina does not end at a waffle cone with two mystery flavors swirled together, you are not using the waterfront correctly anymore. Menchie’s at the Marina has been open at Waterfront Place for five weeks now, and it has quietly become the best addition to Restaurant Row nobody is talking about.

    The New Self-Serve Fro-Yo Shop on Everett’s Waterfront

    Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt ribbon-cut at 1420 Seiner Drive, Suite 103 on March 7, 2026, making it the third tenant to arrive in the current wave of Waterfront Place openings — behind Rustic Cork Wine Bar (December 2025) and Tapped Public House (March 2026). The Port of Everett announced the grand opening with a Buy One, Get One Free promo that ran from 2 PM to 9 PM on opening day, and judging from the line we saw Saturday afternoon at 3:30, the locals remembered.

    Here is why this matters for how you use the waterfront: Menchie’s sits on the corner of the building facing the Pacific Rim Plaza Splash Fountain, with a walk-up window that opens directly to the esplanade. That means you can grab a cup without committing to indoor seating, without fighting for a parking spot in the main Seiner Drive lot, and without breaking the flow of a waterfront walk. The walk-up window alone changes the rhythm of a marina loop.

    Who Is Behind It, and Why It Feels Local

    The owners are Joe Karl and Leah Solis-Karl, the same couple who operate the Menchie’s at Canyon Park Commons in Bothell. According to Port of Everett communications, Joe keeps his 28-foot fishing boat moored in the South Marina and Leah previously worked at Naval Station Everett earlier in her career. In other words, this is not a franchise drop from Texas. These are people whose Saturdays already happen at this marina, and they chose to put a shop directly in their neighborhood. The fact that Joe ties up at the South Marina and Leah has NAVSTA ties on her résumé makes the Everett location feel less like a franchise and more like a couple who finally opened something near their own boat slip.

    Port CEO Lisa Lefeber called Menchie’s “a great addition to the Port’s restaurant row,” which is polite CEO-speak for the Port has been wanting a dessert tenant on this row for years and is relieved this one finally stuck the landing. The Port originally inked the Menchie’s lease back in January 2023, which means this opening is three years in the making.

    What to Order

    Menchie’s runs the standard self-serve format — you pay by the ounce, you build your own cup, nobody judges you for a four-flavor swirl. The menu leans on rotating monthly limited-time flavors plus the usual core rotation of chocolate, vanilla, and fruit sorbets. The topping bar is stocked the way you would expect — fresh berries, cheesecake bites, mochi, sprinkles, hot fudge.

    Here is our order:

    • The honest move: whatever the seasonal flavor is, plus chocolate, with fresh strawberries and a single square of brownie. Trust the rotation.
    • For kids: a 3-oz cup with cookie dough and rainbow sprinkles. You will not spend more than $4 and you will not regret it.
    • For after dinner at Tapped: walk down, get a tart with graham cracker crumbles. Balances the ranch-and-pretzel mood from the rooftop.

    The Verdict, Five Weeks In

    We have been through twice — once on a Saturday afternoon with marina traffic, once on a weekday evening when the splash fountain had three kids running through it and Menchie’s was the natural next stop. Both visits, the swirl towers were clean, the toppings were fresh, and the walk-up window was open. The staff recognized at least two repeat customers in the 15 minutes we were there.

    Here is the honest take: frozen yogurt is not reinvented here. What is reinvented is how a summer evening at the Everett Marina ends. Before March 7, a waterfront walk had a soft ending — maybe a coffee from a truck, maybe nothing at all. Now it has a waffle cone and a photo op by the splash fountain. That is a small shift with real consequences for how families use Waterfront Place on weekends.

    Menchie’s at the Marina: The Details

    • Address: 1420 Seiner Drive, Suite 103, Everett, WA 98201
    • Location context: Corner of Waterfront Place facing the Pacific Rim Plaza Splash Fountain, walk-up window faces the esplanade
    • Style: Self-serve frozen yogurt, pay-by-the-ounce
    • Indoor + outdoor seating: Yes, plus walk-up window
    • Parking: Seiner Drive lot is the closest; on busy weekends use the South Marina overflow and walk the esplanade
    • Kid-friendly: Extremely. The splash fountain is 30 seconds away.
    • What to pair it with: Dinner at Tapped Public House, a wine flight at Rustic Cork, or a Port of Everett Food Truck Fridays session

    Why This Matters for Waterfront Place

    Menchie’s is the third piece of a puzzle Waterfront Place has been assembling since Fisherman’s Harbor broke ground. Tapped Public House owns the happy-hour slot. Rustic Cork owns the date-night slot. The Net Shed Fish Market & Kitchen owns the serious-lunch slot. Menchie’s owns the after-dinner-with-kids slot and the walk-up-after-the-splash-pad slot — both of which were missing. That is how a waterfront district actually fills in: not with one flagship restaurant, but with a dessert shop that makes the other three restaurants more functional for families.

    Still to come on the row: Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina, which the Port has confirmed is preparing to open, and one last flagship dining tenant the Port is still hunting for on the final parcel. The row is almost full. Menchie’s was the easy one. The flagship is the hard one.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When did Menchie’s at the Everett Marina open?

    Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt held its ribbon-cutting at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place on March 7, 2026. The Port of Everett originally signed the lease with Menchie’s in January 2023.

    Where exactly is Menchie’s at the Marina located?

    1420 Seiner Drive, Suite 103, Everett, WA 98201 — at Waterfront Place on Fisherman’s Harbor, facing the Pacific Rim Plaza Splash Fountain with a walk-up window that opens to the waterfront esplanade.

    Who owns Menchie’s at the Marina in Everett?

    Joe Karl and Leah Solis-Karl, who also operate the Menchie’s at Canyon Park Commons in Bothell. Joe moors his fishing boat in the Port of Everett’s South Marina, and Leah previously worked at Naval Station Everett.

    Is there outdoor seating at Menchie’s at the Marina?

    Yes. The shop has both indoor seating and outdoor seating, plus a walk-up window that opens to the waterfront esplanade so you can grab frozen yogurt without going inside.

    What else has opened recently at Waterfront Place?

    Menchie’s is the third tenant in the current wave, following Rustic Cork Wine Bar (opened December 2025) and Tapped Public House (opened March 2026). The Net Shed Fish Market & Kitchen opened in late 2025 as well. Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina is the next expected opening.

  • Waterfront Place Is 95% Full: What the Sawyer and Carling’s Occupancy Tells Us About Everett’s Waterfront Housing Demand

    Waterfront Place Is 95% Full: What the Sawyer and Carling’s Occupancy Tells Us About Everett’s Waterfront Housing Demand

    Featured Snippet

    Q: Are there apartments available at Waterfront Place in Everett?

    A: Yes — but not many. As of late April 2026, The Sawyer and The Carling at Waterfront Place have roughly 13 of their 266 total units available for lease, putting the complex at approximately 95% occupied. Available rents run from $2,202 to $2,800 per month, depending on unit size and floor. At just under a 5% vacancy rate against a softening broader Everett rental market, Waterfront Place is leasing above the city average — which tells you something about where the demand is on the Everett waterfront.


    Waterfront Place Is 95% Full: What the Sawyer and Carling’s Occupancy Tells Us About Everett’s Waterfront Housing Demand

    We’ve been tracking the rental market on this desk long enough to know that when the broader city rents are softening and one specific complex is still running at 95% occupied, there’s something worth understanding about what’s different.

    The two apartment buildings at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place — The Sawyer to the north and The Carling to the south, 266 total units between them — are currently showing 13 available apartments across both buildings, with rents running $2,202 to $2,800/month. Do the math: that’s a vacancy rate of roughly 4.9%, which for a stabilized four-story mid-rise in a premium location is tight.

    Meanwhile, the rest of Everett’s rental market is softening. Average rents across the city are down about 2% year-over-year. Downtown newer buildings are offering concessions. And yet Waterfront Place is leasing at a premium to the Everett average, keeping occupancy high, and not needing the same promotions to fill units.

    Here’s what’s actually going on.

    The Buildings, By the Numbers

    The Sawyer + The Carling (the combined Waterfront Place apartment complex):

    • Location: 1300 W Marine View Drive, Everett, WA 98201
    • Total units: 266 across two four-story buildings
    • Square footage: approximately 247,000 square feet total
    • Current availability: ~13 units listed
    • Current rent range: $2,202 to $2,800/month
    • Developer / builder: Built by Graham Construction
    • Ownership: Sea Level Properties
    • Opened: Phase 1 delivered as part of Waterfront Place Central’s first residential component

    For context against the Everett average rent of $1,849/month, Waterfront Place runs about 19% to 51% above the market average. That’s a real premium — but it’s buying a product that doesn’t exist anywhere else in Everett.

    What You’re Paying For (Beyond Four Walls)

    The amenity package at Waterfront Place is the reason for the premium. These aren’t standard Snohomish County apartment amenities — these are the kind of amenities you’d see in a Seattle Belltown or Kirkland waterfront building:

    • Two rooftop decks (one per building) with views of Puget Sound, the marina, Hat Island, and the Olympic mountains beyond
    • Speakeasy-style bar and game room for residents
    • Full fitness center and yoga studio
    • Two-level lobby with fireplace
    • Secure bike storage (meaningful on the waterfront)
    • On-site resident concierge
    • Walking distance to every Waterfront Place retail tenant — Tapped, Fisherman Jack’s, The Net Shed, Menchie’s, Marina Azul (opening), and the public marina

    That last point matters more than any single on-site amenity. If you’re a Waterfront Place resident, your front door opens onto the largest public marina on the West Coast, and your daily walk to grab coffee goes past the boats and the harbor seals. You can’t replicate that amenity by building it — you have to live in a unit that’s physically there. That’s what the premium buys.

    Why 95% Occupancy in a Softening Market

    When a neighborhood’s rental market is going the wrong direction (down ~2% year-over-year) and one specific building is still nearly full, there’s usually a combination of reasons. For Waterfront Place:

    Location cannot be copied. You either live on the Port of Everett waterfront or you don’t. New units at Millwright District (300+ breaking ground this year) will eventually compete, but those are 18-24 months away from actually drawing residents. Meanwhile, The Sawyer and The Carling are the only stabilized Class-A waterfront apartments on the Port side of Everett.

    Boeing and Navy professional segment. Waterfront Place’s price point — $2,200 to $2,800 per month — lines up well with a Boeing 737 North Line engineer, a Navy officer stationed at NAVSTA Everett, or a remote-work professional who picked Everett for the cost differential against Seattle. These tenant segments don’t bargain the same way transient renters do. They lock in a lease, they stay.

    Short commute to major employers. It’s a ~3-mile drive to Boeing’s Everett factory and ~1.5 miles to Naval Station Everett. You can live at Waterfront Place, work on the 737 North Line, walk to dinner on the waterfront, and never deal with I-5. That matters to the specific professional tenant base this property attracts.

    The retail is actually happening. For a long time, waterfront apartment buildings in Everett came with a promise of retail that never fully materialized. That’s now changing. Fisherman Jack’s is running with a full menu. The Net Shed is stabilized three months in. Tapped Public House has its rooftop. Menchie’s and Marina Azul are almost open. That retail buildout removes the “Yeah, but there’s nothing to walk to” objection that used to come with waterfront apartment living in Everett.

    Renters who are already in don’t want to leave. Tenure matters in apartment math. A complex that retains 70%+ of its residents at lease renewal runs at 95% occupancy almost automatically. We don’t have public retention numbers for Waterfront Place, but the indirect signal — consistent occupancy in a softening market, limited concession pressure — suggests the retention rate is strong.

    What the 13 Available Units Look Like

    Pulled from current listings, the available inventory at Waterfront Place covers a spread:

    • Smaller units at the lower end: Starting around $2,202 for one-bedroom floor plans in the 650-750 sq ft range
    • Larger one-bedrooms and compact two-bedrooms: $2,400-$2,600 range
    • Two-bedroom floor plans with better views: $2,700-$2,800

    The pattern you’d expect: smallest-and-interior-facing units available first, view units and two-bedrooms last. Anyone hunting for a specific floor plan or view orientation should call the property directly at (425) 622-9130 because the online listings don’t always reflect the full current inventory.

    What This Means for the Rest of Waterfront Place Development

    A 95% occupied Phase 1 apartment complex is the data point that makes the Millwright District Phase 2 apartment deal make sense on paper. The Port of Everett and its development partners are about to break ground on 300+ more apartment units in the Millwright District this year, targeting tenant move-ins by late 2026. That’s a lot of new units for a soft market.

    But if Waterfront Place is running at 95% occupancy at rents that are 19-51% above the Everett average, the market is signaling that waterfront-location demand is a different demand curve than the general Everett rental market. The Millwright apartments won’t have to compete on price with Hewitt Avenue mid-rises. They’ll compete with the Sawyer and the Carling. And at 95% occupancy, the Sawyer and the Carling aren’t a comp that’s begging for competition.

    Put simply: the demand is there. The 300+ new units won’t flood a soft market — they’ll fill the bucket that Waterfront Place is already filling, for the kind of tenant who values being physically on the waterfront and is willing to pay for it.

    What Comes Next for Waterfront Place Housing

    Beyond the Millwright District 300+ apartments breaking ground this year, the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place master plan calls for up to 660 waterfront homes total across the full buildout — a mix of apartments, condominiums, and townhomes/lofts. The 266 units at The Sawyer and The Carling are Phase 1. Millwright is Phase 2. Future phases will include additional rental and for-sale inventory as more Waterfront Place parcels develop.

    For current or prospective Waterfront Place renters, this is the honest read: pricing holds at today’s levels as long as occupancy stays above ~92-93%. If the Millwright District units come online and temporarily push occupancy below that, Waterfront Place will see modest concession pressure — probably for a six-to-twelve-month window in late 2026 or early 2027. Then the market re-stabilizes and pricing firms again.

    For renters who want to be on the Everett waterfront and don’t need to move in immediately, the best pricing window is going to be right when Millwright District opens — because both complexes will be competing for the same tenant segment for a short time.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How many apartments are at Waterfront Place in Everett?

    There are 266 total apartment units across two four-story buildings — The Sawyer (north) and The Carling (south) — at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place development at 1300 W Marine View Drive.

    How much does it cost to rent at Waterfront Place Everett?

    Current rents range from $2,202 to $2,800 per month depending on floor plan, square footage, and view. That’s roughly 19% to 51% above the Everett average apartment rent of $1,849.

    Are there units available at Waterfront Place?

    As of late April 2026, approximately 13 of 266 units are available, putting the complex at about 95% occupied. Contact the property directly at (425) 622-9130 for current specific unit availability.

    Who built the Waterfront Place apartments?

    Graham Construction built the two buildings. Sea Level Properties owns and operates the complex. The project is part of the Port of Everett’s broader Waterfront Place mixed-use master plan.

    What amenities are at Waterfront Place?

    Two rooftop decks, a speakeasy-style bar and game room, fitness center and yoga studio, two-level lobby with fireplace, secure bike storage, on-site resident concierge, and walking access to all Waterfront Place retail and restaurants.

    How close is Waterfront Place to Boeing and Naval Station Everett?

    Approximately 3 miles to Boeing’s Everett factory and about 1.5 miles to Naval Station Everett. Both are accessible without using I-5, making the daily commute simple for waterfront residents working at those employers.

    Will the new Millwright District apartments compete with Waterfront Place?

    Yes — 300+ new apartments breaking ground this year in the Millwright District at Waterfront Place will compete for the same tenant segment. Expect a modest concession window in late 2026 and early 2027 as those units lease up, followed by market stabilization.

  • Eclipse Mill Park Gets a New Timeline: Why Everett’s Riverfront Signature Park Is Now a Spring 2028 Opening

    Eclipse Mill Park Gets a New Timeline: Why Everett’s Riverfront Signature Park Is Now a Spring 2028 Opening

    Featured Snippet

    Q: When will Eclipse Mill Park at Everett’s Riverfront actually open?

    A: The park will now be built in two phases. The City of Everett’s waterside portion — the pier, floating dock, playground, and fish habitat work — starts July 2026 and wraps in November 2026 after the Washington Department of Ecology pushed the original start back for additional site-condition review. The second, larger phase, built by developer Shelter Holdings, runs from fall 2026 through spring 2028, with the full Eclipse Mill Park opening projected for spring 2028.


    Eclipse Mill Park Gets a New Timeline: Why Everett’s Riverfront Signature Park Is Now a Spring 2028 Opening

    We’ve been watching the Riverfront development on the west bank of the Snohomish River for years now, and if you drive past it on the way to the new Costco at I-5 and 41st, you already know the shape of the thing. Apartments are up. Retail pads are framed out. The trail along the river is there if you know where to look for it. But the piece that was supposed to tie the whole development together — Eclipse Mill Park, the 3-acre public park that’s going to be the signature green space for the new neighborhood — has a new timeline, and it’s worth understanding what changed.

    Here’s where things actually stand as of late April 2026, and what it means for the Riverfront buildout.

    The Short Version: A Two-Phase Park With Two Different Builders

    Eclipse Mill Park isn’t being built as a single contract or by a single entity. The 3-acre park is split into two phases, with two different builders on two different timelines. That’s the first thing to understand, because the confusion over “when does the park open” has largely come from people treating it as one project when it’s really two.

    Phase 1 — City of Everett’s portion. This is the waterside end. Playground. Pier. Floating dock. Fish habitat improvements along the riverbank. The City Council approved a $3.6 million construction contract last May to build this phase.

    Phase 2 — Shelter Holdings’ portion. This is the upland section of the park, built by the private developer as part of their Development Agreement with the City. This is the larger portion of the park’s 3 acres.

    Two builders. Two contracts. Two timelines. And two different reasons the opening keeps sliding.

    Why Phase 1 Slid to July 2026

    The original plan had City of Everett crews starting Phase 1 work earlier, with the waterside amenities coming online in 2026. That timeline got redrawn after the Washington Department of Ecology requested additional review of site conditions along the riverbank — a standard request for any project that touches fish habitat on a river as ecologically significant as the Snohomish.

    The revised schedule now has:

    • Construction mobilization: July 2026
    • Waterside amenities complete: November 2026

    So the pier, the floating dock (which Port officials have said could eventually be used to launch personal watercraft), the playground, and the fish habitat restoration work are all targeting a late-2026 completion on the City’s end. That’s a real, visible change Riverfront residents will see this year — crews on site by midsummer, open amenities by late fall.

    Why Phase 2 Runs Fall 2026 to Spring 2028

    Once the City’s portion wraps, Shelter Holdings picks up the baton. Their phase of the park is scheduled from fall 2026 through spring 2028, which puts the full-park opening at spring 2028 — about 18 months later than anyone in the neighborhood was hoping when the Riverfront plan was first approved.

    Why so long? A few honest reasons. The Phase 2 work is the larger share of the 3 acres. It’s being built by the developer, not the City, which means it’s coordinated with the rest of the Shelter Holdings buildout — apartments, retail pads, parking, internal streets — and you can’t pour the signature park in the middle of active mixed-use construction without risking damaging it. So the park goes last, and it goes slow, and the opening date sits at spring 2028.

    What Gets Built: The Actual Park Design

    The published park program is generous for a 3-acre urban waterfront park. Here’s what the full build includes once both phases are done:

    • A waterfront pier extending into the Snohomish River
    • A floating dock sized for personal watercraft launch
    • A playground at the City’s end of the park
    • A signature open lawn and gathering space on the Shelter Holdings side
    • Fish habitat improvements built into the riverbank along the full frontage
    • Trails connecting the park to the broader Riverfront trail network
    • Integration with the apartments and retail to the east so the park reads as the neighborhood’s front porch, not just leftover space

    It’s not the acreage of Grand Avenue Park or Forest Park. But for the kind of neighborhood Riverfront is trying to become — dense, mixed-use, transit-accessible, and built on a former industrial site — a 3-acre programmed park with a working pier is a meaningful amenity.

    The Bigger Picture: Riverfront’s Slow Build Continues

    Eclipse Mill Park’s slip to 2028 is part of a pattern we’ve been tracking for a while. The Riverfront project was originally approved as a 40-acre, 1,250-unit mixed-use development that would include a multiplex cinema, a specialty grocer, a 250-room hotel, office space, and 3 acres of park. The cinema has since been swapped for pickleball courts (reflecting where the indoor entertainment dollar is going in 2026), the grocer has moved around on the site plan, and the timeline for each piece has shifted.

    Two mixed-use apartment buildings are already up. Phase 2 housing — the piece that really fills out the neighborhood — is underway. The hotel is still a future phase. And now the park, which was supposed to open alongside Phase 2 apartments, slides to 2028.

    None of this is unusual for a redevelopment of an old industrial site on a federally regulated river. Every interaction with Ecology, every seasonal fish window, every shared utility trench adds weeks. If you’ve watched any of Seattle’s waterfront projects unfold, you know the shape of it.

    What Residents Will Actually See This Year

    Even with the park pushed to 2028, there’s real work happening on the Riverfront waterline this year that residents can watch in real time:

    • Summer 2026: City crews mobilize for Phase 1 park construction. Expect fencing, equipment staging, and in-water work during the permitted fish window.
    • Fall 2026: Phase 1 waterside amenities near completion. The pier and floating dock take shape.
    • November 2026: City portion hits substantial completion.
    • Fall 2026 — concurrent: Shelter Holdings begins Phase 2 park construction, running through 2027.
    • Through 2026-2027: Remaining Shelter Holdings residential buildings continue vertical construction.

    The Riverfront trail along the Snohomish River stays open throughout, which is the piece most residents actually use day to day. If you walk the trail now, you’ll see the raw edge where the riverbank will be reshaped for fish habitat — watching that transform from fall through next year is going to be one of the more visible pieces of construction on the east side of Everett.

    How the Riverfront Delay Compares to Waterfront Place

    For context, the Waterfront Place development over on the Port of Everett side is running its own slipping timeline. Millwright District Phase 2 is breaking ground this year with 300+ apartments targeting tenant move-ins by late 2026, but the Class-A office buildings aren’t expected to open until as early as 2028. S3 Maritime just opened. Menchie’s and Marina Azul are in the pipeline. The flagship restaurant parcel is still in tenant search.

    Both the Riverfront and the Waterfront are doing the same kind of work on different sites — converting former industrial edges into mixed-use neighborhoods, with parks, restaurants, and apartments. Both are running into the same realities: Ecology review windows, developer coordination, fish seasons, infrastructure sequencing, and the plain fact that you can’t stand up a neighborhood in 18 months.

    The difference between watching these projects with frustration and watching them with curiosity is mostly about whether you understand what the timelines actually mean. An extra year on Eclipse Mill Park isn’t a failure — it’s the cost of doing riverbank restoration right, in a phased build, with a private developer stitching into a public park.

    What Comes Next

    The next milestone to watch is July 2026 mobilization at the park’s waterside. If that holds, the Phase 1 amenities will be open by Thanksgiving. Shelter Holdings’ Phase 2 timeline is tied to the rest of their buildout, so the next market update on Riverfront housing will be the better indicator of whether the park’s 2028 opening slips again.

    We’ll be back at the Riverfront site later this summer with photos once the fencing goes up and the equipment stages in. If you’re a resident of one of the existing Riverfront buildings and you see activity before then, we want to know what you’re seeing from your windows.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When will Eclipse Mill Park open in Everett?

    The full 3-acre park is projected to open in spring 2028. The City of Everett’s phase (playground, pier, floating dock, fish habitat work) is scheduled to be complete by November 2026, but the full park including Shelter Holdings’ Phase 2 won’t open until spring 2028.

    Why was Eclipse Mill Park delayed?

    The Washington Department of Ecology requested additional review of site conditions along the riverbank, which pushed construction mobilization to July 2026. The Phase 2 timeline is tied to developer Shelter Holdings’ broader Riverfront buildout.

    Who is building Eclipse Mill Park?

    Two builders. The City of Everett is building Phase 1 (waterside amenities) under a $3.6 million construction contract approved by the City Council in May. Shelter Holdings, the private developer of the Riverfront project, is building Phase 2 (the larger upland portion) under their Development Agreement with the City.

    What will be in Eclipse Mill Park?

    A pier, floating dock for personal watercraft, playground, open lawn and gathering space, fish habitat improvements along the Snohomish riverbank, and trails connecting to the broader Riverfront trail system.

    Where is the Riverfront development in Everett?

    Riverfront is on the west bank of the Snohomish River, east of I-5, near the Hewitt Avenue Trestle. It’s a 40-acre former industrial site being redeveloped into a mixed-use neighborhood with housing, retail, a hotel, and parks.

    How is Riverfront different from Waterfront Place?

    Riverfront is on the Snohomish River on Everett’s east side, developed by Shelter Holdings. Waterfront Place is on Puget Sound on Everett’s west side, developed by the Port of Everett with various partners. Both are converting former industrial sites into mixed-use neighborhoods — they just face different waterways.

    What else is happening at Riverfront in 2026?

    Phase 2 residential construction continues. The cinema originally planned has been replaced with pickleball courts. Remaining apartment buildings are under vertical construction. The Riverfront trail stays open throughout construction.

  • Everett’s Rental Market Just Flipped: Why Apartment Rents Are Down 2% and What That Means for 2026

    Everett’s Rental Market Just Flipped: Why Apartment Rents Are Down 2% and What That Means for 2026

    Featured Snippet

    Q: Is rent going up or down in Everett in 2026?

    A: Rent in Everett is actually down about 2% year-over-year as of April 2026. The average apartment rent in Everett is $1,849, down from $1,887 a year ago. Studios sit around $1,476, one-bedrooms around $1,676, two-bedrooms around $1,930, and three-bedrooms around $2,340. That makes 2026 a noticeably renter-friendlier market than 2022-2023, driven by new apartment supply from the Waterfront Place, Riverfront, and downtown buildouts finally coming online.


    Everett’s Rental Market Just Flipped: Why Apartment Rents Are Down 2% and What That Means for 2026

    Everybody in Everett has spent the last three years talking about how for-sale home prices have moved — the median is $547K, down 11.6% from last year, with the downtown and Northwest Everett markets moving in completely different directions than the 98208 zip code. We wrote about that last week. But the story on the rental side is quieter, and most people in Everett haven’t noticed it yet: apartment rents here are actually going down.

    Not dramatically. Not uniformly. But down, year-over-year, in a market that’s been running the other direction for most of the past decade. Here’s the full picture as of mid-April 2026.

    The Headline Numbers

    The average rent for an apartment in Everett right now is $1,849 per month, down about 2.04% from $1,887 a year ago. That’s a ~$38/month reduction on the average unit, or roughly $456/year back in renters’ pockets for the same apartment that cost more last April.

    That’s a meaningful shift. For context, Everett rents climbed 15-20% over the three years from 2020 to 2023. Getting to any year-over-year decline at all is a sign of a market that’s rebalancing — and for a lot of working Everett renters, it’s the first real relief in years.

    Different data sources have slightly different numbers (rental data always has spread because it’s collected differently by each source), but the direction is consistent:

    • Apartments.com: Average rent down ~2% year-over-year
    • Apartment List: Rents down 1.6% year-over-year
    • Zumper / Rent.com / Point2: Comparable declines of 0.9-2% year-over-year

    The median advertised rent for Everett is approximately $1,830 per month. Over the past 3-6 months, the rental market has been mostly stable with only moderate advertised rent movement, which is the market doing what a market does when supply catches up to demand.

    The Full Apartment-Size Breakdown

    Here’s what renters are paying by unit size in Everett right now:

    • Studio: $1,476/month (roughly 500 sq ft)
    • One-bedroom: $1,676/month (685 sq ft — $2.45/sq ft)
    • Two-bedroom: $1,930/month (941 sq ft — $2.05/sq ft)
    • Three-bedroom: $2,340/month (1,186 sq ft — $1.97/sq ft)

    Two things jump out. First, the price-per-square-foot actually gets cheaper as units get bigger — which is classic rental economics, because larger units attract longer leases and families looking to stay put. Second, the jump from studio to one-bedroom is only about $200/month, which suggests Everett’s studio supply is relatively tight compared to one-bedrooms. If you can qualify for a one-bedroom, the “extra room” premium is small enough that it’s worth taking.

    What’s Causing Rents to Soften

    Everett isn’t an outlier here. The broader Puget Sound rental market has softened in 2025-2026 after a brutal run-up. But Everett has its own specific reasons, and all of them are connected to the construction we’ve been tracking on this desk for months.

    New supply is finally hitting the market. Waterfront Place’s 266 units at The Sawyer and The Carling are stabilized and leasing at current prices. Riverfront Phase 1 apartments are leased and Phase 2 is delivering. Downtown has added units in new mid-rise buildings. Millwright District Phase 2 is breaking ground this year for 300+ more units. Every apartment that opens pulls some renter out of the existing stock and forces older buildings to compete on price.

    Boeing hiring hasn’t fully absorbed the supply yet. The North Line is ramping, but the jobs are being filled over the course of 2026, not all at once. Until the workforce fully shows up and signs leases, the demand side of the equation hasn’t caught up to the supply wave.

    Home purchase re-entry. Everett’s median sale price is down 11.6% year-over-year to $547K. Every renter who decides that finally makes a down payment pencil out is a renter leaving the rental pool. That’s small in aggregate but real at the margins.

    Broader regional mix. Seattle and Bellevue rent softness bleeds north. When Seattle apartments drop, people who priced themselves out of Seattle and moved north to Everett start seeing Seattle back in reach. That slight outbound migration from Everett’s rental market is real even if the numbers are modest.

    What It Means Block by Block

    Not every Everett neighborhood is seeing the same rent behavior. Based on advertised listings across the city:

    Downtown Everett. Newer mid-rise buildings along Hewitt, Colby, and Rucker are where the most competitive pricing is showing up. These buildings opened into a softening market and are offering concessions (one month free, reduced deposits, waived admin fees) more often than we’ve seen in years. If you’re apartment-hunting in downtown in April-May 2026, ask about concessions — don’t accept the advertised rate as final.

    Waterfront Place area. The Sawyer and Carling at Waterfront Place list 13 units available as of this week, with rents ranging from $2,202 to $2,800. That’s premium pricing consistent with the amenity package (two rooftop decks, speakeasy lounge, fitness, concierge) but it’s also a signal of a complex that’s about 95% leased — so scarcity pricing still applies at the top end of the market even when the broader market is softening.

    Northwest Everett. Older buildings along Grand Avenue, near Forest Park, and in Bayside are the slowest to cut. These are often owner-operated or small-portfolio landlords who don’t reprice as aggressively as institutional operators. Rents here are more sticky — less upside but less downside.

    98208 (Silver Lake / south Everett). This is where the mix skews toward larger two- and three-bedroom units, and where the rent-per-square-foot is actually the cheapest in the city. Families relocating for Boeing, Naval Station Everett, or Providence Regional Medical Center jobs often end up here because the space-for-money math works.

    The Renter’s Playbook for Spring 2026

    If you’re renting in Everett right now or shopping for a new lease this spring, here’s what we’d tell a friend:

    Ask for concessions, always. A softening market is a concession market. One month free on a 13-month lease is a ~7.7% effective rent reduction. That’s often a better deal than a nominally cheaper rent elsewhere.

    Don’t auto-renew without comparing. If you’re approaching a renewal, pull three to five comparable units on Apartments.com or Zumper before your landlord sends the renewal letter. You now have negotiating leverage you didn’t have two years ago.

    Look at buildings that opened in 2024 or 2025. These properties are stabilizing their rent rolls and are the most likely to run promotions. Older buildings (especially small privately-owned ones) are less flexible.

    If you’re shopping waterfront-adjacent, understand the premium. Waterfront Place pricing ($2,202-$2,800) isn’t representative of Everett as a whole. If you want the view and amenities, you pay for them. If you want value, you go downtown or into Northwest Everett.

    Check your credit and documentation now. A balanced market still favors renters with clean paper. Boeing pay stubs, Navy LES statements, and steady employment get leases signed faster than thin credit files, even when the market is soft.

    What Comes Next

    The rental market in Everett is not going to stay soft forever. By late 2026 and into 2027, two things happen at once:

    1. Boeing North Line hiring fully absorbs into the local rental market.

    2. The Millwright District 300+ apartments and other Waterfront Place housing deliveries slow down the supply pipeline.

    When supply slows and demand firms, rents resume climbing. That’s not a prediction — that’s what the math does. Renters who sign 14-month or 18-month leases this spring at today’s softer rates are locking in a floor that may feel like a deal in 2027.

    For landlords, the message is the opposite. The days of 8-10% annual rent increases as a default assumption are gone. The next year or two is about occupancy — filling units, keeping residents, earning the privilege of raising rents again when the market turns.

    Everett is going through the quiet part of its rental cycle right now. It won’t last. But while it’s here, it’s the first renter-friendly window this city has had in a long time, and worth knowing about.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the average rent in Everett WA in 2026?

    The average apartment rent in Everett is approximately $1,849 per month as of April 2026, down about 2% from $1,887 a year ago.

    Is rent going up or down in Everett?

    Rent is currently going down in Everett. Average rents are off roughly 2% year-over-year across most data sources (Apartments.com, Apartment List, Zumper), driven largely by new apartment supply hitting the market and a broader Puget Sound rental softening.

    How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Everett?

    A one-bedroom apartment in Everett rents for approximately $1,676 per month on average, for a typical 685 square foot unit. Rent per square foot is about $2.45 at that size.

    How much is a two-bedroom apartment in Everett?

    A two-bedroom apartment in Everett rents for about $1,930 per month on average, for roughly 941 square feet. That works out to about $2.05 per square foot.

    Is now a good time to rent in Everett?

    Spring 2026 is one of the most renter-friendly windows Everett has had in years. Concessions (free months, reduced deposits) are common in newer downtown buildings, and lease negotiations have more room than they did in 2022 or 2023.

    Why are Everett rents going down?

    Three main reasons: new apartment supply at Waterfront Place, Riverfront, and downtown is hitting the market; Boeing North Line hiring is ramping but not fully absorbed; and the broader Puget Sound rental market is softening, which pulls Everett with it.

    Will rents go back up in Everett?

    Likely yes, by late 2026 or 2027 as Boeing North Line fully staffs up and new apartment supply slows. Locking in a longer lease this spring at today’s rates is a reasonable hedge for tenants who plan to stay.

  • Boating Into Waterfront Place: A 2026 Guide for Visiting Boaters at the Largest Public Marina on the West Coast

    Boating Into Waterfront Place: A 2026 Guide for Visiting Boaters at the Largest Public Marina on the West Coast

    Q: I’m bringing my boat to Everett. How does the Port of Everett Marina and Waterfront Place work for visiting boaters?

    A: The Port of Everett Marina is the largest public marina on the West Coast — 2,300 slips and 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage. Visiting boaters can use guest moorage on a daily or seasonal basis, with rates and reservations through the Port’s marina office. The marina has fuel, pump-out, restrooms, showers, and direct walking access to all Waterfront Place restaurants — including Tapped Public House’s rooftop, Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina (opening early spring 2026) for boat-to-deck dining, The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market for grab-and-go seafood, and Menchie’s at the Marina. Approach the marina through the north or south breakwater entrances; check in at the marina office for slip assignment. Plan a slow approach — the harbor is busy with commercial, fishing, and pleasure craft.

    Boating Into Waterfront Place: A 2026 Guide for Visiting Boaters at the Largest Public Marina on the West Coast

    The Port of Everett Marina is, by slip count, the largest public marina on the West Coast. 2,300 slips. 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage. Two basins, north and south, separated by a working commercial harbor and a Coast Guard cutter pier. The redevelopment that turned the surrounding land into Waterfront Place transformed what was already a functional boating destination into one with a real reason to dock and stay.

    This is the 2026 guide for visiting boaters — what to expect on approach, where to moor for which restaurant, fuel and service logistics, and how to make the most of a Waterfront Place visit from the water.

    The Marina, By the Numbers

    • 2,300 slips total across North and South Marina basins
    • 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage for visiting boats
    • Fuel dock with gas and diesel
    • Pump-out service available
    • Restrooms and showers at multiple dock locations
    • Direct walking access to all Waterfront Place tenants
    • Channel depth sufficient for most pleasure craft; verify draft for larger vessels

    Slip waitlists vary by size class — small slips often have shorter waits than 50+ foot slots. Guest moorage is generally available, especially weekday and shoulder-season; weekend summer moorage in peak season can fill, particularly during major regional events.

    Approach and Entry

    The marina is in Port Gardner Bay, just south of Jetty Island. Approach is from the south through the channel between Jetty Island and the Everett shoreline. The North Marina entrance is at the north end of the breakwater; the South Marina entrance is south of the commercial pier complex.

    Things to know on approach:

    • Working commercial harbor — expect to share the channel with cargo ships, fishing vessels, Coast Guard cutters, and Mukilteo–Everett water taxi traffic. Slow speeds and constant lookout.
    • Currents in Port Gardner can be substantial, particularly with tidal exchange. Check NOAA tides and currents before entry.
    • VHF Channel 16 monitored by the marina office; switch to working channel as directed for slip assignment.
    • Jetty Island sandbar shifts seasonally — stay in the marked channel.

    Checking In and Slip Assignment

    Visiting boaters should check in at the Port of Everett Marina Office on arrival. The office assigns guest moorage based on vessel size, intended length of stay, and current availability. Fees are paid at check-in. The Port’s website publishes current guest moorage rates.

    For longer stays or known arrival dates, calling or emailing ahead through the Port’s website to reserve guest moorage is recommended, particularly during peak summer weekends.

    Where to Moor for Which Restaurant

    Walking distances at the Port of Everett Marina are real — the property is large. If your priority is dinner at a specific restaurant, ask the marina office for a slip assignment closer to the relevant dock:

    For Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina (opening early spring 2026): Marina Azul has ground-floor space directly on the water with a deck designed for boat-to-deck dining. Slips closest to the Restaurant Row property are the highest-leverage assignment. The boat-up taco-and-paloma experience is the marketing pitch and is genuinely possible.

    For Tapped Public House rooftop deck: The Restaurant Row building is centrally located between the basins. Most guest moorage assignments will put you within a 5–10 minute walk to the rooftop entrance.

    For The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market & Kitchen: Ground floor of the Restaurant Row building. The market side is convenient for grab-and-go seafood you can take back to the boat for galley cooking.

    For Hotel Indigo / Bluewater Distilling: The hotel sits on the property with restaurant access at the ground floor. Convenient for boaters tying up overnight and using hotel amenities.

    For Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition gift shop: First-phase retail anchor; convenient stop for marine supplies and salmon-themed retail.

    Fuel and Pump-Out

    The Port of Everett Marina fuel dock has gas and diesel, with hours posted seasonally on the Port’s website. Pump-out service is available — coordinate timing with the marina office, especially during peak weekends.

    For boats needing maintenance during a stay, S3 Maritime is now operating at the marina with marine maintenance and repair services. The Port also has long-standing relationships with several boatyards in Snohomish County for haulouts and major work.

    Boating Through the Year at Waterfront Place

    April through June: Spring weekend traffic ramping. Tapped’s rooftop deck becomes the destination as soon as weather supports outdoor seating. Marina Azul opens this spring. Salmon and bottomfish opportunities in nearby waters.

    July through September: Peak season. Jetty Island free passenger ferry runs, drawing daytime visitor traffic. Mukilteo–Everett water taxi seasonal service. Best weather for guest moorage and outdoor dining.

    October through March: Slower season. Easier guest moorage availability. Indoor restaurant experiences shine. Storm-watching weather is real and can affect harbor entry; check forecasts.

    What’s Within Boat Range From the Marina

    For multi-day cruising itineraries, Waterfront Place fits naturally into Snohomish-area boating circuits:

    • Jetty Island — under a mile, walkable beach experience
    • Mukilteo — short hop, ferry terminal area, restaurants
    • Hat Island, Camano Island, Whidbey Island — day-cruising destinations within easy reach
    • Langley on Whidbey — popular weekend destination
    • Bellingham, San Juan Islands — extended cruise destinations to the north
    • Seattle Marinas — south to Shilshole, Elliott Bay, Bell Harbor

    Waterfront Place is increasingly the central refueling, restocking, and dining stop for North Sound and inside-passage cruising itineraries.

    What’s Different in 2026 Versus Past Years

    If you boated into the Port of Everett Marina before 2024, the dock-side experience is the same; the on-shore experience is dramatically different. Restaurant Row simply did not exist as a destination before December 2025. The marina was a transient stop or a slip you owned. Now the marina is a destination in its own right — the boat-to-deck dining experience at Marina Azul, the Tapped rooftop, and the casual walk-and-eat options have made overnight moorage at Everett a stronger choice for cruisers than it was even 12 months ago.

    Practical Notes

    • Cell coverage — solid throughout the marina property. WiFi available at most restaurants.
    • Provisioning — limited grocery directly at the marina; the Net Shed Fresh Fish Market handles seafood. Larger grocery runs require a 5–10 minute drive into Everett. Walking distance to downtown Everett core is roughly 15 minutes.
    • Trash and recycling — receptacles at multiple dock points throughout the marina.
    • Security — gated dock access for slip holders; guest moorage is in monitored areas.
    • Water and power at slips — standard marina utilities at most slips; verify amperage with marina office on check-in.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How big is the Port of Everett Marina?

    2,300 slips and 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage — the largest public marina on the West Coast.

    Can visiting boaters get guest moorage at the Port of Everett?

    Yes. Daily and seasonal guest moorage is available, with rates published on the Port’s website. Reservations are recommended for weekend summer arrivals.

    Is there a fuel dock at the Port of Everett Marina?

    Yes. The fuel dock has gas and diesel, with hours posted seasonally.

    Can I dock my boat and walk to Waterfront Place restaurants?

    Yes. All Waterfront Place tenants — Tapped Public House, Rustic Cork, The Net Shed, Menchie’s at the Marina, Marina Azul (opening early spring 2026), and the Bluewater Distilling restaurant at Hotel Indigo — are within walking distance of the marina docks.

    Which restaurant has direct boat-to-deck dining?

    Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina, opening early spring 2026, has ground-floor patio space directly on the water designed for boat-up dining.

    Is pump-out service available?

    Yes. Coordinate timing with the marina office.

    What VHF channel is the marina office on?

    VHF Channel 16 is monitored; the marina office will direct you to a working channel for slip assignment. Verify current procedure with the Port of Everett.

    What should I know about currents in Port Gardner Bay?

    Tidal exchange in Port Gardner can produce substantial currents. Check NOAA tides and currents before entry, particularly for low-power vessels.

    Are there overnight stay options on shore at Waterfront Place?

    Yes. Hotel Indigo Everett Waterfront is the only on-property hotel, with marina views and the Bluewater Distilling restaurant. Convenient for boaters wanting a night off the boat.

  • Visiting Everett’s Waterfront in Spring 2026: A One-Day Guide for the Restaurants, Marina, and Jetty Island

    Visiting Everett’s Waterfront in Spring 2026: A One-Day Guide for the Restaurants, Marina, and Jetty Island

    Q: How should I plan a day trip to Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place in spring 2026?

    A: Plan for a half-day minimum. The Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place opened multiple restaurants between December 2025 and March 2026 and now anchors a credible day-trip experience for visitors from Seattle, Bellingham, and across the I-5 corridor. The high-leverage day-trip plan: arrive by late morning, lunch at The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market & Kitchen or Marina Azul (when open), walk the marina and visit Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition, head to Jetty Island via the seasonal passenger ferry (May–early September), come back for happy hour on Tapped Public House’s rooftop deck, and finish with frozen yogurt at Menchie’s at the Marina. Park free in the lots adjacent to Restaurant Row. Total cost for two: roughly $80–$120 depending on drinks. From Seattle, plan 45 minutes by car or 50 minutes via Sounder North.

    Visiting Everett’s Waterfront in Spring 2026: A One-Day Guide for the Restaurants, Marina, and Jetty Island

    The Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place spent the back half of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 quietly becoming a credible waterfront day-trip destination. The marina was always there — 2,300 slips, the largest public marina on the West Coast. What’s new is what’s around it. Tapped Public House opened March 2 with the largest open-air waterfront rooftop deck in Snohomish County. Rustic Cork and The Net Shed opened in December 2025. Menchie’s at the Marina cut its ribbon March 13, 2026. Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina is opening this spring. There is now enough at Waterfront Place to spend a full day.

    This guide walks through how to plan that day, in the order most visitors should do it.

    Getting There From Seattle, Bellingham, and Beyond

    From Seattle: 30 miles north on I-5 to exit 194 (Pacific Avenue), then west on Pacific Avenue until the road dead-ends at the marina. 45 minutes off-peak, 60–75 minutes during rush. Or take Sounder North from King Street Station to Everett Station (about 50 minutes), then Community Transit Route 7 or a 15-minute walk to the waterfront.

    From Bellingham: 80 miles south on I-5 to exit 194. About 90 minutes off-peak.

    From Eastside (Bellevue/Kirkland): WA-520 to I-5 north, then exit 194. About 50 minutes off-peak.

    By boat: Guest moorage is available at the Port of Everett Marina. Day-use moorage rates are published on the Port’s website. Approach: enter through the breakwater at the north or south end of the marina; check in at the marina office for assigned moorage.

    Parking

    Free parking is available at multiple surface lots adjacent to Restaurant Row and the marina. Lots are well-marked and within a 2-minute walk of any tenant on the property. Saturday afternoons in summer can fill up; aim to arrive before noon if you want a lot directly behind the Restaurant Row building.

    The High-Leverage Three-Hour Plan

    11:30 AM — Arrive and lunch. Start with The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market & Kitchen for a fast, fresh seafood lunch on the ground floor of the Restaurant Row building. The fish-and-chips and the chowder are the easy first-time orders. Or, when it opens this spring, Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina for tacos and a paloma on the deck directly on the water.

    12:30 PM — Walk the marina. Head south along the marina docks. The walk runs the length of the North Marina basin and into the South Marina, with views of every type of vessel from working fishing boats to high-end pleasure craft. Stop at the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition gift shop for the salmon-conservation-themed retail and visitor information. The walk takes roughly 30–45 minutes round trip if you don’t stop, longer if you do.

    1:15 PM — Jetty Island ferry (May–early September only). The Port runs a free seasonal passenger ferry from the marina to Jetty Island, the Port’s day-use island sandbar in Possession Sound. Roundtrip rides are 5 minutes each way; the island has a lifeguard-staffed beach in summer, walking trails, and some of the best low-tide tide-pooling in the region. Plan 60–90 minutes on the island if you go.

    3:00 PM — Tapped Public House rooftop happy hour. Head to the rooftop deck of Tapped Public House on the second floor of the Restaurant Row building. Order a drink, take in the view across the marina and Possession Sound, and stay through golden hour if the weather cooperates. This is the showstopper experience at Waterfront Place.

    5:00 PM — Frozen yogurt and walk back. Finish at Menchie’s at the Marina, also on the second floor of the Restaurant Row building. The self-serve frozen yogurt with the rotating flavor wall and toppings bar is a strong way to wrap a sunny waterfront day with kids in tow. Then walk back to the parking lot.

    Variations: Swap Tapped for Rustic Cork Wine Bar if you’d prefer a wine-and-small-plates happy hour. Swap The Net Shed for Bluewater Distilling at Hotel Indigo if you want a sit-down lunch with cocktails.

    What to Know About Each Restaurant

    Tapped Public House. Gastropub menu, full bar, the largest open-air waterfront rooftop deck in Snohomish County. Showstopper view. Best for happy hour or sunset. Reservations recommended on weekends.

    Rustic Cork Wine Bar. Wine-forward program, curated by-the-glass list, small plates and Pacific Northwest food. Best for a quiet wine pairing or a date-night.

    The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market & Kitchen. Fresh fish counter and quick-service kitchen. Casual, walk-up. Best for fast lunch with the family or grabbing fish to take home.

    Menchie’s at the Marina. Self-serve frozen yogurt, pay by weight, rotating flavor wall and toppings bar. Best for after-walk dessert with kids. The first waterfront-facing Menchie’s in the Puget Sound region.

    Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina (opening early spring 2026). Refined Mexican menu, extensive sipping tequila and craft cocktail program. Direct waterfront patio with boat-to-table dining. Best for dinner. From the team behind Casa Azul in Woodinville and Agave Cocina in Issaquah.

    Bluewater Distilling at Hotel Indigo. Hotel restaurant with cocktail-forward bar program. Convenient if staying at Hotel Indigo or arriving by Sounder.

    Beyond Restaurant Row: Other Things at Waterfront Place

    • Hotel Indigo Everett Waterfront — only hotel on the property, with marina views and the Bluewater Distilling restaurant.
    • The Mukilteo–Everett water taxi — seasonal passenger ferry between Everett’s and Mukilteo’s waterfronts. Schedule and rates published seasonally on the Port’s website.
    • Marine services and S3 Maritime — for boaters needing maintenance or supplies.
    • Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition gift shop — salmon-conservation retail and visitor info.

    What’s Worth a Separate Trip

    If your day-trip plan is going well and you have time before driving home, these are within 5 minutes by car:

    • Hewitt Avenue restaurants and bars — Everett’s downtown core has rebuilt its restaurant scene over the last 24 months. Quick walk if you parked downtown.
    • Funko HQ — collectors detour for the Funko store.
    • Schack Art Center — downtown gallery and visiting exhibitions.
    • Howarth Park beach — Everett’s quieter beach park, 5 minutes south of downtown, with a pedestrian bridge over the BNSF tracks to a long Puget Sound beach.

    Best Day-Trip Days for Waterfront Place

    Best weather window: May through early October. Puget Sound waterfront is at its best in dry, longer-light months.

    Best day of week: Saturday for full energy, Sunday for slower pace, Friday afternoon for happy hour without the crowd.

    What to skip: January through March weekday lunches — quieter than the experience deserves. Wait for spring weekends.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How long should I plan to spend at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place?

    Half-day minimum to do justice to lunch, the marina walk, and one happy-hour or rooftop experience. Full day if including Jetty Island in season (May–early September).

    Is parking free at Waterfront Place?

    Yes. Free public parking is available in multiple surface lots adjacent to Restaurant Row and the marina.

    Can I take public transit to Waterfront Place from Seattle?

    Yes. Sounder North service from King Street Station to Everett Station (about 50 minutes), then Community Transit bus or a 15-minute walk to the waterfront. Sounder North runs limited weekday-only service; verify current schedule.

    When does the Jetty Island ferry run?

    Seasonally, typically May through early September. The ferry is free and runs from the Port of Everett Marina to Jetty Island, with crossings of about 5 minutes each way.

    Are the restaurants at Waterfront Place family-friendly?

    Most are. The Net Shed, Menchie’s at the Marina, Tapped’s main floor, and Marina Azul are all family-appropriate. Rustic Cork is more adult-oriented (wine bar focus). Tapped’s rooftop deck is 21+ in the bar area but family-friendly elsewhere; verify policy on visit.

    Can I bring my dog?

    Outdoor patios at several restaurants are dog-friendly with confirmation; verify with the specific tenant. The marina walking paths welcome leashed dogs. Jetty Island has restrictions during peak season.

    Where should I stay overnight if I want to extend my Waterfront Place visit?

    Hotel Indigo Everett Waterfront is the only hotel on the property and is the closest stay to the marina and Restaurant Row. Other Everett-area hotels are 5–15 minutes away by car.

    Is Waterfront Place still under construction?

    Active redevelopment continues — Marina Azul is opening this spring, the Port is recruiting a breakfast-and-brunch operator for one remaining Restaurant Row spot, and a flagship restaurant is being recruited for the last undeveloped parcel. The areas currently open are fully visit-ready.

  • Waterfront Place at the Port of Everett: The Complete 2026 Guide to Restaurants, Marina, and What’s Coming Next

    Waterfront Place at the Port of Everett: The Complete 2026 Guide to Restaurants, Marina, and What’s Coming Next

    Q: What is at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place in 2026?

    A: Waterfront Place is the Port of Everett’s 1.5 million-square-foot, 65-acre mixed-use redevelopment on Everett’s working waterfront. As of mid-April 2026, six restaurant and retail tenants are open: Tapped Public House (March 2026, with the largest open-air waterfront rooftop deck in Snohomish County), Rustic Cork Wine Bar (December 2025), The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market & Kitchen (December 2025), Menchie’s at the Marina (March 13, 2026 ribbon cutting), the Bluewater Distilling restaurant inside Hotel Indigo, and the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition gift shop. Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina from the Casa Azul / Agave Cocina team is opening early spring 2026. The Port is recruiting a breakfast-and-brunch operator after the previously announced Alexa’s Cafe lease did not close. The marina is the largest public marina on the West Coast with 2,300 slips and 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage.

    Waterfront Place at the Port of Everett: The Complete 2026 Guide to Restaurants, Marina, and What’s Coming Next

    The Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place is the largest waterfront redevelopment Snohomish County has ever attempted. 1.5 million square feet of mixed-use development on 65 acres adjacent to downtown Everett, anchored by what is now the largest public marina on the West Coast — 2,300 slips and 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage. The redevelopment has been underway for more than a decade. The 2024–2026 phase has been the visible one: the Restaurant Row building lighting up, hotel guests arriving, marina foot traffic climbing, and downtown Everett valuations responding.

    This is the complete 2026 guide. What’s open today, what’s coming this spring, what’s still being recruited, and why all of this matters for the city beyond just where to get dinner.

    What’s Open at Waterfront Place Right Now

    Tapped Public House. Opened March 2, 2026 on the second floor of the Restaurant Row building. Gastropub menu, full bar, and the largest open-air waterfront rooftop deck in Snohomish County, with panoramic views across the North Marina and Possession Sound. Already pulling consistent weekend crowds.

    Rustic Cork Wine Bar. Opened December 2025. Second-floor space in the Restaurant Row building. Wine-forward program with curated by-the-glass and bottle list, small plates, and Pacific Northwest-leaning food.

    The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market & Kitchen. Opened December 2025. Ground-floor fresh fish retail counter with quick-service seafood prepared kitchen. The market side sources from Pacific Northwest fisheries; the kitchen turns it into chowder, fish-and-chips, sandwiches, and rotating seasonal preparations.

    Menchie’s at the Marina. Ribbon cutting March 13, 2026. Self-serve frozen yogurt with a rotating flavor wall and toppings bar, on the second floor of the Restaurant Row building. The first waterfront-facing Menchie’s location in the Puget Sound region.

    Bluewater Distilling at Hotel Indigo Everett Waterfront. Hotel Indigo’s ground-floor restaurant operated by Bluewater Distilling. Cocktail-forward bar program with food menu and waterfront views.

    Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition gift shop. The Port’s retail anchor from the first phase of Waterfront Place development. Salmon-conservation-focused retail and visitor information.

    S3 Maritime. Marine maintenance and repair services. Not a restaurant, but a recent addition to the marina-services side of Waterfront Place.

    What’s Coming Next at Waterfront Place

    Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina. Opening early spring 2026. The third concept from the team behind Casa Azul Cocina & Cantina in Woodinville and Agave Cocina & Cantina in Issaquah. Refined Mexican menu, extensive sipping tequila and craft cocktail program, and ground-floor space directly on the water — the kind of setup where you can dock a boat, walk up to the deck, and be eating tacos within 10 minutes. This is the highest-profile coming-soon tenant on the Restaurant Row property.

    An unnamed breakfast-and-brunch café. The originally announced Alexa’s Cafe lease did not close. The Port is now actively recruiting a new breakfast-and-brunch operator for the last remaining spot in the Restaurant Row building. If you operate a café in the North Sound market or know someone evaluating expansion, the Port’s real estate team is the contact point.

    A flagship restaurant for the last undeveloped waterfront parcel. The Port opened an official search in early 2026 for a flagship restaurant concept to anchor the remaining undeveloped land at Waterfront Place. This is the largest still-available footprint on the property.

    The Marina, By the Numbers

    The Port of Everett Marina inside Waterfront Place is the largest public marina on the West Coast, with 2,300 boat slips and 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage. Slip waitlists vary by size class and category. Guest moorage is available daily and seasonally for visiting boaters, with rates published on the Port’s website.

    The marina includes the North Marina and South Marina basins, a fueling dock, pump-out service, restroom and shower facilities, and direct walking access to all Waterfront Place tenants. Jetty Island, the Port’s seasonal day-use island accessible by passenger ferry from the marina during summer months, draws roughly 60,000 visitors during peak season.

    The Mukilteo–Everett seasonal water taxi operates from the marina during summer months, providing a direct passenger connection to Mukilteo’s waterfront. Schedule and rates are published seasonally.

    Hotel Indigo Everett Waterfront

    Hotel Indigo Everett Waterfront is the only hotel on the Waterfront Place property. The full-service property includes guest rooms with marina and Possession Sound views, the Bluewater Distilling restaurant on the ground floor, meeting and event space, and direct walking access to all of Waterfront Place. The hotel has been a key driver of weekend visitation since opening, particularly for Seattle-area guests doing day trips and weekend stays in Snohomish County.

    The Port of Everett’s $70M 2026 Budget Context

    The Port of Everett’s 2026 budget is approximately $70 million, with $8.1 million earmarked for seaport modernization, $2.6 million for Waterfront Place retail and public infrastructure, and $7.1 million for ongoing maintenance. Waterfront Place is the highest-visibility line in the public-facing portion of that budget. The retail lease-up funds the public infrastructure; the public infrastructure makes the retail viable.

    Why Waterfront Place Matters For Everett Beyond Dinner

    It is easy to read Waterfront Place coverage as lifestyle news rather than economic development. The reality is that Restaurant Row and the marina are doing three structural things for downtown Everett right now:

    Generating foot traffic that didn’t exist 24 months ago. The Port has reported significant year-over-year increases in marina visitation since the first Restaurant Row tenants opened. That foot traffic spills into Hotel Indigo bookings, Jetty Island ferry traffic, and the Mukilteo–Everett water taxi.

    Underwriting the Millwright District commercial real estate thesis. Millwright District Phase 2 — housing plus 120,000 square feet of office space — is being pre-leased right now. Every tenant signing in Millwright is doing so against the foot traffic and destination-draw of Waterfront Place. Restaurant Row is, in a direct way, making the Millwright deals close.

    Generating sales tax and lodging tax revenue that funds the rest of downtown. Hewitt Avenue’s restaurant rebuild, the Edgewater Bridge opening April 28, 2026, and the ongoing conversation about the Sound Transit Everett Link extension all have better financing math when the waterfront generates more taxable activity.

    The downtown Everett housing submarket is up 11.4% year over year while the citywide market is down 11.6%. That is not coincidental. Waterfront Place is doing exactly what the Port and the city said it would do.

    How to Visit Waterfront Place

    Waterfront Place is at the foot of Pacific Avenue in Everett, immediately west of West Marine View Drive. From I-5, take exit 194 (Pacific Avenue) and head west; the road dead-ends at the marina. Free public parking is available at multiple lots adjacent to Restaurant Row and the marina. Most tenants are reachable on foot from any parking lot within Waterfront Place.

    Sound Transit Sounder North Line provides commuter rail service to Everett Station downtown, with Community Transit bus connections to the waterfront. For a car-free Seattle day trip, this combination works well.

    Related Exploring Everett coverage:

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What restaurants are open at Waterfront Place in Everett right now?

    As of mid-April 2026: Tapped Public House (rooftop gastropub, opened March 2026), Rustic Cork Wine Bar (December 2025), The Net Shed Fresh Fish Market & Kitchen (December 2025), Menchie’s at the Marina (March 13, 2026), and Bluewater Distilling inside Hotel Indigo. Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina is opening early spring 2026.

    Where is the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place located?

    At the foot of Pacific Avenue in Everett, Washington, on 65 acres along the Port of Everett Marina. From I-5, take exit 194 and head west on Pacific Avenue.

    How big is the Port of Everett Marina?

    2,300 slips plus 5,000 linear feet of guest moorage — the largest public marina on the West Coast.

    Is there a hotel at Waterfront Place?

    Yes. Hotel Indigo Everett Waterfront is the only hotel on the property, with marina-view rooms, the Bluewater Distilling restaurant, and meeting/event space.

    What restaurant is replacing Alexa’s Cafe at Waterfront Place?

    Alexa’s Cafe did not close on its lease at Waterfront Place. The Port is actively recruiting a new breakfast-and-brunch café operator for the remaining Restaurant Row spot. No tenant has been announced as of April 2026.

    Is Marina Azul Cocina & Cantina open yet?

    Not as of mid-April 2026. The Port and the operators have stated an early spring 2026 opening. The team behind Marina Azul also operates Casa Azul Cocina & Cantina in Woodinville and Agave Cocina & Cantina in Issaquah.

    Can I dock my boat at Waterfront Place to dine?

    Yes. Guest moorage is available at the Port of Everett Marina for visiting boaters. Marina Azul, Tapped, and other tenants are within walking distance of the docks.

    What is happening with the AquaSox stadium at Waterfront Place?

    The proposed downtown AquaSox stadium is at the Funko Field-area site, not at Waterfront Place. The Everett City Council is being asked for $10.6 million in design funding on April 29, 2026. Waterfront Place is a separate Port of Everett project.

    How does Waterfront Place affect downtown Everett?

    The downtown Everett housing submarket is up 11.4% year over year while the citywide Everett market is down 11.6%. Restaurant Row foot traffic, the Hotel Indigo, and marina visitation are all underwriting downtown’s countercyclical valuations and supporting the Millwright District Phase 2 pre-leasing.