They Chose Edmonds
Downtown Edmonds runs on people who could set up shop anywhere, but chose here. They’re your neighbors, your kids’ coaches, the faces you see at the farmers market. They could have set up shop anywhere, and they picked Edmonds.
How cool is that? (The coolest.)
So what draws business owners to Edmonds? What keeps them invested in our seaside blocks year after year? Here’s what we learned about the people behind a handful of Downtown Edmonds businesses you love.
Young Lee Hee, Young Gallery
Young Gallery
Young Hee Lee’s connection to Edmonds reads like a love letter: “Edmonds holds a special place in my heart,” she shared. “It’s a cozy, quaint city where I used to stroll with my now husband, enjoying the restaurants, shops, beautiful beach, and galleries—it felt like scenes from a romantic movie.”
For thirty years, Young painted daily while managing two Asian restaurants in downtown Seattle’s Columbia Center. She’d often visit Cole Gallery and Art Studio, getting lost in the artwork and taking classes there. After retiring, she searched for a studio where she could paint to her heart’s content. “Strolling around Main Street, my heart skipped a beat when I saw a small space that used to be a hair salon,” she said. “I contacted the building owner, and my dream came true: opening a studio where I could display my art in my favorite city.”
Now, Young meets locals and visitors from all over at her gallery on Main Street. “It’s the best part of my retirement!” she told us. “Though my English is simple, I hope to connect with more people and artists in Edmonds. It’s the caring, empathetic people that make this community so wonderful, and one of the reasons I love Edmonds.”
Suzette Jarding, Ristorante Machiavelli
Ristorante Machiavelli
Suzette Jarding’s story with Machiavelli began in 1999 when she started as a hostess. She fell in love with the restaurant and purchased it in 2013, then moved it to Edmonds in 2023. “I have lived in Edmonds since 2003 and have always loved Edmonds and the Edmonds community,” Suzette shared. “It was a dream come true to open Ristorante Machiavelli here.”
What keeps her motivated? “Seeing our amazing customers and cooking wonderful food. I also love to create new items for lunch. We have lots of new specials!” The restaurant serves scratch-made Italian food using the same recipes from when it originally opened in 1988. “Our environment is very cozy and approachable,” Suzette told us. “We are conveniently located a few blocks from the ferry in the heart of Downtown Edmonds.”
Gina Drake, Barre3 Edmonds
Barre3 Edmonds
In 2013, after welcoming her first child and stepping away from a long career in advertising and marketing, Gina Drake discovered barre3. “I had always had a love for sports and fitness and was an avid runner for many years, but was looking for something different that would challenge me in new ways while supporting me as a new mother,” she shared. “After my first barre3 class, I knew I had found something special—a remarkable workout and a supportive, uplifting community.”
She opened barre3 Edmonds in March 2020 (the worst possible time!) and has been passionate and flexible as she’s helped students rediscover joy in movement. The studio celebrated its 6th birthday this month! Before officially opening, Gina taught nearly 200 free pop-up classes around Edmonds. “My family and I are residents of Richmond Beach and consider Edmonds an extension of our community,” she told us. “We love all the unique shops, businesses, and restaurants here and pinch ourselves daily that we are so lucky to live in such an amazing place.”
Brooke Schick, Basement Salon
The Basement Salon
Brooke Schick has been invested in beautiful hair for over two decades, but her path to owning The Basement Salon started with a teenage frustration. “I spent my teenage years hating getting my hair done. I felt no one ever listened to what I wanted,” she shared. “As I became a young adult, I worked in a salon as a receptionist and grew to realize this was my path. I wanted to be behind that chair! I wanted to help people get what they want.”
She graduated from beauty school in 1999 and has been on that path ever since, running six small salons in her home over the years. The Basement Salon started in her basement. When she moved to Edmonds in 2020, the name came, too.
“I am so excited to bring the salon to Edmonds,” Brooke told us. “Salons aren’t just a place you get your hair done. They are environments where you feel encouraged, welcomed, and connected.”
Brooke’s specialty is treating hair colors like art. “Taking blondes to another level and giving dark colors dimensional levels so they glow in the light. Hair possibilities are endless. I’m not afraid of change. I like to plant confidence in clients to step out of their comfort zone.”
Open seven days a week by appointment, The Basement Salon highlights (see what we did there? 🙂) the kind of commitment and longevity that makes Downtown Edmonds special—with a team that’s been together for more than 15 years, all living in the area.
Cheryl Farrish, Certa Farrish Law Group
Certa Farrish Law
Attorney Cheryl J. Farrish’s connection to Edmonds goes beyond her legal practice—she’s served on the Board of Directors for the Edmonds Downtown Alliance, and we are so appreciative of her time and tenure.
Originally from Hawaii, Cheryl moved to Seattle to attend Seattle University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Criminal Justice. She continued at Seattle University School of Law, working full-time as a personal injury paralegal during the day and attending law school at night. She graduated Magna Cum Laude again.
Now, Cheryl handles a wide range of injury cases and has recovered over $50 million for her clients through negotiations, mediations, arbitrations, and trial. She’s served on boards for the Washington State Association for Justice, the Filipino Lawyers of Washington, and other professional organizations, bringing the same dedication to her community work that she brings to her clients.
“I love that being a personal injury attorney allows me to empower my clients during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives,” she shared. “Seeing my clients regain confidence and control over their lives is incredibly rewarding.”
When she’s not in the office, you might spot Cheryl around Edmonds—she’s an avid scuba diver, a voracious reader who can’t leave a bookstore without a couple of new reads, and loves skiing, wine tasting with girlfriends, hiking, and watching baseball with her husband and three sons.
Business is Better Downtown
These business owners remind us why Downtown Edmonds thrives—it’s the people who choose to be here, invest here, and build their dreams here that make our community so special. We’re grateful to them and all the heart they put into supporting this special place.
Show Us How You Live and Shop Local
Tag us in your photos walking and shopping around Downtown Edmonds! It’s so fun to know we’re in this life together and out supporting each other. We’re @edmondsdowntown on Instagram and Facebook.
By Whitney Popa, photos by Matt Hulbert
