| ||
  | ||
| ||
| ||
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
An indie rock hostel
By David Welch Editor's note: The Savvy Traveler is produced by Minnesota Public Radio and features firsthand experiences and observations of travelers around the globe.
(The Savvy Traveler) -- Apparently, when compared with Department of Safety Youth Hostel in Anacortes, Washington, most hostels are, well, pretty tame. Why? The Department of Safety is an indie rock paradise. Its hosts converted an abandoned fire station into an all-ages music venue, art galleries and painting studios -- and they have their very own jail in the basement. Best of all, if you're traveling through town and want to stay the night, you can. Contributor David Welch went to northwestern Washington to check it out. DAVID WELCH: Here's the best way to describe the Department of Safety Youth Hostel: indie rock heaven. When I say indie rock, I don't mean just music: I'm describing a lifestyle. Some call it punk rock or DIY mentality, but I keep landing on indie rock. I just think it works. Here's what I mean: Three friends from the city -- Aaron, Alex and Tammy -- fall in love with a small Washington town because of a rock show they attend. At the show, they meet a community of passionate fans and artists -- people a lot like them. The three are about to graduate from college and are faced with a decision: either get jobs, go to graduate school, or move to Anacortes and open a rock club, something they think the town desperately needs. Tough choice. Aaron: So, this is the music venue. It's actually a glorified garage where the fire trucks used to park. Even, you know, even the sound of (claps hands) the reverb in this area reminds you that, yeah, there are concrete walls and...
Welch: Can we open up the garage? Aaron: Go ahead. It's pretty crazy. Welch: But it gets better: They end up renting the abandoned fire and police station; they move in and renovate the station to an art gallery/music venue/youth hostel. Or, it's an indie rock paradise. Kennedy, hostel visitor: This is, like, the coolest place we've been to the whole time we've been touring. We've been traveling for, like, a little over almost a week, which isn't that long in a band, but still, just sleeping on, like, couches in the van and being wet and cold and tired. ...And when we got here, it was like they had everything: like, a venue and a place to stay, and a kitchen and friendly people. Welch: Aaron, Alex, Tammy and Melissa are some of the best hosts you'll ever meet. For as little as $17 a night -- prices work on a sliding scale -- they'll make you food, show you around town, let you into whatever concert they're having that night -- anything and everything to make you feel at home. Tammy: Originally, when we saw this space, we weren't thinking of putting in a hostel -- we just wanted art space, to be creative, but the location, being the busiest intersection in Anacortes, just called for it. If everyone drove by, why not give them a place to come in and stay? Welch: So, they renovated some of the upstairs rooms. They built bunk beds, bought sheets and towels, and converted the firefighters' quarters into a youth hostel. It's actually really great.
Aaron: The fact is that it's our home, too. We try really hard to make guests feel more than welcome. And, we're cheap. Yeah, we try to keep things really reasonable. We love to make deals -- I shouldn't be saying that. Never mind. Welch: But at this point... Aaron: Yeah, we do work-for-trade all the time. We're here to facilitate, like, meaning. Welch: Something else that makes this place so special: the building itself. Aaron: This is the old vault room, and what they did in here was interview people. Welch: It was the old fire and police station, and anything that was left behind has been preserved. Anything added to the Department of Safety seems to accent the building's former purpose. Aaron: And, right here we have handcuffs. They're bolted in on a metal bar here just to keep prisoners when they're being interviewed. So, the basement: These are single cells. This is a handcuff that hangs on the wall. The toilet: It's not very appetizing. These are probably 500-pound to 600-pound steel-barred doors. You can actually (sound of key on bars) -- yeah, they're all over down here. So, they kind of swing with dominance (sound of jail door closing). Welch: That's what I mean when I say indie rock paradise: They've taken an abandoned fire station and turned it into an all-ages music venue; they've converted the old city offices into art galleries and painting studios, and they have their very own jail in the basement. And, best of all, if you're traveling through town and you want to stay the night, you can. How cool is that? The Savvy Traveler ® is produced by Minnesota Public Radio
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
