We’ve heard a lot about income inequality in our city, but sometimes personal wealth still feels like it’s the elephant in the room. It can be uncomfortable to talk about how much we make and how much we spend — even when it’s in the bigger context of how tough it can be to get by in Seattle these days.

So we asked Evergrey readers from around the city — folks making a lot, a little, or anything in-between — to open up about what it means to be financially secure in Seattle. Here is what some of them had to say:

😕  “Since I went down the right path, things have gotten harder for me.” — Lakesha Johnson, formerly homeless, works two jobs, lives in Capitol Hill, makes $38,000.

🏠  “If we lost this house, we’d have to move away from the city.” — Julian Perez, works as a family doctor, lives in Wallingford, has a household income of more than $150,000.

😅  “Money isn’t at all a stressful thing, at this point.” — Nick Johnson, first year public school teacher, lives in First Hill, has a household income of $80,000.

» Hear more of your neighbors open up about money in our video here.

This video is the first in an ongoing series looking at wealth in Seattle. We hope you’ll take the time to get to know Cirrus, Nikki, Julian, Antoinette, Lakesha, and Nick over the coming weeks. They opened their homes to us, and answered questions like: How much do you need to live comfortably in Seattle? Should we talk more about our personal incomes? Who’s responsible for making Seattle a more equitable place?

Stay tuned for more videos in the coming weeks. and pop over to our Facebook thread to give your answer to a fascinating question (that got a different answer from each of our subjects ⤴): What does financial stability in Seattle look like to you?

Howard’s taking heat. Ever since former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said he was “seriously considering running for president” as an Independent candidate over the weekend, locals have had a lot to say. While many, including Gov. Jay Inslee, are concerned he’d draw away critical votes from Democrats, Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat had another bone to pick with Howard: his voting record. Howard’s voted in just 11 of 38 elections since 2005, skipping big local mayoral and state votes. And while a sterling voting record isn’t exactly the bigger qualifier, “it does show a certain respect for the old-fashioned ballot-box grunt work that, we tell ourselves anyway, is still supposed to be the backbone of this entire enterprise,” Danny wrote. What’s Howard got to say about his potential run and all the questions it brings up? Our own Mónica Guzmán will be moderating a discussion at the Moore Theatre tonight. 🇺🇸 (The Seattle Times, CBS)

Make your neighborhood even more awesome. Have an idea for something fun (or functional) for your neighborhood? Maybe it’s hosting a big festival, installing something artsy, or getting your neighbors together to take action on an important issue. The city wants to help. They’re offering local groups up to $25,000 through their Neighborhood Matching Fund to help create something great. Get all the details here. 💪 (City of Seattle)

Unplugged. Sometimes you use self-checkout at the grocery store so you’ll be left alone. Or maybe you just don’t want judgy eyes on your cart. (Just us? [grimace emoji]) But PCC Community Markets just decided that this subtraction of human interaction isn’t doing us any good, so they ditched their self-checkout kiosks. Those cashierless Amazon Go stores are getting popular, so PCC’s move seems like a strange choice, notes KIRO reporter Rachel Belle. So why do it? So we can chat it up with our neighbors, PCC reps say. 🍏 (MyNorthwest)

Speaking of conversation… Go have one over beers at The Stranger’s new panel series. It’s  called Zymurgy, which — beer fact! — means the study of fermentation. Their first event is about all the weird ways beer can be fermented and it’s be on February 21 at Machine House Brewing in Georgetown. Tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. 🍻 (The Stranger)

WHO MOVES YOU, SEATTLE?

Know of someone making waves in the world of public transportation? Maybe they’re an innovator, a giant bike geek, or someone shaping policy behind the scenes. Whoever they are, we want to know about ‘em.

» Tell us about you favorite transit changemakers by nominating them here by 12 p.m. today. Need some inspo for the kind of person we want to know about? Peep our video about an awesome bus driver named Bonnie here. 🌟

See you tomorrow, Seattle. — The Evergrey