It is always strange when you have lived somewhere for a few years to find out about a place that is nearby, and you should have heard of but that you knew nothing of. Even more embarrassing is to find out from a friend of yours from another state that visited it while in the area and then told you! Such is the case with The Shop. Located in the SODO part of Seattle, I must have driven close to it more times than I can imagine.

This is a storage location in which people can keep their cars and even have restoration work undertaken (although the waiting list for the restoration guys is quite long apparently). There is a heated shed if you want to pay more or an unheated one if you are less fussed. When you want your vehicle, you let them know and they will retrieve it from the location in which it is stored (which might be above another vehicle or behind one) and you can drop off your daily driver for them to look after while you take out your precious beast.

They provide tours of the facility which, while quite brief, do give you a good look at what is stored there. There are some seriously expensive vehicles kept on site. A Ferrari Dino was one of the more valuable ones but not the most expensive while we were there. The young lad showing us around was happy to regale us with the information on some of the more unusual types on show. Owners were not generally discussed but they were not hiding that some of the vehicles belonged to Macklemore.

While there are some exotic vehicles in there, there are also some rough looking cars that are going to get restored at some point I imagine. They are clearly prized by their owners, but they might not be top of the list for others. Given how they are stored, it isn’t always easy to get a clear look at some of the more interesting vehicles – particularly if they are behind others and in the shade. Doesn’t stop you having a good nose around, though, even if the guide does keep you moving. They are not too officious and seem to welcome the fact you are curious.