While there's a lot of good feelings about Sound Transit's light-rail expansion, it isn't all applause, of course. Cafe conversation and blog posts on CHS Capitol Hill Blog reflect the mixed bag. Noise and construction chaos have extracted a price from some businesses and boosted others.

Espresso Vivace has been a staple on Capitol Hill since 1992, supported by fiercely loyal regulars. The light-rail project displaced it, forcing the business to move from East Denny into the Brix Condos on Broadway. For owner David Schomer, the relocation has been a positive event. “It was over three years ago I got the news that the transit station would displace the Roasteria.” said Schomer. "Emotions ran high for awhile, denial, anger and finally acceptance."

Although moving proved to be costly (financial assistance available covered only 12 percent of expenses), it worked. Business is up three-fold since the move into the Brix. "Customers seem to feel that we captured a lot of the ambiance in our new location," said Schomer. "Brix has concentrated our demographic into the new location. There are no sweeter, more educated residents than the extended neighborhoods around north Broadway anywhere in Seattle. [The move] placed Vivace in the center of our strongest customer base."

Vivace’s sentiments are echoed by others, such as Hour Eyes Optical on Broadway, which is experiencing similar results. The eye-care business had been in the same location for 25 years, but like many others, was forced to move once construction began. A spokesperson for Hour Eyes said despite the fact they were closed during the move, in the five weeks they have been reopened, business has increased.

In stark contrast is the experience of Vajra — a Broadway specialty and Tarot-reading shop, which has taken a monster hit. Owner Linda Savage describes a retailer nightmare: "Lighter foot traffic, few parking spots and sometimes no access to the sidewalk." While she admits the current economic climate is a factor, Savage cites the rail construction as a much bigger issue. More parking, more new retailers andsome compensation from the city is what's needed to spark business for herself and others in the area, she says.

In other words, this is unpredictable stuff. All that's a given is that the gains from expanded transit will not be without pain for some. G. K. Chesterton, a British journalist, novelist, and poet from the late 1800s, once wrote a very simple statement that fits the situation."New roads; new ruts.”