Over the last decade, Seattle has blossomed into a bustling powerhouse of influence, steering the future of high technology as well as popular culture. The population of this vibrant metropolis is fueled by the latest in software, espresso drinks, music, and visual art that’s often as far on the leading edge as the city itself. Seattle has emerged as one of the most attractive cities in the United States, with an ever-changing skyline that reflects the pioneering spirit that brought settlers here in the mid-19th century.
-
DJs spin alternative music, rock, and whatever they feel like, and revelers take in New Orleans-style voodoo art.
-
The large green building at the Seattle Center belongs to the non-profit Seattle Repertory Theatre. The Bagley Wright Hall is the flagship of the company’s three performance venues. The Rep won the 1990s Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater, confirming its reputation for producing classic and contemporary plays of high literary standards.
-
One of Seattle’s smaller book retailers (see Broadway) that specializes in gay and lesbian literature and periodicals. The staff is exceptionally well informed and friendly.
-
The ferry ride to Winslow on Bainbridge Island should be mandatory for tourists who want an inspiring view of the Seattle skyline. A stroll from the terminal to Winslow’s quaint waterfront shops and cafés has its own rewards.
-
From the roaring 1890s through the Great Depression, the four block stretch of brick-paved Ballard Avenue defines the raison d’etre of a mill town that also had a thriving boat-building and fishing industry. The 19th-century architecture is gorgeous, and it’s easy to imagine a street filled with timber millworkers, salty fishermen, fishmongers, and the banks, saloons, and bordellos that served them. In 1976, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf read the proclamation that identified Ballard Avenue as a National Historic District.
-
Have the staff search for an elusive out-of-print book, or browse the shelves for old but not forgotten favorites.
-
This 76-story skyscraper rises high above any other Seattle structure. Completed in 1985, from a design by Chester Lindsey Architects, it holds the US record for most stories in any building west of the Mississippi River. Three of the 46 elevators bring visitors to the posh private club at the top. It offers stunning views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic Peninsula, Mount Rainier, and the Cascade Mountains.
-
The sleek, three-tiered black skyscraper that dominates Seattle’s skyline might have been even taller, but for an order to reduce the ultimate height from the Federal Aviation Administration. To break a record for most floors in any one building, the builder kept the original 76 stories but reduced the ceiling heights to compensate. The 1985 building has an observation deck on the 73rd floor that offers panoramic views of Elliott Bay and Mount Rainier. (see Bank of America).
-
Whether you travel by foot, bicycle, car, bus, boat, or plane, the towering, flashing, red neon advertisement for Bardahl automotive oil treatment makes for an unusual icon for any neighborhood. From distant hilltops, the sign’s manic ascending flashes harken back to the industrial roots of Ballard, and to company founder Ole Bardahl, Ballard resident and Norwegian immigrant. The sign is one of Seattle’s favorite, if most garish, urban landmarks.
-
Savor San Francisco’s Caffe Trieste espresso and coffee along with delicious scones and croissants.
-
Restaurant price categories
For a three-course meal for one with two glasses of wine (or equivalent) and tax.
Advertisement
-
-
lukmansani's Prague guide
lukman
-
TobinDane's Seattle guide
TobinD
-
tamunshen's Chicago guide
tamuns
-
-
-
Berlin guide
skrams
-
London guide
pukank
-
Merry in Madrid
travel
-
New York festivities
travel
-
Christmas in Vienna
travel
-




Get DK Top Ten Travel Guides on your iPhone & iPod Touch!




symbol, to start adding attractions to your
tailor-made travel guide.