DK Travel : Seattle : Downtown : Places of interest

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Art Institute of Seattle

The institute offers programs in graphics, fashion, and culinary and media arts.
Austin A. Bell Building

Elmer Fisher, Seattle’s foremost commercial architect, designed this handsome building that reflects Richardsonian, Gothic, and Italianate styles. It houses pricey condos and a nightclub.
Bank of America Tower

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).
Belltown

Pedestrians are welcomed with an explosion of shops, clubs, cafés, high-rise luxury condos, and fine restaurants. This upscale neighborhood was named in the 1970s after a pioneer, William M. Bell. In those days, Belltown attracted sailors on shore leave, artists seeking inexpensive loft spaces, and ragtag urban dwellers. But it was the dot.com boom of the 1990s that changed everything by engendering a commercial revival for the neighborhood. Remnants of old Belltown include a few well-preserved façades.
Belltown Billiards

A mix of professional-quality billiard tables with sumptuous Italian fare, DJs, and live music creates a hopping late-night scene.
Harbor Steps

If you happen to be near the Seattle Art Museum on First Avenue and need to get down to the waterfront, try the Harbor Steps. A street’s abrupt end has been turned into a wide-open stairway landscaped with water sculpture and planters. The steps are spacious and an ideal urban meeting place, located below a nouveau luxury apartment complex in the heart of an ever-changing downtown Seattle. Countless restaurant and nightlife options abound in the vicinity.
Koolhaas Library

Completed in 2004, the new downtown library is a work of art. Nearly 8,000 patrons per day benefit from more than 1.45 million books and reference materials, Internet access, spacious areas for children, and over 400 public computers. The art collection alone is worth $1 million.
Lenora Street Bridge

This elegant footbridge leads from Western Avenue to the Elliott Bay piers, providing stellar views of West Seattle and the Olympic Mountains.
Metro Bus Tunnel/Ride Free Zone

Sightseeing between Belltown and Pioneer Square is a piece of cake, thanks to the Bus Tunnel and the Ride Free Zone (see Metro Bus Tunnel). A 1.3-mile (2-km) long tunnel reserved for buses serves thousands of riders daily. If you choose not to walk, either hop on a street level bus within the Zone (checking in with the driver, of course) or look for entrances to the five stations of the Bus Tunnel.
Millionaire’s Club

This social service agency helps potential laborers find temporary work.