DK Travel : Seattle : Downtown

What strikes many visitors to downtown Seattle is how easy it is to see the sights, since key attractions lie within walking distance of one another. Bookended by Belltown to the north and Pioneer Square to the south, downtown can be seen on foot or by city bus at no cost – since all of it lies in the Ride Free Zone. Alternatively, for a small fare, the waterfront streetcar stops at several key points between the Market and the International District. In addition to being a business district full of skyscrapers, downtown offers a wide range of options – such as gourmet restaurants, attractive shopping centers, and a perfect place to begin exploring the city.

Many seafood vendors at Pike Place Market package fish for long-distance travel. Head inside the Koolhaas Library for a visual treat as spectacular as the glass and steel exterior shell. Be sure to leave the bus while still in the Ride Free Zone; if you stay on beyond the boundary, you’ll have to pay upon exiting.

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Art Institute of Seattle

The institute offers programs in graphics, fashion, and culinary and media arts.
Assaggio Ristorante

Savor tasty authentic Italian cuisine such as fresh herbed veal parmigiana, ravioli cappesante, gnocchi gorgonzola, and osso buco. Many desserts are imported from Italy.
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.
Baby & Co.

The place for European styled slacks, skirts, dresses, and accessories for women. Look for designs by Martha Francis Garbed, Lilt in Paris, Comme des Garcons, and Marithe and Francois Girbaud.
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.
Belltown Pizza

A neighborhood bar? A pizzeria? Standard pizzas and gourmet varieties complement a small pasta selection, which may include dishes such as gorgonzola and walnut-stuffed ravioli in a garlic cream sauce.
Betsey Johnson

Every fashionable young woman who’s flirty and flouncy knows of the designer who helped create the image of the Warhol crowd’s Edie Sedgewick. Examine the sale rack before you buy.
Borders

The large book and music CD retailer has an unparalleled inventory of popular books, magazines, and compact discs.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with two glasses of wine (or equivalent) and tax.
- under $20
- $20–$40
- $40–$55
- $55–$80
- over $80