Travel To Seattle – WA
Getting Around Seattle
Nearby Airports
- Seattle Tacoma International Airport-SEA
Things to Do and See in New York City
Other Popular places to see in Seattle
Best Seattle Neighborhoods for Travelers
Ballard – WA
In the historic heartland of North Seattle, Ballard’s Fisherman’s waterfront terminal is the home port of the North Pacific fishing fleet (made famous by the TV show Deadliest Catch). The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (also known as the Ballard Locks) is a 1916 engineering marvel that connects Lake Washington and Union Freshwater Lake to Puget Sound in a 26-foot waterfall. The locks attract visitors with their botanical gardens, hiking trails, and below-ground windows to watch spawning salmon swim up the fish ladders to Lake Washington. Ballard’s historic town center is pedestrianized and is home to trendy shops, clubs, cafes, and bistros. Don’t miss the Ballard Avenue Sunday Farmers’ Market, open year-round. One of Ballard’s hidden gems is Carkeek Park, 220 hectares of lush forests, meadows, wetlands, and beaches, interspersed with well-maintained hiking trails.
Capitol Hill – WA
Northeast of downtown is Capitol Hill, Seattle’s most prominent neighborhood. In the shadow of the Millionaire’s Row villas, Seattle’s counterculture and gay scene flourishes. Capitol Hill is considered the birthplace of Grunge and remains at the forefront of cultural and artistic trends. Along Broadway, there is improvised street theatre during daytime and spontaneous street parties at night. The Capitol Hill stage has a clear advantage, but local businessmen and football moms are not afraid of its antics. Outside of Broadway, several other streets (Pike, Pine, 12th, and 15th Avenues and Olive Way) are lined with cafes, theaters, bars, and coffee shops.
Magnolia – WA
Seattle’s biggest neighborhood is geographically isolated from the rest of the city, as it is separated from Queen Anne by railway lines (over which only three bridges pass). Magnolia is mostly a residential area, but it is home to one of Seattle’s leading recreational attractions. Discovery Park is the city’s largest public park, with 534 hectares of trails stretching for 12 miles. The park was once a U.S. Army base called Fort Lawton, and many military structures are still in place today. The three-mile circular trail is a popular hike through dense undergrowth to viewpoints overlooking Puget Sound. The United Indians of All Tribes Daybreak Cultural Centre is located within the park boundary, and blackberry picking is popular in the fall.
Green Lake – WA
In the heart of North Seattle, the freshwater lake Lake Green is surrounded by a 2.8-mile hiking trail where thousands of people walk, jog, skate, and bike. Swimming, kayaking, and rowing courses are also popular on the lake. The surrounding park is home to a variety of tree species, many of which are marked with brass signs. East of the lake, on the other side of I-5, is the Roosevelt neighborhood with a vibrant shopping district around a Whole Foods grocery store on 65th Street and a collection of high-end electronics stores along the “audio row” of Roosevelt Way. North of the lake, the Greenwood neighborhood is very charming and vibrant.
West Seattle – WA
West Seattle is across the Duwamish River, with a collection of residential neighborhoods south and west of downtown. Alki Beach is a popular recreational area with sandy beaches and shore walks with views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains and Elliott Bay in downtown Seattle, Schmitz Preserve Park has hiking trails through old-growth forests and Lincoln Park has a network of well-maintained hiking trails. The West Seattle Business District is located at the intersection of Alaskan and California Streets, and guests can pick between delicious eateries Husky Deli and Elliot Bay Brewery and Pub.
Fremont – WA
Fremont is famous for its annual Summer Solstice Parade and Pageant, which features naked cyclists. At the center of Fremont’s self-proclaimed “center of the universe” is a seven-ton, 16-foot-high bronze statue of Vladimir Lenin, who is confidently heading into the future. Two blocks further south, past restaurants, clubs, and pubs in the Fremont Rocket, an airplane tail boom modified during World War II that resembles a Cold War missile. Under the Aurora Avenue Bridge is a menacing 18-foot-high concrete sculpture of the Fremont Troll. A life-size cast aluminum sculpture of six people and a dog named Waiting for the Interurban adorn the intersection of 34th and Fremont Avenue, across from the legendary Blue Moon Burgers. The Fremont Sunday Street market is thriving and bustling year-round.
University District – WA
The University of Washington is located in the center of the U district, but the “U” is more hip and sophisticated than the average university city. Local cultural attractions include the Henry Art Museum and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The heart and soul of the U district are “The Ave” (University Avenue NE), which is home to 40,000 students and offers an eclectic mix of clubs, pubs, funky shops, cafes, and independent restaurants. Galway Arms is an Irish pub on The Ave that regularly hosts leading punk rock and metal bands. Big Time is Seattle’s main pub, and Dante’s has been a popular nightclub since 1966. Every third Friday of the month, from 18.00 to 21.00, there is an art walk in the neighborhood.
Wallingford – WA
Nestled between the U District and Fremont (east and west) and Green Lake and Lake Union (north and south), Wallingford is a picturesque neighborhood with its personality and a booming commercial and business district. On your way up to 45th Avenue in the heart of Wallingford, be sure to stop at Archie McPhee, a candy and joke shop that offers a collection of gag gifts, crazy toys, and entertaining treats. Nearby, Olympia Pizza serves some of the best pies in town, and a line is forming for Molly Moon’s homemade ice cream. South of the business district, on a peninsula overlooking Union Lake, is the Gas Works Park, a former industrial plant. This is where the Burke-Gillman Trail begins, a 17-mile hiking and biking trail that winds from Old Ballard to the northern tip of Lake Washington.
Madison Park – WA
Madison Park owes its name to the 24 hectares of green space on the shores of Lake Washington, where the beaches offer breathtaking views of Lake Washington and Mount Rainier. In the surrounding neighborhood, there are numerous cafes, pubs, coffee shops, toy stores, ice cream parlors, bakeries, and locally-owned shops. West of Madison Park is the Washington Park Arboretum, one of the most beautiful public gardens in the United States. The park, jointly managed by the University of Washington and the City of Seattle, is open year-round and highlights a formal Japanese garden at the south end of the Arboretum.
Columbia City – WA
At the end of the 19th century, Columbia City was separated from Seattle by a dense forest. Seattle grew rapidly in the early 20th century, and Columbia City was annexed in 1907. During and after World War II, the area was settled by African-Americans working in defense. Boundary redefinition and racism contributed to a steady decline in population during the 1960s and 1970s. Gentrification began in the 1980s with an influx of gays and lesbians, artists, and urban pioneers seeking affordable housing. Real estate values have exploded since the 1990s, and Columbia City is now one of Seattle’s most popular, trendy, and ethnically diverse destinations. With its art galleries, theatre and music performances, bars, bakeries, and restaurants, Columbia City is the commercial and cultural center of the surrounding neighborhoods of Beacon Hill, Rainier, Lakewood, and Seward Park.
International District – WA
The International District, located east of Pioneer Square, was originally settled by Chinese guest workers in the late 19th century. Subsequently, immigrants from Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines settled in the district, which is now deemed one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the city. In 1986, the International District received the official federal designation “Seattle Chinatown Historic District” and its immigrant roots are honored in the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific Experience. One of the district’s main attractions is the Asian grocery and souvenir store Uwajimaya, a 36,000 square foot supermarket filled with enough interesting ingredients to start your very own international restaurant chain.
Queen Anne – WA
The neighborhood owes its name to the Victorian architectural style typical of its historic houses. When Seattle hosted the 1962 World’s Fair, the exhibition grounds and the iconic Space Needle were built on the southern border of the Lower Queen Anne. The former exhibition center is now known as the Seattle Center and houses the Pacific Science Center, the Museum Experience Music Project, and the stunning Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit. Kerry Park is located at the top of Queen Anne Hill and offers panoramic views of downtown Seattle, Puget Sound, and the majestic Mt. Queen Anne is located in the southwest quadrant of Seattle, north of downtown and across the Fremont Canal.
Pioneer Square – WA
Seattle was founded in 1852 on the tidal flats, in an area now known as Pioneer Square. In 1889 the mostly low wooden buildings were destroyed by a fire. By decree, new buildings were erected in stone or brick, and the “street level” was raised by one or two floors. The neighborhood was rebuilt on the old ruins, which remained buried and largely forgotten – until 1965 when building contractor Bill Speidel launched the Seattle Underground Tour. Speidel and others helped revitalize Pioneer Square in the 1970s and managed to designate much of the area as a historic neighborhood. Today, the neighborhood is very pedestrian-friendly and its Victorian-Romanesque architecture is the key to the neighborhood’s charm. Pioneer Square is home to high-quality art galleries and studios, antique shops, sports bars, cafés, and bookshops.