In 2001, Major League Baseball held its All-Star Game in Seattle. The Mariners were on a historic run and I was especially intrigued by this new baseball player who just showed up from Japan named Ichiro. All this also got me to start paying attention to Seattle as a city, and my early impression was, wow, what an actually cool city.
Everything about it felt new and modern for some reason, and the misty, forested backdrop added an extra layer of cool.
Decades later, and after several visits, I’ll admit, my impression hasn’t changed much. I suppose I now have a more informed taste for coffee and beer, and I can better appreciate Seattle’s counter-cultural streak. But yeah, at the heart of it, still just a cool city.
Why Seattle?
Here are a few other reasons why it’s hard to do wrong with a Seattle visit.
Culture meets nature. I am happiest in forests and mountains. But so many of my interests- from improv to baseball- call for cities. So when there’s a city with access to trails and natural spaces all around, it’s a gem. Seattle is one of the best cities that checks these boxes.
A hub AND a destination. You can go and spend a weekend in the city and be perfectly happy. OR you could use it as your entry point into Western Washington, and from there explore the Olympic Peninsula, Leavenworth, the Rainier area, or the San Juan Islands. Seattle has a lot to offer, but so do its surroundings.
Oh, and the Amtrak puts Portland and Vancouver in pretty easy access.
A hub of different cultures. Seattle has a lot of ties to different East and Southeast Asian cultures, which results in plenty of great eats and one of my favorite Chinatown areas in the States. There’s also a solid Eastern European community in the area.
The weather, actually. Maybe this isn’t a selling point for most people, but it is for me. The persistent rain and mist make every photo taken in the city that much more epic. And while it may be wet, it’s temperatures are rarely extreme.
I will note that in my first eight or so visits to Seattle, I had an odd streak of always catching sunny weather. On my last visit, however, I was poured upon for three hours during a concert in Lumen Field. So there’s that.
Where to Stay
One of the biggest drawbacks to Seattle is that accommodations tend to be unusually expensive. I’ve often opted to stay in spots like Everett or Redmond, which are a bit outside the city in order to save money. Just know that this can add quite a bit to your commute time.
That said, here are a few options for you:
CitizenM Lake Union (Lake Union OR Pioneer Square)
CitizenM is a boutique hotel chain operating in a handful of American and European cities. While they’re owned by Marriott, they specialize in affordable accommodations. The rooms tend to be sleek and well designed, but quite small, making it an ideal stay for 1-2 travelers. Their Seattle locations in South Lake Union and Pioneer Square are convenient as far as major attractions go.
Hotel Sorrento (Downtown Seattle)
This boutique hotel is perhaps a notch above CitizenM in terms of cost, but offers a very classic hotel feel for a more accessible price. At least by Seattle standards! The front courtyard seating area is often lively and adds to the experience, and it’s reasonably close to the core of downtown just on the other side of the freeway.
Coast Gateway Hotel (Burien)
I don’t recommend this place for its frills. But I have a soft spot for Burien, which is a neighborhood right by the SeaTac Airport that has several spots worth visiting. And this hotel does have larger sized rooms that can accommodate a bigger family if needed, and that’s something I’m often on the hunt for.
TreeHouse Point (Issaquah)
I had to put this on here for the experience, not exactly practical reasons! But this woodsy resort offers overnight stay in gorgeous treehouses nestled in a forest canopy and connected by suspension bridges. The site also offers a variety of wellness activities, making this more than a place to stay, but an experience in its own right.
My Top Three
1) Enjoy the view from GasWorks Park
Seattle’s got an incredible skyline, and GasWorks Park is one of my favorite spots to admire it from.
You’ll notice that absent from my list are recommendations to actually go into the Space Needle. My philosophy around iconic towers that let you go up is that the view OF the tower is typically way better than the view FROM the tower. Anyhow…
GasWorks Park actually is a converted old fuel processing plant and a lot of the old equipment is still around. Some of it has even been repurposed into play structures. The hill in the center of the park gives you a panoramic view of the bay, with the harbor below, the iconic skyline right across, and a line of trees all around.
2) Hike Rattlesnake Ledge
If you like hiking… or even if you somewhat tolerate it, going on some classic Pacific Northwest trails is a Seattle-must. While there are many trails to recommend, the one I’d probably list as most essential but doable during a short Seattle visit would be Rattlesnake Ledge.
The trail can be moderately strenuous. While it’s only four miles roundtrip, it has a pretty sharp elevation gain of about 1500 feet and numerous switchbacks. But, the view is absolutely worthwhile with stunning lookout points of Rattlesnake Lake and the surrounding mountains.
Oh, and it’s worth noting… there aren’t actually any rattlesnakes in the area.
3) Go ahead and check out Pike Place Market
I’ve left off a lot of the most major Seattle tourist attractions from this list– Starbucks, Space Needle, Pop Culture Museum… I figure most probably already know about those and can decide if that’s your thing or not. But I will say that of all the undeniably touristy things to do in major American cities, a visit to the Pike Place Market can still be pretty enjoyable regardless of how many times you’ve been to the city.
A lot of the vendors within the halls are longtime staples in the market and still have a lot to offer in terms of hidden gems and locally crafted goods.
Essential Eating Experiences
Spend some time in a coffee shop.
Is there any other city that embraces sitting in a cafe for hours romanticizing a cup of coffee? Vienna might debate it, but Seattle is at the very least on a very short list of cities marked by coffee. Yes, it is the birthplace of Starbucks, but here are some local offerings worth getting to know.
Espresso Vivace (Capitol Hill)
A true Seattle coffee institution. This spot truly feels like a classic 90's coffee shop throwback you’d sit in while waiting for friends to show up. Enjoy big mugs and cozy seats with a colorful, bold-shaped aesthetic.
Basecamp Coffee Shop (Capitol Hill)
A good option for the classic Seattle coffeeshop experience right in Capitol Hill. It’s a neighborhood classic.
Ghost Note Coffee (Capitol Hill)
The interior feels trendy in a romantic but haunting way. You can get upscale coffee with a vintage feel in an airy environment. Locally loved.
Third Culture Coffee (Bellevue)
It’s worth the trip out to Bellevue… and if you happen to be passing through, make it a point to come here. As the name implies, this café features coffee drinks from around the world, especially India and Vietnam. You don’t see Indian inspired coffee shops too often, so don’t miss this.
Narrative Coffee Roasters (Everett)
It's all the way in Downtown Everett, but as far as quality goes it’s one of the best in the Seattle area.
Enjoy food from Seattle’s large Asian-American community.
Several East and Southeast Asian diasporas have quite a presence in the Seattle area. I happen to think the Chinatown area of Downtown Seattle is one of the most enjoyable Chinatowns to explore. But all over the city you can find some great Asian eats. Here are some favorites.
Malaysian: Kedai Makan (Capitol Hill)
Malaysian cuisine remains criminally underrated most of the time. Not enough cities in the United States have a good go-to spot for Malaysian, but lucky for Seattle, Kedai Makan is a much beloved spot in Capitol Hill. Their Malaysian classics don’t really miss and their cocktails are impressive as well.
Vietnamese: Miss Pho (North Seattle) & Pho So 1 (South Seattle)
Miss Pho is located in an unsuspecting strip mall corner, but it boasts some completely memorable bowls of pho. Their incorporation of egg yolk offers an element you don’t see too frequently in Vietnamese-American restaurants, but it’s pulled off with excellence.
Meanwhile in South Seattle…
There’s no shortage of praise for Pho So 1, which is also located in an unsuspecting strip mall. They just might have a claim to the best pho and Vietnamese food in Seattle.
Dessert: Baiten (Capitol Hill)
I'm not the biggest soft serve fan, but with flavors like black sesame, yuzu, and several matcha based innovations, this place wins.
Asian-American Fusion: familyfriend (South Seattle)
Laid back Asian-fusion restaurant with great outside seating when the weather allows. Highlights include batchoy, kewpie burgers, and adobo tacos.
Get some real good ginger beer.
Rachel’s Ginger Beer
Gourmet ginger beer and ginger beer based cocktails. Rachel’s has several locations, including Pike Place, the UW area, and The Spheres.
Enjoy Moroccan cuisine–and a belly dance performance–at Marrakesh.
Marrakesh (Downtown Seattle)
Full-fledged Moroccan restaurant with occasional belly dancing performances. The commitment of the decor at this place alone is a reason to visit.
Other things to see and do in…
Downtown Seattle
Catch a Mariners or Seahawks game
Seattle sports teams often suffer from geographic isolation, but make no mistake, the Seattle fan base gets lively for their home team. Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park are neighbors, and it isn’t uncommon for both stadiums to host events at the same time making for a lively, albeit crowded time downtown.
Explore Chinatown
As mentioned earlier, Seattle has one of my favorite Chinatown neighborhoods across the United States.
You can start your exploration of Chinatown by exploring Kobe Terrace–a patch of quiet hanging just above Chinatown. Many of the community gardens are owned and maintained by longtime residents of the neighborhood. Come at the right time and you’ll be rewarded with cherry blossoms!
Seattle’s Chinatown has an abundance of good places to eat. It’s hard to go wrong. If you’re trying to break up an afternoon of quick bites, however, I recommend hopping into Kinokinuya Books. Kinokinuya is a popular Japanese book and media chain with several locations, but I love Seattle's location attached to an Asian grocery.
Hunt for your next read at Mam’s Books
Mam’s is a small boutique bookseller specializing in Asian American literature. Their curation alone is impressive and very likely to add quite a bit to your TBR list.
South Seattle
Go record shopping and grab a bite at Easy Street Records.
Given Seattle’s position in American music history, a visit to a record shop can be a core piece of a visit. I love Easy Street Records for being the essence of a classic record shop but with a working café and bar on the inside.
Capitol Hill
Carve out a block of time for Elliot Bay Book Co.
One of the bigger independent bookstores in the Pacific Northwest. Their Capitol Hill site is rather large, with two levels and several sections, so I recommend planning enough time to get lost within its many shelves.
Ballard
Get Caribbean eats over at Un Bien
Finding Caribbean food in the Pacific Northwest isn't always easy, so this place is a must. Their sandwiches come with a lot of praise.
Queen Anne
Do a bit of walking around Discovery Park
This is one of Seattle’s most popular parks, but its covered with so much green space and tree-filled areas that it rarely feels crowded. Make it all the way to the far end and you’ll get some rugged beaches with views of the Sound.
Everett
Pay a visit to the Funko headquarters
Funko Pops have taken over the world, to the point where it seems impossible for global demand for obscure recurring characters from early 2000s sitcoms to keep up with the supply. Nevertheless, Funko persists. The headquarters for the over-the-top licensing dealer is in none other than Everett, where they seem to run the town. You can browse the extensive storefront and even create your own custom Funko Pop.
Burien
Enjoy Aussie treats at the Australian Pie Co.
I love this spot for being an ideal snack location. The meat pies are just the right size for a lighter meal and very well priced. You can one off with a lamington or other Australian baked goods.
Browse the books at Page 2 Books
Here’s a beloved bookseller that feels just-the-right-size. Their curation of books across different genres makes this shop a great browsing spot.
Get coffee before your flight at Burien Press
This is a relaxed coffee shop that also offers kombucha and beer. The friendly waitstaff helps add to a relaxed vibe.
Bainbridge Island
Spend some time in Sakai Park
The Seattle area simply has some great public access parks. This is one of them, accessible via the Bainbridge Ferry featuring large wooden troll sculptures.
Pay a visit to the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Monument.
It’s of course not exactly a feel-good bit of history, but its an important one to keep in memory. A sobering but important spot to preserve the story of the affected families.
Outside Seattle
Climb Heybrook Lookout
This is another day-hike just outside of Seattle that I’m quite fond of. IIt’s a short but steep hike to a lookout tower with a great view northeast of the city. A bit of a workout, but doable in two hours
Hike the Heather Lake Trail
Here’s another hike I love, through a dense forest full of moss and secondary growth that concludes at an alpine lake with a view of Mt. Pilchuk. The hike is fairly moderate, with about 1000 feet of elevation gain and a 4.2 mile circuit.