Going to Seattle... need recommendations

[NASpurs]

of places to see, restaurants, etc.

I don't mind some of the touristy stuff but also if anyone has ever been there, I would also like some recommedations that you can't find with a travel guide, if you know what I mean.

TIA.

[Melmart1]

Depends on what you like to do, and how long you are staying. I lived there for a year. My favorite things were PIke's Place Public Market, strolling along in the U District (the area around the U of Washington) and hitting up all the record (i.e. vinyl) stores and bookstores. There are also some really good vegetarian restaurants there if you are into that kind of thing.

The area around the Space Needle was being renovated when I left, I am sure it is done and was supposed to be full of artsy type of places. There was already one gallery and a small carnival there when I last visited.

There is always something to do on the strip part of Broadway Street. Every corner has a 'cause' i.e. gay rights, immigration, environment, even vampire rights :lol There are a buncha freaks but its great fun and you will always be entertained there. There are lots of ethnic shops, music stores, tattoo parlors and sex toy shops and places to eat, my favorites were the $1 chinese restaurant and Yasuko's. There is also a Bruegger's Bagels that have really great bagel sandwiches.

Tickets to the theater are dirt cheap there if you are into plays, and nobody dresses up. It's jeans and tshirts. I wore a dress and stuck out like a sore thumb.

If you have a car, I would recommend going op to Snoqualmie Falls. You won't regret it, truly one of the most beautiful places you will ever go to.

When are you going to be there? I might be able to tell you some more seasonal events to go to depending on when you are leaving. I still have friends up there and could call them up to see what there is to do while you are there.

[jman3000]

bring flannel... lots of flannel.

[jman3000]

now i want some flan. fuck.

[baseline bum]

bring flannel... lots of flannel.

Don't listen to that. Bring this shirt:

http://spln.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p3900973dt.jpg

[tlongII]

Pike Place Market - Watch them throw/catch fish.
Queen Anne District - There are some cool/trendy shops there.
Downtown - Lots of clubs if you're into that.
Metropolitan Grill - Excellent steaks.
McCormick & Schmick's - Excellent seafood.
If you have time to go over to the San Juan Islands you should check it out. Very beautiful.

[tlongII]

If the Seahawks are playing at home while you're there you should go to the game. It's the biggest home-field advantage in the NFL. Crazy!

[Spurminator]

I ate at The Crab Pot, Wild Ginger and Mashiko (sushi) when I was there and they were all good.

[FromWayDowntown]

If the Seahawks are playing at home while you're there you should go to the game. It's the biggest home-field advantage in the NFL. Crazy!

If the Sonics are playing at home while you're there, you should go to the game. The tickets will be dirt-cheap and you'll be able to say that you saw the Sonics in their last season in Seattle. Crazy!

[tlongII]

If the Sonics are playing at home while you're there, you should go to the game. The tickets will be dirt-cheap and you'll be able to say that you saw the Sonics in their last season in Seattle. Crazy!
:lol

Actually I find that depressing. The Sonics are a big rival of ours. I will definitely miss them if they move. :(

[NASpurs]

Depends on what you like to do, and how long you are staying. I lived there for a year. My favorite things were PIke's Place Public Market, strolling along in the U District (the area around the U of Washington) and hitting up all the record (i.e. vinyl) stores and bookstores. There are also some really good vegetarian restaurants there if you are into that kind of thing.

The area around the Space Needle was being renovated when I left, I am sure it is done and was supposed to be full of artsy type of places. There was already one gallery and a small carnival there when I last visited.

There is always something to do on the strip part of Broadway Street. Every corner has a 'cause' i.e. gay rights, immigration, environment, even vampire rights :lol There are a buncha freaks but its great fun and you will always be entertained there. There are lots of ethnic shops, music stores, tattoo parlors and sex toy shops and places to eat, my favorites were the $1 chinese restaurant and Yasuko's. There is also a Bruegger's Bagels that have really great bagel sandwiches.

Tickets to the theater are dirt cheap there if you are into plays, and nobody dresses up. It's jeans and tshirts. I wore a dress and stuck out like a sore thumb.

If you have a car, I would recommend going op to Snoqualmie Falls. You won't regret it, truly one of the most beautiful places you will ever go to.

When are you going to be there? I might be able to tell you some more seasonal events to go to depending on when you are leaving. I still have friends up there and could call them up to see what there is to do while you are there. lol @ the sex toy shops... uhh... no thanks on that one

Thanks a lot Melmart for the info. I'm going to be there from the 8th of November (year thread is kind of early but I would like to plan ahead) until the 12th. Snoqualmie Falls sounds like something I shouldn't miss over there.

Let me ask you since you lived over there, is it a nice city to live in? I wouldn't mind living on over there once I graduate in 2009 so I just wanna see how it is but since you have actual first hand knowledge, I wanna know what you think about the city.


If the Seahawks are playing at home while you're there you should go to the game. It's the biggest home-field advantage in the NFL. Crazy!They're playing a Monday Night game that day and that's when my flight takes off. :( Thanks a lot for your input as well tlong.


I ate at The Crab Pot, Wild Ginger and Mashiko (sushi) when I was there and they were all good.Sweet, thanks a lot Spurm. I love sushi to death and will check out Mashiko for sure.


If the Sonics are playing at home while you're there, you should go to the game. The tickets will be dirt-cheap and you'll be able to say that you saw the Sonics in their last season in Seattle. Crazy!Man I didn't even think of that! I should really go. They're playing Utah on the 9th and Detroit on the 11th. I'll probably go the Utah game. It would be kind of cool seeing Kevin Durant over there.

[Поповић]

Went through Seattle recently on business and stayed at the Westin. Had all of 18 hours to enjoy the city, but the area around that hotel was nice. The hotel was ok. Wasn't able to make it down to Pike's Place, but sooner or later I will make it back.

[NASpurs]

Went through Seattle recently on business and stayed at the Westin. Had all of 18 hours to enjoy the city, but the area around that hotel was nice.Sweet, thanks for that info...uhh... I don't even know how to say or write your name. You must have chosen that name on purpose to confuse us.

:pctoss :lol

[FromWayDowntown]

I don't even know how to say or write your name. You must have chosen that name on purpose to confuse us.

:pctoss :lol

I think you say it "Pop-o-vic"

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Go to Izel's (sp?) Fried Chicken and the Wing Dome. There's also a great Cheesesteak place around capitol hill, but I can't remember the name.

[mrsmaalox]

I hadn't thought about this place in along time, but when I lived there we used to eat at a place called Chinooks in either Magnolia or Queen Anne---I don't remember. Salmon Bay, maybe? It's on a gorgeous marina with beautiful views that's the HQ of some big fishing fleet. You'll absolutely have to try alder planked salmon!! Also be sure you do a whale watching expedition, they run around $75-$100 and are absolutely worth it. A ferry trip to Victoria is cheaper and you'll see whales also. Snoqualmie Falls is awesome, but as I recall Snoqualmie Pass becomes impassable pretty early in the winter and gets closed, so I'm not sure if it is doable in November. One thing I remember about first time visitors is that alot of them don't realize how far from actual Seattle Sea-Tac airport is; it can be a logistic disadvantage if you happen to be one who likes to stay near their airport. Have fun!!!

[Samr]

:lol

Actually I find that depressing. The Sonics are a big rival of ours. I will definitely miss them if they move. :(

And when the two teams meet, it becomes an epic battle to avoid the title "Worst of the West." Seattle and Portland (post-Oden injury)? That's like two legless people fighting to see who's the Alpha Cripple. You may win the fight, but you still can't walk.


**edit: I have no real suggestions. And the OKC joke has already been made. But good luck on your trip!

[ShoogarBear]

If you have some transportation, go meet "The Man" at Dixie's Barbecue in Bellevue.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I'd recommend the Boeing factory if you have transport - well worth seeing.

Also, the Rock'n'Roll museum.

[2Blonde]

If you have a car, I would recommend going op to Snoqualmie Falls. You won't regret it, truly one of the most beautiful places you will ever go to.


She is so right about Snoqualmie Falls. They have a lodge up there that used to be called Snoqualmie Lodge but has now changed it's name to the Salish Lodge. http://www.salishlodge.com/ It is amazing. If you have a car drive up there for half a day. Go to the brunch and try to get a table by the window. It looks right out onto the Falls as they run over granite face. Then if you have time take a walk around and you will be absolutely amazed. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. You will see plants and flowers there that you won't be able to believe are the same thing we have down here. Because of the rainy weather, they grow huge and don't even look like the same things we see here.

[shelshor]

There's also the giant troll under the Aurora St Bridge--you'll have to ask a local for directions, since the last time we were there, it still hadn't made the guidebooks

[Mark in Austin]

If you're staying downtown make sure you factor in the cost of parking - some hotles charge as much as $22/day. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza downtown about two months ago - excellent hotel and great views. I had good luck finding a great rate on Hotwire.

If you're an architecture fan, check out the new downtown Seattle Public Library designed by Rem Koolhaus - pretty amazing.

August-September is the best time to visit - brautiful weather. The rest of the year rains a ton.

If you get a chance to ride the SLUT, get a tshirt too.

[Wild Cobra]

The Space Needle.

If you've never been there, it's one of those places you have to visit once. Last time I was there, it was very crowded. Pretty good eats in the restaraunt! Oh... It spins real slow...

Seahawks seem to be doing pretty good if you can catch a game.

If you make it SW of Portland, OR, a bit south of Seattle, and like planes, the Spruce Goose is in McMinville.

SE of seattle is Mt. St. Helens, still spewing out lava. It's been in continuous eruption since 2004!

Space Needle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_needle)

Spruce Goose (http://www.sprucegoose.org/)

Mt. St. Helens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens)

[Gerryatrics]

They're playing a Monday Night game that day and that's when my flight takes off. :( Thanks a lot for your input as well tlong.

Reschedule. Screw the "culture". If you want to experience something in Seattle you're going to remember, go to a prime time Seahawks game.

[2centsworth]

take a drive to Mt. Rainier. The drive alone is gorgeous, but there are some cool little towns you can visit on the drive up.

[tlongII]

FYI - Seattle is a great place to live. Housing prices are very steep though. When I think of how expensive houses are in Portland I just look at real estate ads in Seattle and it makes me feel better. And I agree with Gerryatrics...delay your return flight so you can catch that game! There aren't many things that are more fun than going to a Seahawks game at Qwest Field!

[CubanMustGo]

take a drive to Mt. Rainier. The drive alone is gorgeous, but there are some cool little towns you can visit on the drive up.

This time of year the drive to Ranier starts can be dicey. It snows like a sonufabitch in the Pacific NW most years. November may be OK, just depends. http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/road-status.htm for road closure info.

I like taking the ferry from Anacortes to Victoria BC and spending a night there, then back via any of several other routes. As someone else said the San Juan islands are simply spectacular.

[Melmart1]

Let me ask you since you lived over there, is it a nice city to live in? I wouldn't mind living on over there once I graduate in 2009 so I just wanna see how it is but since you have actual first hand knowledge, I wanna know what you think about the city.

It is absolutely a GREAT place to live, although as TLong said, it is quite expensive. I lived in a dorm that was paid for by a scholarship so I was lucky. But I looked into prices for living off campus and it was way out of my budget.

If I thought I could swing it (since I am self-employed and you have to pay State taxes up there), I would totally move back in a heartbeat. Seattle is very open-minded, the people are generally well-read and educated, it is very 'green' (environmentally friendly) and there is always something to do, every weekend. Culturally it is great for someone like me who loves Asian and Pacific Islander food and culture. Except for all the spam dishes the Hawaiians make. Gross!

The public transportation is excellent, as my poor college student ass bussed it everywhere. In most parts of town, the bus runs off of electricity and there is an emphasis on walking and bike riding, with many streets having bike lanes.

It rains a LOT but its piddly little drizzle-type rain most of the time. Just enough to keep things wet and grey. You have to have a strong constitution, when I was there I read that Seattle was the suicide 'capital' of the country, and the weather they say had a lot to do wtih it. I happen to love grey, overcast days so it was perfect for me. But I did miss the big South Texas thunderstorms. You will see lightning occasionally in Seattle but rarely any thunder or hail, or even wind.

If you love the outdoors and nature, its a wonderful place. You have the best of everything within an hour or two drive. Mountains, lakes, forests, hiking, camping, the ocean, volcanoes :lol

I compare Seattle to San Francisco. Both are cities by a bay (Elliot Bay in Seattle), both have temperate summers and cold (but not usually snowy) winters and both have hills galore, a large Asian population and a lot of tech-type jobs driving their economy. I love San Francisco as well but if I had to choose it would be Seattle, no question.

[2centsworth]

This time of year the drive to Ranier starts can be dicey. It snows like a sonufabitch in the Pacific NW most years. November may be OK, just depends. http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/road-status.htm for road closure info.

I like taking the ferry from Anacortes to Victoria BC and spending a night there, then back via any of several other routes. As someone else said the San Juan islands are simply spectacular.
talked to my buddy who lives there about 3 weeks ago and he told me the weather is nice. Of course that can change in a heartbeat over there.

[Thunder Dan]

don't jaywalk..they enforce it like crazy in that city

[NASpurs]

I'm in awe how beautiful this city is. Didn't know a city could be this beautiful and so green with trees all over the place next to the highways like Seattle and it's outlying cities. I've done a lot of stuff you guys have suggested so thanks a lot for your suggestions! The parking here is a bitch and so is the traffic. The drivers here are freaking crazy!

What sucks though is that it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon and feels like the whole day goes by really fast.

Awesome city. I'll be back in the Spring for sure!