Will
Daly City
I’ll be in Seattle next spring for a work conference and would like to try to spend a day or two in the city just on my own. Since I’ll be in conferences all day, I would love to try and get some fresh air—can anyone recommend a few places that I can walk from point to point to that will give me a relatively good idea of the city? I want to try some coffee and see some attractions.
I'm staying at the Ace Hotel and the conference is somewhere around there, so that's where I'd like to start and end up. Thanks very much!
Pretty simple, Will. Step out on to 1st ave and walk south to Pike Place Market (NOT Pikes. PLEASE don't say PikeS).
If you don't need a nap after seeing the public market, A. You're an elite athlete and B, get back on 1st and keep heading south to Pioneer Square, about 10 blocks away. Oh and the "original Starbucks" is NOT good coffee by Seattle standards. Find an independent shop for the real deal.
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I don't know if you're going to be able to find fresh air and coffee in Seattle, Will.
Hahaha. Just kidding. You're definitely in the right place if those are your interests. In fact, one of my favorite coffee houses, Cherry Street Coffee House, is just a few blocks away from Ace Hotel. They have gluten-free snacks and sandwiches, if you're into that kind of thing too.
You're also right near the Olympic Sculpture Park, so give that a look, and if you're feeling extra athletic, walk up to Capital Hill to visit Elliott Bay Book Company, my favorite spot in the entire city, and check out the gorgeous Seattle Public Library - Central Library on the way.
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If you have time its a fun half day trip to walk onto the ferry at the Coleman dock to Bainbridge Island. It a half hour beautiful ride ($7 round trip, pay only on the Seattle side) and a quaint town on the other side with lots of shops to wander through and a brand new art museum which is free.
If you're looking for a postcard view of Seattle, I recommend walking up Queen Anne Ave to Kerry Park. If you're in the South Lake Union area, you can do a self-guided tour of public art in the area.
I agree with the info here so far. In "the market" (as us downtowners call it) there's a couple of little coffee shops that are great as well. My fave is
Storyville Coffee on the top floor of the Corner Market Building. If you're facing the main entrance to the market (flying fish & Rachel the pig will be directly in front of you), there's a produce stand on your right corner. The stairs right before that stand lead up to Storyville as well as
Matt's in The Market and
Radiator Whiskey both great little restaurants in the market.
Lowell's Restaurant has the best clam chowder in the market. Order it at the counter on the first floor & then grab a seat on the third floor to take in the view of the sound.
If you're used to walking, you might want to make the trek up the hill to Capitol Hill Neighborhood one day. Volunteer Park is a great park to check out & there's tons of great restaurants along the Pike/Pine Corridor. (Head up either Olive Way, Pike St, or Pine St. & you won't be able to miss it.)
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