Mar 13 2009
The Itinerant Attendee: Seattle
Seattle, the Emerald City, Sleepless from all the great coffee, birthplace of Grunge, and our own U.S. Rainforest in the Pacific Northwest. Let’s start with the atmosphere. Seattle has to be one of the most unique feeling cities on the continent.
One of the things that marks Seattle as unusual is the plethora of small shops and the very fact that they’re all so… specialized! The Gargoyle Statuary’s common thread is gothic trappings. Who wouldn’t want a gargoyle watching over you? Browsing through shops like this are part and parcel of the Seattle experience.
The Asian Art Museum is not to be missed. The richness of color and style, and so many elements that we don’t often consider (not to mention the history) make this a great way to spend a few extra hours and leave with vivid images!
The Seattle Aquarium, too, is extraordinary. They’ve got an underwater dome that places visitors amidst it all, the fish all around and overhead. There are several inconceivably vast tanks, marine mammals, an Oddities Exhibit. Some aquariums are just fish tanks. This one’s a fascinating afternoon adventure!
If you’re not genetically opposed to touristy stuff (as I am – my coworkers had to drag me kicking and screaming) Seattle’s Space Needle is both a neat piece of history and one great way to take in a view of the city from the unique perspective of height. From that vantage point, you really get a feel for how the city’s laid out, how much of a part water plays in the city’s design. It can also be fun to spot the places you’ve been, from the sky.
One other thing about Seattle is the eclectic nature of the restaurants. Lunch takes on entirely new dimensions at some such places. Crepe De France, for example, in the downtown section, qualifies as unique. Nobody will ever accuse them of being affordable, but even while we complained that they were outrageous, most of us were eying desert crepes, and pondering future visits. Crepes for Breakfast, lunch and dinner! Located in the “must see” Pike Place Market.
Seattle has its own “Chinatown,” called the International District (ID,) where Asians off several nations gather. With gift shops as well as restaurants to fit most budgets and palates, an afternoon and evening spent in the ID is sure to be a treat!
Listing all the great restaurants would take us all day. One that I simply cannot go without mentioning is the Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria in Columbia City. Between the incredible pizza and the gelato, I didn’t want to leave! Needless to say, they get a lot of repeat business.
When the gear was finally packed away, we got a chance to take in some of the local clubs. Grunge and alternative rock are still very much alive, but so are jazz and most other live music scenes. If you want to dance, check out the Last Supper Club. Open Wednesday through Sunday, each night has its own theme, and some very affordable adult libations. Wednesday through Saturday, you can head over to Venom as well. One sure thing about Seattle is that there’s always something new in store, so be sure to ask around when you get to either of these!
At once vibrantly alive and surprisingly laid back, Seattle has to be one of the most truly cosmopolitan places I’ve been to. If the proof’s in the pudding, then I guess you can go by that I’m always glad to be there.
VIDEO: Seattle Tours
