A city skyline with tall buildings next to a waterfront, a pier extending into the water, and a partly cloudy sky at sunset.

Seattle Travel Guide: Beauty, Food & Culture

ByJay M

The Emerald City is such a special place tucked into the very northwest of the PNW (Pacific Northwest). I’ve been several times and have several different adjectives to describe the city: beautiful, picturesque, delicious, accessible, expensive. I hear many other words, like rainy, dirty, or mean. Those just are not true. Does it rain? Of course, but not the way we are led to think. Rain should not be part of Seattle’s overall identity. Does it have areas that are dirty? You bet, but overall, it’s a clean city. Now, what do I mean by mean? Seattle has had a reputation that it is a bit “cold” to newcomers or even tourists, but I never experienced anything but excellent hospitality. It is a friendly city with a breathtaking backdrop and amazing food. I was there just a few months ago with two friends on a weekend getaway. We all decided that Seattle was the perfect mix of Boston meets San Francisco, and then let Portland, Maine join the fun.

Let me break down my adjectives for you and help you find the culture Seattle truly offers.

Beautiful & Picturesque

Seattle sits in the Pacific Northwest on a narrow strip of land between Puget Sound to the west and Lake Washington to the east. The city’s hills and waterways were carved by the Vashon glaciation roughly 15,000 years ago, and Lake Union sits within the city itself, linked to both larger bodies of water by the Ballard Locks and ship canal. On clear days, the Olympic Mountains rise to the west and the Cascades to the east, with Mount Rainier dominating the southeastern skyline. That mix of water, hills, and mountains also gives Seattle its mild, wet marine climate, with the Olympics creating a partial rain shadow that keeps the city drier than the peninsula’s rainforest side. It’s one of those places where you feel you need to stop every few feet and take another photo of the same thing because this new angle is even better than the last.

Delicious

The food in the Emerald City is unique and amazing. They are known for many things, but at the top of the list is seafood (salmon and crab top the list), Japanese and Korean cuisine, coffee, and craft beer. Please, in all of this, skip Starbucks. I know it came from there, but so did so many amazing coffee shops that are far better.

Expensive

It’s just an unfortunate fact that Seattle is not cheap. Hotels are expensive, but deals can be found on Airbnbs. Food isn’t through the roof, but it’s higher than most places. That said, a trip there doesn’t have to cost a lot if you research and plan.

Accessible

Despite the insane hills, Seattle is very walkable. Public transit is also great with a direct link to the airport in Sea-Tac. They lean into rentable bikes and scooters more than any other city I’ve seen. It works so well here too because there are so many dedicated bike lanes. According to PeopleForBikes, Seattle ranks 3rd in the US on their ranking score, behind Brooklyn and Minneapolis.

Recommendations

Food & Drinks

Alibi Room
85 Pike St Ste 410, Seattle, WA 98101
seattlealibi.com

Purple Cafe and Wine Bar
1225 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
https://www.purplecafe.com

Cutters Crabhouse
2001 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
cutterscrabhouse.com

Elliott’s Oyster House
1201 Alaskan Way, Pier 56, Seattle, WA 98101
elliottsoysterhouse.com

Smith Tower (Observatory & Bar, top floor)
506 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
smithtower.com

The Diller Room
1224 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
dillerroom.com

Japonessa Sushi Cocina
1400 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
japonessa.com

Fun Things

Seattle Great Wheel
1301 Alaskan Way, Pier 57, Seattle, WA 98101
seattlegreatwheel.com

Original Selfie Museum
92 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101
originalselfiemuseum.com

Pike Place Market
85 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
pikeplacemarket.org

Smith Tower (listed above)

Take a ferry to an island
Washington State Ferries: wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries

Hotels

Seattle Marriott Waterfront (closest match to “Marriott Pikes Place,” steps from Pike Place Market)
2100 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121
marriott.com/en-us/hotels/seawf-seattle-marriott-waterfront

Kimpton Hotel Monaco Seattle
1101 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
monaco-seattle.com

MarQueen Hotel
600 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
marqueen.com

Is Seattle expensive to visit?

Seattle isn’t cheap, hotels run high and food costs more than in most cities, but deals can be found on Airbnbs and with some planning, a trip doesn’t have to break the bank.

Is Seattle really as rainy as people say?

Seattle does get rain, but its reputation is overstated. The Olympic Mountains create a partial rain shadow that keeps the city drier than nearby areas like the Olympic Peninsula’s rainforest side.

Is Seattle a walkable city?

Yes. Despite the hills, Seattle is very walkable, has a direct transit link to Sea-Tac Airport, and ranks third in the country for bike-friendliness according to PeopleForBikes, behind only Brooklyn and Minneapolis.

What food is Seattle known for?

Seattle is known for seafood, especially salmon and Dungeness crab, along with Japanese and Korean cuisine, independent coffee shops, and craft beer.

Is Seattle unfriendly to visitors?

Despite its reputation for being cold to newcomers, Seattle has consistently offered excellent hospitality on every visit, more in line with a friendly city than a standoffish one.

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