World City Guide

Mini Guide of Seattle

City Overview

Founded in 1869, the ‘Emerald City’ is a youthful metropolis in every respect, experiencing its first boom in the late 1890s, as the last US departure point for those chasing the Klondike Gold Rush. Now, Seattle is the primary international and domestic gateway to Washington State and the lush Pacific Northwest, as well as Canada and Alaska. In the last few decades, the city has also become decidedly fashionable, with the unmistakable 1960’s tower, the Space Needle, popping up in Hollywood films. Seattle also has been at the forefront of a number of international trends, including the influences of Microsoft and the e-commerce boom, Starbucks coffee, the grunge music scene and the new Frank Gehry designed Experience Music Project Museum. The city’s weird and wired image is clearly illustrated by the fact that more than 75% of Seattle residents have Internet access at home.

Seattle also continues to be voted one of America’s most liveable cities and thus unsurprisingly is home to three of the world’s ten richest men. Its attractions are due in a large part to its beautiful natural setting, surrounded by the waters of Lake Washington and Puget Sound. It is also safe, with one of the lowest violent-crime rates among the top US cities.

The climate is moderate, with bright summer days outlining the mountains against blue skies, even the mist and rain of winter give an ethereal touch to the city’s atmosphere. Numerous ports, waterways and small islands off the coast also lend Nordic comparisons, while spectacular views of the Cascades and the Olympic Mountains, including its highest peak, Mount Rainier, delight the visitors, who come for the scenery and outdoor activities that suit city residents so well. The mountains afford both spectacular views and skiing, while the city’s waterways make boating and relaxing at waterside cafs a draw. Of the 236sq kilometres (91sq miles) of the city limits, 80% is surrounded by water, connected by 112 bridges. Seattle has more pleasure boats per capita than anywhere else in the USA.

After Honolulu, Seattle is the second fittest city in the nation, with 35% of the population walking for recreation in its numerous parks and trails. In addition to the city’s fresh and fit atmosphere, Seattle has a palpable cultural pulse, fostered by quality arts and live music venues, dozens of independent and quality bookshops, multicultural neighbourhoods and markets, as well as the renown of its seafood, Asian and contemporary Northwestern cuisine.

Located in the western coastal part of Washington, the Greater Seattle Area has a population of 3.2 million and spreads over 155sq kilometres (60sq miles) and so is Washington state’s largest urban centre, even though the city itself has only 563, 374 inhabitants. Over the past 30 years, the region grew nearly twice as fast as the national average and part of the disproportion of Seattle’s city population and its outlying areas is because of sprawl brought on by the high-tech revolution. Since Bill Gates opened Microsoft in Redmond in 1975, the city has become a world centre of the industry and also home to a legion of ‘Microsoft Millionaires’ who invested in stock in the early years of the company’s boom. Consequently, property prices in the city soared, banishing those with more mundane occupations to the outlying suburbs and leading to a relentless spread of commuter-jammed highways and cheaper condominium complexes where once there were farms and woodlands. The boom is over, however, and population growth in the Seattle metro area has now slowed to its lowest rate in 20 years.

The part of the city that suffered most in the suburban push was unquestionably Seattle’s old downtown area, where the famous Pike Place Market still overlooks the bay and Pioneer Square contains the city’s few historic buildings. There are not only plenty of galleries and trendy pubs but also a number of centres for the homeless, who tend to take over the streets when the shoppers and commuters have left. Major investments in waterfront condominium complexes are gradually bringing life back to city centre but geared to those well above Seattle’s median household income of US$65,000 a year. Affordable housing remains a prime social problem. The trendiest areas are now Capitol Hill, as well as Belltown, Fremont and Ballard. These historic neighbourhoods appealed to Seattle’s young and well-off, who have the money to restore the turn-of-the-century wooden houses and old brick industrial buildings into elegant homes, designer lofts, quirky shops and galleries or night spots. Without question, Seattle is a city of youthful dynamism with its eye on the high-tech future and the profits and innovations this new industry and its spin-offs can bring. However, a downturn in the national economy, the post-2000 dotcom bust and the likelihood of Boeing-related jobs being cut in half by 2005 are casting a pall over Seattle’s immediate future.

Getting There By Air

Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA)
Tel: (206) 433 5388 or (800) 544 1965, toll free in the USA and Canada.
Website: www.seatac.org

Located 19km (12 miles) south of Seattle, off the I-5, ‘Sea-Tac’ airport carries over 28 million passengers annually, to destinations around the world, on more than 40 airlines. It is the primary air transportation hub for Washington State and the Pacific Northwest, as well as a departure point to Canada, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and South Korea. As in all US airports, heightened security measures are being taken for passenger safety and one should allow extra pre-flight time, as well as check the website for the latest updates.

Concourse A is currently being replaced by the new South Terminal Expansion Project, which will feature a 21m (70ft) ‘wall of glass’ atrium in the arrivals hall and five-story officer tower with a series of conference rooms and state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. It is scheduled for completion at the end of 2004.

Major airlines: Alaska Airlines (tel: (800) 426 0333, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.alaska-air.com) carries the largest share of the passenger market. About 30 other national and international carriers serve Sea-Tac, including Aeroflot Airlines, AirBC/Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Continental, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

Approximate flight times to Seattle: From London is 9 hours 45 minutes; from New York is 6 hours 10 minutes; from Los Angeles is 2 hours 30 minutes; from Toronto is 7 hours and from Sydney is 18 hours.

Airport facilities: These include a Visitor Information Centre, a Lost and Found centre (tel: (206) 433 5312; e-mail: lost+found@portseattle.org) and several 24-hour ground transportation booths (tel: (206) 431 5906). There are numerous ATMs, two Thomas Cook bureaux de change and Operation Welcome provides interpreters for 20 languages. The airport has telephone booths, mailboxes and wheelchair availability, as well as the usual shops, restaurants, bars, banks and duty-free shopping. Because of heightened security, all unmonitored storage lockers have been shut down, although luggage can be stored at Ken’s Baggage and Storage, located on the baggage claim level, between carousels nine and 12. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz and National car hire companies have information counters in the baggage claim area.

Business facilities: Laptop Lane (tel: (206) 835 4640; fax: (206) 835 4650; website: www.wayport.net/laptoplane) is located in North Satellite Terminal, adjacent to. gate N9, with PC workstations, Internet access, telephones with long distance and conference-calling capabilities, printing, copying, faxing and package shipping, as well as private offices.

International arrival/departure tax: US$3.50 is included in the price of the ticket.

Transport to the city: Airport and hotel shuttles run almost around the clock, with scheduled departure and arrival times available from the Ground Transportation Information Booths (tel: (206) 431 5904), located on the third floor of the parking garage. Service require advanced booking. Shuttle Express provides shared rides and a door-to-door service to most of Greater Seattle (tel: (425) 981 7000 or (800) 487 7433; website: www.shuttleexpress.com). The Gray Line Airport Express (tel: (206) 626 6088 or (800) 426 7505; website: www.graylineofseattle.com) departs twice an hour, with services to and from main hotels and downtown destinations. The fare is US$8.50 one way. The public bus 194 (see Public Transport in the Getting Around section) departs every 30 minutes for the city centre (journey time – 45 minutes). The fare is US$2 one way at peak times. Taxis (from US$28) and limousines (from US$45) are also available to the city.

Getting There By Water

Seattle’s harbour, run by the Port of Seattle (tel: (206) 728 3000; e-mail: terminals@portseattle.org; website: www.portseattle.org), is a working harbour – with terminals for cruise ships, cargo ships, commercial and recreational mooring, as well as for local ferries (see Public Transport). The Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal is where the cruise liners dock – in 2002, it welcomed 79 cruise ships and nearly 250,000 passengers. It is located at Pier 66, 2225 Alaskan Way (tel: (206) 615 3900; e-mail: cruise@portseattle.org). Facilities are extensive with shops, restuarants, entertainment, parking and hotes all within easy reach. Ferries to Victoria in Canada depart from Pier 69, 2701 Alaskan Way, and Pier 48, one block south of the Washington State Ferry terminal (see Getting Around).

Boat services: Three major cruise lines currently operate out of Seattle. Holland America Lines – HAL (tel: (206) 281 3535 or (877) 932 4259, toll free in the USA; website: www.hollandamerica.com) runs an Alaska Explorer Cruise and a Pacific Northwest cruise. Norwegian Cruise Line – NCL (tel: (800) 327 7030, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.nlc.com) offers seven-day summer cruises to Alaska. Royal Caribbean International – RCI (tel: (800) 327 2056, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.royalcaribbean.com) offers three-day and four-day Pacific Northwest cruises from Seattle to Vancouver and Victoria in Canada. Victoria is also accessible daily all year round on the Victoria Clipper (tel: (206) 448 5000 or (800) 888 2535, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.victoriaclipper.com) high-speed catamarans (from Pier 69) and in summer on Victoria Clipper’s Princess Marguerite car-and-passenger ferry (from Pier 48). The journey takes approximately four and a half hours, arriving at Ogden Point in Victoria.

Transport to the city: A pick-up taxi service from the cruise terminal is available, which includes a flat rate to SeaTac Airport of US$25. Bus 97 serves the cruise terminal from Seattle’s downtown.

Getting There By Road

The USA has a good network of interstate highways, designated by the letter ‘I’ and a corresponding number – such as I-90 – and state highways, designatied by ‘US’ and a corresponding number – such as US-169. Interstates highways going east–west have even numbers and those going north–south have odd numbers. Multistate highways that are not as big as interstate highways are identified by a number, as in Highway 202.

Speed limits are 32kph (20mph) in school zones, 40kph (25mph) in urban streets, 80kph (50mph) on county roads and 97kph (60mph) on state highways. Some parts of interstate highways are posted with higher maximum speeds. All valid national licences are acceptable, however, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is preferred. US insurance is mandatory and can be purchased at customs points or from the car hire company.

The minimum driving age is 16 years and cars drive on the right. Seatbelts are required for the driver and all passengers. Left turns can be made at a steady green traffic light unless there is a sign prohibiting it but oncoming traffic has the right of way. Turning right is possible on a red light, although it is necessary for drivers to come to a full stop first and to make sure there is no sign prohibiting turns on a red light. A flashing red traffic light is the same as a stop sign, which means that it is necessary to come to a full stop and proceed when safe. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%.

The American Automobile Association – AAA (tel: (800) 222 1333; website: www.aaawa.com) can provide further information and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.

Emergency breakdown service:
AAA (800) AAA HELP or 222 4357

Routes to the city: Seattle is served by two major interstate highways. The I-5 goes south to Portland and San Francisco (California) and north to the Canadian border and Vancouver (British Columbia). The I-90 links Seattle with central and eastern Washington State, passing through Spokane on its way to Chicago and Boston (Massachusetts).

Approximate driving times to Seattle: From Portland – 3 hours; Vancouver, Canada – 3 hours; Spokane – 6 hours.

Coach services: Greyhound (tel: (206) 628 5526 or (800) 229 9424, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.greyhound.com) operates from the Greyhound Bus Station, 811 Stewart Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in downtown Seattle. The facilities are minimal but include 24-hour ticketing, left-luggage and a snack bar. Greyhound buses serve hundreds of destinations around the USA as well as Canada and Mexico. Direct routes from Seattle include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Vancouver.

Getting There By Rail

Seattle is on the main Amtrak network (tel: (800) 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com). Service is slow, expensive but relatively reliable and popular with regional commuters. Amtrak operates out of King Street Station, located in the historic Pioneer Square district, adjacent to the newly opened Safeco Field, 303 South Jackson Street (tel: (206) 382 4125 or (800) 872 7245, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.amtrak.com). King Street Station was recently restored to its original turn-of-the-century architecture. There are bureaux de change, banks, wheelchair access, luggage storage areas, snack bars and newspaper kiosks.

Rail services: The Coast Starlight service runs southwards to Oakland and Los Angeles, California (journey time – 36 hours) via Portland (Oregon); the Cascades runs northwards to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (journey time – 4.5 hours), and the Empire Builder runs eastwards to Chicago, Illinois (journey time – 48 hours) via Spokane.

Transport to the city: Free transit buses run just north of the station into the downtown business and retail core. Alternatively, the bus transit tunnel is accessible by crossing Fourth Avenue and following the signs. Stops include Pioneer Square, the financial district, Westlake Mall and the Convention Center.

Getting Around

Public Transport
Seattle has an excellent bus system operated by King County Metro Transit (tel: (206) 553 3000, 24-hour information; website: http://transit.metrokc.gov), with wheelchair and bicycle lifts and drivers trained to announce significant stops and help with directions. Buses operate every ten to 20 minutes Monday to Saturday 0600–2000 and less frequently later, throughout the night. An underground bus tunnel operates through downtown from Chinatown/International District to the Convention Center, with stops at Pioneer Square, the downtown financial district and Westlake Center. Adult tickets cost US$1.25 (US$1.50 during peak hours) but between 1000 and 1800 it is free between Pioneer Square and the Westlake Center. Tickets are available for purchase on the bus (exact change is required).

Metro Transit also operates the Waterfront Streetcar, which features historic green and yellow trams that roll along the Waterfront, linking Pier 70 and the International District/King Street Station, stopping near the Seattle Aquarium and Pioneer Square along the way. Cars run every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday 0700–1800. A single ticket costs US$1.25 or US$1.50, depending on the day and time of travel.

A day pass for Metro Transit is available for US$2 on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Standard fares are US$1–5 depending on zones and time of travel.

There is also a high-speed elevated monorail, operated by Seattle Monorail Servuces (tel: (206) 441 6038; website: www.seattlemonorail.com), which links the downtown area to the Seattle Center in less than two minutes, with views of the harbour and the backdrop of the Olympic Mountains beyond. Operating hours are Monday to Friday 0730–2300 and Saturday and Sunday 0900–2300. Trains depart every ten minutes from stations at Seattle Center (across from the Space Needle) and Westlake Center Mall, Fifth Avenue and Pine Street. Return tickets cost US$3 (concessions available).

Washington State Ferries (tel: (206) 464 6400 or (800) 843 3779, toll free in Washington; e-mail: wsf@wsdot.wa.gov; website: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries) operates the largest ferry system in the USA, with 20 terminals linking Seattle with the Olympic Peninsula, Bainbridge Island and other points in the region, now considered part of ‘Greater Seattle’. This is one of the most attractive ways for visitors to see the region. Ferries depart from Piers 50 and 52, 801 Alaskan Way, in the city centre. Schedules vary, although ferries to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton operate an extensive service daily between 0500 and 0200. The regular foot passenger fare is US$5.10 (concessions available); tickets are available for purchase at the piers, before boarding.

Taxis
Taxis can be hailed from the few designated ranks in front of hotels and the airport or by telephone. A tip of 10–15% is expected. Seattle taxi drivers are almost always polite and reliable, although one can expect up to a 20-minute wait if ordering by telephone. Rates are set by the city authorities and these start at US$1.80 for two passengers plus US$1.80 per mile thereafter and US$0.50 per extra passenger. Downtown Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport costs US$25.00 flat rate.

Providers include A & A Airport Limousine & Taxi (tel: (206) 365 1008; e-mail: aalimo@usa.net), Orange Cab Corporation (tel: (206) 522 8800), Farwest (tel: (206) 622 1717) and Seattle Taxicab & Yellow Cabs (tel: (206) 622 6500).

Limousines
Providers include British/Bentley Motor Coach (tel: (206) 283 6600; e-mail: bmclimo@aol.com; website: www.bmclimo.com), Seattle Limousine Services (tel: (206) 762 3339; website: www.seattlelimo.com) and Washington Limousine (tel: (206) 523 8000; website: www.washington-limousine.com). Rates for the metropolitan area start at approximately US$70 per hour, although there will be a flat rate for pick-up and delivery, dependent on mileage.

Driving in the City
Except for rush-hour motorway traffic, Seattle driving conditions are excellent and motorists are extremely law abiding. The city is fairly easy for newcomers to navigate, based on a simple grid system – numbered roads are north–south avenues and named roads are eastwest streets. However, visitors should be aware of the specially designated lanes for buses, bicycles and ‘HOV’ or High Occupancy Vehicles – those carrying more than one person. Highways and highway exit bridges – Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and the Ship Canal Bridge – are very congested during rush hours (0700–0900 and 1500–1800), because of the number of commuters heading to and from the suburbs.

Parking in downtown Seattle was expensive until city retailers teamed up with carpark operators for incentives that would revitalise the city centre. In general, parking costs approximately US$2 per hour, although weekend parking costs approxmately US$5 for the entire day. Most downtown businesses give customers a CityPark token worth US$1 with purchases of US$20 and over. Tokens are redeemable at CityPark lots and garages, including Ampco System Parking, 420 East Pike Street, CPS Parking, 1200 Western Avenue, Diamond Parking, at Bon Marche, Third Avenue and Stewart Street. Other central car parking lots include Sound Parking, 901 Boren Avenue, Pioneer Square Garage, 721 First Avenue, and Public Market Garage, 1531 Western Park, near Pike Place Market. Shopping malls and hotels have their own parking lots.

Car Hire
Most car hire companies (called car rental companies in the USA) require a credit card for the deposit and payment. A minimum age of 25 years is also required. Basic insurance is usually included but can be insufficient, as it offers only a limited coverage of damage. Car hire companies offer additional collision or complete loss damage insurance at US$21.99 per day. Hire rates vary widely during the week – from US$78 per day, including taxes – with cheaper rates at the weekend – from US$28 per day, including taxes. A valid driving licence is usually acceptable but an International Driving Permit (IDP) is preferred.

Providers include Alamo (tel: (800) 327 9633; website: www.goalamo.com), Avis (tel: (800) 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (800) 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: (800) 800 3665; website: www.dollarcar.com), Hertz (tel: (800) 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com) and National Car Rental (tel: (800) 227 7368; website: www.nationalcar.com).

Bicycle Hire
Seattle is a great city for cyclists, with designated bicycle lanes throughout the city. Most shops will hire out bicycles by the hour, day, week or even month. Lights and helmets are mandatory. Major providers include Aaron’s Bicycle Repair, 6400 California Avenue (tel: (206) 938 9795; website: www.rideyourbike.com), Gregg’s Cycles, 7007 Woodlawn Avenue, Greenlake (tel: (206) 523 1822; website: www.greggscycles.com), and The Montlake Bicycle Shop, 2223 24th Avenue East (tel: (206) 720 2941; website: www.montlakebike.com) Rates are approximately US$25 for 24 hours of bicycle hire and a photo ID and cash or credit card deposit is required.

Business

Business Profile
Blessed as it is by great waterways, Greater Seattle’s economy has always been dominated by domestic and international trade. It began with the lumber industry a century ago and reached a high profile with Microsoft and its spin-offs. In the USA, Washington ranks fourth in the value of exports and is second in exports per capita, with 70% of these exports in transportation and software. Trade-related companies are the source of one in four jobs, while Microsoft, the world’s largest computer software producer, employs approximately 25,000 people. The Port of Seattle is the third largest port on the west coast and the main point of entry for Japanese and South Korean consumer goods into the USA. Air transportation, coupled with the region’s seaports and rail links, also plays a key role in trade dependency.

Since 2000, however, the area has gone into recession, with manufacturing levels falling drastically and the number of unemployed doubling to 6% in December 2002, higher than the national unemployment rate that stood at 5.7% in December 2002. Seattle’s Forbes rating plummeted from 15th place in 2001 to 94th in 2002.

The main blow was Boeing’s decision to move its headquarters to Chicago and begin massive layoffs. For decades, this company, which was founded in Seattle in 1916, was Seattle’s primary employer and accounted for more than 100,000 workers – one in four jobs. The national economic downturn after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 resulted in 30,000 layoffs. A potential halving of the boom-time workforce is predicted by 2005. Overall, non-agricultural employment fell by 85,100 between December 2000 and October 2002 alone, concentrated mainly in the manufacturing of aircraft and parts, transportation, communications, construction, trade and business services. The city’s financial dependency on a relatively small number of companies has always meant major risks in employment. Software development such as Microsoft and e-commerce companies such as Amazon.com and Nintendo were responsible for the area’s economic boom in 1999 and 2000 and although the soaring profits have levelled off, the industry remains stable. Solid retailers such as Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer, Costco and Starbucks are centred here, as is the insurance giant, Safeco, which acquired rights to the name of the city’s main sports arena, Safeco Field.

The main financial centre is Downtown, on Third, Fourth, and Fifth Avenues (just south of the retail core), although manufacturing districts extend from Redmond to the northeast, where the main Microsoft Campus is also located, and south to Boeing Field and the city of Tacoma.

Business Etiquette
Seattle locals appear remarkably informal in their business dress and manner, even to other Americans. Comfort comes foremost, particularly in the high-tech and e-commerce world, where jeans, trainers and sweatshirts are standard business attire. It was Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ philosophy that people worked harder in less formal environments, so working hours in many companies have followed suit with flexibility, although based on 0930–1800 working hours. Equal Opportunity in race, creed, sex and sexual orientation is standard practice. In the world of high finance and law, however, the crisp business suit and briefcase is still the norm for both women and men.

‘Power’ breakfasts for brainstorming are common, as are ‘power lunches’ ordered into company premises from designer caterers or specialty restaurants. Dinners at private homes are rare, with fashionable restaurants or wine bars more likely settings. Many Seattleites are health conscious, so when making a private visit, alcohol or sweets might not be appropriate and flowers are the best bet. Visitors should not even think of smoking.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Seattle was founded in 1869 and did not really blossom until the Alaska Gold Rush of the late 19th century, when the city glittered with racy Wild West ‘underground’ prostitution and illegal drinking dens. As a result, its historic attractions, outside those of Native American culture, are little more than a century old, focused around Pioneer Square and Yesler Way, near the city’s Waterfront. The International District is similar to London’s Soho and filled with medicinal herb shops and wonderful Asian restaurants and shops. The Waterfront area is full of unique maritime attractions and is a good place for visitors to enjoy the views and fresh air of Puget Sound from Waterfront Park or to board a Washington State Ferry to local islands.

Pike Place Market, First Avenue and Pike Street, is a now-renowned fish and vegetable market, which also contains open crafts bazaars, as well many trendy bars and restaurants. Continuing north from First Avenue is Belltown, the city’s most rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood and entertainment quarter, full of restaurants, art galleries and nightclubs. At various points, visitors can board the famous monorail to the Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle, the Pacific Science Center, the Seattle Repertory Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Opera House and KeyArena – a major sporting venue.

Other neighbourhoods of interest include Ballard, in north Seattle, once a Norwegian shipping village and now home to artists’ studios, galleries and a number of live music venues, restaurants and the Hiram M Chittenden Locks. Fremont, Capitol Hill and the University District are equally youthful neighborhoods, with cinemas, vintage clothing shops, home furnishing stores and coffee bars.

Tourist Information
Seattle/King County Convention & Visitors Bureau
800 Convention Place, Galleria Level
Tel: (206) 461 5840. Fax: (206) 461 8304.
E-mail: visinfo@seeseattle.org
Website: www.seeseattle.org
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 0830–1700 (Nov–Mar); Mon–Fri 0830–1700, Sat 1000–1600 (Apr and Oct); Mon–Fri 0830–1700, Sat 1000–1600 and Sun 1000–1600 (May–Sep).

There are other visitor centres at the airport, at Pike Place Market and, from June to August only, at Pioneer Square, Occidental Street and South Main Street.

Passes
The CityPass (website: www.citypass.com) offers free admission to five Seattle attractions – Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Flight and Woodland Park Zoo – plus a one-hour harbour cruise. It costs US$35.00 (concessions available), is valid for nine days and can be purchased from the attractions on the day or online in advance.

Key Attractions

Experience Music Project
Opened in 2000, the Experience Music Project (EMP) celebrates American popular music, for which Seattle is famous. Beginning with the 1970s and Jimi Hendrix right up to the 90s grunge scene, EMP includes blues, jazz, hip hop, funk, punk, country and rock music from around the USA and elsewhere. It combines technologically advanced interactive and interpretative exhibits, as well as more than 80,000 music artefacts, including the world’s largest collection of Hendrix memorabilia, an extensive recorded sound archive, film, photographs and stage costumes. The Guitar Gallery’s Quest for Volume exhibit explores the origins of amplified instruments, while the Sound Lab contains the latest in musical gear and audio technology. The unique architecture by Frank O Gehry has been described as ‘the Jacket of the Space Needle dropped on the ground’ with an unmistakable purple and red metallic exterior.

325 Fifth Avenue North, Seattle Center
Tel: (206) 367 5483. Fax: (206) 770 2727.
E-mail: experience@emplive.com
Website: www.emplive.com
Transport: Bus 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24 or 33; or monorail.
Opening hours: Sun–Thurs 1000–1800, Fri and Sat 1000–2300.
Admission: US$19.95; prices might vary according to event; concessions available.

Seattle Center
Built for the ‘Century 21’ exhibition at the 1962 World’s Fair, the 30-hectare (74-acre) Seattle Center is home to the city’s most recognisable landmark – the 185m (605ft) Space Needle. The Needle was designed by architect Edward E Carlson as a tribute to the vision of spaceship culture during the Cold War era. The underground foundation was so huge – at 91m (30ft) deep and 366m (120ft) wide – that it required 467 cement trucks and an entire day to fill the hole, in what became the largest continuous concrete ‘pour’ in the West. Once completed, the foundation weighed as much as the Needle itself. The steel construction followed, using massive spiky legs to hold the spaceship observation deck and revolving restaurant on top. It takes 45 seconds in a glass elevator for one to reach the pinnacle.

The Seattle Center is also home to the Pacific Science Center, which offers hands-on exhibits of lasers and holograms and includes the Seattle IMAX Dome Theater and the Children’s Museum, designed for the energy and imagination of younger visitors. Numerous civic festivals, such as Bumbershoot, Folklife and Bite of Seattle, take place here. The Marion Oliver McCaw Hall (tel: (206) 684 7200), is a state-of-the art performance venue and the newest addition to the centre (open June 2003).

305 Harrison Street
Tel: (800) 964 7695, toll free in the USA and Canada or (206) 443 9800 or 684 8582 (events information).
Website: www.seattlecenter.com
Transport: Bus 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24, 33 and 74; or monorail.

Space Needle
400 Broad Street
Tel: (206) 443 2111 or 905 2100. Fax: (206) 905 2107.
E-mail: info@spaceneedle.com
Website: www.spaceneedle.com
Opening hours: Sun–Thurs 0900–2300, Fri–Sat 0900–2400.
Admission: US$12; concessions available; free for restaurant patrons.

Pacific Science Center
200 Second Avenue North
Tel: (206) 443 2001.
Website: www.pacsci.org
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 1000–1700, Sat and Sun 1000–1800.
Admission: US$9 (exhibit or IMAX only); US$7.50 (IMAX only); US$14.50 (exhibit and IMAX).

The Children’s Museum
Tel: (206) 441 1768.
E-mail: tcm@thechildrensmuseum.org
Website: www.thechildrensmuseum.org
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 1000–1700, Sat and Sun 1000–1800.
Admission: US$6.

Seattle Art Museum
‘Hammering Man’, a massive sculpture of a manual worker, stands at the entrance to the Seattle Art Museum (or SAM), a striking post-modern building designed by Robert Venturi. Upstairs are noteworthy permanent exhibits of art from Africa and Native American Northwest, as well as touring international exhibitions. Future projects include a new Olympic Sculpture Park on the downtown waterfront.

100 University Street
Tel: (206) 654 3100.
Website: www.seattleartmuseum.org
Transport: Bus tunnel stop University Street; bus 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 14 or 16 to University Street.
Opening hours: Tues–Wed and Fri–Sun 1000–1700, Thurs 1000–2100.
Admission: US$7; concessions available; special exhibitions may cost more.

Pike Place Market
The Pike Place Market is the oldest continually operating Farmers’ Market in the USA. Situated just above the Waterfront, it features abundant fresh seafood and produce, as well as local handcrafted items. There are marvellous views of ferries and freighters passing on the bay below, street performances and a variety of unique pubs and restaurants. The original Starbucks, which brought the words espresso and latte into the American lexicon, is located here, as well as several small Mexican and other speciality groceries.

First Avenue and Pike Street
Tel: (206) 682 7453.
Website: www.pikeplacemarket.org
Transport: Waterfront Streetcar; bus 15, 18, 22, 23 along First Avenue to Westlake Mall.
Opening hours: Mon–Sat 0900–1800, Sun 1100–1700.
Admission: Free.

Waterfront
Centred on Waterfront Park, above Pike Place Market (see above), the promenade and piers that line Elliot Bay are in constant action, with maritime industries, shops and restaurants jostled together, ferries and freighters docking and the occasional seaplane flying overhead. An investment of US$300 million aimed at waterfront development includes the Bell Harbor International Trade Center and the recently opened World Trade Center complex. Many new condominiums and piers are also being planned to attract passenger cruise liners and private pleasure boats. Harbour tours, island cruises and fishing excursions are easily available from here. On Pier 59, the Seattle Aquarium has sea otters, a Pacific coral reef and other marine life on display, as well as a new exhibit dedicated to the tide-pool life of the Washington coast. Right next door, the Seattle IMAX Dome Theater provides numerous big-screen experiences, the most popular being the ongoing film of the 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens, shot from a helicopter. Pier 66 is home to the new Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal (see Getting There By Water), where world-class cruise liners dock, amid other attractions, such as a state-of-the-art international conference centre, restaurants and a marina. Also at Pier 66 is Odyssey, The Maritime Discovery Center, with hands-on exhibits where visitors can pilot a virtual container ship through Puget Sound or haul in plastic fish on a fake factory trawler. Nearby, the bare wood deck of Pier 62/63 becomes a concert venue every summer, where artists perform amid an expansive setting of skyscrapers, boats and sunsets.

Waterfront Park
Transport: Pedestrian bridge from Downtown Seattle and all major bus routes to the Waterfront; the Waterfront Streetcar runs from Pioneer Square.

Seattle Aquarium
Pier 59
Tel: (206) 386 4320.
Website: www.seattleaquarium.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1700 (winter); daily 1000–1900 (summer).
Admission: US$11; US16.50 (combination ticket with IMAX Dome Theater); concessions available.

Seattle IMAX Dome Theater
Pier 59
Tel: (206) 622 1868/9. Fax: (206) 622 5837.
Website: www.seattleimaxdome.com
Opening times: Regular shows daily between 1000 and 1900.
Admission: US$7; US$16.50 (combination ticket with Aquarium); concessions available.

Bell Street Cruise Terminal
Pier 66, 2225 Alaskan Way
Tel: (206) 728 3337 or 615 3900,
E-mail: cruise@portseattle.org
Website: www.portseattle.org

Odyssey, The Maritime Discovery Center
Pier 66, 2225 Alaskan Way
Tel: (206) 374 4000. Fax: (206) 374 4002.
E-mail: education@ody.org
Website: www.ody.org
Opening hours: Tues–Sat 1000–1700, Sun 1200–1700.
Admission: US$7 (concessions available).

Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square is situated south of the main downtown area, a National Historic District that showcases Seattle’s early history with the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and the unique Underground Tour of the sunken storefronts. This was the home of the original ‘Skid Road’, a term born when timber was slid down Yesler Way to a steam-powered mill on the Waterfront. Seattle’s oldest neighbourhood, Pioneer Square is full of restored redbrick buildings containing numerous shops, with everything from antiques to handmade toys, as well as bookstores and art galleries. At 42 storeys (159m/522ft), Smith Tower, 506 Second Avenue, at Yesler Way, which overlooks the square, was the tallest building in the world outside of NYC when it was completed in 1914. By night, especially on the weekend or after a baseball game at Safeco Field, crowds jam the many restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Pioneer Square
Tel: (206) 667 0687. Fax: (206) 667 9739.
Website: www.pioneersquare.org
Transport: Bus or Waterfront Streetcar to Pioneer Square.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
117 South Main Street
Tel: (206) 553 7220. Fax: (206) 553 0614.
E-mail: klse_ranger_activities@nps.gov
Website: www.nps.gov/klse
Opening hours: Daily 0900–1700.
Admission: Free.

Underground Tour
608 First Avenue
Tel: (206) 682 4646.
Website: www.undergroundtour.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930–1800 (ticket office); daily 1100–1600 (tour).
Admission: US$9.

Chinatown/International District
This neighbourhood was settled by Chinese immigrants in the mid-1800s. Today, a broader Asian community includes Japanese and Filipino residents and such cultural offerings as a thriving restaurant district, a Buddhist temple, herbalist shops, antiques stores and Karaoke bars. Hing Hay, the ‘park for pleasurable gatherings’, has a bright pagoda donated by the City of Taipei and Kobe Terrace, named for Seattle’s sister city in Japan) displays a 3600kg (8000lb) stone lantern. The popular Uwajimaya Market is the Northwest’s largest Asian store, with services including a grocery, bookshop, sushi bar and cookery events. The small Wing Luke Museum is the USA’s only museum devoted to Asian-American history, with displays on immigration, the arts and traditional medicine. Built in 1909, the Nippon Kan Theatre, 628 South Washington Street, was the cultural heart of Seattle’s Japanese community until the internment of Japanese-American citizens during World War II. The building was ‘rediscovered’ in 1978 and is now a designated historic landmark, hosting myriad events.

Across Fourth Avenue, uphill from Pioneer Square
Transport: Buses to International District stop.

Uwajimaya Market
Sixth Avenue South and South King Street
Tel: (206) 624 6248 or (800) 889 1928.
Website: www.uwajimaya.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900–2200.
Admission: Free.

Wing Luke Asian Museum
407 Seventh Avenue South
Tel: (206) 623 5124. Fax: (206) 623 4559.
Website: www.wingluke.org
Opening hours: Tues–Fri 1100–1630, Sat and Sun 1200–1600.
Admission: US$4 (concessions available).

Museum of Flight
At Boeing Field, south of Downtown, towards Sea-Tac airport, the Museum of Flight has a collection of more than 130 aircraft, largely vintage – some hanging from the glass ceiling of Boeing’s original factory, the Red Barn. This permanent exhibit is unquestionably a tribute to the airline giant but nonetheless covers the entire history of flight, from Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings to the NASA space programme.

9404 East Marginal Way South
Tel: (206) 764 5700 or 5720 for recorded information. Fax: (206) 764 5707.
E-mail: info@museumofflight.org
Website: www.museumofflight.org
Transport: Bus 174 south from Downtown.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1700.
Admission: US$11 (concessions available).

Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
This museum on the University of Washington campus has a special focus on paleontological history, with dinosaur skeleton displays and fossils and cultural exhibits of the Pacific Northwest, covering more than 30 Native American tribes and including the controversial 9000-year-old skeleton of Kennewick Man. Travelling exhibits have included Sir Ernest Shackleton’s doomed exploratory voyage to Antarctica in 1914.

17th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 45th Street, University District
Tel: (206) 543 5590.
Website: www.washington.edu/burkemuseum
Transport: Bus 70, 71, 72 or 73 north from Downtown Seattle to the U-District.
Opening hours: Fri–Wed 1000–1700, Thurs 1000–2000.
Admission: US$6; US$8 (including special exhibitions).

Museum of Glass
This new 6968sq-metre (75,000sq-ft) international museum of glass art, designed by Arthur Erickson, is notable for its 27m (90ft) tall and 30m (100ft) wide amphitheatre, which tilts at a 17-degree angle and contains a hot glass studio where artistic teams blow and cast glass. The museum is surrounded by reflecting pools and installations. Works include a 703kg (1883lb) glass angel and a 152m (500ft) ‘bridge of glass’ – designed by the Northwest’s most celebrated glass artist, Dale Chihuly – linking the museum to newly fashionable downtown Tacoma. The inaugural exhibition included work by John Cage, Mark Tobey and Morris Graves, all of whom were contemporaries at one time in the Pacific Northwest.

1801 East Dock Street, Tacoma
Tel: (253) 396 1768 or 284 4750 (Pierce County only). Fax: (253) 396 1769.
E-mail: info@museumofglass.org
Website: www.museumofglass.org
Transport: From downtown Seattle, take Pierce Transit’s Seattle Express (tel: (800) 562 8109).
Opening hours: Tues–Sat 1000–1700, Sun 1200–1700.
Admission: US$10.

Woodland Park Zoo
The 36.8-hectare (92-acre) Woodland Park Zoo, considered among the top ten zoos in America, is a world leader in freeing animals from cages and letting them roam free in a natural setting. Among new habitats are a butterfly exhibit, the ‘Trail of Vines’, ‘Northern Trail’, a tropical rainforest, the African savannah and an elephant habitat reminiscent of Thailand.

5500 Phinney Avenue North
Tel: (206) 684 4800. Fax: (206) 684 4854.
Website: www.zoo.org
Transport: Bus 5 north from Third Avenue and Pine Street (Downtown) to Westgate.
Opening hours: Daily 0930–1700 (15 Mar–30 Apr and 15 Sep–14 Oct); daily 0930–1800 (1 May–14 Sep); daily 0930–1600 (15 Oct–14 Mar).
Admission US$10 (concessions available)

Further Distractions

Capitol Hill
This district was once the residence of Seattle’s wealthiest citizens but now has the most diverse and youth-oriented population. The city’s gay community, grunge rockers, hip hoppers and people of many cultures share the area with long-time residents of the historic mansions, elegant old homes and classic apartment houses. Throughout the area are numerous boutiques, entertainment venues and coffee houses, particularly along Broadway Avenue East, between East Denny Way and East Roy Street and along Pike and Pine between Boren Avenue and Broadway. Nearby, the Central District/South Seattle neighbourhoods have long been the heart of the city’s African-American community and, in the 1930s, the area began establishing a reputation for jazz and blues musicians. Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix and Ernestine Anderson have all lived here at one time.

Capitol Hill
Transport: Bus from Olive Way, at Fourth Avenue and Stewart Street (Downtown).

Ballard
Seattle’s Scandinavian heritage remains evident in this now trendy maritime neighbourhood of north Seattle, where the Alaskan fishing fleet winters at Fishermen’s Terminal before embarking on its quest for salmon. The Hiram M Chittenden Locks provide the link to the saltwater beyond. A walk along the Locks is a unique experience, with underwater windows from which to watch migrating salmon. Historic Downtown Ballard has brick streets, numerous galleries and lively taverns full of local music. From May to September, there is a Sunday market with fresh produce and crafts on sale. The Nordic Heritage Museum is also located here. This is the country’s only museum honouring immigrants from the five Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – in collections of photographs, costumes and century-old fishing and maritime implements. The Ballard Chamber of Commerce (see below) can offer additional sightseeing tips.

Ballard
Tel: (206) 784 9705.
E-mail: info@ballardchamber.com
Website: www.ballardchamber.com
Transport: Bus 17 north from Downtown.

Nordic Heritage Museum
3014 Northwest 67th Street
Tel: (206) 789 5707. Fax: (206) 789 3271.
E-mail: nordic@intelistep.com
Website: www.nordicmuseum.com
Opening hours: Tues–Sat 1000–1600, Sun 1200–1600.
Admission: US$4 (concessions available).

Washington Park Arboretum
On the shores of Lake Washington, south of the University District on Union Bay, six kilometres (four miles) east of downtown Seattle, is an 80-hectare (200-acre) park, with over 5500 species of rare trees and other flora, both native and imported. The impressive Japanese Garden has koi pools, a mountain-inspired waterfall and a traditional teahouse.

23 Arboretum Drive East
Tel: (206) 543 8800.
Website: www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/gardens.htm
Transport: Bus 11 to Madison Street.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1600 (visitor centre); 0700–dusk (grounds).
Admission: Free.

Japanese Garden
Tel: (206) 684 4725.
Website: www.seattlejapanesegarden.org
Opening hours: Tues–Sun 1000–dusk (1 Mar–30 Nov).
Admission: US$3 (concessions available).

Alki Drive
Along the water, out in West Seattle, the 3.2km (two-mile) white sandy beach along Alki Drive is the point where the first white settlers arrived in 1851, before retreating to the less windy site on Elliott Bay. The view over Puget Sound and the city skyline is considered one of the best in the city. In summer, the beach is filled with families and children picnicking, swimming, sunbathing and eating the speciality fish and chips.

Alki Drive, West Seattle
Transport: Bus 17 to Alki, Admiral District departs from Second Avenue and Pike Street or bus 56 to Alki Beach departs from First Avenue and Pike Street.

Tours of the City

Walking Tours
See Seattle Walking Tours (tel: (425) 226 7641; website: www.see-seattle.com) offers half- or full-day tours of the city’s main sights, all year round from Monday to Saturday. Walkers meet at the outdoor seating area of Westlake Plaza, Fourth Avenue and Pine Street, at 0955 for 1000. Tours cost approximately US$20. Underground Seattle (tel: (206) 682 4646 or (888) 608 6337; website: www.ohwy.com/wa/u/undertou.htm), discovered by chance in the 1960s, is a street of subterranean storefronts dating from the late 19th century, before the Pioneer Square area was elevated above the tide flats. Guides give a racy, three-block walk every day, departing from 608 First Avenue. Tours cost US$8 and take an hour and a half.

Bus Tours
Grayline (tel: (206) 626 5208 or (800) 426 7505; fax: (206) 626 5209; e-mail: info@graylineseattle.com; website: www.graylineseattle.com) offers many different day tours within Seattle. A full-day (approximately six hours) Grand City Tour costs US$39, while various three-hour tours start at US$30. Grayline also offers multi-day tours to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, BC.

Other Tours
Argosy Tours (tel: (206) 623 1445 or (800) 642 7816; website: www.argosycruises.com), at Pier 55, offers sightseeing cruises around the harbour, as well as a dinner cruise ship. A one-hour narrated tour of Seattle’s harbour costs US$14 while the two-hour Lake Washington Cruise costs US$25.

BeeLine Tours (tel: (206) 632 5162 or (800) 959 8387; e-mail: cozybus@beelinetours.com; website: www.beelinetours.com) do a four-hour coffee, wine and beer tour for US$55. The tour takes in a coffee roaster, a brewery and finally a winery, for a truly tasteful Seattle experience. Tours depart at 1000 Monday to Friday, reservations are required and pick up is arranged from all downtown Seattle hotels.

Show Me Seattle (tel: (206) 633 2489; website: www.showmeseattle.com) offers customised minibus tours on request, costing from US$22.

Seattle Seaplanes (tel: (206) 329 9638) offers 20-minute flights over the city, focusing on its main landmarks and wealthiest homes. Flights cost US$67.50 and depart from 1324 Fairview Avenue East, Lake Union.

Excursions

For a Half Day

Local islands: For foot passengers, Washington State Ferries depart from Pier 50 eight times a day to Vashon Island, located 16km (ten miles) southwest of downtown Seattle (journey time – 35 minutes). The island is still considered ‘counter-culture’ in that it has resisted suburbanisation and is home to many artists. The ferry also lands at Southworth, at the top of the Kitsap Peninsula. The ferry from Pier 52 takes cars to Vashon, as well as Bremerton, situated approximately 32km (20 miles) west of Seattle and home to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Naval Museum (tel: (360) 479 7447). The museum is open Monday to Saturday 1000–1700, Sunday 1300–1700 (May to September) and admission is free. The historic destroyer, USS Turner Joy, is located right next to the Bremerton ferry docks. Bainbridge Island, some 16km (ten miles) west of downtown Seattle, is also accessible from Seattle within 35 minutes, has its own winery and is a great place for biking. From there, it is an easy half-hour jaunt to the historic town of Winslow, one of Greater Seattle’s antique capitals. Ferry fare starts from US$5 (foot passengers) for a round trip (tel: (206) 464 6400; website: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries). Private speedboats from Yarrow Bay Marina (tel: (425) 822 6066) take passengers from the city centre’s Lake Union to Lake Washington, home to many of Seattle’s wealthiest residents, from around US$60 an hour.

Snoqualmie Falls: Approximately 24km (15 miles) east of Bellevue, just off I-90, these dramatic 82m (268ft) falls are perched on a rock precipice near the town of North Bend. North Bend was the setting for the quirky television series, Twin Peaks, and many scenes took place in the Salish Lodge, beside the falls. Snoqualmie Falls makes a pleasant bike trip or picnic destination. The Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce (tel. (425) 888 4440; website: www.snovalley.org) can provide information.

Wine and brew country: The Chateau Ste-Michelle Winery, 14111 NE 145th Street (tel: (425) 415 3632 or (800) 267 6793; website: www.chateau-ste-michelle.com), in Woodinville, 24km (15 miles) east or a half-hour drive from the centre of Seattle, is an impressive French-style chateau with landscaped grounds perfect for picnicking and sampling the locally produced wine. The winery is open daily 1000–1700, with a free tour and a US$5 tasting bar. Nearby, the Columbia Winery, 14030 NE 145th Street (tel: (425) 488 2776; website: www.columbiawinery.com), offers free tours on the weekend 1000–1800, all year round. Opposite Ste-Michelle, Redhook Brewery, 14300 NE 145th Street (tel: (425) 483 3232; website: www.redhook.com), offers daily tours for US$1, including beer samples. Grayline (see Tours of the City) organises bus tours here.

For a Whole Day

Olympic National Park: The Olympic Peninsula (tel: (360) 565 3130; website: www.nps.gov/olym), which separates Seattle from the Pacific, covers nearly 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) and 97km (60 miles) of coast, with a haunting rainforest near Lake Quinault. The far northwest corner of the region is home to the Makah Indian Cultural Center, Bayview Avenue, at Neah Bay (tel: (360) 645 2711; fax: (360) 645 2656; e-mail: mcrc@olypen.com; website: www.makah.com), as well as windswept Pacific beaches. The centre is open Monday to Sunday (June to September) and Wednesday to Sunday (September to May). Entrance is US$4. The park includes the glacier-studded Olympic Mountains, rainforests, lakes and streams. Route 101 encircles the park and can be reached from Seattle by Black Ball Transport ferry (tel: (206) 622 2222) across Puget Bay to Port Angeles (journey time – 3 hours).

Mount Rainier National Park: Located 144km (90 miles) to the southeast of Seattle, Mount Rainier National Park (tel: (360) 569 2211; website: www.nps.gov/mora) is one of the USA’s oldest – one of five national parks founded in the 19th century. It was created to preserve one of the country’s most spectacular scenic wonders, the snow-capped volcano known as Tahcoma to Native Americans in the past and as Mount Rainier today. At 4392m (14,410ft), it is one of the region’s tallest peaks. The 94,245 hectares (235,612 acres) of park also contain mountain ranges, glaciers, rivers, deep forests, lush meadows, covered with wildflowers during the summer and around 500km (300 miles) of trails. Although there are provisions for skiing and other wintersports, 96% of the park is classified as wilderness,

Access is from the I-90 east from Seattle to Highway 202; the main entrances being on Highway 706 near Ashford or Highway 410 near Enumclaw. The mountain road ends at the aptly named village of Paradise, which has a visitor centre and historic lodge. The Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center (tel: (360) 569 2211 2328; website: www.guestservices.com/rainier/html/visitor.html) is open May to October. Every year, thousands of climbers begin their long trudge to the summit from here. Grayline (see Tours of the City) offers a ten-hour bus tour of the park, leaving every morning, May to September, from the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Seattle.

San Juan Islands: Located in the northwest corner of Washington State, the San Juan Islands stretch from the coast off Seattle north to Vancouver. The largest are San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw, all served by the Washington State Ferry System. The islands contain miles of stunning, unspoilt beaches, various marine facilities, state parks and primeval forests, fishing, camping, cycling and picnicking opportunities, as well as many Native American heritage sites. Friday Harbor (website: www.friday-harbor.net), on San Juan Island, is a prosperous fishing town and now a popular dock for yachts and other pleasure boats. There is a whale spotting point at Lime Kiln Park. Moran State Park, on Orcas, is home to Mount Constitution, the highest point in the islands. It also contains three lakes. The film, Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) was set in the islands.

Boats to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, British Columbia, in Canada, leave from Pier 48 during the summer and Pier 69 all year round. The four-hour excursion to Tillicum Village, on Blake Island, offers a cruise of the harbour and a taste of Pacific Northwest crafts, traditional dance and a salmon buffet in a cedar longhouse. Tillicum Village Tours (tel: (206) 933 8600 or (800) 426 1205; website: www.tillicumvillage.com) depart from Pier 55–56. There are also scheduled and charter seaplane services to Victoria (Vancouver Island, Canada), the San Juan Islands and other destinations from Kenmore Air (tel: (425) 486 1257 or (800) 543 9595, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.kenmoreair.com). Washington State Tourism (tel: (800) 544 1800) can provide further information.

Sport

Seattleites are quite sports conscious and loyal to their local teams, whether Major League or university – bright purple and yellow banners of a howling dog denote the University of Washington’s Huskies (website: http://gohuskies.ocsn.com), an all-sport team. Safeco Field, just south of Pioneer Square, is home to the Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball team (tel: (206) 346 4000; website: www.mariners.org). The Mariners far outpace any other team in Seattle’s sports obsession – attendance at their games during the 2002 season was over 3.5 million. The KeyArena, in the Seattle Center, 305 Harrison Street, hosts the Seattle SuperSonics National Basketball Association team (tel: (206) 283 DUNK or 283 3865; website: www.nba.com/sonics) and the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (tel: (425) 869 7825 or (206) 448 7825; website: www.seattle-thunderbirds.com). Basketball season is October to April, while ice hockey is played from September to March. The Seattle Seahawks National Football League team (tel: (888) 635 4295 or (206) 381 7800; website: www.seahawks.com) has moved into their long-awaited, 67,000-capacity stadium in Pioneer Square, near Safeco Field. Football season is October to December.

Tickets for all Seattle’s major sports events are available for purchase through Ticketmaster (tel: (206) 628 0888; website: www.ticketmaster.com).

Cycling and hiking: The Burke-Gilman Trail is a 24km (15-mile) trail through the woods, from Gasworks Park at Lake Union to the University District and onto the suburb of Bothell and Lake Sammamish. It is ideal for the independent cyclist or hiker.

Fitness centres: Greater Seattle abounds in upmarket fitness clubs, such as The Sammamish Club, 2115 NW Poplar Way, Issaquah (tel: (425) 313 3131; website: www.sammamishclub.com), which has four indoor tennis courts, a 23m (75ft) lap pool and a TechnoGym. The Seattle Athletic Club, 2020 Western Avenue, near Pike Place Market (tel: (206) 443 1111; website: www.sacdt.com), is known for its squash program and cardio and strength training facilities, while The Vault, 808 Second Avenue (tel: (206) 224 9000; website: www.vaultfitness.com), offers personalised training systems and QiGong. Ordinary mortals can work out at the YMCA, which has 15 outlets around the city, including a downtown venue at 1700 23rd Avenue (tel: (206) 322 6969; website: www.seattleymca.org).

Golf: Jackson Park, 1000 Northeast 135th Street, North Seattle (tel: (206) 363 4747), has one of the city’s most popular 18-hole courses, which gets very crowded at the weekend, as well a nine-hole executive course. The 18-hole West Seattle Municipal Court, 4470 35th Avenue Southwest (tel: (206) 935 5187), offers superb views of Elliot Bay. Daily green fees start from US$25 weekdays, US$28 weekends, plus about US$14 for a cart for 18-holes. The nine-hole course costs is available at half the cost. Membership is not required at either of the above courses.

Sailing and kayaking: One in five Seattle natives own some kind of boat. Kayaks can be hired from Northwest Outdoor Center, 2100 Westlake Avenue, Lake Union (tel: (206) 281 9694), or a wooden sailing boat from Center for Wooden Boats, 1010 Valley Street, Seattle (tel: (206) 382 2628; website: www.cwb.org). Dock of the Bay, 901 Fairview Avenue North (tel: (206) 682 3008; website: www.speakeasy.org/dockofthebay) hires out a 1909-designed motor launch for US$35 per hour Tours, equipment and hire are all available from REI, 222 Yale Avenue North (tel: (206) 223 1944; website: www.rei.com).

Skiing: The mountains are easily accessible from Seattle and Seattle Ski Rental, 907 Northeast 45th Street (tel: (206) 548 1000), hires out equipment and can offer advice on skiing in the region.

Swimming: Queen Anne Pool, 1920 First Avenue West (tel: (206) 386 4282), is a public indoor pool. The YMCA (see above) also has a public swimming pool.

Tennis: Most of Seattle’s larger parks, such as Volunteer Park and Woodland Park, have tennis courts. There are ten indoor courts at the Amy Yee Tennis Center, 2000 Martin Luther King Way (tel: (206) 684 4764).

Shopping

Seattle’s Waterfront and the Pike Place Market, on First Avenue and Pike Street (Monday to Saturday 0900–1800, Sunday 1100–1700), offer all the crazy souvenirs imaginable, from wooden slugs (which look a lot like the real thing) to Space Needle hats and, of course, enormous sides of smoked Alaska salmon for visitors to ship home. The true Downtown shopping core, however, is between First Avenue and Sixth Avenue and Olive Street and University Street, including the flagship Nordstrom Store, Old Navy, the Bon Marche, Pacific Place Mall, Barney’s, Nike Town, FAO Schwartz, Anne Taylor, Planet Hollywood, Barnes & Noble and more. Belltown, north along First Avenue from the city centre, has unique boutiques with everything from locally designed clothing, imported shoes, antiques, used clothing and more. Ruby Montana’s Pinto Pony, 1623 Second Avenue (website: www.rubymontana.com), is an emporium of kitsch, both modern and vintage, from salt and pepper shakers to furniture. Ballard offers a number of Scandinavian gift and food shops, as well as Archie McPhee’s, 2428 Market Street, an institution, known in the USA for its whimsical toys. Capitol Hill corners the market for high style and quirkiness, with shops such as Le Frock, 317 East Pine Street, which specialises in vintage designer wear, and Area 51, 401 East Pine Street, a city block full of home furnishings from the middle of the last century. Lipstick Traces, 500 East Pine Street, offers the latest from local, independent designers, while Fugio, 1507 Belmont Avenue, specialises in antique Asian furnishings.

Shopping hours are 0930–1800 on average, including Sundays. Seattle sales tax is 8.8% on non-food items. Unlike in other states, visitors are unable to claim tax refunds on goods purchased in Seattle.

Culture

Despite the economic downturn, Seattle has more cultural construction projects underway than any other urban area in the USA, including a controversially designed, new downtown central library – the work of architect Rem Koolhaas. The city’s average arts events attendance tops five million and it has the highest per-capita dance attendance in the country. Seattle boasts 29 professional theatre companies, 56 fringe theatre companies and seven theatre schools, more than 80 live music clubs, 15 symphony orchestras, ten major art and cultural heritage museums and 190 private art galleries.

Although Seattle’s theatre scene is considered one of the most dynamic in the USA, natives notably prefer homegrown culture to that from outside the state and a look through the city’s listing and review tabloids will not, in all likelihood, produce names that most visitors will have heard of. Exceptions are the internationally acclaimed Pacific Northwest Ballet, glass art’s Dale Chihuly, maestro Gerard Schwarz, Kurt Cobain’s widow Courtney Love of Hole, sax man Kenny G, actor Tom Skerritt and writers Ann Rule and Tom Robbins. British author Michael Dibdin has made Seattle his home and travel writer Jonathan Raban also lives in the Pacific Northwest.

The Seattle Opera’s season runs from August to May and both the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Seattle Repertory Theatre run from October to May. All three perform at the Seattle Center. The Seattle Symphony Orchestra plays from September to June, at Benaroya Hall.

Ticketmaster (tel: (206) 628 0888; website: www.ticketmaster.com) sells tickets to all cultural events in Seattle, as does Pacific Northwest Ticket Service (tel: (800) 281 0753; website: www.nwtix.com), while Ticket Window (tel: (206) 325 6500; website: www.ticketwindowonline.com) sells half-price, day-of-show tickets to theatre, music, comedy and dance events. Listings can be found in the free tabloids, The Weekly and The Stranger.

Music: The Northwest Chamber Orchestra (tel: (206) 343 0445; website: www.nwco.org) performs everything from Beethoven and Mozart to Debussy, at various venues and locations in the city, some of them open parks. Philharmonia Northwest (tel: (206) 675 9727; website: www.philharmonianw.org) performs at its downtown venue, the Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Avenue, as well as St Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 4805 NE 45th Street (tel: (206) 522 7144; fax: (206) 524 4209; website: http://st.stephens-seattle.org). The Seattle Choral Company (tel: (206) 363 1100; website: www.seattlechoralcompany.org) performs seasonal music events in various venues throughout the city, while the Seattle Opera Company (tel: (206) 389 7600; website: www.seattleopera.org) performs at the Seattle Center Opera House, 321 Mercer Street, in the Seattle Center (tel: (206) 389 7676; e-mail: tickets@seattleopera.org). The Seattle Symphony Orchestra (tel: (206) 215 4700; fax: (206) 215 4701; e-mail: info@seattlesymphony.org; website: www.seattlesymphony.org) offers a wide range of musical events at Benaroya Hall, 200 University Street, Downtown (tel: (206) 215 4747; website: www.benaroyahall.com).

Theatre: Performances of popular Broadway hits are on offer at the Paramount Theatre, 907 Pine Street (tel: (206) 682 1414; website: www.theparamount.com), all year round. Other classics can be caught at the Fifth Avenue Musical Theatre, 1308 Fifth Avenue (tel: (206) 625 1900; website: www.5thavenuetheatre.org). More contemporary work can be seen at The Empty Space Theatre, 3509 Fremont Avenue North (tel: (206) 547 7500; website: www.emptyspace.org), Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Avenue (tel: (206) 325 6500; website: www.schmeater.org), and the Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer Street (tel: (206) 269 1900; website: www.intiman.org), at the Seattle Center. The biggest theatre company, the Seattle Repertory Theatre (tel: (206) 443 2222; website: www.seattlerep.org), plays at the Bagley Wright Theater, 155 Mercer Street, in the Seattle Center. The Seattle Children’s Theatre is at Second Avenue North and Thomas Street (tel: (206) 441 3322; website: www.sct.org), in the Charlotte Martin Theatre, Seattle Center.

Dance: The Century Ballroom, 915 East Pine Street (tel: (206) 324 7263; website: www.centuryballroom.com), specialises in salsa and swing dancing. The world-renowned Pacific Northwest Ballet (tel: (206) 441 2424; website: www.pnb.org) is based at the Seattle Center Opera House, 301 Mercer Street, in the Seattle Center.

Film: Cinerama, 2100 Fourth Avenue (tel: (206) 441 3080 or (206) 441 3653), a retro, restored theatre with state-of-the-art sound, shows mainstream American films and is also a major venue during the Seattle Film Festival. Pacific Place, Sixth Avenue and Pine Street (tel: (206) 652 2404), is another mainstream multiplex. Foreign and alternative cinemas tend to be screened in Capitol Hill venues, such as the Harvard Exit, 807 East Roy Street (tel: (206) 323 8986), and the Landmark Egyptian, 801 East Pine Street (tel: (206) 323 4978). The best-known Seattle-based film, Sleepless in Seattle (1993), starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, was set in a Lake Union houseboat.

Cultural events: The Folklife Festival (tel: (206) 684 7300; website: www.nwfolklife.org) is an international cultural celebration of note, taking place in various venues of the Seattle Center, over Memorial Day weekend, at the end of May. There are roughly 1000 performances, representing 100 countries and presenting traditional and ethnic dance, music and storytelling. Visual arts and folklore exhibits highlight the work of many Northwest communities, in particular the Native American. Seattle also has an International Film Festival (tel: (206) 324 9996; website: www.seattlefilm.com), which takes at various cinemas around the city, in May and June.

Literary Notes
As part of the Wild West and the Alaskan Gold Rush and the subsequent lack of intellectual investment, Seattle is not known for its literary history until the Beat generation of the 1950s onwards. Writer Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961) lived here briefly, while Jack Kerouac (1922–1969) passed through after a three-month stint as a fire-watcher in the Cascades, in 1956. Poet Theodore Roethke taught at the University of Washington, along with native Seattle writer Richard Hugo and the more famous Raymond Carver, who once lived on the Olympic Peninsula.

The best-known Seattle-based popular novelist is Tom Robbins, author of Another Roadside Attraction (1971) and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976). British travel writer and novelist Jonathan Raban lives in the Pacific Northwest and has written extensively about the area, as well as Seattle itself, particularly in Passage to Juneau (1999), where he makes wry observations on the ‘Scandinavian rectitude’ of the natives. This Boy’s Life (1989) was Tobias Wolff’s story of his childhood in a small town north of Seattle, which was made into a movie starring Ellen Barkin and Robert De Niro in 1993. David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedars (1994) was set in the misty San Juan Islands and was recently made into a film. Annie Dillard wrote The Living (1992), a romantic tale of the Pacific Northwest, set in the late 19th century.

There are an increasing number of crime writers using Seattle as a setting. Best known is Native American writer Sherman Alexie, whose book, Indian Killer (1996), concerns the serial murder of scalped white men in the city, contrasted against the trendy coffee bars and misty scenery. Curiously, the Seattle area has also launched internationally known, offbeat contemporary cartoonists, such as Lynda Barry (Ernie Pook’s Comeek), Matt Groenig (originator of The Simpsons), and Gary Larson.

Nightlife

Seattle is a city of youth and numerous fashionable districts – from the Pioneer Square and Belltown neighbourhoods Downtown to University District, Capitol Hill and Ballard – are dominated by clubs, bars, coffee houses, cinemas and eccentric eateries. Due to the strictly enforced minimum drinking age of 21 years, a number of ‘all ages’ live music venues in the city centre do not serve alcohol to minors but offer a wide range of the latest in local music. The restriction is strictly enforced and it is essential for one to bring photo identification. Most Seattle bars are open 1100–0200. Casinos are contentious but legal, as long as they are outside the Seattle city limits. Dress codes are rare and the cost of drinks varies from about US$2.50 to US$8, depending on the venue. The average local live music cover charge is about US$10. Entertainment listings can be found in free tabloids such as The Weekly and The Stranger.

Bars: The Alibi Room, 85 Pike Street, is a trendy cocktail bar tucked away in Post Alley, under the Pike Place Market, with a lovely view of Puget Sound. The new Bada Lounge, 2230 First Avenue, Belltown, has quickly become one of the city’s most upmarket boy-meets-girl establishments, while the BluWater Bistro, 1001 Fairview Avenue North, has a remarkable array of colourful cocktails. Cascadia 2328 First Avenue, Belltown, is perhaps the classiest bar in town, famed for its Gershwin-geared pianist, carved glass window/waterfall and Pacific Northwest wine list. The Cha Cha Lounge, 506 East Pine Street, Capitol Hill, offers dimly retro decor with Chinese red walls and an artsy clientele. Conor Byrne’s, 5140 Ballard Street North West, is a hip and authentic Irish pub that has live Celtic music on weekends. Doc Maynard’s, 610 First Avenue, Pioneer Square, is a rowdy, rock-and-roll bar, restored from the turn of the century. FX McRory’s, 419 Occidental Avenue South, also in Pioneer Square, is where Seattleites rush after a baseball game at Safeco Field. Linda’s Tavern, 707 East Pine Street, is famed for the latest music trends. Manray, 514 East Pine Street Capitol Hill, is a 70s retro chic space pod done up in stark white decor, while The Pink Door, 1919 Post Alley, in the Pike Place Market, serves legendary violet martinis and has a great view over Puget Sound. Sit & Spin, 2219 Fourth Avenue, Belltown, is probably Seattle’s most unusual hangout – a combination of launderette, caf, bar and rock club. For more serious dark and smoky dives, try Comet Tavern, 922 East Pike Street, the oldest bar on Capitol Hill, or Tini Bigs, 100 Denny Way, famed for its over-sized martinis and cigar haze.

Casinos: The Emerald Queen, 2102 Alexander Avenue, Tacoma (website: www.emeraldqueen.com), is Seattle’s most upbeat casino, located on an authentic New Orleans paddleboat, with card dealers in period costume. Parker’s, 17001 Aurora Avenue North, offers blackjack and Chinese Poker. Rascal's Casino, 9635 Des Moines Memorial Drive (website: www.rascalscasino.com), has 14 table games including Fortune Pai Gow and Blackjack. There is no formal dress code, the minimum gambling age is 21 years and photo identification is required for all venues.

Clubs: 700 Club, 700 Virginia Avenue, Seventh Avenue, Downtown, is a small hip-hop club, while the Baltic Room, 1207 East Pine Street, is a stylish jazz nightclub. A gay and straight crowd packs into the Last Supper Club, 124 South Washington Street, Pioneer Square, while Paradox, 5510 University Way, University District, is the top spot for the all-ages (read under 21) crowd.

Live music: The Crocodile Caf, 2200 Second Avenue and Blanchard Street, was the original home of Seattle’s grunge music scene – from Pearl Jam to Mudhoney and the Posies – and is still a cutting-edge, live music venue. However, it is rapidly being overtaken by Showbox, 1426 First Avenue, Belltown, due to its massive 1100 capacity, domed ceilings and red velvet curtains. Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Avenue, Downtown, is a sophisticated jazz club that consistently features internationally known acts, while Tula’s, 2214 Second Avenue, Belltown, is a low-key local jazz bar with an older clientele.

City Statistics

Location: King County, northwest Washington State, USA.
Country dialling code: 1.
Population: 563,374 (city); 3.2 million (metropolitan area).
Ethnic mix: 74% white/European-American, 14% Asian, 7% black/African-American, 5% Latino.
Religion: Majority Christian of equally Catholic and Protestant congregations, Buddhist is largest minority, with smaller Jewish and Muslim minorities.
Time zone: GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 110 volts, 50Hz; flat two-pin plugs are most common, although three-pinned plugs (two flat and one round) are sometimes in use.
Average January temp: 8C (46F).
Average July temp: 24C (75F).
Annual rainfall: 919mm (36.2 inches).

Special Events

Chinese New Year Celebrations, dragon parades and Chinese cultural events (website: www.internationaldistrict.org), Jan/Feb, International District
Folklife Festival (website: www.nwfolklife.org), Memorial Day weekend, May, Seattle Center
Seattle International Film Festival (website: www.seattlefilm.com), mid May–mid Jun, various venues
Bite of Seattle, outdoor market with stalls featuring cuisine from the city’s top restaurants (website: www.biteofseattle.com), Jul, Seattle Center
Seafair, showcase for the traditions and diversity of the Puget Sound area, with events such as parades, a triathlon and air shows, as well as over 30 community events, Jul–Aug, throughout the city
Bumbershoot, crafts fair and entertainment festival (website: www.bumbershoot.org), Labour Day weekend, late Aug–early Sep, Seattle Center
Seattle Fringe Festival, hundreds of indoor and outdoor theatre performances (website: www.seattlefringe.org), Sep, various venues and locations throughout the city
Fremont Oktoberfest, more than 30 micro-breweries pouring handcrafted beers, music, streetfair, a children’s area and traditional German food (website: www.fremontoktoberfest.org), last Sat in Sep–first Sun in Oct, Fremont district, north Seattle
New Year’s Eve, 31 Dec, bottom of the Space Needle

Cost of Living

One-litre bottle of mineral water: US$1.25
33cl bottle of beer: US$1.75
Financial Times newspaper: US$4.50
36-exposure colour film: US$6
City-centre bus ticket: US$1.25–1.50
Adult football ticket: US$15–100
Three-course meal with wine/beer: From US$40

1 American Dollar (US$1) = 0.52; C$1.25; A$1.28; 0.77
Currency conversion rates as of May 2005