Guidebook for Seattle
Drinks & Nightlife
One of the best sushi restaurants in Seattle, with sustainably harvested seafood and great ambiance.
40 locals recommend
Sushi Kappo Tamura
2968 Eastlake Ave EOne of the best sushi restaurants in Seattle, with sustainably harvested seafood and great ambiance.
Good view of the lake from the outdoor deck, and moderately priced nouvelle Mexican food.
61 locals recommend
Little Water Cantina
2865 Eastlake Ave EGood view of the lake from the outdoor deck, and moderately priced nouvelle Mexican food.
Nice little Italian restaurant/bar tucked behind Serafina's on Eastlake.
36 locals recommend
Cicchetti
121 E Boston StNice little Italian restaurant/bar tucked behind Serafina's on Eastlake.
Food Scene
Fresh croissants and coffee. Hang-out for the Pocock rowers after their morning workout.
47 locals recommend
Le Fournil French bakery and catering
3230 Eastlake Ave EFresh croissants and coffee. Hang-out for the Pocock rowers after their morning workout.
One of the original "locovarian" restaurants in Seattle. Long line out the door most days for breakfast.
75 locals recommend
Portage Bay Cafe - Roosevelt
4130 Roosevelt Way NEOne of the original "locovarian" restaurants in Seattle. Long line out the door most days for breakfast.
Serafina
2043 Eastlake Ave EGood Italian food and cozy bar seating.
This newly renovated market is a 5 minute walk from my house, along Fuhrman. It serves Italian fare such as fresh pizzas, and carries a lot of useful household goods such as aluminum foil.
23 locals recommend
Little Lago
2919 Fuhrman Ave EThis newly renovated market is a 5 minute walk from my house, along Fuhrman. It serves Italian fare such as fresh pizzas, and carries a lot of useful household goods such as aluminum foil.
This is one of my favorite Tom Douglas restaurants - it is on the edge of Pike Place Market with a full window view of all the action. It has a pleasantly cozy vibe with "the usual" well-made, reliable seafood-inspired dishes. We are so lucky in Seattle to be able to take good seafood for granted!
8 locals recommend
Seatown Market Diner
2010 Western AveThis is one of my favorite Tom Douglas restaurants - it is on the edge of Pike Place Market with a full window view of all the action. It has a pleasantly cozy vibe with "the usual" well-made, reliable seafood-inspired dishes. We are so lucky in Seattle to be able to take good seafood for granted!
Iron Chef vets Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi run this and other Korean fusion restaurants in Seattle. Best Sunday brunches in the city (menu changes every month, inspired by a different part of the world), and extraordinary value.
129 locals recommend
Joule
3506 Stone Way NIron Chef vets Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi run this and other Korean fusion restaurants in Seattle. Best Sunday brunches in the city (menu changes every month, inspired by a different part of the world), and extraordinary value.
This is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the city. It's housed in a renovated glass blowing studio near Seattle University and is always crowded now at lunch and dinner. (Oh for the days when it was undiscovered.) There is now a much larger version at University Village (about a 45 minute walk on the Burke-Gilman trail from my home).
237 locals recommend
Ba Bar Restaurant
550 12th AvenueThis is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the city. It's housed in a renovated glass blowing studio near Seattle University and is always crowded now at lunch and dinner. (Oh for the days when it was undiscovered.) There is now a much larger version at University Village (about a 45 minute walk on the Burke-Gilman trail from my home).
Great place for breakfast or lunch, an easy walk down Eastlake.
15 locals recommend
Grand Central Bakery
198 Eastlake Ave EGreat place for breakfast or lunch, an easy walk down Eastlake.
Everything Else
Trader Joe's
1700 E Madison StLocal Trader Joe's, about a 20 minute walk.
Be Luminous Yoga
900 Lenora StMy yoga studio. Great teachers, good mix of classes and really clean!
Essentials
Whole Foods Market
1026 NE 64th StMetropolitan Market Sand Point
5250 40th Ave NELocally owned "whole foods" type of store.
Getting Around
Link Station from the Airport; from here, take the # 49 bus to Eastlake and Harvard Ave.
119 locals recommend
Capitol Hill Station
Link Station from the Airport; from here, take the # 49 bus to Eastlake and Harvard Ave.
Bus 49 (Harvard/Eastlake stop) and Bus 70 (Harvard/Eastlake stop) are the closest to my house. You can get an Orca card at the QFC and on-line bus tickets are now available. Trip planning is at: https://m.tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/.
7 locals recommend
Terrace St & 5th Ave station
Bus 49 (Harvard/Eastlake stop) and Bus 70 (Harvard/Eastlake stop) are the closest to my house. You can get an Orca card at the QFC and on-line bus tickets are now available. Trip planning is at: https://m.tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/.
Parks & Nature
You can rent kayaks and paddle boards below; have Mexican food above.
168 locals recommend
Agua Verde Paddle Club
1307 NE Boat StYou can rent kayaks and paddle boards below; have Mexican food above.
This goes right by my house; great for biking or walking all the way from Fremont to Lake Forest Park
233 locals recommend
Burke Gilman Trail
Burke-Gilman TrailThis goes right by my house; great for biking or walking all the way from Fremont to Lake Forest Park
Seattle Japanese Garden
1075 Lake Washington Blvd EGorgeous Japanese garden in the Washington Arboretum.
Pocock Rowing Center
3320 Fuhrman Ave EOf interest because George Pocock is featured in the book, Boys in the Boat.
This is one of my favorite places to take a walk or bike when I need to commune with the salty Puget Sound air. The walking/bike trail goes on for miles, from the SAM outdoor sculpture garden through some of the industrial train and shipping areas to the secluded Magnolia neighborhood on a bluff.
70 locals recommend
Myrtle Edwards Park
3130 Alaskan WayThis is one of my favorite places to take a walk or bike when I need to commune with the salty Puget Sound air. The walking/bike trail goes on for miles, from the SAM outdoor sculpture garden through some of the industrial train and shipping areas to the secluded Magnolia neighborhood on a bluff.
Went here recently (in November) and watched salmon jumping upstream, the walked on the beach near some train tracks. This is a really unusual park, but also a bit hard to find if you're not from Seattle.
251 locals recommend
Carkeek Park
950 NW Carkeek Park RdWent here recently (in November) and watched salmon jumping upstream, the walked on the beach near some train tracks. This is a really unusual park, but also a bit hard to find if you're not from Seattle.
This is a lovely peninsula with some old growth still left. The buildings were part of the WPA and have a lovely 1930's feel to them. Doing a circuit around the peninsula by foot or bicycle is really safe (no cars) and scenic.
477 locals recommend
Seward Park
5900 Lake Washington Blvd SThis is a lovely peninsula with some old growth still left. The buildings were part of the WPA and have a lovely 1930's feel to them. Doing a circuit around the peninsula by foot or bicycle is really safe (no cars) and scenic.
This is an incredibly gracious and beautiful Olmsted-designed park with an old water tower, reservoir, fabulous conservatory, and the Seattle Asian Art Museum (currently closed for renovations). It is probably my favorite park in Seattle, nestled in a beautiful Capitol Hill neighborhood.
563 locals recommend
Volunteer Park
1247 15th Ave EThis is an incredibly gracious and beautiful Olmsted-designed park with an old water tower, reservoir, fabulous conservatory, and the Seattle Asian Art Museum (currently closed for renovations). It is probably my favorite park in Seattle, nestled in a beautiful Capitol Hill neighborhood.
This is an incredible Arboretum, with lots of winding trails, beautiful mini-gardens, and waterfront access via Foster Island. It is a local treasure. Admission is generally free although the Japanese Garden is not.
20 locals recommend
Arboretum Loop Trail
Arboretum Loop TrailThis is an incredible Arboretum, with lots of winding trails, beautiful mini-gardens, and waterfront access via Foster Island. It is a local treasure. Admission is generally free although the Japanese Garden is not.
Sightseeing
If you walk around Lake Union around this trail, you will walk past the Sleepless in Seattle house on Westlake, over several bridges, and past some working boatyards.
Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop
Cheshiahud Lake Union LoopIf you walk around Lake Union around this trail, you will walk past the Sleepless in Seattle house on Westlake, over several bridges, and past some working boatyards.
This 100 year old bridge can be seen from my house. According to Wikipedia, it is a double leaf bascule bridge (i.e., a drawbridge) that often opens up for boating traffic. In Seattle, boats have absolute right of way over other traffic (including cars) -- an interesting factoid! I feel strongly that this bridge defines my floating home neighborhood and differentiates it from the more well-known neighborhoods on Lake Union proper. It has a great view.
University Bridge
This 100 year old bridge can be seen from my house. According to Wikipedia, it is a double leaf bascule bridge (i.e., a drawbridge) that often opens up for boating traffic. In Seattle, boats have absolute right of way over other traffic (including cars) -- an interesting factoid! I feel strongly that this bridge defines my floating home neighborhood and differentiates it from the more well-known neighborhoods on Lake Union proper. It has a great view.
This small urban lake has so many things going on, especially on a summer day: Paddleboards, kayaks, seaplanes, sailboats, powerboats, crew races, even occasional swimmers. You can walk around it via the Cheshiahud trail or rent an electric boat or kayak to experience being on the water. Most of the well-known floating home neighborhoods, including the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat, are located on either the east or west banks of this lake.
58 locals recommend
Lake Union
This small urban lake has so many things going on, especially on a summer day: Paddleboards, kayaks, seaplanes, sailboats, powerboats, crew races, even occasional swimmers. You can walk around it via the Cheshiahud trail or rent an electric boat or kayak to experience being on the water. Most of the well-known floating home neighborhoods, including the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat, are located on either the east or west banks of this lake.
At South Lake Union park, this has a wonderful selection of historical wooden vessels and offers free public sails on the weekends.
101 locals recommend
The Center for Wooden Boats
1010 Valley StAt South Lake Union park, this has a wonderful selection of historical wooden vessels and offers free public sails on the weekends.
Largest independent book seller in Seattle, located now in the funky part of Capitol Hill near Seattle University.
243 locals recommend
The Elliott Bay Book Company
1521 10th AveLargest independent book seller in Seattle, located now in the funky part of Capitol Hill near Seattle University.