SIGHT-SEEING AND DINING

Christened "The Emerald City", Seattle is known as one of the most livable cities in the world and actually receives less annual rainfall (36 inches) than New York and Atlanta. Surrounded by lakes, rivers, Puget Sound, and mountains, Seattle is a recreation enthusiasts' dream. In the summer, water sports are only 10 minutes away and winter sports, such as snow skiing and snowboarding, are only 45 minutes away.

The greater Seattle area is home to 2.7 million people. Boeing, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Eddie Bower, REI and Starbucks coffee are based here. Seattle is also known as the birthplace of the recent crazes for grunge rock and espresso coffee. This area is the home of baseball's Edgar Martinez of the Seattle Mariners, glass art's Dale Chihuly, musicians Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Queensryche, and Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, software giant Bill Gates, maestro Gerard Schwartz, actor Tom Skerritt, writers Ann Rule, Robert Fulghum, and Tom Robbins.

City of Seattle Information:

Seattle Visitors Guide

Seattle Virtual Tour

City of Seattle Homepage

Seattle.Net

Dining:

Seattle Restaurant Guide

CuisineNet

Newspapers & Weekly Magazines:

The Seattle Weekly

The Stranger

The Seattle Times

Attractions:

University District

At the top of the list of places to visit is U.W. itself, one of the loveliest campuses in the U.S. Here's a virtual picture tour. More campus walk information is given here; of special note are the Burke Museum, the campus tree tour, the medicinal herb garden, the waterfronts and marshes that define the south and east borders of the campus, and the Washington Park Arboretum, all of which are a pleasure in spring and summer. Another very popular place to visit is the vast faculty/student-owned cooperative bookstore, the "U Bookstore". However, most of the tourists are elsewhere, as described below.

Downtown

The downtown area is a bustling and safe region, especially during the day. An essential tool for city tourists is this commercial clickable map which has locations, descriptions, and links to all major sites of interest. A paper version is available at information kiosks at the airport and elsewhere.

• Pike Place Market where the fish literally fly and the market stalls are all above average. [History]
• Pioneer Square and "underground tour" (ever hear of "Skid Row"? It’s here.) [History]
• Art Galleries galore [Maps]
• Waterfront and Aquarium
• Seattle Art Museum and Frye Art Museum (a gem, a short walk uphill to Cherry & Terry Sts, and its free)
• Chihuly's blown glass on display, much of it for free. Look in the lobby of the Sheraton, then across the street in City Centre (second floor, north end.).
• International District with great Asian food! [History]
• Shopping till you're dropping
• Seattle Symphony in the new Benaroya Hall
• Cinerama Movie Theater. Lovingly restored by Paul Allen, this is the last true Cinerama movie house in the U.S.

Seattle Center

The Seatttle Center is located on the grounds of the famous 1962 World's Fair north of downtown. Get there from downtown on the Monorail. Many of the city's most interesting, if not unusual, museums and attractions and sports events are here. We particularly recommend the Experience Music Project, funded by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, which is an eclectic tribute to 25 years of popular music that culminated with Jimi Hendrix. The controversial building is an eyepopping rendering of a smashed guitar designed by Frank Gehry (Bilbao MoMA). Also of interest is the Pacific Science Center, the former U.S Pavillion of the 1962 fair. The Seattle Repertory Theater, the Intiman Theater, Seattle Opera, and the Space Needle are here.

Seattle cultural and culinary scene

The arts and theaters scene rocks, with more theaters per capita than New York City! The lifestyle is diverse, the natives are very hospitable, the downtown restaurants and more restaurants, and vegetarian restaurants are among the best in the country, the night life is vibrant, and the brewpubs are famous around the world. Click the event guide. If you are staying around the UW, check the University District restaurant guide.