Travel Guide: Seattle for Design Lovers
Pioneers of the past and high-tech titans of the present make for an eclectic mix of architecture, museums, hotels and eateries
Anne Higuera CGR, CAPS
April 28, 2013
Seattle’s downtown has grown up in the past 50 years. Its growth spurt didn't really start until the iconic Space Needle, with an observation deck and restaurant, was erected for the 1962 World's Fair. Over the decades since, the skyline has filled with mammoth office buildings, residential towers and, in 2012, a giant Ferris wheel.
Now the city known for grunge music and cutting-edge technology is finding its architecture shaped by some of those same influences, especially the latter. Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks are all making — or have made — their mark on the city, with everything from the Gates Foundation's philanthropic headquarters taking shape to Amazon's new office towers earmarked for the skyline.
Now the city known for grunge music and cutting-edge technology is finding its architecture shaped by some of those same influences, especially the latter. Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks are all making — or have made — their mark on the city, with everything from the Gates Foundation's philanthropic headquarters taking shape to Amazon's new office towers earmarked for the skyline.
It’s easy to spend a week seeing all that the city has to offer. But allow at least three days to visit the best architectural- and design-oriented locations.
And don’t forget your raincoat, no matter what time of year it is. There’s a saying in Seattle that if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes. But Seattle isn't a continuous slog; Atlanta actually has more rainfall annually. The weather is just a bit more unpredictable here.
Must-Sees
Duwamish Longhouse: Tribal history museum and cultural center
Location: 4705 W. Marginal Way
Noteworthy: The Longhouse provides the public with a unique opportunity to experience the culture of Seattle’s first people.
Duwamish Tribe members — the descendents of Chief Seattle — raised funds to purchase land close to the historic village of hah-AH-poos (yes, it's spelled like that) and built a longhouse with traditional cedar post-and-beam construction that was designed by Byron Barnes, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe. The Duwamish Longhouse opened in 2009 and doubles as a location for tribal and other events as well as a museum dedicated to the tribe’s history. Tribal members installed the mosaic wood floor, which shows the Duwamish Tribe’s physical location between the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges.
More info: Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center
And don’t forget your raincoat, no matter what time of year it is. There’s a saying in Seattle that if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes. But Seattle isn't a continuous slog; Atlanta actually has more rainfall annually. The weather is just a bit more unpredictable here.
Must-Sees
Duwamish Longhouse: Tribal history museum and cultural center
Location: 4705 W. Marginal Way
Noteworthy: The Longhouse provides the public with a unique opportunity to experience the culture of Seattle’s first people.
Duwamish Tribe members — the descendents of Chief Seattle — raised funds to purchase land close to the historic village of hah-AH-poos (yes, it's spelled like that) and built a longhouse with traditional cedar post-and-beam construction that was designed by Byron Barnes, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe. The Duwamish Longhouse opened in 2009 and doubles as a location for tribal and other events as well as a museum dedicated to the tribe’s history. Tribal members installed the mosaic wood floor, which shows the Duwamish Tribe’s physical location between the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges.
More info: Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center
Even though Seattle's skyline is constantly growing, the iconic Space Needle continues to anchor its identity.
Pike Place Market: Stalls for produce, seafood, crafts and more
Location: 85 Pike St.
Noteworthy: Make sure you check out the fish vendors, where workers toss fish to one another.
More than a hundred years old, this historic landmark includes a farmer’s market, fresh fish and bakery stands, and dozens of independent busineses and craftspeople. In the multilevel warren of shops that overlook Elliot Bay, you can find fresh clams, music, Mexican folk art, Polish pottery and flowers.
More info: Pike Place Market
Location: 85 Pike St.
Noteworthy: Make sure you check out the fish vendors, where workers toss fish to one another.
More than a hundred years old, this historic landmark includes a farmer’s market, fresh fish and bakery stands, and dozens of independent busineses and craftspeople. In the multilevel warren of shops that overlook Elliot Bay, you can find fresh clams, music, Mexican folk art, Polish pottery and flowers.
More info: Pike Place Market
Seattle Central Library
Location: 1000 Fourth Ave.
Drawing on the talent of architects Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Ramus, the new glass-clad 11-story central library opened its doors in 2004. The design includes huge, light-filled public spaces and a large public lecture space built with interesting sustainable materials.
More info: Seattle Public Library
Location: 1000 Fourth Ave.
Drawing on the talent of architects Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Ramus, the new glass-clad 11-story central library opened its doors in 2004. The design includes huge, light-filled public spaces and a large public lecture space built with interesting sustainable materials.
More info: Seattle Public Library
EMP Museum: A dazzling structure by architect Frank Gehry
Cost: Adults, $20 ($15 online)
Location: 325 Fifth Ave.
Noteworthy: More than 21,000 custom-made colored aluminum shingles adorn the curving, twisting building. It never looks the same way twice.
EMP is the brainchild of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, and is devoted to music and science fiction. It has exhibitions on musical artists like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, and on topics like “Can’t Look Away: The Lure of the Horror Film.”
Tip: If you ride the monorail to the EMP from downtown Seattle, you will ride through part of the building.
More info: EMP Museum
Cost: Adults, $20 ($15 online)
Location: 325 Fifth Ave.
Noteworthy: More than 21,000 custom-made colored aluminum shingles adorn the curving, twisting building. It never looks the same way twice.
EMP is the brainchild of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, and is devoted to music and science fiction. It has exhibitions on musical artists like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, and on topics like “Can’t Look Away: The Lure of the Horror Film.”
Tip: If you ride the monorail to the EMP from downtown Seattle, you will ride through part of the building.
More info: EMP Museum
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Location: 440 Fifth Ave.
Noteworthy: The foundation’s amazing work on global issues like poverty, sanitation and disease control takes place in an amazing building, which opened in 2011.
During the visitor’s center tour, guests learn about the foundation and get a peek at the boomerang-shaped buildings where the foundation’s employees work. Aside from the innovative design, which includes a below-grade courtyard and cantilevered sections, the project earned an LEED Platinum rating for its sustainable design, including green roofs and a cistern for watering the landscaping.
More info: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Location: 440 Fifth Ave.
Noteworthy: The foundation’s amazing work on global issues like poverty, sanitation and disease control takes place in an amazing building, which opened in 2011.
During the visitor’s center tour, guests learn about the foundation and get a peek at the boomerang-shaped buildings where the foundation’s employees work. Aside from the innovative design, which includes a below-grade courtyard and cantilevered sections, the project earned an LEED Platinum rating for its sustainable design, including green roofs and a cistern for watering the landscaping.
More info: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Must-Eats:
Sky City Restaurant
Location: Near the top of the Space Needle
Cost: Entrees from $38
Combine top-of-the-Space-Needle views with a restaurant that revolves 360 degrees, and you have a dining experience you won't forget. A meal at Sky City — brunch, lunch or dinner — includes an elevator ride up to the restaurant and access to the observation deck (a $19 ticket for those not dining).
More info: Sky City
Sky City Restaurant
Location: Near the top of the Space Needle
Cost: Entrees from $38
Combine top-of-the-Space-Needle views with a restaurant that revolves 360 degrees, and you have a dining experience you won't forget. A meal at Sky City — brunch, lunch or dinner — includes an elevator ride up to the restaurant and access to the observation deck (a $19 ticket for those not dining).
More info: Sky City
Marination Mobile: Hawaiian-Korean restaurant with multiple locations
Locations: Marination Ma Kai, 1660 Harbor Ave. (West Seattle); Marination Station, 1412 Harvard Ave. (Capitol Hill); and Big Blue (food truck that travels around the city)
Fabulous food with a Hawaiian-Korean bent, including tacos, sliders, the inimitable Kimchi Rich Bowl and Spam Musubi. The West Seattle location ("ma kai" means "by the sea") is located at Seacrest Park, which is the end of the line for the water taxi that starts downtown. This means you can expand your waterfront meanderings into a journey across Elliott Bay for a meal.
Ivars Salmon House on Lake Union is also worth the trip. In a replica longhouse with an extensive collection of native canoes, photographs and art, you can dine on alder-smoked salmon and other seafood specialties. Its location along the north end of Lake Union makes it possible to dock a boat alongside the restaurant’s outdoor seating area.
More info: Marination Mobile, Ivar's Salmon House
Locations: Marination Ma Kai, 1660 Harbor Ave. (West Seattle); Marination Station, 1412 Harvard Ave. (Capitol Hill); and Big Blue (food truck that travels around the city)
Fabulous food with a Hawaiian-Korean bent, including tacos, sliders, the inimitable Kimchi Rich Bowl and Spam Musubi. The West Seattle location ("ma kai" means "by the sea") is located at Seacrest Park, which is the end of the line for the water taxi that starts downtown. This means you can expand your waterfront meanderings into a journey across Elliott Bay for a meal.
Ivars Salmon House on Lake Union is also worth the trip. In a replica longhouse with an extensive collection of native canoes, photographs and art, you can dine on alder-smoked salmon and other seafood specialties. Its location along the north end of Lake Union makes it possible to dock a boat alongside the restaurant’s outdoor seating area.
More info: Marination Mobile, Ivar's Salmon House
The Pink Door: Italian-American restaurant and cabaret lounge
Location: 1919 Post Alley
There are dozens of stellar restaurants downtown, but not in a building like this. Here you get a little bit of everything, and all of it interesting. Guests enter the restaurant through a low-key pink door on Post Alley. Take in the spacious and eclectic decor while dining on delectable Italian food — and if you time it right, watch a trapeze act high above the tables. Cabaret shows go on in the lounge next door, and patio seating allows Elliot Bay views.
More info: The Pink Door
Location: 1919 Post Alley
There are dozens of stellar restaurants downtown, but not in a building like this. Here you get a little bit of everything, and all of it interesting. Guests enter the restaurant through a low-key pink door on Post Alley. Take in the spacious and eclectic decor while dining on delectable Italian food — and if you time it right, watch a trapeze act high above the tables. Cabaret shows go on in the lounge next door, and patio seating allows Elliot Bay views.
More info: The Pink Door
Must-Dos:
The Seattle Great Wheel: Ferris wheel
Cost: Adults, $13
Location: 1301 Alaskan Way (Pier 57)
At 175 feet tall and extending 40 feet beyond the edge of the pier, the Seattle Great Wheel offers amazing views of downtown and the Olympic Mountains, if you can stomach such great heights. Enclosed gondolas mean you can ride rain or shine, and the LED lights along the spokes are often lit up in symbolic colors and patterns. (If they're green and blue, the Seahawks are playing.)
Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour is another fun adventure. During Seattle’s reconstruction after the Great Seattle Fire in the late 1880s, a decision was made to raise the level of downtown streets above the muddy mess they had become. After retaining walls went in and were filled in for the new streets, the original main floors of many businesses remained buried below. It’s an architectural tour like no other.
More info: Seattle Great Wheel; Underground Tour
The Seattle Great Wheel: Ferris wheel
Cost: Adults, $13
Location: 1301 Alaskan Way (Pier 57)
At 175 feet tall and extending 40 feet beyond the edge of the pier, the Seattle Great Wheel offers amazing views of downtown and the Olympic Mountains, if you can stomach such great heights. Enclosed gondolas mean you can ride rain or shine, and the LED lights along the spokes are often lit up in symbolic colors and patterns. (If they're green and blue, the Seahawks are playing.)
Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour is another fun adventure. During Seattle’s reconstruction after the Great Seattle Fire in the late 1880s, a decision was made to raise the level of downtown streets above the muddy mess they had become. After retaining walls went in and were filled in for the new streets, the original main floors of many businesses remained buried below. It’s an architectural tour like no other.
More info: Seattle Great Wheel; Underground Tour
Kerry Park viewpoint
Location: 211 W. Highland Dr. (Queen Anne)
Along the south slope of Queen Anne Hill is a city park that draws photographers from all over for a perfect shot of the city. From here the Space Needle is at the front of the skyline, and Mt. Rainier is to the right. Be warned, though: On an evening of perfect shooting conditions, expect to jostle for a position on the railing.
More info: Kerry Park
Location: 211 W. Highland Dr. (Queen Anne)
Along the south slope of Queen Anne Hill is a city park that draws photographers from all over for a perfect shot of the city. From here the Space Needle is at the front of the skyline, and Mt. Rainier is to the right. Be warned, though: On an evening of perfect shooting conditions, expect to jostle for a position on the railing.
More info: Kerry Park
Log House Museum: Seattle history building
Cost: $3 suggested donation
Location: 3003 61st Ave.
In a restored hundred-year-old log building, learn about Seattle’s pioneers who landed at Alki Beach, and see photos of original homes and buildings. The Log House Museum was the carriage house for the first “modern” home on Alki in 1902, known as the Fir Lodge, built by William and Gladys Bernard. The Fir Lodge is just down the street — it's currently known as the Homestead Restaurant — though a fire damaged it several years ago and it's not open to the public.
Walking tours are another great way to learn about Seattle's history and architecture. The city offers a list of free self-guided walking tours of downtown areas like Pike Place Market and the International District, as well as neighborhoods like Ballard and Columbia City.
The nonprofit Historic Seattle offers guided walking tours of neighborhoods like First Hill. These are on a fee basis and can sell out, so plan ahead.
Another free and self-guided tour is of Seattle’s many stairways. With all the hills, there must be stairs, and the website (see below) maps many of them. The stairs also happen to take you through neighborhoods with some of the best views and most interesting mixes of homes.
More info: Log House Museum; Historic Seattle tour; self-guided walking tour; stairway walks tour
Cost: $3 suggested donation
Location: 3003 61st Ave.
In a restored hundred-year-old log building, learn about Seattle’s pioneers who landed at Alki Beach, and see photos of original homes and buildings. The Log House Museum was the carriage house for the first “modern” home on Alki in 1902, known as the Fir Lodge, built by William and Gladys Bernard. The Fir Lodge is just down the street — it's currently known as the Homestead Restaurant — though a fire damaged it several years ago and it's not open to the public.
Walking tours are another great way to learn about Seattle's history and architecture. The city offers a list of free self-guided walking tours of downtown areas like Pike Place Market and the International District, as well as neighborhoods like Ballard and Columbia City.
The nonprofit Historic Seattle offers guided walking tours of neighborhoods like First Hill. These are on a fee basis and can sell out, so plan ahead.
Another free and self-guided tour is of Seattle’s many stairways. With all the hills, there must be stairs, and the website (see below) maps many of them. The stairs also happen to take you through neighborhoods with some of the best views and most interesting mixes of homes.
More info: Log House Museum; Historic Seattle tour; self-guided walking tour; stairway walks tour
Must-Stays:
Inn at the Market
Location: 86 Pine St.
Sometimes it makes sense to stay at the center of it all, and the Inn at the Market is right there. Steps from Pike Place Market, a few blocks from great shopping and surrounded by excellent restaurants, the inn has a small size and excellent service, making it a relaxing and comfortable home base for your stay.
Or head to First Hill, just a quick walk east of the downtown core, to the Sorrento Hotel, with 76 unique rooms and suites. The hotel boasts Italianate architecture and offers an afternoon tea in its historic lobby.
More info: Inn at the Market; Sorrento Hotel
Inn at the Market
Location: 86 Pine St.
Sometimes it makes sense to stay at the center of it all, and the Inn at the Market is right there. Steps from Pike Place Market, a few blocks from great shopping and surrounded by excellent restaurants, the inn has a small size and excellent service, making it a relaxing and comfortable home base for your stay.
Or head to First Hill, just a quick walk east of the downtown core, to the Sorrento Hotel, with 76 unique rooms and suites. The hotel boasts Italianate architecture and offers an afternoon tea in its historic lobby.
More info: Inn at the Market; Sorrento Hotel
Must-Visit Shops:
Seattle Design Center
Location: 5701 Sixth Ave. South
Rather than traipse all over town looking for showrooms, start at the Seattle Design Center, home to dozens of designers and lots of custom furniture, floor coverings, lighting fixtures and fabrics. Bonus: The area around the SDC is known to those in the biz as Tile Town because of the large numbers of tile and slab showrooms within a block or two.
Some upscale material suppliers have their own downtown showrooms. Look for Ann Sacks Tile & Stone, Flor and SieMatic cabinets, to name a few.
Meanwhile, Pioneer Square provides an opportunity to go back in time with your furnishings. The business district’s website (see below) has a complete list of rug and antiques galleries, all within walking distance of one another.
More info: Seattle Design Center; Pioneer Square
Seattle Design Center
Location: 5701 Sixth Ave. South
Rather than traipse all over town looking for showrooms, start at the Seattle Design Center, home to dozens of designers and lots of custom furniture, floor coverings, lighting fixtures and fabrics. Bonus: The area around the SDC is known to those in the biz as Tile Town because of the large numbers of tile and slab showrooms within a block or two.
Some upscale material suppliers have their own downtown showrooms. Look for Ann Sacks Tile & Stone, Flor and SieMatic cabinets, to name a few.
Meanwhile, Pioneer Square provides an opportunity to go back in time with your furnishings. The business district’s website (see below) has a complete list of rug and antiques galleries, all within walking distance of one another.
More info: Seattle Design Center; Pioneer Square
Hidden Gems
Schmitz Park
Location: 5551 Admiral Way
A 53-acre park with old-growth forest in the middle of a major city? That is Schmitz Park, whose entry point along Admiral is via a historic bridge. It’s also possible to enter from the park’s easternmost point or at the gate near the southeast end of Alki Elementary. Streams, woodpeckers and other wildlife abound.
There's also Volunteer Park in the heart of Capitol Hill, a neighborhood with diverse restaurants and nightlife and some of the city’s grandest old homes. Enjoy the park’s conservatory of plants and flowers and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Or have a picnic while enjoying the views of downtown and Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture “Black Sun.” When you’re done, stroll the neighborhood to see some of Seattle’s most beautiful and well-preserved homes and mansions.
More info: Schmitz Park; Volunteer Park; Seattle Asian Art Museum
Schmitz Park
Location: 5551 Admiral Way
A 53-acre park with old-growth forest in the middle of a major city? That is Schmitz Park, whose entry point along Admiral is via a historic bridge. It’s also possible to enter from the park’s easternmost point or at the gate near the southeast end of Alki Elementary. Streams, woodpeckers and other wildlife abound.
There's also Volunteer Park in the heart of Capitol Hill, a neighborhood with diverse restaurants and nightlife and some of the city’s grandest old homes. Enjoy the park’s conservatory of plants and flowers and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Or have a picnic while enjoying the views of downtown and Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture “Black Sun.” When you’re done, stroll the neighborhood to see some of Seattle’s most beautiful and well-preserved homes and mansions.
More info: Schmitz Park; Volunteer Park; Seattle Asian Art Museum
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love the comments. I would add that for a very nice dinner, I love the mid-century modern architecture of Canlis overlooking lake union.
Others have mentioned the asian art museum which sits atop capitol hill in volunteer park but I also like the Conservatory - a large victorian (?) greenhouse with exotic plants. Also, down the hill from volunteer park, I like volunteer park cafe - located in a restored farm house.