Hey there, my fellow urban adventurers and thrill-seekers! 🌟
Okay, yes, Seattle has the Space Needle and the Pike Place Market. Honestly, though, they’re not the be-all, end-all. Once those tourist landmarks have been scratched off your bucket list, there’s a whole other world of weird to be discovered – pockets of green, strange little museums, hidden gems of food, drinks and cool art to instaclone your Instagram. So sit tight. Get comfy. Here are the Emerald City’s top secret secrets.
Unassuming Parks and Green Spaces
You really think you’ve seen green spaces? Ha! You haven’t seen anything until you’ve been to Seattle and seen the parks there. They don’t have to try to be impressive. For example, Volunteer Park has a fountain with a statue of a dolphin and a reflection pool, and behind that is a view of the Space Needle with the Olympic Mountains in the background. Fancy!
Then there’s the Washington Park Arboretum, a nerdish bounty of species and views of Lake Washington. Those pursuing a jog or a stroll can peruse Green Lake Park in Seattle with a 2.8-mile circuit around the lake. A melding of nature and the urban.
Oh, and did I mention, there’s more! Discovery Park also provides a panoramic lookout over Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. And if you enjoy sandy beaches, there’s plenty of that, too. In addition, if you want to just chill out there’s a place called Carkeek Park, where the forest meets the ocean, and you can just sit back and watch the world go by.
Quirky Museums and Galleries
Yes, there are the obvious mainstream museums too, but I am talking about otherwise unassuming places that I dare you, yes you, to creep into, and revel in the weirdness. First stop, the Museum of Pop Culture: think pop culture. Think music. Think sci-fi. If it is relatively cool and cult then they probably have a secret shrine to it. Next, the Seattle Pinball Museum, where component parts of impossible dreams come together as 30 vintage pinball tables vie for your every attention. Only you can save them: this is the cabinets of doom.
For fans of the bizarre, there’s something for everyone at the Seattle Metaphysical Library, which houses all the books on UFOs, conspiracy theories and ghosts under one roof. And, for lovers of art, there’s Roq La Rue, a pop surrealist gallery that will knock your socks off.
From the serious to the seriously strange: Seattle’s museums and galleries lit up by history, pop culture and the paranormal.
Local Eateries Off the Beaten Path
Then, there is the food. Seattle’s food scene has become so good that you can literally walk out of the Olympics and never even see the Space Needle. Begin with Mike’s Noodle House in the International District. It’s a hole-in-the-wall with handmade noodles and broths that’ll cure whatever ails you – chasing away the rainiest of Seattle storms.
Fancy: The Walrus and The Carpenter in Ballard (small plates).Comfort food: The Wandering Goose in Capitol Hill (Southern food, fried chicken, fluffy biscuits).
And for seafood lovers, a visit to White Swan Public House in South Lake Union is a must. Oysters? Yep. Enjoy them as you look out over Lake Union. Want to dine like a local? These places are likely to take you someplace good.
Captivating Street Art and Murals
In terms of graffiti, Seattle virtually qualifies as an open-air museum. Every time I walk down Capitol Hill – the city’s artsy enclave – some new piece on some new wall catches my eye. And in Pioneer Square, a big chunk of central Seattle, you’ll find some of the city’s wildest and brightest walls. Everywhere you go, massive murals adorn the sides of public buildings.
Look out for the graffiti of hometown heroes such as Henry, whose surreal, urban-themed works riffs on Seattle’s unconscious. Hit even the seedier back streets for a glimpse at the next big thing in street art.
Every mural is a story, every street art a testament to the artist’s time, passion and artistry. In 2008, graffiti was legalised in Seattle, and that city’s urban walls are now a riot of excitement and insight.
And there you go. A ton of surprises: things to see and do in Seattle that you might not have known about. Go out there, see them, and be surprised by the Emerald City, as well as by the beauty, the creativity, the weirdness – and whatever else this awesome city has in store for you. At a park? Chillin’ in a park, chillin’ with some noodles, stoppin’ to take a pic of a troll on a bridge… all you gotta do is go do you, Seattle style! ⭐
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