Seattle in the spring is wet, cold, overcast and all-around gloomy–and it is the perfect way to get the authentic Seattle experience. A gloomy Seattle is also a verdant Seattle teeming with life and excitement. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, in a city like Seattle–caught between the old world and the new, grunge culture and corporate culture, the Puget Sound and Mount Rainier–there’s something unexpected around every corner. Seattle is a still a deeply weird town not despite its contradictions but because of them, and we’re embracing those contradictions as part of our neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide to the essential Seattle experience.
1. HISTORY MEETS MODERNITY DOWNTOWN
Seattle’s Downtown is home to the Seattle Central Library (spl.org)–11 stories of modern architecture that provide mentally stimulating spaces to read or contemplate life. Look out for the collection of independent Zines and walk the Red Floor, which is completely red–floor, walls, ceiling, everything. Nearby, find a testament to Seattle’s pro-worker past. The Hammering Man sculpture is outside the Seattle Art Museum (seattleartmuseum.org), which also has a collection of indigenous art celebrating Washington’s first peoples. The Seattle Pinball Museum (seattlepinballmuseum.com) is worth a visit for fans of vintage arcade games. Downtown Seattle is also home to the legendary Pike Place Market (pikeplacemarket.org).
Food & Drink: Having cocktails and enjoying the views from the 35th floor of the city’s oldest skyscraper, Smith’s Tower (smithtower.com), is an iconic Seattle experience.
Where to stay: Immerse yourself in the city’s history with a stay in a vintage room at Hotel Sorrento (hotelsorrento.com), which opened in 1909, and a cocktail in the hotel’s Fireside Room, a sumptuous antique lounge.
Don’t miss: After the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city raised the streets and the lower levels of the city were built over. Some underground structures became illegal gambling halls and speakeasies. The public can take a haunting and humorous stroll through Seattle’s Underground (undergroundtour.com) on a tour.
2. SEASIDE ESCAPE AT THE WATERFRONT
The Waterfront offers seaside rides and seaside views (but far too cold for swimming). The best views of Elliot Bay and the Puget Sound are from the top of the Seattle Great Wheel, a 175-foot Ferris wheel on Pier 57, not far from the Seattle Aquarium (seattleaquarium.org), for views of a different kin. (Who doesn’t love otters?) FYI–Waterfront Park is undergoing construction to allow for pedestrian promenades and greenspaces, among other improvements.
Food & Drink: Brunch at Conversation (conversationseattle.com), in the Thompson Seattle Hotel, followed up with cocktails at the rooftop bar, The Nest, for more inspiring views.
Where to stay: A fusion of a retro seaside resort with an oldies/classic rock radio station, The Edgewater Hotel (edgewaterhotel.com) has overwater rooms on the Sound and the distinction of hosting bands from The Beatles and Led Zepplin to Pearl Jam. Bands still play at the on-site restaurant, Six Seven.
Don’t miss: Take a stroll through beautiful parks in the salt air and do a little boutique shopping on a day trip to Bainbridge Island (bainbridgeisland.com). Get on the ferry from the Waterfront, and from there, it is a brisk 40-minute trip to the island in the heart of the Sound. Just feet from the dock, check out independently owned Eagle Harbor Book Co., Eleven Winery Tasting Room, the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and Bruciato for pizza.
MEET THE ARTIST
A great reason to visit Seattle in the spring is to embrace your inner weird at Emerald City Comic Con (emeraldcitycomiccon.com). The floorplan of this con is huge, in large part due to a vast and dense Artist Alley. It’s the place to make friends with comic creators, and some comic book publishers have official booths at Emerald City where artists and writers will do signings. Big celebrity guests and packed panels are abundant. Whole sections of the floor are devoted to literature and cosplay guests, interactive exhibitions and vendors selling some cool con exclusives. March weather in Seattle is not always ideal for post-con hangouts, but that doesn’t seem to stop people from keeping the party going around town. And, you can always find a good cup of coffee.
3. STAY OUT ALL NIGHT IN CAPITOL HILL
Adjacent to Seattle’s buttoned-up tech center and its historic queer communities, it makes a certain kind of sense that nightlife flourishes in Capitol Hill. Spend the daytime hours exploring the Volunteer Park Conservatory, then stop in at Starbucks Reserve (starbucksreserve.com) for an in-depth coffee education and an espresso martini flight. It’s a bit of a tourist trap, but the booked-in-advanced coffee experiences are worth it. Once the sun sets, and you’re appropriately caffeinated, the Capitol Hill bar crawl begins. To recover the next day, book an A.M. session at the Neko Cat Cafe (nekocatcafe.com) and enjoy coffee (or hair-of-the-dog) and lounge with friendly felines.
Drink: Within a few blocks, find the Wildrose (thewildrosebar.com), hailed as the longest-lived lesbian bar in the U.S., and two equine-themed queer bars. Pony (ponyseattle.com) is a tribute to ’70s gay bars, and Unicorn (unicornseattle.com) is an adult carnival with tasty food and drinks and a touch of whimsy. Close out the night with karaoke and craft cocktails at Rock Box (rockboxseattle.com), where you and your friends can rent out a plush, private room.
Food: Late-night options include classic Seattle burger joint Dick’s Drive-In (ddir.com), which has a Capitol Hill location, and Japanese fried chicken at Taku (takuseattle.com), where the walls are stunning and covered in manga (Japanese comic book pages. The owner, Shota Nakajima, was also featured on Top Chef.
Where to stay: Capitol Hill has a few beautiful historic mansions-turned-boutique-hotels, such as the Gaslight Inn (seattlegaslightinn.com).
4. HIDDEN BEAUTY IN BELLTOWN
The far-and-away highlight of the Belltown neighborhood is the Olympic Sculpture Park, with 9 acres of awe-inspiring outdoor art to explore.
Food & Drink: While the exterior boasts divey, punk-rock vibes, inside Black Cat Bar are vivid murals as well as Garzón (garzonpnw.com), a Latinx street food joint that serves sandwiches and the beautiful but unholy union of the carne asada fries. You’ll find stunning craft cocktails in a converted basement boiler room, tucked away behind a wooden door down an alley near Second Ave. The hidden speakeasy Bathtub Gin (bathtubginseattle.com) embraces the prohibition-era vibe both with the decor and the drinks.
Don’t miss: In spring, the Neukom Vivarium opens. The greenhouse contains a work of art that is both living and dead: a 60-food decaying hemlock tree that serves as the “nurse log” to all sorts of growing plant life. Call ahead for more information.
5. MAN MADE MARVELS IN UPTOWN
Uptown Seattle is a collection of neighborhoods with Seattle Center at its heart. There you’ll find the Space Needle, where you can get vertigo on the revolving glass floor; the Museum of Pop Culture (mopop.org), which has exhibits on sci-fi and fantasy worlds, horror films, Jimi Hendrix and everything in between; Chihuly Garden and Glass (chihulygardenandglass.com) is a lush garden and exhibit filled with mind-blowing glass sculptures. Nearby South Lake Union is Seattle’s tech center and home to the Museum of History and Industry and Amazon headquarters, where you’ll find Seattle Spheres, enormous glass orbs that you can tour. (Locals call them: “Bezos’ balls.”)
Food & Drink: Warm up with some Japanese comfort food at Hurry Curry of Tokoyo (hurrycurryoftokoyo-seattle.com) and watch bonkers Japanese TV ads starring American celebrities while you eat some delicious katsu or Spaghetti Naporitan (noodles, sausage and green peppers in a ketchup sauce.)
6. LOCALS-ONLY HAUNTS IN FREMONT & BALLARD
Across the Fremont Bridge lies a Seattle that might align more with the Seattle of the ’90s that some might be imagining. The Fremont Troll is the kind of crusty, disconcerting street art you’d expect and just have to see. The coolest park in the city might be the recovered industrial site, Gas Works Park. Archie McPhees (mcphee.com) is an emporium of weird, including a rubber chicken museum, finger goat puppets and hats for cats. Shop at the Fremont Vintage Mall (fremontvintagemall.com), Jive Time Records (jivetimerecords.com), a dope second-hand vinyl and music shop, and the Ballard Farmer’s Market, which is open year-round and features local vendors like Jonboy Caramels and Laughin’ Gnome Pottery.
Food & Drink: The Korean lunch spot, Made in House, has bibimbap and a daily bento. The Metal Bar House is exactly that–a bar in a house–and Stampede Cocktail Club (stampedecocktailclub.com) has dumplings and space cowboy vibes. The Walrus and the Carpenter (thewalrusbar.com) is a classic spot in Ballard for oysters and seafood. (Be forewarned: They do not take reservations.) Another spot for top-notch seafood (and views) is Westward (westwardseattle.com), by chef and restauranteer Renee Erickson.
Don’t Miss: Mox Boarding House (moxboardinghouse.com) is a tabletop gaming bar in Ballard with the most helpful staff. In Fremont, Add-a-Ball (add-a-ball.com) is a must-go bar for arcade game enthusiasts.
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