Downtown This is Seattle's main business district and can roughly be defined as the area from Pioneer Square in the south, to around Pike Place Market in the north, and from First Avenue to Eighth Avenue. It's characterized by steep streets, high-rise office buildings, luxury hotels, and a high density of retail shops (primarily national chains). This is also where you'll find the Seattle Art Museum and Benaroya Hall, which is home to the Seattle Symphony. Because hotels in this area are convenient to both Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market, this is a good neighborhood in which to stay. Unfortunately, the hotels here are the most expensive in the city.
First Hill Because it is home to several large hospitals, this hilly neighborhood just east of downtown and across I-5 is known as Pill Hill by Seattleites. First Hill is home to the Frye Art Museum and a couple of good hotels.
The Waterfront The Seattle waterfront, which stretches along Alaskan Way from roughly Washington Street in the south to Broad Street and Myrtle Edwards Park in the north, is the most touristy neighborhood in Seattle. In recent years, however, Seattleites have been reclaiming the waterfront as a new residential area, and the north end of Alaskan Way is now lined with water-view condos. In addition to the many tacky gift shops, greasy fish and chips windows, and tour-boat docks, you'll also find the city's only waterfront hotel (the Edgewater), the Seattle Aquarium, and a few excellent seafood restaurants.
Pioneer Square The Pioneer Square Historic District, known for its restored 1890s buildings, is centered around the corner of First Avenue and Yesler Way. The tree-lined streets and cobblestone plazas make this one of the prettiest downtown neighborhoods. Pioneer Square (which refers to the neighborhood, not a specific square) is full of antiques shops, art galleries, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Because of the number of bars in this neighborhood, late nights are not a good time to wander here -- plus, the number of street people in this area is off-putting to many visitors.
The International District Known to locals as the I.D., this is the most distinctive of Seattle's neighborhoods and is home to a large Asian population. Here you'll find the Wing Luke Asian Museum, Hing Hay Park (a small park with an ornate pagoda), Uwajimaya (an Asian supermarket), and many other small shops and restaurants. The International District begins around Fifth Avenue South and South Jackson Street. This neighborhood is interesting for a stroll, but there really isn't a lot to do here.
Belltown Located in the blocks north of Pike Place Market between Western and Fourth avenues, this area once held mostly warehouses, but over the past decade it has become gentrified. Today Belltown is ground zero for upscale Seattle restaurants. Keeping the restaurants in business are the residents of the neighborhood's many new high-rise condominiums. Belltown's many nightclubs attract crowds of the young, the hip, and the stylish -- who, in turn, attract a lot of nighttime panhandlers.
Queen Anne Hill Queen Anne is located just northwest of Seattle Center and offers great views of the city. This affluent neighborhood, one of the most prestigious in Seattle proper, is where you'll find some of Seattle's oldest homes. Today the neighborhood is divided into the Upper Queen Anne and Lower Queen Anne neighborhoods. Upper Queen Anne has a very peaceful neighborhood feel and abounds in moderately priced restaurants. Lower Queen Anne, adjacent to the theaters and Opera House at Seattle Center, is something of a theater district and has a more urban character.
Capitol Hill To the northeast of downtown, centered along Broadway near Volunteer Park, Capitol Hill is Seattle's main gay community and is also a popular youth-culture shopping district. Broadway sidewalks are always crowded, and it is nearly impossible to find a parking space in this neighborhood. Although there are lots of inexpensive restaurants in the area, few are really worth recommending. This is also the city's main hangout for runaways and street kids, many of whom have become involved in the city's infamous heroin scene. Despite the youthful orientation, Capitol Hill is also where you'll find many of the city's bed-and-breakfast inns. These inns are housed in some of the neighborhood's impressive old homes and mansions.
Madison Park One of Seattle's more affluent neighborhoods, Madison Park fronts the western shore of Lake Washington, northeast of downtown. The University of Washington Arboretum, which includes the Japanese Gardens, is the centerpiece of the neighborhood. There are several excellent restaurants here, at the end of East Madison Street.
University District As the name implies, this neighborhood in the northeast section of the city surrounds the University of Washington. The "U" District, as it's known to locals, provides all the amenities of a college neighborhood: cheap ethnic restaurants, bars, pubs, espresso bars, and music stores. The neighborhood has several good hotels that offer substantial savings over comparable downtown Seattle hotels.
Wallingford This neighborhood is another of Seattle's up-and-comers. Located just west of the University District and adjacent to Lake Union, it's filled with small, inexpensive-but-good restaurants. You'll find interesting little shops and an old school that has been renovated and is now filled with boutiques and restaurants.
Fremont Located north of the Lake Washington Ship Canal between Wallingford and Ballard, Fremont is home to Seattle's best-loved piece of public art -- Waiting for the Interurban -- as well as the famous Fremont Troll sculpture. This is Seattle's wackiest neighborhood and is filled with eclectic shops and ethnic restaurants. During the summer, there's a Sunday flea market, and outdoor movies are screened on Saturday nights. If you have time to visit only one neighborhood outside of downtown, make it Fremont.
Magnolia This affluent residential neighborhood lies to the west of Queen Anne Hill. Magnolia's few cafes, restaurants, and bars are frequented primarily by area residents, but it's also home to Palisade, one of Seattle's best waterfront restaurants. The west side of Magnolia borders the sprawling Discovery Park, Seattle's largest green space.
Ballard In northwest Seattle, bordering the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Puget Sound, you'll find Ballard, a former Scandinavian community that retains visible remnants of its past. Now known for its busy nightlife, Ballard is one of Seattle's up-and-coming neighborhoods and is undergoing a pronounced change in character. You'll find art galleries and a few interesting boutiques and shops along the tree-shaded streets of the neighborhood's old commercial center. It's definitely worth a stroll here to see what's happening. The neighborhood's Nordic Heritage Museum often has interesting art exhibits.
The Eastside Home to Bill Gates, Microsoft, countless high-tech spinoff companies, and seemingly endless suburbs, the Eastside lies across Lake Washington from Seattle proper and is comprised of the fast-growing cities of Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, Bothell, and a few other smaller communities. As the presence of Bill Gates's media-hyped mansion attests, there are some pretty wealthy neighborhoods here; but wealth doesn't necessarily equal respect, and the Eastside is still much derided by Seattle citizens, who perceive it as an uncultured bedroom community.
West Seattle West Seattle, across the wasteland of the port facility from downtown Seattle, is not just the site of the ferry terminal for ferries to Vashon Island and the Kitsap Peninsula. It's also the site of Seattle's favorite beach (Alki), which is as close to a Southern California beach experience as you can get in the Northwest. Here too is the waterfront restaurant with the best view of Seattle: Salty's on Alki Beach.
Bainbridge Island Seattle's most exurban bedroom community. Though it is only a 35-minute ferry ride, Bainbridge feels worlds away from the inner-city asphalt to the east. Green, green, green is the best way to characterize this rural residential island. Downtown Bainbridge Island (formerly known as Winslow), the island's main commercial area, has the feel of an upscale San Francisco Bay Area community. When you hear about Seattle's quality of life, this is what people are talking about.
