The International District

Seattle today boasts of its strategic location on the Pacific Rim, but its ties to Asia are nothing new. This is evident in the International District, Seattle's main Asian neighborhood, which is centered between Fifth Avenue South and 12th Avenue South (between S. Washington St. and S. Lane St.). Called the International District rather than Chinatown because so many Asian nationalities have made the area home, this neighborhood has been the center of the city's Asian communities for more than 100 years. You can learn about the district's history at the Wing Luke Asian Museum , where you can also pick up a walking-tour map of the area.

There are many restaurants, import stores, and food markets, and the huge Uwajimaya is all of these rolled up in one.

At the corner of Maynard Avenue South and South King Street, you'll find Hing Hay Park, the site of an ornate and colorful pavilion given to the city by Taipei, Taiwan.

First Hill (Pill Hill) & Capitol Hill

Seattle is justly proud of its parks, and Volunteer Park, on Capitol Hill (drive north on Broadway and watch for signs), is one of the most popular. Here you'll find not only acres of lawns, groves of trees, and huge old rhododendrons, but also an old water tower that provides one of the best panoramas in the city. A winding staircase leads to the top of the water tower, from which you get 360-degree views. On the observatory level there is also an interesting exhibit about the Olmsted Brothers and the system of parks they designed for Seattle. To find the water tower, park near the Seattle Asian Art Museum if you can, and walk back out of the parking lot to where the road splits. The view from directly in front of the museum isn't bad either.

North Seattle (Including Ballard, Fremont, The "U" District & Montlake)

The Fremont District, which begins at the north end of the Fremont Bridge near the intersection of Fremont Avenue North and North 36th Street, is Seattle's funkiest and most unusual neighborhood. Even livelier, though not nearly as eclectic or artistic, the University District (known locally as the "U" District) has loads of cheap restaurants and the types of shops you would associate with a college-age clientele. But the main attractions for visitors are the two excellent museums on the university campus and the nearby Museum of History and Industry, which is just across the Montlake Bridge from the "U" District.