Downtown / Pioneer Square / Queen Anne / Magnolia / Interbay

 

 

 

Entertainment, Arts, & Events

 

The Vera Project- @ Seattle Center at the corner of Warren Ave N and Republican/206.956.8372/ www.theveraproject.org//The Vera Project (Vera) is a music-arts center run by and for youth. They have workshops, shows, community events and tons of cool opportunities for the all-ages community. They have tons of amazing shows...really tons of amazing shows.  Also, has a silkscreening lab, does vegan dinner with their acoustic shows, and often collaborates with other local organizations to do other rad shit. The Vera Project is a training ground for future punks. So many local bands and lots of great touring bands. Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 2pm-6pm and Saturday Noon-5pm . However, for shows and workshops you will have to check their website.

 

Art Spaces

 

Artworks- 619 Western Ave/206.292.4142/ urbanartworks.org//Artworks is a great local nonprofit that works with youth from all backgrounds, socially and artistically. This is a wonderful place for youth to get involved and use the space for their own DIY projects, such as Ursa Minor (RIP), and occasional DIY shows with touring bands!

 

 

 

Theaters

 

 

Misc.

 

Ye Olde Curiosity Shop- 1001 Alaskan Way on pier 54/ 206.682.5844/yeoldecuriosityshop.com//They have tons of stupid and cool stuff like mummies and a 2-horned narwhal skull. What’s nice is that you can look at lots of things without spending any money. In fact, if anything there costs money, don’t pay for it, because I guarantee it will be a let-down. For example, don’t give your money to the fortune teller machine, because even if you’re 12 and wish you were big, you won’t wake up the next day and get a job at a toy company and fall in love with a woman with a perm. Open Sunday-Thursday 10am-6pm and Friday-Saturday: 9am-9pm.

  

Goods & Services

 

 

 

Arts & Crafts

 

 

 

Bars

 

 

 

Bicycle Shops

 

Elliot Bay Cycles- 2116 Western Ave/206.441.8144/www.elliottbaybicycles.com/ A small cool bike shop with the standard bike shop offerings located a little north of the Pike Place Market. Its also the home of Davidson bicycle frame builders. they do free frame fitting there! Open Monday-Friday 10am-7pm,  Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 11am-4pm

 

Mobius Cycle- 1016 1st Ave, Fourth floor, Alley entrance/ 206.290.2096/ mobiuscycle.com// Downtown bike shop that has really awesome staff that are welcoming to everyone, and they host cheap bike classes every week (plus one/month for women and trans folk). BYOB (Bring Your Own BIKE!). Support ‘em! Hours are Monday-Friday afternoon-evening.

 

Books, Newsstands, & Comics 

 

Left Bank Books- 92 Pike Street, by the Entrance to Pike Place Market/206.622.0195/ leftbankbooks.com// Left Bank is a collective (worker owned, operated) anarchist bookstore—the second largest anarchist collective book store in the world. They've got troves of radical books, videos, shirts, pins, and everything you'd want. It's the bookstore you want if you want to fuel your revolution. Open Monday–Friday 10am–7pm, Sunday 11am-6pm.

 

Elliot Bay Books- 101 South Main Street/206.624.6600/elliottbaybook.com//Elliot Bay Books has over 150,000 book titles. They will buy back your old books to stock the large used book section. They also have an excellent zine selection. Open Monday-Saturday 9:30am-9pm and Sunday 11am-7pm and Holidays 11am-5pm

 

Zanadu Comics-1923 Third Avenue/206.443.1316/zanaducomics.com//Great place to pick up your weekly fix of comics. Everyone here is really nice and don't hassle you for hanging out like some comic book places. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: 10am-6pm, Wednesday and Friday: 10am-6:30pm, Sunday: Noon-5pm

 

Grocery

 

 

 

Hardware

 

 

 

Health & Safety

 

King County Needle Exchange-1511 2nd Ave between Pike and Pine//Half of all new HIV infections each year are a result of needle sharing. Reduce your chance of blood borne diseases by swapping needles at a one to one ratio. The needle exchange provides all the cottons, cookers and alcohol wipes you need. Open Monday-Friday 1pm-5:30pm and Saturday 2pm-4pm.

 

Urban Rest Stop- 1924 Ninth Avenue/206.332.011// The Urban Rest Stop provides a clean, safe and welcoming facility where individuals and families can come and use restrooms, shower and laundry facilities. All services are provided at no cost to patrons.

 

 

Restaurants & Cafes

 

Cyberdogs- 909 Pike St, corner of Pike and Stewert St/206.405.DOGS/cyber-dogs.com//Cyberdogs serves vegetarian hotdogs with all the fixins and true to the name you can even hop online. It's a nice stop between Capitol Hill and Downtown, and the owner is crazy, in a good way. Daily 11am-Midnight

 

Daily Dozen Donut Company- Pike Place Market/206.467.7769//The lines are really long sometimes, but this little stand serves bags of mini-donuts and cheap coffee. The workers are really cool and it's a good reason to brave the onslaught of Pike Place Market tourists. Open market hours.

 

KAPOW!-1165 Harrison (Corner of Minor and Harrison)/206.447.5587//This little spot, located in a rolled up garage space in the side of a warehouse, offers a great cup of coffee. Monday–Friday 6:30am–4pm.

 

Mediterranean Mix- 205 First Ave S (Pioneer Square)/206.341.9265//Simply amazing falafel – perhaps the best in town. Both The Stranger and my friend Giovanni say so. The Stranger says, “Moist, sweet falafel fritters, a pretty green color thanks to parsley, are shoved into grilled "good" pita with whole chickpeas, sliced onions, a thick tzatziki sauce, and a huge spoonful of tomato-heavy tabbouleh salad.”

 

Mae Phim Thai Restaurant-94 Columbia St/206.624.2979/maephim.com//This is place has some pretty good Thai for a great price. You can get a heaping plate of food for $5.95. Another great thing is that their menu with prices is online. Check it out then head to Elliot Bay to read away your food coma. Open Monday-Friday 11am-7pm and Saturday-Sunday 11:30am-6:30pm.

 

Bamboo Garden- 364 Roy St./206.282.6616/www.bamboogarden.net//Chinese and Pan-Asian vegan food. They're also kosher. I recommend the amazing chicken balls and the corn chowder soup. Yum! Open daily 11am-10pm

 

Q Cafe- 3223 15th Ave West(Between Bertona St. and Dravus St.)/206.352.2525/qcafe.org// This non-profit coffe shop serves Stumptown coffee, has live shows as well as open mics. Open Monday-Wednesday and Friday 8am-5pm on Friday re-opens at 8pm for shows. Open Thursday 8am-9pm. Open Mic Night.

 

Nielsen's Pastries- 520 Second Avenue West/206.282.3004/www.nielsenspastries.com// So, you can go to this place from 2:30pm-3:30pm and if you buy a coffee you get a free pastry. Open Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:30pm, Saturday 8am-3pm and Closed on Sundays.

  

Record Stores

 

Singles Going Steady- 2219 2nd Ave/ 206.441.7396/singlesgoingsteady.com//This record store has it all: from punk to crust to all manners of hardcore and metal. For the decorative, they've got patches and pins and studs. For everyone, it's a music must stop whenever you need to get the goods. Monday-Saturday 11am-7pm and Sunday Noon-6pm.

 

Easy Street Records-20 West Mercer Street/206.691.EASY/easystreetonline.com//This is new/used record store that’s pretty huge and has a lot of hidden gems. It’s also one of the best places you can go to sell your old CDs and records. They have a lot of in-store performances by touring indierock bands. Monday 9am-Midnight, Tuesday-Saturday 9am-11pm and Sunday 9am-10pm.

 

 

Thrift & Clothing

  

Fancy Pants-1914 2nd Ave/ 206.956.2945

AND

Schmancy-1932 2nd Ave/ 206.728.8008/fancyschmancypants.com//These stores, run by a group of crafty folks, sell cute gifts and accessories. Fancy Pants, obviously, specializes in clothes, while Schmancy sells toys, and there's even Nancy next to Schmancy's that sells jewelry. It's a cool owner operated small business worth checking out. Tuesday–Saturday 11am-6pm.

 

Something Old Something New- 200 Third Avenue South (on the corner of Third Ave S and S Washington St)/desc.org/thrift_store.html//DESC thrift store proceeds benefit programs for the homeless. Accept small donations of items useful to homeless people. Open late on first Thursdays. Open Monday 10:30am-2pm, Tuesday-Friday 10:30am-5pm

 

 

 

Public Spaces

  

Seattle Center- Get there by following the Space Needle (Denny & 4th)/seattlecenter.com//A huge and famous part of Seattle. There’s lots of cool stuff to do there, like “climb the macaroni,” or ride bikes around the fountain like a velodrome (and some things are best enjoyed at night – beware of their security!). Has some decent stuff to pay for, like the IMAX theater or go up in the Space Needle (which is super expensive and totally not worth it, same goes for EMP). Avoid the place when there are basketball games going on. Has an arcade and rides. The Mural Amphitheater has free events all the time, like shows and movies. Bumbershoot happens once each year during Labor Day weekend but now it’s lousy and expensive. There are other festivals here too, like various cultural festivals and the Bite Of Seattle, or Folklife. The Monorail is decently cool but doesn’t go very far and is kinda touristy. The Seattle Science Center has animatronic dinosaurs and space capsules, and that fucking rules!

 

Freeway Park- 700 Seneca St/seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/FreewayPark.htm//A sprawling urban park that has places to hide, places where you can plummet to your death, and you can get free internet wifi. There’s wonderful fountains that you can play in, and amazing views. This place is considered to be one of the best places to bring newcomers to the city. Rumors suggest that it’s sometimes sketchy. But shit, it’s pretty.

 

Cascade People's Center- 309 Pontius Ave North/206.587.0320/cascadepeoplescenter.org//  Cascade People's Center is a progressive community center that hosts all sorts of things, like free yoga and a kitchen in which Food Not Bombs cooks. They also just recently started The Cascade Free Market and distribute produce every Sunday at 1:30, outside the Cascade People's Center. They have produce, packaged and deli foods, many of which are organic. All are welcome. All programs are free! Everything is volunteer run! This place is absolutely incredible.

 

Cascade Park/ Cascade P Patch Community Garden-at the corner of Minor and Harrison (P-Patch is at the corner of Minor and Thomas). Buried in a warehouse district quickly being overrun by the bio-tech build up boom, Cascade Park is a beautiful green space with swings and benches. The P-Path, located next to the Cascade People's Center demands that you take a walk through it and pause to appreciate the amazing plants that people have grown. There's even a nice stone bench for contemplation.

 

Central Library- 1000 4th Ave/206-386–4636/spl.org// This is a no lose deal. They have tons of books, internet access, and the craziest building in town. It doesn’t matter if you can’t read and this sentence is just a random collection of symbols to you—go check out the Central Library. Monday–Thursday 10am–8pm, Friday–Saturday 10am–6pm and Sunday Noon–6pm.

 

Occidental Park-(Jackson and Occidental)//“The Pioneer Square” between the art galleries. It’s kind of a weird spot, between these ritzy art galleries, and you can see the sports stadiums just to the south, but it's a cool place to sit under a tree and people watch.

 

Myrtle Edwards Park- 3130 Alaskan Way W (Go north along the wharf and you'll hit it)//For those tired of the crowded boardwalk by the piers this park offers beautiful views of the water and the islands. The bike path running along the waterfront allows for easy access to the park.

 

Olympic Sculpture Park- Broad St and Western Ave//Created by the Seattle Art Museum. It’s an 8 acre wonky art-park on the water, with a train cutting through the middle of it. If you are downtown it is a cool place to go and it is free.

 

Denny Park- Denny and Aurora//This is the first ordained city park.