Seattle is famous for Starbucks and coffee culture in general, the grunge music scene, the Seahawks, Space Needle, Pike Place Market, the headquarters of much of the tech industry (including Amazon and Microsoft), hiking, kayaking and outdoor lifestyle in general (think REI). The Emerald City is a real gem in North America's Pacific Northwest. Seattle is known for its distinctive landmarks such as Space Needle and the Museum of Popular Culture, a rich musical history where Jimi Hendrix and grunge were born, as well as being the World Capital of Coffee (or one of them). While today it's almost impossible to imagine Seattle's cityscape without the Space Needle, at first locals treated the much-admired observation tower with contempt, which is exactly what Parisians felt about the Eiffel Tower seven decades earlier.
The Troll, which has been grabbing a Volkswagen Beetle since a group of four local artists placed it under the Aurora Bridge in 1990, has become so popular that the city changed the name in his honor to the section of Aurora Avenue North just in front of the statue. After all, this is the Emerald City of the Evergreen State. Except for downtown, which is naturally a little greyer, Seattle's streets are often lined with trees. And besides that, wherever you go there is a park.
That equates to 25 km² (6,200 acres) of park, or 11% of the total area of the city, spread over 450 parks. Sound is an elegant name for a kind of narrow bay. Puget Sound is formed by a network of flooded glacial valleys, like a fjord. While the Seattle metropolitan area has developed around it over the past 160 years, indigenous nations first settled in the area some 6,000 years ago.
Like the rest of the West Coast, the area has had a strong weed culture that dates back many decades. Hempfest, for example, has been held every year since 1991 and remains one of Seattle's top attractions in spring, with hundreds of thousands of attendees. This is almost too obvious to show here, but Seattle is, in fact, one of the five most livable cities in the country (and 50 in the world). In 1994, Jeff Bezos chose Seattle as the headquarters of his new company because of the technical talent available in the region.
The culprit is the next giant on our list. Well, Microsoft isn't 100% Seattle; its headquarters are in Redmond, which is 24 km (15 miles) east of the city. But Bill Gates and Paul Allen are. In addition, the company almost single-handedly turned the Seattle area into one of the country's top technology hubs in the 1980s, ushering in a new era of economic progress.
Boeing was founded in Seattle in 1916 and since then it has been a key part of its history; so much so that one of its nicknames is Jet City. Although the company moved its corporate offices to Chicago in 2001, it has maintained two aircraft manufacturing plants in the vicinity of Everett and Renton and remains the largest private employer in the entire metropolitan area. However, despite having nicknamed the area surrounding the first store (which is in the Pike Place market) “original Starbucks,” locals pretend they don't care much. Instead, most are condescending to the hundreds of small coffee shops that dot the city.
Washington grows the most oysters in the United States, so getting this famous food in Seattle is a must. Some of the most popular producers include Hama, Hama Oysters and Taylor Shellfish Farms, which offer visits to coastal farms. My favorite place to eat oysters is The Walrus and the Carpenter. It's a beautifully designed French restaurant owned by James Beard-winning restaurateur, Renee Erickson.
Oysters are in their own category, but Seattle has access to some of the best seafood in the U.S. UU. Salmon and crab are our most obvious gifts to the world, but we also have a lot of geoduck. If you want a more traditional seafood restaurant, my two favorites are Manolin and RockCreek.
Manolin (pronounced “mawn-oh-leen”) has a Caribbean-inspired menu in a beautiful space designed around their grill where they run many of their dishes. There are some great sushi restaurants in Seattle, but my favorites are Sushi Kashiba or Wataru. Both Japanese and locally-sourced fish, but both are authentic. Sushi Kashiba is owned by former Shiro's owner, chef Shiro Kashiba.
It's delicious but quite expensive, so I prefer Wataru a little more because of the value for money. Another popular sushi option when you're downtown is Japonessa Sushi Cocina. You'll want to make a reservation in advance for dinner, but it's worth it. They have an extensive menu of appetizers, sushi, sashimi and more, plus cocktails that go well with them.
Cream cheese has become something associated with Seattle. It is often seen on sushi menus in the United States as part of the “Seattle roll” that has salmon and cream cheese. I didn't know I liked coffee until I moved to Seattle. You'll find coffee roasters or local shops on seemingly every block of town.
Seattle has a large Vietnamese population thanks to Governor Dan Evans, who after the Vietnam War in the 1970s welcomed Vietnamese refugees held in a San Diego camp to move to our city. One of his gifts to our city is pho (pronounced “fuh”). Pho is the Vietnamese version of chicken noodle soup. While it's not always served with chicken, it's one of the comfort foods you often eat when you're sick.
You'll find this delicious soup all over town, but my favorite is from Pho Than Brothers. It's cheap, tasty and comes with a cream puff pastry dessert at the end. Seattle also has a fairly large Japanese community. You might think that their immigration here after World War II would be the reason why teriyaki is so ubiquitous in our city, but the truth is that the first place was opened in the 70s by a Japanese transplant.
Seattle teriyaki is not very traditional, but rather a recipe that combines flavors of some Asian cuisines. For example, Seattle teriyaki uses sugar to make it sweeter than traditional recipes. I admit that I'm not the biggest fan of teriyaki, but my foodie friends recommend going to Toshi's to try it from the guy who started it all. Here are other places recommended by Eater.
My name is Marissa and I am a travel writer and photographer from Seattle. I love exploring the world, whether it's a distant country or a hike in the Pacific Northwest. Wherever I go, my goal is to inspire you to travel there with my travel tips. At the Seattle Aquarium on Pier 59 off the coast, learn all about salmon, meet some adorable sea otters and greet the various marine creatures of the Pacific Ocean, from pufferfish to giant clams.
Watch the divers feed the fish, watch the sharks swimming above the underwater dome and even touch a sea anemone. A ride through Puget Sound aboard one of Washington State Ferries 22 ships is a quintessential experience in the Pacific Northwest. Enjoy stunning views from the bow of the boat as you cruise to the nearby communities of Bainbridge Island or Bremerton. This is one of those cases where the trip is as fun as the destination.
The Western Washington Wine Outpost is located in Woodinville, a charming town just 30 minutes' drive from downtown Seattle. There are more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms (including Chateau Ste. Michelle, the first winery in the state), ensuring something for all palates. Located in the northwest corner of the continental United States and only a few miles from the Canadian border, Seattle, Washington, it is not without exciting attractions and things to do.
Today, apart from Chinese immigrants, the area around Seattle's Chinatown is home to large populations of Filipinos and Vietnamese. Seattle has a vibrant independent music scene that hosts multiple music and food festivals during the spring and summer in the city's various parks and countless craft cocktail bars. Located in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, the Seattle Metro is a network of underground passageways and basements. The most popular grunge bands were from Seattle, such as Peral Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden.
That means that New York, Houston and, believe it or not, Miami receive more annual rainfall than Seattle. Built in the center of Seattle Center, this 184 meter (590,551 ft) tall tower was built for the 1962 World's Fair. If you work on this list, you've eaten pretty much every food Seattle is famous for. After recent renovations, the 520-foot Space Needle offers even more stunning 360-degree views of Seattle.
It sounds crazy, but the heat of the hot dog and the roasted onions slightly melts the cream cheese and creates the most irresistible street food that is one of Seattle's most famous foods. Usually open most weekday mornings, the market is downtown Seattle for eating, drinking and the famous Pike Place fish, especially monkfish. Seattle, Washington, is known for its rainy and gloomy weather, but the Emerald City is much more. With Puget Sound right next door, Seattle developed many seafood dishes, especially Seattle's world-famous clam chowder.
Space Needle Restaurant is one of Seattle's most expensive restaurants, but stunning views make it a must-visit destination on any traveller's list. Okay, beer and wine aren't technically food, but the beer and wine scene is so strong in Seattle that it would be unfair to say nothing. . .
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