When I first moved to the Emerald City (Seattle) nigh upon 15 months ago, I had no idea about the layout of this city, nor of the places one should go to have a good time. So I purchased a book written by Laura Karlinsey entitled Seattle City Walks which outlines eighteen different walking tours for one to undertake.
I was so excited about this idea that I promptly placed the book on my shelf and left it there for 15 months.
I have, however, reconsidered the idea of this book. Figuring that this would give me a wonderful series of articles and entries for this site, as well as allow me to practice a form of travel writing, I have decided to partake of each and every tour. Along the way, I plan to take pictures and give my impressions on the areas highlighted by Mz. Karlinsey. So, the tours are hers, the text and pics will be mine. And this will take up a fair amount of my own energy over the next half year or so.
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It's not surprising to me that the first chapter in the book deals with the Pike Place Market. The Market is one of the top two tourist attractions in Seattle (the Space Needle being the other), and dominates the western end of Downtown Seattle.
I personally have a love/hate relationship with the Market. I love the fresh foods and the varieties available. I love the whole feel of the market, which is rushed and exciting. And the place is quite the foodies dream.
But it is a tourist haven. Think Fisherman's wharf in San Francisco kind of crowded, and you have an idea of the size of crowds that are there. It has it's fair share of locations that sell junk. Crappy T-shirts, postcards and other tourist trinkets abound throughout the market. Be prepared.
So, Seattle Rule of Thumb #1: From May-September, the Market belongs to the tourists. October-April, it belongs to the locals. And if you wish to avoid even more crowds, visiting Monday through Thursday will be better than visiting on the Weekend. Now on to the Tour:
Feel free to use this map as reference.
1)Main Arcade: At 1st Avenue and Pike St is the primary entrance to the market. It makes a stunning picture, as you can see from the picture up top. The 'Public Market Center' sign dominates the locale, and probably has have more pictures taken of it than any other location in Seattle. During the day, people bring the area a sense of vibrancy, and at dusk, the neon sign illuminates the street scene.
The Market was born in 1907 as a response to the sudden high costs of food. Where onions once were sold for a dime, their price shot up to a dollar each. The money wasn't going to the farmers, but to the middlemen who handled the food. In response to this, Seattle councilman Thomas Revelle called for an investigation. Farmers told of being cheated by middlemen and receiving late commissions, or no commissions at all. As a solution, Revelle proposed a public street market.
On opening day August 17, 1907, eight farmers brought their wagons to the corner of First and Pike — and were overwhelmed by 10,000 eager shoppers. By 11 a.m., they were sold out. It was an idea that had proved itself as economically viable. By November 30, 1907, the first Market building opened , with every space filled. This was the North Arcade as we know it today and which is pictured below.
The Main Arcade, which is the one pictured above, wasn't built until 1914. When looking at the structure from 1st and Pike, one might not realize that there were three stories of additional stores located below. It also allows Pike Market to be connected to Western Ave below and to the west.
Enter under the sign, (note the brass pig) and you'll be confronted with the Pike Market Fish Company. These are the dudes who throw the fish around. Although they have good fish here, it's almost always crowded, so if I want fresh seafood, I head to the two other fish shops in the upper market, by turning right and heading toward the North Arcade.
2)North Arcade: As mentioned previously, this is the oldest part of the Market. Local artisans sell their wares here, and you can find plenty of flowers, produce and clothing. During the warmer months, the Market extends north into an open air market to where Pike Place meets Western Ave. And during the peak of the tourist season (middle of summer), street performers will showcase their talents on the brick street. Not a small feat when you consider that some of the performers include jugglers and acrobats.
Which reminds me. All of the streetperformers you see at Pike Place are licensed to perform in specific areas of the marketplace only. The areas are:
The less busy the market, the less performers. The quality of the performers does not seem to play into who gets to perform where.
3)victor steinbrueck park: To the North of the Market, at the intersection of Pike Place and Western, is Victor Steinbrueck park. The park itself is rather bland, being mostly concrete, a couple of wooden sculptures and a small hill of grass. But the views from the park are rather interesting. To the South, you have a wonderful view of the Seattle skyline. Directly to the west, you look over Route 99 (aka 'the Alaskan Viaduct', aka 'Oh yeah, that's going to fall after the next big earthquake'), you have a interesting view of Elliot Bay.
But who was Victor Steinbrueck? He was one of Seattle's most outspoken proponents of preservation, conscientious urban planning, and labor. He is also known for his pen and ink sketchbooks of the city and his work protecting Pike Place Market. As Heather MacIntosh once wrote "(Mr. Steinbrueck's version of historic preservation celebrated the relationships between people and their environment -- both natural and cultural. A kind of hybrid between socialism and romanticism, Steinbrueck's drawings and life's work celebrated the working class and the everyday, positive interactions between people and spaces".
And for that, he gets a park which is a better place to look at the city, than it is a park....not that there's anything wrong with that.
4. Soames-Dunne Building: Now you want to head back towards the market (south) on the opposite side of the street. The building that starts on Pike PLace and Virginia and continues almost halfway down the block is the Soames-Dunne Building. There are plenty of shops in this area, as well as an atrium that will allow you to escape the crowds for a bit.
But the one store in the area which might grab your attention is the Starbucks location. This Starbucks is where the corporate behomoth started. Over-roasted coffee beans in the guise of under-thirty hipness got it's start as a simple coffeeshop here in 1971.
As a side note...yes, Seattle-ites drink Starbucks, as well as Tully's, Seattle's Best, and other corporate coffee places. But we also frequent the local small business coffee shops in the area as well. The fact that we can support all those shops here still astounds me. We are one caffeinated city...
...and for better or for worse, we owe that to the coffee-drinking mermaid.
5. Stewart House: Immediately south of the Starbucks is the Stewart House building, which has been part of the neighborhood since 1911.
There are several different shops in this section which may grab your attention. But I want to point out Le Panier, Seattle's version of a French patisserie. While the place probably doesn't compare to Parisian bakeries, they still make a decent baguette, and their eclairs au chocolat, palmiers and friands are certainly are worth the buck or two. It makes me feel decadent just thinking of it.
Above the shops of Stewart House are low income housing, a part of the Market I find personally wonderful in this day and age of high cost urban living. These apartments are most certainly worth plenty, but it's written in the Market's charter that low income housing be made available.
6. Seattle Garden Center Building: A little further south on Pike Place, between Stewart and Pine, is the Seattle Garden Center building, which now houses Beecher's Handmade Cheeses. They make cheeses on the premises, within the glass walled kitchen, which allows both customers and passer-bys alike to view the process of cheesemaking. They also have classes which teach common folk like you and I how to pair cheese with wine.
Above Beecher's, is my own personal Nirvana, Sur La Table. Yes, they can be overpriced, and yes, their catalog is not comprehensive. But the staff has always been helpful, especially at this location, and have, on occaision, provided me with bargains. It was here that I picked up my $20 crepe pan. Mua ha ha hah!
Oh, and Sur La Table is another local Seattle company gone large scale.
7. Inn at the Market: If you head east on Pine Street, you'll come across the Inn at the Market, a local upper class hotel (rooms run $250-350 per night). The hotel is widely recognized as being a decent place to stay the night (if you have the cash) as it has been written up in Condé Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, and Resorts & Great Hotels - Connoisseur's Choice 2001. The view of the bay is supposed to be wonderful.
I wouldn't know as I haven't the cash to find out.
Hoever, I have eaten at Cafe Campagne, which is below the hotel. Sister restaurant to Campagne (which is also in the Hotel area), the Cafe has provided me one of the most pleasant brunch experiences while I've been here in Seattle. And we take our Brunches here very seriously, so that may give you a good idea on what that statement means.
If you eat there, I highly recommend the Oeufs en meurette. The two poached eggs served on garlic croutons with pearl onions, with bacon and a red wine and foie gras sauce made my heart bleed with pleasure. And the pommes frîtes? Not to be missed.
8. Post Alley: If you want to have a seat and do some people watching, Post Alley is the place to do it.
Post Alley in the Market is the street that starts on Pike Place, runs north east, and then divides Pike Place and 1st Ave. Shops continue in the Alley all the way to Virginia St. One of those shops is The Perrenial Tea Room. Tea Freak that I am, I have to admit that I don't visit their shop enough. If you want to see how extensive their loose leaf catalog is, look at this. Seventy Eight different varieties of tea, all sold in loose leaf. Now if we could just get some decent scones here in Seattle, I'd be set.
Post Ally also runs behind the Triangle Market, where, if it's busy enough, more buskers (street performers) well delight the crowd, some better than others. It's important to remember, these folks are licensed to be here, and make their money off of the good will of the crowd.
9. Triangle Market: The Triangle Market is called such, because if you look at it from above, it looks like a polyhedron. Ha! It actually looks like a triangle, but I wanted to see if you were paying attention.
If you go up the steps, you come across a restaurant (The Copacabana) provides a terrace view of the Market.
But if you want a great piece of food, along the shops of Pike PLace, there is a place called Mee Sum Pastries. They don't sell desserts (at least not in the French tradition of 'Pastry'), but the Chinese sandwich called a humbow.
How does one describe a humbow? Traditionally, it's a steamed bun, filled with BBQ pork. But Mee Sum does them three steps better. First step: They making them Friggin' huge! About the size of a large grapefruit, these humbows are a meal. Secondly: They make them both steamed and baked. So if the look of steamed dough puts you off (and it is kind of odd to look at if you've never seen them before), then you can have the baked variety. Finally, they offer several flavors. Curried Beef, Mushroom Chicken, BBQ Pork, Corn/Ham and mayo (which is especially good) all fill their display cases.
When I'm at Pike Place, I almost always get a humbow from Mee Sum. Highly Recomended!
10. Sanitary Market: The Sanitary Market was designed by Daniel Huntington in 1910, and got it's name from the fact that no horses were to be allowed into this section of the Market. With no horses, that meant no horse poo; which is always a good thing when your trying to sell food. Three Sister's bakery thought that this was such a good idea that they moved into Sanitary in 1912 and have been there ever since.
There's another fish merchant in this area of the Market (pictured), as well as several other stores throughout the mazes that make up the Sanitary, including another kitchen store (Kitchen Basics) and a condom shop (it's up the stairs...try not to stare like a tourist).
Also in the Sanitary, deep within it's bowels, is a place where flea market folks turn out. Containing only a handfull of rummage sellers, it's a place where you might find the archaic copy of ABBA's Greatest Hits. Or not. It's in the North Part of the Sanitary on the bottom floor.
11. Corner Market:
If you head south, while within the catacombs of Sanitary Market, you will end yup in the Corner Market. The Market is officially found on the Corner of 1st and Pike, where you can see the 'Public Market Center' sign of the Main Arcade.
There's plenty of more good stuff within the Corner market, including Left Bank Books, a quasi-Democratic book store. If you want the latest Utne Reader, or a copy of the Nation, this would be your stop.
This landmark building was designed by Harlan Thomas and finished in 1912; Karlis Rekevics guided its rehabilitation in 1975 after Pike Place Market was declared a Historic district, the first building in the Marketplace to do so. It houses numerous shops and restaurants, including the Pike Place Bar & Grill, Chez Shea, and Matt's in the Market.
And in the basement? A Jazz club. The Market has everything.
12. Economy Market: Crossing the street from the Corner Market, heading south, you will run into the Economy Market Entrance to Pike Place (also on 1st and Pike). This section of the Market used to house horses (before the autos became ubiquitess). Later, it was the area of the Market where day old produce was sold at a reduced rate. Hence, "Economy".
Today it holds a really kickin' newsstand full of magazines and newspapers from around the world (and the ever present postcard stand).
There's plenty of other kiosks in this area, including a roasted nut stand, soul food, and crepes.
Have you gotten the idea yet that this area is a shopper's haven? If you come to Pike Place, be prepared to shop, as that's what this area is all about. Yes, there are buildings here that are historically significant, but only in the context of the Market itself. Pike Place Market has been an intricate character in Seattle's personality. It's left of center, and looks out for the little man. That's how I like to think of Seattle as well.
13. La Salle Hotel: You want history of the Market? Here's the tidbit I find most fascinating about the Market's past: Bigotry of the Japanese led to rampant prostitution. How's that for a T-Shirt slogan?
Let me explain...As you head down the Economy Market Corridor, you want to cut a left before you reach the Main Arcade. This should lead you to an atrium which houses a sculpture of a giant squid (pictured...and don't ask. It's a squid, there's no reason why it should be there aside from some seafood motif that there trying to sell). This atrium is located in what used to be the LaSalle Hotel.
Anyways, the prostitutes... By 1940, Japanese-Americans farmers sold produce in perhaps four-fifths of the market stalls. And then December 7th, 1941 hit, and folks became nervous about the ethnicity of these farmers. Some muttered absurdities about "Axis saboteurs" trying to starve Seattle. By April 1942, every Japanese American on the West Coast was forced to abandon house and home (and farm and school) and move inland to concentration camps. Scores of Market stalls stood empty, despite newspaper claims that business was unaffected because "white patrons like to buy from white farmers."
The Market fell on hard times, and in walked Nellie Curtis. She took up residence at the LaSalle, and hired other women...to sell themselves. The LaSalle quickly became known as the brothel of choice for sailors on leave in Seattle. She tried to keep it on the QT, but when you have as many as 1,000 sailors lining up at the in the lobby, people tend to talk. Ms. Fox kept the LaSalle running for a decade or so, before selling the hotel to new Japanese American owners, who returned it to a legitimate hotel.
14. Pike Market Hillclimb: To get to the hillclimb, head back to the Main Arcade, and cut a left at the Brass Pig (Her name is Rachel, by the way. Drop a buck or so in her if you want, as it helps pay for some of the Market charities). Look for the sign that says "Welcomes Down Under". Take the stairs to the down under, and head to the outdoors. Once you pass the children's day care center, you know you're on your way.
The Hillclimb is essentially steps, with an enclosed "hallway" that leads over Western Avenue (Pictured here). Once you're through that, there are more steps which will lead you past a gelato place, a mexican restaurant, and underneath the earthquake-prone Alaskan Viaduct. Which is cool and all, but not all that interesting.
However, this area used to be home to Kickisomlo-cud, who was part of the local Duwamish tribe. Once the white settlers came in, she made a living digging up clams and doing laundry. Her home was down here on Western Ave.
These facts might not mean much to you unless you know the name she was given by the settlers. "Princess Angeline" was the niece of Chief Seattle (the Native American from whom we get the city's name), but was living a life of near poverty, until one day when photographer Edward Curtis took her picture. Her image became recognizable and ended up on souvenir's and knick-knacks up and down the West Coast. Curtis took many photos of this niece fo Seattle, paying her a dollar for each picture.
When Kickisomlo-cud died in 1896, many local dignitaries paid their respects. She was buried next to her friend Henry Yesler in Lake View Cememtary. Her memorial was given a plaque in 1958 by the Seattle Historical Society. Her Duwomish name is no where on that plaque.
15. Seattle Aquarium and IMAX Theater: So you've headed down the steps from the Hillclimb, and find yourself beneath the ever dangerous Alaskan Way Viaduct. If you look to the water, you can see Seattle's piers.
The piers are not as blue collar as they used to be. The major ports of entry have moved south and north, leaving a fair majority of these piers in the hands of tourism folks. With tourism comes tourist attractions (or is it with tourist attractions, comes tourist? I can never remember). Two of those attractions are right in front of you.
IMAX, for those of you who don't know, is a movie screen up to eight stories high. If your from a small town, this might be interesting. If you've lived in any big vity over teh past ten years, it's not that big of a deal, so to speak.
The Seattle Aquarium is exactly what it says it is. If your into viewing fish in a recreated environment, then this is the place for you. They also have an exhibut for Sea Otters, and how can anyone look at sea otters and not smile? Evenif they are being held against their will?
Side note. Pier 57, home of the Aquarium, was once thought to be the great Sh-chapu: an underground link between the Puget Sound and the inland (and freshwater) Lake Union.
16. Ye Olde Curiousity Shop: If you head south along the pier, to Pier 52, you come to a tourist shop entitled 'Ye Olde Curiousity Shop'. Which begs the question: If they used the olde English phrasology of 'Ye Olde', why didn't they spell 'shop' as 'shoppe'? The answer to that question is lost to the ages, as this store has been around for over 100 years.
Yes, the Curiousity Shop is a tourist shop, selling more Seattle-themed trinkets and knick-knacks. But they do have a few novelties in the store...like an actual mummy.
I have no idea how they got the body, but apparently it is a sun dried body of a western outlaw who was shot in the stomach and then left to die in the desert. Ask to see the mummy, and they'll point you to the back of the store.
It is an odd store, to be sure. Any place with shruken heads (and I have offer no proof to the authenticity of said weirdness), is one that should be at least mentioned.
Plus, they have fudge!
17. Harbor Steps: Cross the street and head back north. Cross under the Earthquake scary Alaskan Viaduct, and walk up to University St. Turn to your right (east) and you should see a set of steps. These are the Harbor Steps, which cuts right through the Harbor Steps Properties. There's a few shops here as well, but nothing that jumps out. Well...except for Seattle Kilts. It's good to know that for all of Seattle's kilt needs, there's a shop for it right here in the Downtown.
There's plenty of fountains in the area, and offers a pretty interesting place to hang out for lunch during the mid-day. Other than the fact that this is a revitalized area, there's not much to mention about this area.
Oh wait...there was an art incident this year, where the Harbor Steps Management refused to display an piece critical of our country and fearless leader. Somehow, this makes me want to talk about Harbos Steps even less.
18. Seattle Art Museum: At the top of the steps, you can't miss the Seattle Art Museum. It's that building with the giant Hammering Man out front. The Hammering Man hammers everyday but one...Labor Day.
The Museum itself is quite a surprise for me. West Coast Museums tend to not get the press that the ones on the East Coast do, so I was quite thrilled to learn that they had an exhibit that had some Van Goghs (including my favorite...Cafe Terrace at Night). I neer thought I would get to see that piece up close. So Kudos to the Museum!
This museum is home to an extensive Native Pacific Northwest collection, as well as an authentic Japanese Tea Room (which holds tea seremonies several times a month by a Tea Master). The SAM is also home to an extensive collection of works from the Northwest School, and art movement that combined modern art aesthetics with Pan-Asian and/or Native American stylings.
And although they do charge for entrance, every first Thursday of the Month, admission is free. So if you wish to save some cash, that would be the day to go.
So here ends the first walking tour of Seattle. It's the longest one of the book (I even took out an entry), but I am very much looking forward to completing others.
Next up: Pioneer Square!
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