Williams - Moon Seattle

ALLISON WILLIAMS

More than 50 years have passed since a worlds fair transformed this northwestern port into a global cityjust look at the Space Needle for evidence of that eras endless optimism and vision. The city of Seattle, built on a series of hills between a lake and a bay, is today a mature metropolis.

The vibe is more about achievement than status; its not cool to work so hard that you cant kayak a little before dinner or jam with your folk-rock quartet on the weekend. The healthy arts and music scene has grown beyond 90s grunge. But never fearthe city hasnt completely outgrown its youthful exuberance. Its still the home of the bustling coffee shop and the ambitious start-up. Creative energy explodes from tech minds, performers, and chefs who, like the Space Needle, reach for the stars.

Evidence of past success is around every corner in Seattle. Starbucks, once a tiny coffee shop near Pike Place Market, occupies downtown with the same ubiquity its achieved around the world. Amazon, the online bookstore turned tech monolith, has colonized the South Lake Union neighborhood and helped turn its forgotten blocks into a bustling cultural center. Microsoft, which began here and is headquartered just outside of town, has left its marknot just of its business, but also of the entities it helped build, like the campus of the philanthropic Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Paul Allens football stadium and music museum.

Seattle is a place of experiments, of legalizing marijuana and raising the minimum wage by leaps and bounds. The city is growing so fast it sometimes feels like a living being, one figuring out this brave new world at the same time its creating it. With just enough history to build considerable civic pride, Seattle encourages looking to the horizonor perhaps just to the sunsets that illuminate the Olympic Mountains on clear nights. Sure, it rains sometimes, but that makes the beautiful days all the sweeter.

pagoda in Pioneer Square ()

detail of Gum Wall ()

totem pole in Pioneer Square neighborhood ()

entrance to International District ()

marijuana store ()

the Seattle Great Wheel lit in Seahawks colors ()

Pike Place Market: The seafood counter and its flying fish may be the most famous part of this downtown landmark, but theres enough produce, spices, crafts, buskers, and fresh-made doughnuts to fill an entire day (

Seattle Art Museum: Discover a peerless collection of Northwest art ().

Seattle Center: This collection of museums, sights, green spaces, and fountains entices visitors to spend as much time as possible here ().

Space Needle: The citys symbol offers sky-high views from its observation deck ().

Olympic Sculpture Park: What was once a forgotten industrial site is now a cutting-edge art destination ().

Museum of History and Industry: Interactive exhibits, artifacts, and curiosities offer insight into the citys past, present, and future (

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks: Boats big and small gain passage to the Ship Canal through these locks, next to a special thoroughfare made just for salmon ().

Coffee Culture: The craze for caffeine was born here, and the citys blocks are full of corporate coffee chains and indie outposts alike ().

Live Music: This is the city that Jimi Hendrix called home and where Kurt Cobain found fame before his tragic end ().

Craft Beer: An abundance of local, artisanal breweries place the city at the forefront of this hoppy trend ().

THE BEST OF SEATTLE

Seattle is an international city with arts, food, science, and the outdoors to explore. To make the most of a short trip, focus first on the citys core, and then venture out onto the water or to one of the citys parks. Stay in a hotel in the downtown core, like Hotel Max, for the easiest travel around the city.