It may be at the forefront of a booming tech industry, but Seattle is also a city steeped in nostalgia, writes SARAH MARSHALL
RINGED by snow-capped mountains and buffered with thick swathes of forest, Seattle is a place where urban sprawl is tempered by ocean and sky. A carnival of big wheels and bright lights, the port hosts cruise ships departing for Alaska – but once their hulking shadows have melted into the horizon, the city begins to shine.
After dark, bulbs flicker on neon signage hanging from the Paramount Theatre where Nirvana gave birth to grunge and queues of gig-goers crowding pavements prove that the scent of Kurt Cobain’s teen spirit lingers on.
But nothing smells stronger than the heart-racing aroma of brewed coffee wafting from open windows and steaming take-out cups.
Starbucks has since proliferated worldwide to become something Seattle is not: an epitome of identikit chain culture. But the company’s heritage resonates through whirring espresso machines in indie cafés, and the original 1971 store is still a bastion of caffeine kicks.
Follow the crowds to find it at Pike Place Market, one of America’s oldest farmers’ markets.
Squeeze through a warren of corridors stacked high with crisp leafy vegetables and crustaceans still gleaming with sea salt on their shells, to discover why this tourist attraction is Seattle’s trump card.
Further along the waterfront, cranes and architects with clipboards are busy revitalising the area surrounding historic Pioneer Square, while Downtown buildings once left languishing in their own dust and rubble have been reincarnated as trendy hotels.
The boom is partly down to the presence of tech giants such as Amazon and Google but a bohemian spirit still flows through neighbourhoods such as Ballard and Fremont, where fairy tale sculptures huddle below bridges and dinosaur topiary decorates sidewalks.
From the hirsute silhouette of a Sasquatch presiding over comic book stores, to the brilliant tip of Mount Rainier visible on a clear day, the wilds of the Pacific Northwest still influence this Emerald City. It’s an urban centre for people who aren’t really urban, a progressive hub with reverence for the past.
Here are five things to do in Seattle:
WATCH WHALES IN THE PUGET SOUND
FROM acrobatic humpbacks to barnacle-nosed grays, an array of cetaceans can be seen in the waters which run from Seattle up to Vancouver Island on the Canadian border.
The biggest draw of them all, however, is the orca. Both resident and transient pods are regularly seen on whale watching tours departing from the Port of Edmonds.
There’s ample room on deck for close-up views of wildlife, and also a chance to tour the San Juan islands looking for tufted puffins, bald eagles and Steller sea lions. Puget Sound Express operates half-day tours between April and December, from £111. See pugetsoundexpress.com
SLEEP IN AN ICONIC PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE
BUILT in 1904, the redbrick building on Second and Pike Street had several incarnations before it’s recent opening as The State Hotel. Once a dentist’s and a drug store, it was abandoned in the 1940s, and now offers one of the city’s finest sleeps.
Inspired by markets, seafood and street performers, custom-made wallpaper by local artist Kate Blairstone decorates each floor, while a curious collage of doorknobs collected from across the state dominates the buzzy reception lounge. On the top floor, a sliver of roof terrace boasts views, while creative dishes and cocktails served at Ben Paris have earned the casual bistro standalone recognition.
Doubles, room only, are from £160 per night. Visit statehotel.com
SIP COFFEE IN FREMONT
OF ALL the neighbourhoods fanning from Downtown, Fremont has the quirkiest appeal, and artists have left their mark in street furnishings.
Look out for a Cold War rocket perched on top of a building and pose with a family of aluminium figures at a bus stop.
Follow a steady stream of Instagrammers to the Aurora Bridge and find a shaggy-haired concrete troll hugging a VW Beetle; then relax REPLICATED on badges, magnets and T-shirts, this observation tower has become an icon. Erected in 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition, its design was inspired by Space Age exploration, and the futuristic flying disc has retro, sci-fi appeal.
A recent multi-million-dollar renovation gave the tower a facelift, creating the world’s first rotating glass floor in lower observation level, The Loupe, and adding angled glass windows to the upper level for improved views. Admission is from $32.50. Visit spaceneedle.com
KAYAK AROUND LAKE UNION
POOLS of liquid blue swirl through the city, expanding the options to sightsee by both water and land.
Take a kayak ride across vast Lake Union, rubbing oars with yachts, paddle-boarders and float planes.
Row to the northwest edge of the lake and you’ll find a cluster of houseboats, including the one which featured in the Tom Hanks-Meg
Ryan rom-com Sleepless In Seattle.
At the very northern tip of the lake is the former Seattle Gas Light Company gas plant, purchased by the city in the 1960s and transformed into a park.
Rent a single kayak for £15 per hour from Northwest Outdoor
Center Seattle. Visit nwoc.com