Which neighborhood should we stay in during our trip to Seattle?

April 21, 2008 7:11 PM

We (early-30's couple, no kids) are headed to Seattle May 7-10 and are trying to figure out which neighborhood to stay in. We have a number of hotel recommendations, many of which sound very good, but we'd also like to find a location that is in close proximity to great restaurants, non-cheesy nightlife, live music and other interesting attractions which might be a little bit off the beaten path. Not having a sense of what the neighborhoods are like is making it challenging to choose a hotel...do you have any suggestions? Thanks!
posted by underdetermined to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

I'd say Capitol Hill (incl north First Hill) or downtown (incl Belltown through lower Queen Anne). What kind of off-the-beaten-path are you looking for? Both of those areas are pretty much on the beaten path but have other stuff to offer as well.
posted by hattifattener at 7:41 PM on April 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

Huh, you might also want to watch this askme thread. Is there a reason Mefites are coming to Seattle all of a sudden?
posted by hattifattener at 7:44 PM on April 21, 2008

Downtown/Belltown, Capitol Hill, Fremont, Ballard, possibly Wallingford or Queen Anne.

Better yet, stay at the hotel you like most, and rent a car or take taxis to the neighborhoods. Most of the (reputable) hotels are downtown.

The Stranger maintains an excellent calendar of live music and other entertainment events.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:48 PM on April 21, 2008

Most of the interesting places to go have difficult parking (because parking lots aren't very interesting), so keep that in mind if you will have a car. I'd recommend busing, walking, or taxiing to anything that's close-in. The whole Cap. Hill / downtown / Belltown / Pioneer Square / International District area is very walkable, and as you walk from point A to point B you'll likely pass something interesting you didn't know about ahead of time.
posted by hattifattener at 7:56 PM on April 21, 2008

Yeah, stay downtown somewhere and take a cab up to like Pike and Broadway, then you can walk most places.
If you stay away from the more obviously packed places, Capitol Hill and 15th are great. Here are some basic recommendations:
Honey Hole for sandwiches (on pike west of broadway)
Via Tribunali for pizza (on pike EAST of broadway)
Joe Bar for coffee/misc (North end of broadway, on Mercer I think)
Bauhaus for coffee and classic seattle atmosphere (Pine and Bellevue, I think)
611 has crepes and good food (Pine west of broadway)

Some decent bars are:
The Capitol Club (on Pine by Bauhaus... they have a night where there is live flamenco guitar and dancer, very nice)
The Hideout (Madison and Boren, art covering the walls)
Liberty (15th and republican, sushi and beers)
Smith (further south on 15th)

They should all show up on google maps or whatever. I'd add links but i'm lazy :)
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 7:58 PM on April 21, 2008

@ hattifattener

Thanks for the suggestions and the link to the other thread. That was perfect timing.
posted by underdetermined at 8:27 PM on April 21, 2008

Capitol Hill is the hipster area of Seattle, just up the hill from downtown, so it's a quick walk (or bus ride or taxi ride) from either place. Queen Anne is nice, trendy, smaller and more low-key, and also about the same distance to/from downtown.
posted by zardoz at 10:14 PM on April 21, 2008

Consider the udistrict. Best bus service in the city besides downtown. Access to any other neighborhood directly. Plenty of variety when it comes to tasty food.
posted by mmdei at 10:30 PM on April 21, 2008

You didn't say your price range, so this may not work, but: The Mar-Queen is Awesome with a big A. It's an old converted house, and really beautiful. It's also a block from Seattle Center and in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, which is one of my favorites in the city. Convenient central location if you will be going downtown, Capitol hill, Ballard, Fremont, and Wallingford, too.
posted by ctmf at 10:36 PM on April 21, 2008