Ask MetaFilter Questions About Seattle, WA

Easiest Way to Travel and Tour Mount Ranier while Visiting Seattle?

modoriculous — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:47:53 GMT

Can anyone recommend a group tour that takes you from Seattle to Mount Ranier and back all in one day?

My SO and I are visiting Seattle for a few days and have put together a nice itinerary. Once thing we would like to do is something outdoors and we thought of going to Mount Ranier. We won't have a car and were looking for some sort of tour group that takes you from Seattle. I'm currently having trouble finding something like this which makes me believe that this might not be doable without a car. Any suggestions?

Short, dog-friendly hike/walk near Seattle?

lunasol — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:52:55 GMT

I'd like to go for a short hike/long walk in the woods or other wild place within a 90-minute drive of Seattle this weekend.

The weather is gorgeous and I need to get outside! I'd like to take my 5-month-old puppy. He's only supposed to walk for about a half hour at a time on his puppy legs, so I'd like the walk to be relatively easy (a few miles or less). I'll keep him on-leash the whole time, but it has to be dog-friendly, so no national parks.

I'm open to forest, mountain, beach, whatever. I'd like it to be outside the city, within a 90 minute/two-hour drive.

I know about the WTA's hike-finder, but would love some mefite suggestions!

Get me to Pike Place Market!

meese — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 04:14:34 GMT

Can you help me figure out a good way to get to Downtown Seattle without driving in Downtown Seattle?

I plan on going to Seattle for a day. I have a car, and I'll be driving down from the North, on I-5. I would really like to avoid driving in Seattle as much as possible. Ideally, I'd like to find some park-and-ride that is right off the freeway, so I can just park and then take some public transport from there. I'll be going on a weekday, so I'm also hoping to find a park-and-ride place that isn't filled to the brim with commuters. There goal here, for me, is to get to Pike Place Market and the surrounding area with the least amount of stress possible.

Any suggestions about what I should park? Or have a better suggestion for how I can get where I wanna go?

Thanks!

Cool hoods near Auburn?

letahl — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:25:00 GMT

What funky, Indy neighborhoods are within commuting distance of Auburn, WA?

Space dwarf and the buffalo are likely headed Northwest. The buffalo will be working a 13 week assignment in Auburn, WA. If we like it, we will extend. So where do the mefites come in? Well, I want you to help me identify where to look for digs. You were right on cue when you told me Willy St in Madison, and Montrose in Houston. So again I come to you for advice-- where should we look for furnished, short term housin within commuting distance of Auburn, in an area that is edgy, hip, and fun? I'd lean towards nice-ish as well. We are mid-30s, so nothing too college-y if possible. We are professional, artistic, and outdoorsy.

Thanks Mefites!!

Space Dwarf

Hippie anarchist seeks fun times in Seattle!

Frowner — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:45:37 GMT

To my surprise, I will have one Saturday in Seattle very soon. I will be staying in downtown and reliant on public transportation.

I would like to do this type of thing:

1. Eat some delicious hippie-type meals at restaurants serving local, vegetarian/vegan or otherwise tasty food. I'm not familiar with which cuisines are particularly good in Seattle. (By contrast and for example, I'd feel confident telling someone that there's a lot of good East African food and a fair amount of home-style vegetarian food in Minneapolis but no good Italian or sophisticated vegan food.)

2. Visit a museum, scenic park or other interesting site where one walks around.

3. Visit a radical/hippie/activist coffeeshop, bookstore, infoshop, etc.

4. Possibly purchase some kind of fancy men's accessory such as a nice scarf or hat

I would also consider other fun things or other social justice oriented things (like, if there's going to be some kind of teach-in or protest or something. I'd like to plan out my route in advance so that I can look up the buses before I go.

I will not have a smart phone or other sophisticated internet-access device, so I must boldly forge ahead armed only with maps and clear directions.

Thank you, mefites!

What To Do In Seattle This Weekend?

christiehawk — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 03:15:12 GMT

Looking for local's tips on some fun stuff to do in Seattle this weekend.

I'm going to visit a friend in Seattle and would love some tips on interesting things going on in the city. What are you favorite things to do around the city? Any cool concerts or art shows that might be hard to find in the paper? What are some fun coffee shops? I'm having a hard time looking things up as everything I read is very touristy.

Spending two days/nights in Seattle.

sadtomato — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 06:07:05 GMT

Spending two days/nights in Seattle. Hotels, restaurants, activities? Please advise.

Mr. Sadtomato and I are thinking of driving down to Seattle for a couple of nights in March. We need some advice on hotels and restaurants (and please throw in any other advice or suggestions of things we must see!) All restaurant suggestions must have a vegetarian option and bonus points for a vegan option.

We need a hotel for a couple of nights. We don't want to go super fancy/expensive, but we want it to be clean and comfortable. We are not sure what the best area would be to stay. We will have a car but we love to walk.

Our only plans so far are to go to Daniel Smith art supplies, Dick Blicks, Mighty-O Donuts and someone recommended we go to the Kuan Yin Teahouse (1911 N 45th Street, Seattle)

Things we like: art galleries, museums, we love things like the Victoria Bug Zoo, good food, coffee.

GET THEE TO SUNSHINE NOW.

roboton666 — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 18:15:15 GMT

What should I expect flying with a young child (8) from Seatac on Christmas morning?

I fly out at 7:00 AM, boards at 6:30. I'm planing on getting there between 5:15-5:45.

Has anyone flown out on Christmas day? I imagine it will not be busy, but I also wonder if the airport will be lightly staffed, making getting any drinks and food after the security line difficult.

I'm not too worried about it, but if if I am totally wrong and it's like "OMFG madhouse get ready for hours of lines", then I should probably adjust my arrival time.

Do you want to 1) attempt to ford the river 2) caulk the wagon and float it across 3) take the ferry or 4) hire a mefite as your guide?

Blue_Villain — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:37:30 GMT

Cross country move: Charlotte to Seattle. Help make sure this banker-type doesn't die of dysentery on the way there.

I'm seriously considering a job that will take me 3,000 miles to the Great North West by the end of January. The last time I moved 500 miles or more I was six months old, and it was from Florida to NC, so even if I did remember the details they probably wouldn't apply.

I think I've got a basic idea of what I'm getting myself into, but it's the stuff I don't know that's scaring me.

For starters, I think I've got a pretty good idea of the housing situation, thanks to craigslist and it's moderately-decent map feature. But what do I not know about living through a 'real' winter? Down here we have lots of natural gas and even oil heat, but up there everything seems to be forced air electric and even baseboards. Should I just be expecting to pay a small fortune in electric bills for the next four to six months?

The move itself shouldn't be too hard. We'll be selling 90% of everything and reacquiring used stuff once we get up there. I think we'll probably end up shipping a few things, including the cars and the two 50 pound dogs. (I'm more nervous about the dogs than the cars.) What do I need to be aware of that I'm probably not thinking of?

Finally, we're fair to moderate campers here where the winters are mild and the bears are mostly friendly, we even own a small pop up that we're somewhat attached to. I'd love to one day take the family on one of those epic cross country trips everybody thinks fondly of... just you know, not in December, and I'd prefer not to have to hunt for our food and/or die of dysentery. What's the best way to get a pop-up camper from here to there, and then go halfway back to visit some of the more interesting stuff the not-online-world has to offer?

Another one rides the bus

The Winsome Parker Lewis — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:10:31 GMT

What's the correct way to ride the bus and get off at a certain stop?

Kind of a dumb question, but I need to ride the city bus (in Seattle) and don't have much experience with it. I rode it once and muddled my way through it.

What I had trouble with is indicating to the driver where I wanted to get off. A display at the front of the bus said what the next stop was. I pushed the little ribbon thing when the one I wanted came up and we did stop there. But I felt like the driver and other passengers were glaring at me like I did something wrong. Maybe it was just my imagination but I do want to make sure I get it right next time.

Any idea what I did wrong? Maybe somebody else pushed the ribbon before I did, so I was annoyingly redundant? Maybe I pushed it too soon after my stop name displayed, and came across too overzealous? What's the normal or polite way to use that thing? Any chance I misread the display somehow? I feel completely clueless.

Can you suggest a cool neighborhood in Seattle that is fairly easy to get to from the airport where I can have a great lunch followed by a pleasant afternoon of exploring?

justjess — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:20:31 GMT

Hanging out in Seattle next Sunday. Looking for an amazing place to eat lunch/dinner and some cool stuff to do. I've read through the archives, but I've got some specific parameters and I was hoping some of you locals could help me out.

When I'm exploring cities, I really like to focus on one neighborhood and spend time just hanging out rather than zipping all over town trying to see a bunch of stuff I won't remember. Seattle is huge, but based on neighborhoods in other cities I've enjoyed (Central Square in Cambridge, MA, Astoria in Queens, NY, The Mission in San Francisco) I think I've narrowed down my options to Capitol Hill or, potentially, Fremont. I am VERY open to other suggestions.

I'm landing at SEA-TAC around noon and meeting up with friends who are attending the Seahawks/Patriots game sometime in the evening. I don't have a car, and we're staying across the street from the stadium, so wherever I spend my day needs to be relatively accessible to both the stadium and the airport.

From looking at a map, it seems like Capitol Hill is closer to both of these places, so I'm leaning toward saving Fremont for my next trip unless there is a very easy way to get between the two?

Most importantly, where can I have an amazing lunch (and potentially dinner if my friends end up being out of commission after the game) and spend a few (probably rainy) hours in either of these neighborhoods? I don't eat meat, but I do eat fish in moderation and almost anything else in excess. I am also an enthusiast of beer, coffee, book stores, and live music.

Cabs are not out of the question if the alternative is hours on a bus, but I do generally prefer public transit.

Thank you, as always!

Lodging near UW in Seattle

anaphoric — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 05:17:10 GMT

Please suggest a place to stay in Seattle near the University of Washington. More details follow.

My significant other (female, mid 20s) is headed to Seattle to visit a lab at the University of Washington in about two weeks. She will be there for four days from Sunday night through Thursday. It would be incredibly helpful if anyone local could suggest a place for her to stay, be it a hotel, something like you'd find on www.homeaway.com, a hostel, etc. Ideally, the location would be walking distance from campus (Guthrie Hall in particular). Her budget it up to about $200/night, but less expensive is better. Safety is important as she'll be walking around. Shared bathrooms are dispreferred (ruling out most hostels, I realize). Thanks in advance!

Baby on a bus situation

Artw — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:58:11 GMT

So it looks like I might need to start taking the baby on the bus to her daycare, which is downtown. I say baby... she's pretty much a toddler now, being just under one and a half, and pretty squirmy with it to. My preferred travel option with her when on foot is to put her in a backpack, which she loves and which chills her right out, but we also have a stroller. So... what is the best way to carry her on the bus? I've considered just standing with her in the backpack the whole way, but it seems like there might be a safety concern. There's taking the backpack off and keeping her in it, which seems like it might have similar concerns. Taking her right out of the backpack and putting her in my lap seems like it might be the most safety conscious option, but that assumes a seat and that she will stay put - that later condition being highly unlikely. And then it may be the same deal with the stroller. Thoughts?

They have a trailer but I can't have it

fireoyster — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:28:27 GMT

I need to move an apartment's worth of things from Seattle to Dallas, including a vehicle. A U-Haul 5'x8' trailer would be awesome but they don't rent to Ford Explorer drivers. I have a Ford Explorer. There don't appear to be any other trailer rental companies in the Seattle area. Are there any other options? Less than $500 would be great--the U-Haul trailer I can't have is $321--but I'm open to all ideas that are somewhere in the ballpark.

How much trouble would I get into if I take a friend's small truck over there to pick up the trailer but then attached it to my completely trailer ready (has a hitch) Explorer and I have my own insurance to cover the trailer and my stuff if something goes wrong?

How dangerous is this part of Seattle to walk around at 11PM at night?

KokuRyu — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:36:18 GMT

How dangerous is this part of Seattle to walk around at 11PM at night?

My wife and son (he'll be 10) are attending a B'z concert in Seattle in September. The concert is at the Showbox Sodo. We're staying at the Silver Cloud Inn (Stadium).

This appears to be the walking route to the hotel from the Showbox.

How safe is it to walk to the hotel after the concert? I won't be able to pick them up because I'll be staying at the hotel with our youngest.