Guidebook for Seattle
Drinks & Nightlife
One of the best clubs in the city for live music. Good food, strong drinks, no cover. Don't forget to tip the musicians tho!
121 locals recommend
The Royal Room Seattle
5000 Rainier Ave SOne of the best clubs in the city for live music. Good food, strong drinks, no cover. Don't forget to tip the musicians tho!
Stiff drinks, Cornish pasties, soups, shuffleboard, chessboard, and Pac-Man, live music.
28 locals recommend
The Hummingbird Saloon
5041 Rainier Ave SStiff drinks, Cornish pasties, soups, shuffleboard, chessboard, and Pac-Man, live music.
Columbia City Ale House
4914 Rainier Ave SExcellent pub food and nice selection of local brews.
Food Scene
Caffe Vita
5028 Wilson Ave SGreat coffee spot right around the corner.
One of the best bakeries in Seattle. Fabulous breads, coffee, and very luscious decadent treats.
184 locals recommend
Columbia City Bakery
4865 Rainier Ave SOne of the best bakeries in Seattle. Fabulous breads, coffee, and very luscious decadent treats.
Our down-home burger spot right around the corner. Fantastic hot wings!
20 locals recommend
Bent Burgers
5100 S Dawson StOur down-home burger spot right around the corner. Fantastic hot wings!
Wabi-Sabi Sushi Bar & Restaurant
4909 Rainier Ave SVery nice sushi, creative cocktails.
Coffee, tea, doughnuts, pastries, sandwiches, waffles, gluten free cookies, cozy and friendly.
85 locals recommend
Empire Espresso
3829 S Edmunds StCoffee, tea, doughnuts, pastries, sandwiches, waffles, gluten free cookies, cozy and friendly.
Down home Italian food, just around the corner. I'm partial to the gnocchi myself!
35 locals recommend
Pizzutos
5032 Wilson Ave SDown home Italian food, just around the corner. I'm partial to the gnocchi myself!
Hand crafted ice cream, pinball, beer, and vintage video games.
94 locals recommend
Full Tilt Columbia City
5041 Rainier Ave SHand crafted ice cream, pinball, beer, and vintage video games.
Delicious home-style Vietnamese cuisine. Sit down restaurant or take out BBQ.
21 locals recommend
Rainier Restaurant and BBQ
6400 Martin Luther King Jr Way SDelicious home-style Vietnamese cuisine. Sit down restaurant or take out BBQ.
Take-out Vietnamese, hot dishes and ban mi sandwiches, bubble tea, Vietnamese ice coffee.
Tony's Bakery
6020 Martin Luther King Jr Way STake-out Vietnamese, hot dishes and ban mi sandwiches, bubble tea, Vietnamese ice coffee.
Take-out Vietnamese, hot dishes, ban mi sandwiches, bubble tea, Vietnamese ice coffee. Sit-down area to eat.
9 locals recommend
Tammy's Deli & Bakery
7101 Martin Luther King Jr Way STake-out Vietnamese, hot dishes, ban mi sandwiches, bubble tea, Vietnamese ice coffee. Sit-down area to eat.
Delicious Ethiopian food, veggie and meat platters for sharing. And you get to eat with your hands!
12 locals recommend
Kezira Cafe
Delicious Ethiopian food, veggie and meat platters for sharing. And you get to eat with your hands!
Mediterranean cuisine, seafood, meats, local organic produce, seasonal menus, fine imports. Just the place for a special dinner.
102 locals recommend
La Medusa
4857 Rainier Ave SMediterranean cuisine, seafood, meats, local organic produce, seasonal menus, fine imports. Just the place for a special dinner.
Soul food with a Caribbean flair. Full bar, terrific brunch.
86 locals recommend
Island Soul Rum Bar & Soul Shack
4869 Rainier Ave SSoul food with a Caribbean flair. Full bar, terrific brunch.
In their words: "We're just a bunch of sports fanatics crazy about dishing up locally-sourced grub and pouring you a cold brewski." Great place!
53 locals recommend
Rookies Sports Bar & Grill
3820 S Ferdinand StIn their words: "We're just a bunch of sports fanatics crazy about dishing up locally-sourced grub and pouring you a cold brewski." Great place!
Very lively and popular diner-style neighborhood spot.
192 locals recommend
Geraldine's Counter Restaurant
4872 Rainier Ave SVery lively and popular diner-style neighborhood spot.
One of my faves for breakfast, a little off the beaten path near Lake Washington. Don't miss the biscuits here!
64 locals recommend
Both Ways Cafe
4922 S Genesee StOne of my faves for breakfast, a little off the beaten path near Lake Washington. Don't miss the biscuits here!
The Columbia City Farmer's Market runs from early May til mid-October. Stop by for some fresher-that-fresh produce, artisanal cheese, flowers, street food etc.
54 locals recommend
Columbia City Farmers Market
37th Avenue SouthThe Columbia City Farmer's Market runs from early May til mid-October. Stop by for some fresher-that-fresh produce, artisanal cheese, flowers, street food etc.
A great neighborhood pub right around the corner, check their website for the food truck schedule.
Chuck's Hop Shop Seward Park
A great neighborhood pub right around the corner, check their website for the food truck schedule.
Essentials
A veritable food palace! Stock up on grocery supplies, lots of great deli food, a taco bar and a sit-down place to eat.
243 locals recommend
PCC Community Markets - Columbia City
3610 S Edmunds StA veritable food palace! Stock up on grocery supplies, lots of great deli food, a taco bar and a sit-down place to eat.
CrossFit RE
4243 Rainier Ave SColumbia City Fitness Center
4525 Rainier Ave SParks & Nature
120 acres of old growth forest, 3 miles of shoreline along Lake Washington, open spaces and pathways originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers. About a 15 minute walk away.
477 locals recommend
Seward Park
5900 Lake Washington Blvd S120 acres of old growth forest, 3 miles of shoreline along Lake Washington, open spaces and pathways originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers. About a 15 minute walk away.
Well worth the drive or Uber across the West Seattle bridge. Alki is where the first white folks landed here in Seattle way back in the day. Now it is host to restaurants, bars and coffee shops of all stripes, and best of all a long, beautiful walk along the water. Enjoy the views to the west of the islands and mountains, the ferries chugging by, and the unique vista of downtown Seattle. Bonus: a great spot for storm watching.
865 locals recommend
Alki Beach
Well worth the drive or Uber across the West Seattle bridge. Alki is where the first white folks landed here in Seattle way back in the day. Now it is host to restaurants, bars and coffee shops of all stripes, and best of all a long, beautiful walk along the water. Enjoy the views to the west of the islands and mountains, the ferries chugging by, and the unique vista of downtown Seattle. Bonus: a great spot for storm watching.
If you're a hiker, you've landed in a fantastic place. There is so much to explore for hikers of all abilities. A terrific resource is the Washington Trails Association website: wta.org. There are a few books in the apartment of hikes and walks around Seattle, and I'm happy to make recommendations too.
15 locals recommend
Washington Trails Association
705 2nd AveIf you're a hiker, you've landed in a fantastic place. There is so much to explore for hikers of all abilities. A terrific resource is the Washington Trails Association website: wta.org. There are a few books in the apartment of hikes and walks around Seattle, and I'm happy to make recommendations too.
Beautiful in all seasons, the Arboretum is a local treasure. Lots of trails through forests and gardens, and a wonderful marsh walk that takes you underneath the freeway and out thru the marshlands of Lake Washington. Want to get even closer to the action on the water? Rent a canoe or kayak from the UW Waterfront Center washington.edu/ima/waterfront/boat-rentals/
313 locals recommend
Washington Park Arboretum UW Botanic Gardens
2300 Arboretum Dr EBeautiful in all seasons, the Arboretum is a local treasure. Lots of trails through forests and gardens, and a wonderful marsh walk that takes you underneath the freeway and out thru the marshlands of Lake Washington. Want to get even closer to the action on the water? Rent a canoe or kayak from the UW Waterfront Center washington.edu/ima/waterfront/boat-rentals/
Arts & Culture
Ark Lodge Cinemas
4816 Rainier Ave SFirst run movies, yummy popcorn. Can't go wrong there!
Columbia City Gallery
4864 Rainier Ave SLive music, full bar in a beautiful historic venue.
An artist-run collective representing local artists in a variety of mediums. It's always interesting to check out their exhibits.
102 locals recommend
Columbia City Gallery
4864 Rainier Ave SAn artist-run collective representing local artists in a variety of mediums. It's always interesting to check out their exhibits.
Walk the aisle of JFK's Air Force One and climb aboard the West Coast's only Concorde. Revel in the history and heroics of WWI and WWII. Barrel-roll a Mustang, land on the moon, and soar over Puget Sound in a simulator. Experience the excitement of the space race and sit at the controls of the world's fastest jet. From the Wright brothers to the exploration of Mars, you'll find it at The Museum of Flight!
433 locals recommend
The Museum of Flight
9404 E Marginal Way SWalk the aisle of JFK's Air Force One and climb aboard the West Coast's only Concorde. Revel in the history and heroics of WWI and WWII. Barrel-roll a Mustang, land on the moon, and soar over Puget Sound in a simulator. Experience the excitement of the space race and sit at the controls of the world's fastest jet. From the Wright brothers to the exploration of Mars, you'll find it at The Museum of Flight!
One of seven Seattle historic landmarks, the Georgetown Steam Plant is, well, a steam punk paradise! Offering a fascinating and unique window into Seattle's history, and the history of engineering in general. Open to the public the second Saturday of the month. Well worth a visit!
Georgetown Steam Plant Museum
6605 13th Ave SOne of seven Seattle historic landmarks, the Georgetown Steam Plant is, well, a steam punk paradise! Offering a fascinating and unique window into Seattle's history, and the history of engineering in general. Open to the public the second Saturday of the month. Well worth a visit!
Shopping
Andaluz
4908 Rainier Ave SQuirky, fun gifts and apparel.
Gather
4863 Rainier Ave SSuperbly curated consignment store, lots of great finds await you here.
Right around the corner! Third Place Books is terrific for book browsing (a great Northwest section for all things local) and you can get an espresso or a bite to eat at Raconteur Restaurant/coffe shop, it's all part of the same establishment. Not to mention there's a pub downstairs!
40 locals recommend
Third Place Books Seward Park
5041 Wilson Ave SRight around the corner! Third Place Books is terrific for book browsing (a great Northwest section for all things local) and you can get an espresso or a bite to eat at Raconteur Restaurant/coffe shop, it's all part of the same establishment. Not to mention there's a pub downstairs!
Everything Else
Lotus Yoga
4741 Rainier Ave SMy yoga studio of choice, on-line and in person classes.
There is wonderful lakeside access for several miles along Lake Washington Boulevard. A great place for walking anytime of year.
9 locals recommend
Lake Washington Boulevard South
Lake Washington Boulevard SouthThere is wonderful lakeside access for several miles along Lake Washington Boulevard. A great place for walking anytime of year.