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| Home > City Guide - Seattle - Nightlife | ||
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Nightlife Seattle is a city of youth and by night numerous fashionable districts, from the Pioneer Square and Belltown neighbourhoods Downtown to University District, Capitol Hill and Ballard, are dominated by clubs, bars, coffeehouses, cinemas and eccentric eateries. Due to the strictly enforced minimum drinking age of 21 years, a number of ‘all ages’ live music venues in the city centre do not serve alcohol to minors but offer a wide range of the latest in local music. Most Seattle bars are open 1100-0200. Casinos are contentious but legal as long as they are outside the Seattle city limits. The drinking age of 21 years is strictly enforced and it is essential to bring photo identification. Dress codes are rare and the cost of drinks varies from about US$2.50 to US$8 depending on the venue. The average local live music cover charge is about US$10. Entertainment listings can be found in free tabloids such as The Weekly and The Stranger. Bars: The Alibi Room, 85 Pike Street, is a trendy cocktail bar tucked away in Post Alley under the Pike Place Market with a lovely view of Puget Sound. Conor Byrne’s, 5140 Ballard Street North West, is a hip Irish pub that has live Celtic music on weekends and Doc Maynard’s, 610 First Avenue, in Pioneer Square, is a rowdy, rock-and-roll bar, restored from the turn of the century. FX McRory’s, 419 Occidental Avenue South, also in Pioneer Square, is where Seattleites rush after a baseball game at Safeco Field. The Pink Door, 1919 Post Alley, in the Pike Place Market, has a great view over Puget Sound and legendary violet martinis. Sit & Spin, 2219 Fourth Avenue in Belltown, however, is probably Seattle’s most unusual hangout, a combination of launderette, café, bar and rock club. For more serious dark and smokey dives, try Comet Tavern, 922 East Pike Street, the oldest bar on Capitol Hill, or the retro ChaCha Lounge, 504 East Pine Street. Casinos: The Emerald Queen, 2102 Alexander Avenue, Tacoma (tel: (888) 831 7655), is Seattle’s most upbeat casino, located on an authentic New Orleans paddleboat with card dealers in period costume. Parker’s, 17001 Aurora Avenue North (tel: (206) 542 9491), offers blackjack and Chinese Poker. There is no formal dress code, the minimum gambling age is 21 years and photo identification is required for all. Clubs: 700 Club, 700 Virginia Avenue, at Seventh Avenue, Downtown, is a small hip-hop club, while the Baltic Room, 1207 East Pine Street, is a stylish jazz nightclub. I-Spy, 1921 Fifth Avenue, at Stewart Street, Downtown, garners a style-conscious dance music crowd. A gay and straight crowd packs into the Last Supper Club, at 124 South Washington Street, Pioneer Square. Live music: The Crocodile Café, 2200 Second Avenue and Blanchard Street, was the original home of Seattle’s grunge music scene, from Pearl Jam to Mudhoney and the Posies and is still a cutting-edge, live music venue. Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Avenue, Downtown, is a sophisticated jazz club that consistently features internationally known acts, while Tula’s in Belltown, 2214 Second Avenue, is a low-key local jazz bar with an older clientele. |
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