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_City Overview Founded in 1869, the ‘Emerald City’ is a young city, which experienced its first boom in the late 1890s as the last US departure point for those chasing the Klondike Gold Rush. Now, Seattle is the primary international and domestic gateway to Washington State and the lush Pacific Northwest, as well as Canada and Alaska. Recently, it has been at the forefront of a number of international trends – the influences of Microsoft and the e-commerce boom, Starbucks coffee, the grunge music scene and the new Frank Gehry designed Experience Music Project Museum have all raised the city’s image. Seattle has also been continuously voted one of America’s most liveable cities, due in a large part to its beautiful natural setting, surrounded by the waters of Lake Washington and Puget Sound, with spectacular views of the Cascades and the Olympic Mountains, including its highest peak, Mount Rainier. The climate is moderate, with bright summer days outlining the mountains against blue skies, even the mist and rain of winter give an ethereal touch to the city’s atmosphere. Numerous ports, waterways and small islands off the coast also lend Nordic comparisons. Visitors come for the scenery and outdoor activities that suit city residents so well. Mountains afford spectacular views and skiing, while the city’s waterways make boating and relaxing at waterside cafés a draw. In addition to the city’s fresh and fit atmosphere, Seattle has a palpable cultural pulse, fostered by quality arts and live music venues, dozens of independent and quality bookshops, multicultural neighbourhoods and markets, as well as the renown of its seafood and contemporary Northwestern cuisine. Located in the western coastal part of Washington, the Greater Seattle Area has a population of 3.1 million and spreads over 155 sq kilometres (60 sq miles) and so is Washington state’s largest urban centre, even though the city itself has only 534,700 inhabitants. Over the past 30 years, the region has grown nearly twice as fast as the national average and part of the disproportion of Seattle’s city population and its outlying areas is because of sprawl brought on by the high-tech revolution. Since Bill Gates opened Microsoft in Redmond in 1975, the city has become a world centre of the industry and also home to a legion of ‘Microsoft Millionaires’ who invested in stock in the early years of the company’s boom. Consequently, property prices in the city have soared, banishing those with more mundane occupations to the outlying suburbs and leading to a relentless spread of highways and cheaper condominium complexes where onc there were farms and woodlands. The part of the city that has suffered the most in the suburban push has been Seattle’s old Downtown, where the famous Pike Place Market still overlooks the bay and Pioneer Square contains the city’s few historic buildings. There are still plenty of galleries and trendy pubs but the area tends to be deserted after dark when commuters have left and the city’s many homeless are more in evidence. The trendiest areas are now Capitol Hill, as well as Belltown, Fremont and Ballard. These historic neighbourhoods have appealed to Seattle’s young and well-off, who have the money to restore the turn-of-the-century wooden houses and old brick industrial buildings into elegant homes, designer lofts, quirky shops and galleries or night spots. Without question, Seattle is a city of youthful dynamism with its eye on the high-tech future and the profits and innovations this new industry can bring. Getting There By Air Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) Tel: (206) 433 5388 or (800) 544 1965, toll free in the USA and Canada. Website: www.seatac.org Located 19km (12 miles) south of Seattle off the I-5, ‘Sea-Tac’ airport carries over 28 million passengers annually around the world, on more than 40 airlines. It is the primary air transportation hub for Washington State and the Pacific Northwest, and a departure point to Canada, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and South Korea. Major airlines: Alaska Airlines (tel: (800) 426 0333, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.alaska-air.com) carries the largest share of the passenger market. About 30 other national and international carriers serve Sea-Tac, including Aeroflot Airlines, AirBC/Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Continental, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways. Approximate flight times to Seattle: From London is 9 hours 45 minutes; from New York is 6 hours 10 minutes; from Los Angeles is 2 hours 30 minutes; from Toronto is 7 hours and from Sydney is 18 hours. Airport facilities: These include a Visitor Information Centre, a Lost and Found (tel: (206) 433 5312) and several 24-hour Ground Transportation booths (tel: (206) 431 5906). There are two Thomas Cook bureaux de change, while Operation Welcome provide interpreters for 20 languages. The airport has telephone booths, mailboxes and wheelchair availability, as well as the usual shops, restaurants, bars, banks and duty-free shopping. Car hire is available (from Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National). Business facilities: Laptop Lane (tel: (206) 241 1501; website: www.laptoplane.com) is located in the main terminal with online access for computers, as well as telephones, fax machines, photocopying etc. International arrival/departure tax: US$3.50, which is included in the price of the ticket. Transport to the city: Airport and hotel shuttles run almost around the clock, with scheduled departure and arrival times available from Ground Transportation Information Booths (tel: (206) 431 5906). These require advanced booking. Shuttle Express provides shared rides and door-to-door service to most of Greater Seattle (tel: (425) 981 7000 or (800) 487 7433). Grayline Express (tel: (206) 626 6088; website: www.graylineseattle.com) departs twice an hour, with service to and from main Downtown destinations at a cost of US$8.50 one way. Taxis (from US$28) and limousines (from US$45) are also available to the city. Express bus 194 departs every 30 minutes for the city centre (journey time – 45 minutes). The fare is US$2 one way at peak times. Getting There By Water Seattle’s harbour, run by the Port of Seattle (tel: (206) 728 3000; e-mail: terminals@portseattle.org; website: www.portseattle.org), is a working harbour – with terminals for cruise ships, cargo ships, commercial and recreational mooring, as well as for local ferries (see Public Transport). The Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal is where the cruise liners dock. It is located at Pier 66, 2225 Alaskan Way (tel: (206) 615 3900; e-mail: cruise@portseattle.org). Cruise line services: Two major cruise lines currently operate out of Seattle. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL; tel: (800) 327 7030, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.nlc.com) offers seven-day summer cruises to Alaska. Royal Caribbean International (RCI; tel: (800) 327 2056, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.rccl.com) offers three-day and four-day Pacific Northwest cruises from Seattle to Vancouver and Victoria in Canada. Victoria is also accessible daily all year round via the Victoria Clipper’s (tel: (206) 448 5000 or (800) 888 2535, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.victoriaclipper.com) high-speed catamarans (from Pier 69) and in summer via the Princess Marguerite car and passenger ferry (from Pier 48). Transport to the city: Pick-up taxi service from the cruise terminal is available while bus 97 serves the cruise terminal from the Downtown Seattle area. Getting There By Road The USA has a good network of Interstate highways (eg I-90) and state highways (eg US-169). Interstates highways going east–west have even numbers and those going north–south have odd numbers. Speed limits are 32kph (20mph) in school zones, 40kph (25mph) in urban streets, 80kph (50mph) on county roads and 97kph (60mph) on state highways. Parts of interstate highways may be posted with higher maximum speeds. All valid national licences are acceptable, however, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is preferred. US insurance is mandatory and can be purchased at customs points or from the car hire company. The minimum driving age is 16 years and cars drive on the right. Seat belts are required for the driver and all passengers. Left turns can be made at a steady green traffic light unless there is a sign prohibiting it but oncoming traffic has the right of way. Turning right is possible on a red light but it is necessary to come to a full stop first and to make sure there is no sign prohibiting turns on a red light. A flashing red traffic light is the same as a stop sign, which means that it is necessary to come to a full stop and proceed when safe. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%. The American Automobile Association (AAA; tel: (800) 222 1333) can provide information and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries. Emergency breakdown service: AAA (800) AAA HELP or 222 4357 Routes to the city: Seattle is served by two major interstate highways. I-5 goes south to Portland and San Francisco (California) and north to the Canadian border and Vancouver (British Columbia). I-90 links Seattle with central and eastern Washington State, passing through Spokane on its way to Chicago and Boston (Massachusetts). Driving times to Seattle: From Portland – 3 hours; Vancouver, Canada – 3 hours; Spokane – 6 hours. Coach services: Greyhound (tel: (206) 628 5526 or (800) 231 2222, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.greyhound.com) operates from the Greyhound Bus Station located Downtown at 811 Stewart Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. The facilities are minimal but include 24-hour ticketing, left-luggage and a snack bar. Greyhound buses go to hundreds of destinations around the USA as well as to Canada and Mexico. Getting There By Rail Seattle is on the main Amtrak network (website: www.amtrak.com), which operates out of King Street Station, located in the historic Pioneer Square district, 303 South Jackson Street (tel: (206) 382 4125 or (800) 872 7245, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.amtrak.com). King Street Station was recently restored to its original turn-of-the-century architecture. There are bureaux de change, banks, wheelchair access, luggage storage areas, snack bars and newspaper kiosks. Rail services: The Coast Starlight runs southwards to Oakland and Los Angeles, California (journey time – 36 hours) via Portland (Oregon); the Cascades runs northwards to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (journey time – 4.5 hours), the Empire Builder runs eastwards to Chicago, Illinois (journey time – 48 hours) via Spokane. Transport to the city: Free transit buses run just north of the station into the Downtown business and retail core. Alternatively, the bus transit tunnel is accessible by crossing Fourth Avenue and following the signs. Stops include Pioneer Square, the financial district, Westlake Mall and the Convention Center. Getting Around Public Transport Seattle has an excellent bus system operated by King County Metro Transit (tel: (206) 553 3000, 24-hour information; website: http://transit.metrokc.gov), with wheelchair and bicycle lifts and drivers trained to announce significant stops and help with directions. Buses run every ten to 20 minutes 0600-2000; less frequently later. An underground bus tunnel operates through Downtown Seattle from Chinatown/International District to the Convention Center, with stops at Pioneer Square, the Downtown financial district and Westlake Center. Adult tickets cost US$1-2 but between 1000 and 1800 it is free between Pioneer Square and the Westlake Center. Tickets are purchased on the bus but the exact change is required. Metro Transit also operate the Waterfront Streetcar, which features restored trams that roll along the Waterfront, linking Pier 70 and the Chinatown/International District, stopping near the Seattle Aquarium and Pioneer Square along the way. Cars run every 20 minutes 0700-1800. A single ticket costs US$1 or US$1.25, depending on the day and time of travel. There is also a high-speed elevated monorail (tel: (206) 441 6038; website: www.seattlemonorail.com), which links the Downtown area to the Seattle Center in less than two minutes, with views of the harbour and the backdrop of the Olympic Mountains beyond (operating hours 0900-2300). Return tickets cost US$2. Washington State Ferries (tel: (206) 464 6400 or (800) 843 3779, toll free in Washington; website: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries), the largest ferry system in the USA, links Seattle with the Olympic Peninsula, Bainbridge Island and other points in the region, now considered part of ‘Greater Seattle’. Ferries depart and tickets can be purchased from Pier 52. A day pass for Metro Transit is available Saturday, Sunday and holidays for US$2. Standard fares are US$1-2 depending on zones and time of travel. Public bus transport is free in the Downtown area – but not the Streetcar or monorail. Taxis Taxis can be hailed from the few designated ranks in front of hotels and the airport or by telephone. A tip of 10-15% is expected. Seattle taxi drivers are almost always polite and reliable, although you can expect up to a 20-minute wait if ordering by telephone. Rates are set by the city authorities; they start at US$1.80 for two passengers plus US$1.80 per mile thereafter and US$0.50 per extra passenger. Providers include A & A Airport Limousine & Taxi (tel: (206) 365 1008), Orange Cab Corporation (tel: (206) 522 8800), Farwest (tel: (206) 622 1717) and Seattle Taxicab & Yellow Cabs (tel: (206) 622 6500). Limousines Providers include Alpha Limousine & Towncar (tel: (206) 464 1905), British/Bentley Motor Coach (tel: (206) 283 6600), Seattle Limousine Services (tel: (206) 762 3339) and Washington Limousine (tel: (206) 523 8000). Rates for the metropolitan area begin around US$70 per hour, although there will be a flat rate for pick-up and delivery service dependent on mileage. Driving in the City Except for rush-hour motorway traffic, Seattle driving conditions are excellent and motorists are extremely law-abiding. The city is fairly easy to navigate, based on a simple grid system (numbered roads are north–south avenues and named roads are east—west streets). However, visitors should be aware of the specially designated lanes for buses, bicycles and ‘HOV’ or High Occupancy Vehicles – those carrying more than one person. Highways and highway exit bridges (Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and the Ship Canal Bridge) are very congested during rush hours (0700-0900 and 1500-1800), because of the number of commuters heading to and from the suburbs. Shopping malls and hotels have their own parking lots and offer rebates with purchases but Downtown parking in general costs about US$2 per hour. Ampco System Parking operates a central car park at 420 East Pike Street. Other central car parking lots include Sound Parking, 901 Boren Avenue, CPS Parking, 1200 Western Avenue and Pioneer Square Garage at 721 First Avenue, Diamond Parking, at Bon Marche, Third Avenue and Stewart, and Public Market Garage 1531 Western Park, near Pike Place Market. Car Hire Most car hire companies (called car rental companies in the USA) require a credit card for the deposit and payment, and a minimum rental age of 25 years. Basic insurance is usually included but can be insufficient as it offers only a limited coverage of damage. Car hire companies offer additional collision- or complete loss-damage insurance (US$21.99 per day). Hire rates vary widely during the week (from US$78 per day, including taxes); weekends are cheaper (from US$28 per day, including taxes). A valid driving licence is usually acceptable but an International Driving Permit (IDP) is preferred. Providers include Alamo (tel: (800) 327 9633; website: www.goalamo.com), Avis (tel: (800) 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (800) 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: (800) 800 4000; website: www.dollarcar.com), Hertz (tel: (800) 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com) and National Car Rental (tel: (800) 227 7368; website: www.nationalcar.com). Bicycle Hire Seattle has designated bicycle lanes throughout the city. Lights and helmets are mandatory. Major providers for hiring a bicycle include Al Young Bike and Ski, 3615 North East 45th in the University District (tel: (206) 524 2642) and Gregg’s of Greenlake, 7007 Woodlawn Avenue, Greenlake (tel: (206) 523 1822; website: www.greggscycles.com). Rates are approximately US$25 for a 24-hour rental. Business Business Profile Greater Seattle’s economy is dominated by domestic and international trade. Washington is the fifth largest US exporting state and trade-related companies are the source of one in four jobs. The Port of Seattle is the third largest port on the west coast and the main point of entry for Japanese and South Korean consumer goods into the USA. Air transportation, coupled with the region’s seaports and rail links, also plays a key role in trade-dependency. The main financial centre is Downtown, on Third, Fourth, and Fifth Avenues (just south of the retail core), but manufacturing districts extend from Redmond to the northeast, where the main Microsoft Campus is also located, and south to Boeing Field and the city of Tacoma. Manufactured goods, Greater Seattle’s chief export, brought in US$36 million in the first half of 1997 alone. From 1995 to 1998, Seattle area companies created 500,000 jobs, including 12,000 new business services jobs (including but not limited to the high tech industry). Seattle’s rate of unemployment, at 4%, is well below the national average of 5.4%. For decades, Boeing has been Seattle’s primary employer and still has more than 100,000 workers – at least one in four jobs are associated with the airlines industry. However, software development, such as Microsoft, and e-commerce companies, Amazon.com and Nintendo among them, were responsible for the area’s economic boom in 1999 and 2000. Microsoft is the world’s largest computer software producer and employs about 25,000 people. Business fears today reflect a 21st-century mercurial travel and e-commerce market. The city’s financial dependency on a relatively small number of companies can mean major troughs in employment if companies, such as Boeing, experiences tough times or if Nasdaq stocks continue to take a tumble. Such has been the case for many of the hundreds of start-ups spawned here in the ‘Silicon Forest’ during more lucrative times. Business Etiquette Seattle people appear remarkably informal in their business dress and manner, even to other Americans. Particularly in the high-tech and e-commerce world, jeans, trainers and sweatshirts are standard business attire in this youth-dominated sector. It was Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ philosophy that people worked harder in less formal environments, so working hours in many companies have followed suit in flexibility (although based on 0930-1800 working hours) and Equal Opportunity in race, creed, sex and sexual orientation is standard practice. In the world of high finance and law, however, the crisp business suit and briefcase is still the norm for women and men. ‘Power’ breakfasts for brainstorming are common, dinners at private homes more rare, with fashionable restaurants or wine bars more likely settings. Many Seattleites are health conscious, so when making a private visit, alcohol or sweets may not be appropriate and flowers are the best bet. Sightseeing Sightseeing Overview Seattle was founded in 1869 and did not really blossom until the Alaska Gold Rush of the late 19th century, when the city glittered with racy Wild West ‘underground’ prostitution and illegal drinking dens. As a result, its historic attractions, outside that of Native American culture, are little more than a century old, focused around Pioneer Square and Yesler Way, near the city’s Waterfront. The International District is similar to London’s Soho and filled with medicinal herb shops and wonderful Asian restaurants and shops. The Waterfront area is full of unique maritime attractions and is a good place to enjoy the views and fresh air of Puget Sound from Waterfront Park or to board a Washington State Ferry to local islands. Pike Place Market, at First Avenue and Pike Street, is a now-renowned fish and vegetable market, which also contains open crafts bazaars, as well many trendy bars and restaurants. Continuing north from First Avenue is Belltown, the city’s most rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood and entertainment quarter, full of restaurants, art galleries and night clubs. At various points, visitors can board the famous monorail to the Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle, the Pacific Science Center, the Seattle Repertory Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Opera House and KeyArena, a major sporting venue. Other neighbourhoods of interest include Ballard in north Seattle, once a Norwegian shipping village and now full of artists’ studios, galleries and a number of live music venues and restaurants and the Hiram M Chittenden Locks. Fremont, Capitol Hill and the University District are equally youthful neighborhoods, with cinemas, vintage clothing shops, home furnishing stores and coffee bars. Tourist Information Seattle/King County Convention & Visitors Bureau 800 Convention Place, Galleria Level Tel: (206) 461 5840. Fax: (206) 461 8304. E-mail: visinfo@seeseattle.org Website: www.seeseattle.org Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1700, Sat 1000-1600 (Apr-Oct) and Sun 1000-1600 (Jun-Aug). There are other visitor centres at the airport, at the Pike Place Market and for Jun-Aug only at Pioneer Square (at Occidental and South Main Streets). Passes The CityPass (website: www.citypass.com) offers free admission to five Seattle attractions: Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Flight and Woodland Park Zoo, plus a one-hour harbour cruise. It costs US$33.50 (concessions available), lasts for nine days and can be purchased from the attractions on the day or online in advance. Key Attractions Experience Music Project The recently opened Experience Music Project (EMP) celebrates American popular music, for which Seattle is famous, beginning with the 1970s and Jimi Hendrix right up to the 90s grunge scene. It combines technologically advanced interactive and interpretive exhibits and more than 80,000 music artefacts, including the world’s largest collection of Hendrix memorabilia, an extensive recorded sound archive, film, photographs and stage costumes. The Guitar Gallery’s Quest for Volume exhibit explores the origins of amplified instruments and the Sound Lab contains the latest in musical gear and audio technology. The unique architecture by Frank O Gehry has been described as ‘the Jacket of the Space Needle dropped on the ground’ with an unmistakable purple and red metallic exterior. 325 Fifth Avenue North, Seattle Center Tel: (206) 367 5483. E-mail: experience@emplive.com Website: www.emplive.com Transport: Bus 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24 or 33; or monorail. Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 1000-1800, Fri and Sat 1000-2300. Admission: US$19.95, may vary according to event (concessions available). Seattle Center Built for the ‘Century 21’ exhibition at the 1962 World’s Fair, the 30-hectare (74-acre) Seattle Center is home to the city’s most recognisable landmark: the 185m-tall (605ft) Space Needle. The Needle was designed by architect Edward E Carlson as a tribute to the vision of spaceship culture during the Cold War era. The underground foundation was so huge – at 91m (30ft) deep and 366m (120ft) wide – that it required 467 cement trucks and an entire day to fill the hole, the largest continuous concrete ‘pour’ in the West. Once completed, the foundation weighed as much as the Needle itself. The steel construction followed, using massive spiky legs to hold the spaceship observation deck and revolving restaurant on top. It takes 45 seconds in a glass elevator to reach the pinnacle. The Seattle Center is also home to the Pacific Science Center, which offers hands-on exhibits of lasers and holograms and includes the Seattle IMAX Dome Theater and the Children’s Museum, designed for the energy and imagination of younger visitors. Numerous civic festivals, such as Bumbershoot, Folklife and Bite of Seattle, take place here. Seattle Center 305 Harrison Street Tel: (800) 964 7695, toll free in the USA and Canada or 443 9800 or 684 8582 (events information). Website: www.seattlecenter.com Pacific Science Center 200 Second Avenue North Tel: (206) 443 2001. Website: www.pacsci.org Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1800. Admission: US$8 (exhibit or IMAX only); US$7.50 (IMAX only); US$13.50 (exhibit and IMAX). Space Needle Tel: (206) 443 2111. Website: www.spaceneedle.com Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0900-2300, Fri-Sat 0900-2400. Admission: US$11 (concessions available; free for restaurant patrons). The Children’s Museum 305 Harrison Street Tel: (206) 441 1768. Website: www.thechildrensmuseum.org Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1800. Admission: US$5.50. Transport: Bus 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24 or 33; or monorail. Seattle Art Museum ‘Hammering Man’, a massive sculpture of a manual worker, stands at the entrance to the Seattle Art Museum (or SAM), a striking postmodern building designed by Robert Venturi. Upstairs are noteworthy permanent exhibits of art from Africa and Native American Northwest, as well as touring international exhibitions. 100 University Street Tel: (206) 654 3100. Website: www.seattleartmuseum.org Transport: Bus tunnel stop University Street; bus 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 14 or 16 to University Street. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (until 2100 Thurs). Admission: US$7 (concessions available); special exhibitions may cost more. Pike Place Market The Pike Place Market is the oldest continually operating Farmers’ Market in the USA. Situated just above the Waterfront, it features abundant fresh seafood and produce, as well as local handcrafted items. There are marvellous views of ferries and freighters passing on the bay below, street performances and a variety of unique pubs and restaurants. The original Starbucks, which brought the words espresso and latte into the American lexicon, is located here, as well as several small Mexican and other speciality groceries. First Avenue and Pike Street Tel: (206) 682 7453. Website: www.pikeplacemarket.org Transport: Waterfront Streetcar; or bus 15, 18, 22, 23 along First Avenue to Westlake Mall. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1800, Sun 1100-1700. Admission: Free. Waterfront Centred on Waterfront Park (above Pike Place Market), the promenade and piers that line Elliot Bay are in constant action, with maritime industries, shops and restaurants jostled together, ferries and freighters docking and the occasional seaplane flying overhead. Harbour tours, island cruises and fishing excursions are easily available from here. On Pier 59, the Seattle Aquarium has sea otters, a Pacific coral reef and other marine life on display. Right next door, the Seattle IMAX Dome Theater provides numerous big-screen experiences, the most popular being the ongoing film of the 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens shot from a helicopter. Pier 66 is home to the new Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal, where world-class cruise liners dock, amid other attractions, such as a state-of-the-art international conference centre, restaurants and a marina. Also at Pier 66 is Odyssey, The Maritime Discovery Center, with hands-on exhibits where visitors can pilot a virtual container ship through Puget Sound or haul in plastic fish on a fake factory trawler. Nearby, the bare wood deck of Pier 62/63 becomes a concert venue every summer, where artists perform amid an expansive setting of skyscrapers, boats and sunsets. Seattle Aquarium and Seattle IMAX Dome Theater Pier 59 Tel: (206) 386 4320 (Aquarium) or 622 1869 (IMAX). Website: www.seattleaquarium.org or www.seattleimaxdome.com Opening hours: (Aquarium) daily 1000-1700 (winter); daily 1000-1900 (summer). Admission: US$8.50 (Aquarium); US$7 (IMAX); US$14 (combined ticket); concessions available. Bell Street Cruise Terminal Pier 66 Tel: (206) 615 3900. Website: www.portseattle.org Odyssey, The Maritime Discovery Center Pier 66 Tel: (206) 374 4000. Website: www.ody.org Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700. Admission: US$6.50 (concessions available). Transport: Pedestrian bridge from Downtown Seattle and all major bus routes to the Waterfront; the Waterfront Streetcar runs from Pioneer Square. Pioneer Square Pioneer Square is south of the main Downtown area, a 17-square-block National Historic District, which showcases Seattle’s early history with the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and the unique Underground Tour of the sunken storefronts. This was the home of the original ‘Skid Road’, a term born when timber was slid down Yesler Way to a steam-powered mill on the Waterfront. Seattle’s oldest neighbourhood, Pioneer Square is full of restored redbrick buildings containing numerous shops with everything from antiques to handmade toys, as well as bookstores and art galleries. Smith Tower (506 Second Avenue, at Yesler Way), which overlooks the square, was the tallest building west of the Mississippi when it was completed in 1914 – at 42 storeys (159m/522ft). By night, especially on weekends or after a baseball game at Safeco Field, crowds jam the many restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park 117 South Main Street Tel: (206) 553 7220. Website: www.nps.gov/klgo Transport: Bus or Waterfront Streetcar to Pioneer Square. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800. Admission: Free. Underground Tour 608 First Avenue Tel: (206) 682 4646. Website: www.undergroundtour.com Transport: Bus or Waterfront Streetcar to Pioneer Square. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800 (ticket office); tour times vary (1100-1600). Admission: US$9. Chinatown/International District Across Fourth Avenue, uphill from Pioneer Square, this neighbourhood was settled by Chinese immigrants in the mid-1800s. Today, a broader Asian community includes Japanese and Filipino residents and such cultural offerings as a thriving restaurant district, a Buddhist temple, herbalist shops, antiques stores and Karaoke bars. Hing Hay (the ‘park for pleasurable gatherings’) has a bright pagoda donated by the City of Taipei and Kobe Terrace (named for Seattle’s sister city in Japan) displays a 3600kg (8000lb) stone lantern. The popular Uwajimaya Market is the Northwest’s largest Asian store, with services including a grocery, bookstore and sushi bar. The small Wing Luke Museum is the USA’s only museum devoted to Asian-American history, with displays on immigration, the arts and traditional medicine. Built in 1909, the Nippon Kan Theatre (628 South Washington Street) was the cultural heart of Seattle’s Japanese community until the internment of Japanese-American citizens during World War II. The building was ‘rediscovered’ in 1978 and is now a designated historic landmark, hosting myriad events. Uwajimaya Market Sixth Avenue South and South King Street Tel: (206) 624 6248. Website: www.uwajimaya.com Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 0900-2000, Fri and Sat 0900-2100. Wing Luke Asian Museum 407 Seventh Avenue South Tel: (206) 623 5124. Fax: (206) 623 4559. Website: www.wingluke.org Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1100-1630, Sat and Sun 1200-1600. Admission: US$4. Transport: Bus to International District stop. Museum of Flight At Boeing Field, south of Downtown, towards Sea-Tac airport, the Museum of Flight has a collection of more than 130 aircraft, largely vintage, some hanging from the glass ceiling of Boeing’s original factory, the Red Barn. This permanent exhibit is unquestionably a tribute to the airlines giant but nonetheless covers the entire history of flight from Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings to the NASA space programme. 9404 East Marginal Way South Tel: (206) 764 5700 or 5720, recorded information. Website: www.museumofflight.org Transport: Bus 174 south from Downtown. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (until 2100 Thurs). Admission: US$9 (concessions available). Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture This museum on the University of Washington campus has a special focus on paleontological history, with dinosaur skeleton displays and fossils and cultural exhibits of the Pacific Northwest, covering more than 30 Native American tribes. Travelling exhibits have included Sir Ernest Shackleton’s doomed exploratory voyage to Antarctica in 1914. 17th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 45th Street, University District Tel: (206) 543 5590. Website: www.washington.edu/burkemuseum Transport: Bus 70, 71, 72 or 73 north from Downtown Seattle to the U-District. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (until 2000 Thurs). Admission: US$5.50 (concessions available). Woodland Park Zoo The 36.8-hectare (92-acre) Woodland Park Zoo, considered among the top ten zoos in America, is a world leader in freeing animals from cages and letting them roam free in natural settings. Among new habitats are a butterfly exhibit, the ‘Trail of Vines’, ‘Northern Trail’, a tropical rainforest, the African savannah and an elephant habitat reminiscent of Thailand. 5500 Phinney Avenue North Tel: (206) 684 4800. Website: www.zoo.org Transport: Bus 5 north from Third Avenue and Pine Street (Downtown) to Westgate. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1600 (winter); daily 0930-1700 (summer; until 1800 May-mid-Sep). Admission US$9.50 (concessions available). Further Distractions Capitol Hill This district was once the residence of Seattle’s wealthiest citizens but now it has the most diverse and youth-oriented population. The city’s gay community, grunge rockers and people of many races share the area with long-time residents of the historic mansions, elegant old homes and classic apartment houses. Throughout the area are numerous boutiques, entertainment venues and coffeehouses, particularly along Broadway Avenue East, between East Denny Way and East Roy Street and along Pike and Pine between Boren Avenue and Broadway. Nearby, the Central District/South Seattle neighbourhoods have long been the heart of the city’s African-American community and, in the 1930s, the area began establishing a reputation for jazz and blues musicians. Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix and Ernestine Anderson have all lived here at one time. Transport: Bus from Olive Way, at Fourth Avenue and Stewart Street (Downtown). Ballard Seattle’s Scandinavian heritage remains evident in this small maritime neighbourhood of north Seattle, where the Alaskan fishing fleet winters at Fishermen’s Terminal before embarking on its quest for salmon. The Hiram M Chittenden Locks provide the link to the saltwater beyond. A walk along the Locks is a unique experience, with underwater windows from which to watch migrating salmon. Historic Downtown Ballard has brick streets, numerous galleries and lively taverns full of local music. The Nordic Heritage Museum is here, the country’s only museum honouring immigrants from the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) in collections of photographs, costumes and century-old fishing and maritime implements. Nordic Heritage Museum 3014 Northwest 67th Street Tel: (206) 789 5707. Website: www.nordicmuseum.com Transport: Bus 17 north from Downtown. Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1600, Sun 1200-1600. Admission: US$4 (concessions available). Washington Park Arboretum On the shores of Lake Washington, south of the University District on Union Bay, is an 80-hectare (200-acre) park, with over 5500 species of rare trees and other flora, both native and imported. The Japanese Garden has koi pools and a traditional tea house. 23 Arboretum Drive East Tel: (206) 543 8800. Website: www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/gardens.htm Transport: Bus 11 to Madison Street. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1600 (visitor centre); 0700-dusk (grounds). Admission: Free; US$3 (Japanese Garden), concessions available. Alki Drive Along the water out in West Seattle, the 3.2km (two-mile) white sandy beach along Alki Drive is the point where the first white settlers arrived in 1851 before retreating to the less windy site on Elliott Bay. The view over Puget Sound and the city skyline is considered one of the best in the city. In summer, the beach is filled with families and kids hanging out – picnicking, swimming and sunbathing and eating the speciality fish and chips. Tours of the City Walking Tours Chinatown Discovery Tours (tel: (206) 236 0657; website: www.seattlechamber.com/chinatowntour) offers guided walking tours (from US$9.95) of Chinatown, many of which include a sampling of the cuisine. Seattle’s Best Walking Tours (tel: (206) 226 7642) specialise in the Waterfront and Pike Place Market area. Underground Seattle, discovered by chance in the 1960s, is a street of subterranean storefronts from the late 19th century before the Pioneer Square area was elevated above the tide flats. Guides give a racy, three-hour, three-block walk daily, leaving from Doc Maynard’s Public House, 610 First Avenue (tel: (206) 682 4646; website: www.ohwy.com/wa/u/undertou.htm), costing US$8. Bus Tours Grayline (tel: (206) 426 7532 or (800) 426 7505; website: www.graylineseattle.com) offers many different day tours within Seattle. A full-day Grand City Tour costs US$39 and various three-hour tours start at US$30. They also offer a Hops and Grapes tour of Greater Seattle’s breweries and vineyards, as well as multi-day tours to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, BC. Other Tours Argosy Tours (tel: (206) 623 4252; website: www.argosycruises.com) at Pier 55 offers sightseeing cruises around the harbour and other places, as well as a dinner cruise ship. A one-hour narrated tour of Seattle’s harbour costs US$14 while the three-hour Lake Washington Cruise costs US$18.50. Seattle & More Step-On Guides (tel: (206) 244 7983) and Show Me Seattle (tel: (206) 633 2489) both offer customised tours on request. Excursions For a Half Day Local islands: For foot passengers, Washington State Ferries depart from Pier 50 eight times a day to Vashon Island, which is still considered ‘counter-culture’ in that it has resisted suburbanisation and is home to many artists. The ferry also lands at Southworth at the top of the Kitsap Peninsula. The ferry from Pier 52 takes cars to Vashon, as well as Bremerton, home to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Museum (tel: (360) 479 7447). The historic destroyer USS Turner Joy is located right next to the Bremerton ferry docks. Bainbridge Island, also accessible from Seattle in an hour, has its own winery and is a great place for biking. From there, it is an easy half-hour jaunt to the historic town of Winslow, one of Greater Seattle’s antique capitals. Snoqualmie Falls: About 24km (15 miles) east of Bellevue, just off I-90, these dramatic 82m (268ft) falls are perched on a rock precipice near the town of North Bend. North Bend was the setting for the quirky television series Twin Peaks and many scenes took place in the Salish Lodge beside the falls. Snoqualmie Falls makes a pleasant bike trip or picnic destination. The Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce (tel. (425) 888 4440; website: www.snovalley.org) can provide information. Wine and brew country: The Chateau Ste-Michelle Winery (tel: (425) 415 3632 or (800) 267 6793; website: www.chateau-ste-michelle.com) in Woodinville, a half-hour drive from the centre of Seattle, is an impressive French-style chateau with landscaped grounds perfect for picnicking and sampling the locally produced wine. Nearby is the Columbia Winery and Redhook Brewery (tel: (425) 483 3232; website: www.redhook.com). Grayline (see Bus Tours in Tours of the City) organises tours here. For a Whole Day Olympic National Park: The Olympic Peninsula (tel: (360) 452 4501; website: www.nps.gov/olym), which separates Seattle from the Pacific, covers nearly 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) and 97km (60 miles) of coast, with a haunting rainforest near Lake Quinault. The far northwest corner of the region is home to the Makah Indian Cultural Center, at Neah Bay (tel: (360) 645 2711; website: www.makah.com), as well as windswept Pacific beaches. This park includes the glacier-studded Olympic Mountains, rainforests, lakes and streams. Route 101 encircles the park and can be reached from Seattle by Black Ball Transport (tel: (360) 457 4491) ferry across Puget Bay to Port Angeles (journey time – 3 hours). Mount Rainier National Park: Lying 144km (90 miles) to the southeast of Seattle, this is one of the USA’s oldest national parks (tel: (360) 569 2211; website: www.nps.gov/mora), one of five founded in the 19th century. It was created to preserve one of the country’s most spectacular scenic wonders, the snow-capped volcano known as Tahcoma to Native Americans in the past and as Mount Rainier today and, at 4392m (14,410ft), it is one of the region’s tallest peaks. The 94,245 hectares (235,612 acres) of park also contain mountain ranges, glaciers, rivers, deep forests, lush meadows, covered with wildflowers during the summer and around 500km (300 miles) of trails. Ninety-six percent of the park is classified as wilderness, but there are provisions for skiing and other wintersports. Access is from the I-90 east from Seattle to Highway 202; the main entrances being on Highway 706 near Ashford or Highway 410 near Enumclaw. The mountain road ends at the aptly named village of Paradise, which has a visitor centre and historic lodge. The Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center (tel: (360) 569 2275, ext. 2328; website: www.guestservices.com/rainier/html/visitor.html) in Paradise is open May to October. Every year, thousands of climbers begin their long trudge to the summit from here. Grayline (see Bus Tours in Tours of the City) offers a ten-hour tour of the park, leaving every morning in summer from the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Seattle. San Juan Islands: Boats to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, British Columbia in Canada leave from Pier 48 (in summer) and Pier 69 (all year round). The four-hour excursion to Tillicum Village on Blake Island offers a cruise of the harbour and a taste of Pacific Northwest crafts, traditional dance and a salmon buffet in a cedar longhouse. Tillicum Village Tours (tel: (206) 443 1244; website: www.tillicumvillage.com) depart from Pier 55-56. There are also scheduled and charter seaplane services to Victoria (Vancouver Island, Canada), the San Juan Islands and other destinations, from Kenmore Air (tel: (425) 486 1257 or (800) 543 9595, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.kenmoreair.com) and others. Hotels Seattle is an expensive city with high local taxes. Hotels now add a total of 15.6% to the bill (8.6% sales tax plus a tax in part to finance the new sports stadium, Safeco Field). The prices quoted below do not include taxes; they are an average seasonal price, excluding breakfast, unless otherwise specified. Business Doubletree Hotels The Doubletree chain offers some of the best-value, upscale business hotels in the city, located in prime commercial centres, such as Bellevue (near Meydenbauer Convention Center, Lucent, AT&T, IBM, Microsoft and Compaq), and the airport, near Boeing’s offices. All rooms have modem points and two-line telephones. The Doubletree Hotel Bellevue has 353 large rooms and suites, all situated around a vast atrium full of trees and flowering plants. Suites have bars and whirlpool tubs. Facilities include 1530 sq metres (17,000 sq ft) of meeting space, a lounge with two dance floors, fitness centre, pool and spa. The Doubletree Hotel Bellevue Centre has 208 rooms, including family suites with kitchenette, while the Doubletree Seattle Airport is a huge convention hotel with bright, balconied rooms and suites with views. Website: www.doubletree.com Prices: From US$110. Doubletree Hotel Bellevue 300 112th Avenue SE, Bellevue Tel: (425) 455 1300 or (800) 733 5466. Fax: (425) 455 0466. Doubletree Hotel Bellevue Centre 818 112th Avenue NE, Bellevue Tel: (425) 455 1515. Fax: (425) 454 3964. Doubletree Seattle Airport 18740 Pacific Highway South Tel: (206) 246 8600. Fax: (206) 431 8687. Marriott Sea-Tac Famed for its exquisite lounge around a five-storey tropical atrium and waterfall, this 459-room hotel offers business convenience and luxury combined. All rooms are decorated in woody tones with brass fittings. They all have voice mail and offer the use of a Workstation 2000 business centre, while 110 rooms are specifically designed for the business traveller, with concierge service and in-room modem points. Hotel facilities include indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, health club, 25 meeting rooms and secretarial services. There is also an airport shuttle, as well as free parking. 3201 South 176th Street Tel: (206) 241 2000 or (800) 643 5479. Fax: (206) 248 0789. Website: www.marriotthotels.com Price: From US$110. Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers Upon entering the city’s prime Convention Center hotel, there is a lavishly renovated lobby containing works by the Northwest’s legendary glass artist Dale Chihuly. The hotel has 840 excellent-value rooms, accommodating up to 1500, 40 suites and four restaurants, including the highly recommended Fuller’s. All rooms come with modem points, safes and Starbucks coffee. Club Level and Towers rooms on the top five floors are bigger, have excellent views, as well as concierge service and complimentary continental breakfast. The health club on the 35th floor offers one of the best views in the city. Ten meeting rooms are available – with 3150 sq metres (35,000 sq ft) of space and TCI Cable hook-up with Washington State Convention and Trade Center. 1400 Sixth Avenue, Seattle Center Tel: (206) 621 9000 or (800) 325 3535. Fax: (206) 621 8441. Website: www.sheraton.com Price: From US$110. University Towers (Best Western) (formerly Edmond Meany Tower Hotel) This 1930s hotel near the University of Washington is minutes from downtown and was recently renovated in tune with its Art Deco origins. Most of the 155 compact rooms offer great views of the city, Mount Rainier and Lake Union. They all have contemporary decor, irons and ironing boards, in-room voice messaging and modem points and there is a complimentary continental breakfast. There are five meeting rooms, including a 216 sq metre (2400 sq ft) ballroom, as well as catering and audiovisual services. 4507 Brooklyn Avenue NE, University District Tel: (206) 634 2000 or (800) 899 0251. Fax: (206) 547 6029 or 545 2103. Website: www.meany.com Price: US$170 (including breakfast). Luxury Bellevue Club Hotel The Bellevue Club has won numerous awards for its original and innovative design and was the 1998 ‘Hotel of the Year’ for Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The decor is a combination of Tuscan terracotta and trailing vines, light and contemporary Asian and Pacific Northwest influences – all setting off spectacular views. The 64 rooms and three suites are truly artistic, with international collections of textiles, woodwork and pottery, as well as in-room modem points, voice mail, teleconferencing capabilities and safes. The large Roman-inspired limestone and marble tiled bathrooms have deep-soak tubs. Club Rooms offer vaulted ceilings and landscaped outdoor patios and some have fireplaces. Superb recreational facilities include pool, spa, tennis courts, basketball and health club. 11200 SE Sixth Street, Bellevue Tel: (425) 454 4424 or (800) 579 1110. Fax: (425) 688 3197. Website: www.bellevueclub.com Price: From US$250. Four Seasons Hotel Seattle The 1920s Italianate architecture suggests the understated elegance of old New York apartment buildings and is completed with impeccable service, oak panelling, chintz and velvet drapes, and potted palms. The intention is to make guests feel at home, with cosy furnishings, desk space and reading lamps in all 450 rooms (in addition to high-speed, fibreless optic Internet connection) and complimentary goodies. However, it is in the heart of Seattle’s entertainment and financial districts. There is a sumptuous health club with indoor pool, whirlpool, saunas and massage room, 1800 sq metres (20,000 sq ft) of meeting and function space, and three superb restaurants, from the formal Georgian Room to a relaxed oyster bar and the sky-lit Garden Court. 411 University Street Tel: (206) 621 1700 or (800) 223 8772. Fax: (206) 682 9633. Website: www.fourseasons.com Price: From US$200. Moderate Gaslight Inn This turn-of-the-century Seattle mansion has been lovingly restored and is now a nine-rooms, seven-suite bed and breakfast, combining period detail and warm modernity. A large living room and library on the ground floor retain original oak panelling and fireplace. Each guest room is different; some have view decks one has peeled-log furniture and Pacific Northwest Indian textiles, while another has a blown-glass chandelier and a view of Elliott Bay. All rooms have refrigerators and use of the laundry room; those in suites receive free off-street parking. There is also a heated swimming pool in the private gardens. 1727 15th Avenue East, downtown Tel: (206) 325 3654. Fax: (206) 328 4803. Website: www.gaslight-inn.com Price: From US$78. Pacific Plaza Hotel By far the best in-city value for the independent business traveller, with a canopied entrance and a bit of historic class. It is within walking distance of the entertainment district, the Convention Center and retail/financial district. Completely renovated in early 2001, most rooms still retain their claw-foot bathtubs and are simply decorated in a European style, with cable TV, voice mail, coffee makers, iron and ironing boards, and electronic security locks. ‘Business’ guest rooms are slightly larger and offer computer and modem points. 400 Spring Street, downtown Tel: (206) 623 3900. Fax: (206) 623 2059. E-mail: info@pacificplazahotel.com Website: www.pacificplazahotel.com Price: US$115 (including continental breakfast). Other Recommendations Hotel Monaco For those sick of stuffy business atmospheres, the Monaco offers happy modern style with a nod to 1920s beach resorts – with candy striped walls, costumed bellboys and one of the liveliest hotel bars in town. Decor in the high-ceilinged lobby is based on a fresco of dolphins at the Palace of Knossos in Crete. Geared for the casual dotcom generation, it is pet friendly (complimentary live goldfish, with names, are available in case you are lonely), with 144 rooms and 45 suites, 11 of which boast Fuji-jet baths. All have voice mail, fax machines, in-room modem points, irons and CD players. 1101 Fourth Avenue Tel: (206) 621 1770 or (800) 945 2240. Fax: (206) 621 7779. Website: www.monaco-seattle.com Price: From US$170. Hotel Vintage Park Shades of grape, rose and chardonnay pay tribute to Washington’s wine industry in this refurbished 1920s apartment block. Every evening there is complimentary wine tasting around a large fireplace. Each of the 126 rooms is named after a Washington winery or vineyard and furnished in custom-made cherry wood; some have fireplaces and two-person Jacuzzis and all have in-room modem points and refrigerators. Staff will bring guests books of their choice from the local library and guests may also use the exclusive Gateway Athletic Club nearby or have exercise equipment brought to their rooms. 1100 Fifth Avenue Tel: (206) 624 8000 or (800) 624 4433. Fax: (206) 623 0568. Website: www.hotelvintagepark.com Price: From US$240. Restaurants We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Sales tax is 8.6% and will be added to every restaurant bill. A tip of at least 15% is obligatory and 20% is often looked for. The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine; they do not include sales tax or tip. Gastronomic Canlis Seattle’s classiest restaurant since the Breakfast at Tiffany’s era never fails to impress. Diners enter through an antique Japanese door and find impeccable service, a stunning view across Lake Union and the house’s own venerable recipes (the Canlis salad and the shrimp Capri are recommended). It specialises in Northwest classics, such as steak, game, salmon and oysters, served in an Asian-modern atmosphere. There is also a piano bar and a vast wine list. No lunch. Closed Sunday. 2576 Aurora Avenue North Tel: (206) 283 3313. E-mail: canlis@canlis.com Website: www.canlis.com Price: US$50. Wine: US$30. Il Terrazzo Carmine This discreet, highbrow Florentine restaurant, with understated classical guitar music, has first-rate service. Waiters wear white tuxes and tables are set with white linen under shimmering chandeliers. Starters might include calamari padella or venison ravioli, while entrees could be beef filet in Barolo and grape sauce, ossobuco, veal with capers or cioppino. There is a spectacular Italian wine list and outdoor seating in summer. Closed Sunday. No lunch Saturday. 411 First Avenue South Tel: (206) 467 7797. Fax: (206) 447 5716. Website: www.ilterrazzocarmine.com Price: US$45. Wine: US$30. Lampreia ‘Simply elegant’ is a good way of describing the sophisticated but gentle hand of chef-owner Scott Carsberg, which lets natural ingredients shine in imaginative ways. The seasonal menu offers a range of ‘intermezzo’ specials, such as Dungeness crab in lobster stock, salmon cannelloni, or the pheasant with apple-champagne sauerkraut. The calm cream and gold interior is matched by light background jazz. Closed Sunday and Monday. No lunch. 2400 First Avenue, Belltown Tel: (206) 443 3301. Price: US$40. Wine: US$20. Le Gourmand The funky district of Ballard is one of Seattle’s best-kept secrets and this French favourite, set unprepossessingly in a shopfront, features local, seasonal produce in high style on a fixed-price menu. Starters include rabbit liver pâté or sole and shrimp mousseline. The organic beef tenderloin in Merlot-pressings butter is renowned, as is the rabbit in apricot sauce and the venison in elderberry and pinot noir stock. There is house-made ice cream, crème brulée or local cheeses to finish with. Closed Sunday-Tuesday. 425 NW Market Street, Ballard Tel: (206) 784 3463. Price: US$35 (fixed price). Wine: US$20. Rover’s Thierry Rautereau is one of the city’s most famous chefs and his imaginative take on traditional French cuisine is stunningly presented. Set in a small house with private gardens, Rover’s menu is fixed price, the sauces legendary and the seafood, such as lobster in Perigord truffle sauce, highly recommended. Also featured are game dishes, such as venison with green peppercorn and Armagnac. There is a superb wine list and garden dining in summer. Closed Sunday and Monday. No lunch. 2808 East Madison Street, North Seattle Tel: (206) 325 7442. Website: www.rovers-seattle.com Price: US$35 (fixed price). Wine: US$25. Business Dahlia Lounge This hip establishment, featured in Sleepless in Seattle, with Chinese red walls, industrial ceilings and low-lit lanterns, is also a contemporary business favourite, with banquet service for up to 45 and personalised menus available. The food is superb despite the notoriety, with heavenly crab cakes, Tuscan bread salad, foie gras with lavender-caramel and fig for starters and excellent steaks and grilled fish for mains. The coconut cream pie should not be missed. 2001 Fourth Avenue, Belltown Tel: (206) 682 4142. Website: www.tomdouglas.com Price: US$30. Wine: US$20. Georgian Room Seattle’s most opulent restaurant is also a splendid setting for power breakfasts, lunches and clinched-deal celebrations. Vast ceilings are hung with antique chandeliers and service is reminiscent of another era. The luxurious menu includes truffle and foie gras, as well as duck and veal, all gorgeously presented, and guests may afterwards take brandy and cigars on the terrace. The Georgette Petite room can be booked for business groups and private parties. Closed Sunday. Four Seasons Hotel Seattle, 411 University Street Tel: (206) 621 7889. Website: www.fourseasons.com Price: US$45. Wine: US$25. Hunt Club The Hunt Club offers a gentleman’s club atmosphere with mahogany and plush seating, as well as some of the most divinely marinated steaks in town. The seasonal menu tends towards the Mediterranean, such as saffron mussel bisque or scallops with truffle risotto. Dessert, coffee and cognac can be taken in the Fireside Room, which also features piano music and card games. Brunch is also served at the weekend. Sorrento Hotel, 900 East Madison Street Tel: (206) 622 6400 or (206) 343 6156. Website: www.hotelsorrento.com Price: US$40. Wine: US$25. Metropolitan Grill Appropriately situated in the heart of the financial district and famous for its power-sized, custom-aged mesquite-broiled steaks and antique sports bar atmosphere, this is one of the most popular stops for celebs, stockbrokers and other big-money clientele. Macho food and portions, from the oysters and caviar starters to the red meat and sea bass, are all washed down with no-nonsense martinis. No lunch weekends. 820 Second Avenue Tel: (206) 624 3287 or 343 6156 (reservations). Website: www.themetropolitangrill.com Price: US$50. Wine: US$30. Nikko This huge, chic sushi bar is one of the most elegant Japanese dining rooms in the city – with food to match. Dishes include sake-marinated cod and teriyaki salmon, crisp soft-shell crab and sukiyaki. There are all-you-can-eat sushi lunches on weekdays. Closed Sunday. No lunch Saturday. Westin Hotel, 1900 Fifth Avenue Tel: (206) 322 4641. Website: www.nikkorestaurant.com Price: US$30. Wine: US$20. Trendy Bandoleone Festive, neighbourhood atmosphere and an innovative menu inspired by Mexico, the Caribbean, Spain and South America. Tapas include Tequila-cured salmon and ceviche with pineapple salsa, with entrees such as grilled tuna with papaya black-bean salsa or lamb with plums and chilli negro. There is a lively deck in summer and the bar with cigars and tapas stays open from until 0200, with live jazz, blues and salsa. The place also does great weekend brunches 0900-1400. 2241 Eastlake Avenue East Tel: (206) 329 7559. Fax (206) 329 8053. E-mail: bandoleone@earthlink.net Website: www.bandoleone.net Price US$25. Wine: US$10. Café Lago A cheery, informal trattoria, which boasts some of the best antipasti, wood-fired pizza and house-made pasta in town. Worth every penny. Noteworthy lasagne con melanzane (aubergine) and ravioli, as well as an extensive list of Italian wines. Closed Monday. No lunch. 2305 24th Avenue East, Montlake Tel: (206) 329 8005. Fax: (206) 329 8053. Price: US$25. Wine: US$20. El Camino Fremont once declared itself an independent republic and the atmosphere from the hippie days still prevails at El Camino – with loud music and dynamite tequila cocktails. Cuisine is experimental Mexican with house-made salsa and mole sauces. The rock-shrimp quesadillas, chipotle-pepper and garlic sea bass or duck with tomatillo sauce should all be tried, but the marinated steak tacos are the best in town. No lunch weekdays. 607 North 35th Street, Fremont Tel: (206) 632 7303. Fax: (206) 632 9124. E-mail: elcidinc@earthlink.net Website: www.elcaminorestaurant.com Price: US$25. Wine: US$20. Flying Fish Exotic and photoworthy fish specialities are served at one of trendy Belltown’s most famous landmarks. Platter dishes are huge and meant to be shared by large parties – these are ordered by the pound weight and include novelties like barracuda. There is street dining in summer and the private dining room seats 36 or reception space for 70. 2234 First Avenue, Belltown Tel: (206) 728 1213. Website: www.flyingfishseattle.com Price: US$30. Wine: US$15. The Pink Door Famed for its off-beat cabaret bar as well as hearty Italian food, this fashionable hideaway also offers great views of Puget Sound and the Market from its festively lit roof terrace. Roasted garlic and tapenada are prime starters, and the cioppino and lasagna are legendary. Salads feature the Market’s organic produce. Closed Sunday and Monday. 1919 Post Alley, Pike Place Market Tel: (206) 443 3241. Fax (206) 443 3341. Price: US$30. Wine: US$20. Budget Alibi Room This young, artsy spot attracts film industry wannabes and has a view of the Puget Sound sunset. Diners can smoke all they want and linger over Mediterranean-style salads, crostini with tapenade, ravioli and excellent vegetarian lasagne. Script-readings, film screenings or live music occur some evenings. 85 Pike Street, Post Alley, Pike Place Market Tel: (206) 623 3180. Price: US$15. Wine: US$10. André’s Eurasian Bistro The French-Vietnamese ownership of this bistro caters for sophisticated Bellevue in a sleek contemporary environment. Recommended dishes include Phnom Penh-style beef or pork, crab ravioli, Bombay coconut curry prawns or the chicken Parisienne, and, for dessert, the warm banana bread pudding with ginger sauce. Closed Sunday. 14125 NE 20th Street, Bellevue Tel: (425) 747 6551. Price: US$15. Wine: US$10. Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar This unpretentious bolt-hole specialises in live oysters direct from the Market, served au naturel, fried, baked or stewed. The beer (Guinness included) is fresh and cold and cosy booths face a small flower-filled courtyard. Excellent salmon soup and fish and chips. No cards; no dinner Sunday. 1916 Pike Place (Pike Place Market, Soames Dunn building) Tel: (206) 448 7721. Price US$10. Wine: US$10. Shanghai Garden Restaurant Everything from the conventional to the bizarre can be found in this top Chinese family restaurant, which is large, airy and bright pink inside. It features mu shu pork, as well as fungus soup and ostrich meat. Highly recommended are the house special hand-shaved green noodles and the fried ice cream dessert. 524 Sixth Avenue South, International District Tel: (206) 625 1689. Price: US$20. Wine: US$10. Siam This tiny, authentic favourite is the closest Seattle comes to a Bangkok street stall and is widely credited with the best tom kah gai (spicy chicken, lemongrass and coconut milk soup) in the city. Diners can state their preference for chilli-heat from one to five stars. No lunch weekends. 616 Broadway, Capitol Hill Tel: (206) 324 0892. Price: US$20. Wine: US$10. Personal Recommendations Andaluca This dimly lit, European-inspired restaurant is quiet and sophisticated enough for private business meals and sexy enough for a tête-à-tête, serving light but satisfying Spanish-inspired food, like towering full-meal salads, as well as excellent paella, zarzuela, rack of lamb in Rioja, steaks and a selection of fine sherries. Mayflower Park Hotel, 407 Olive Way Tel: (206) 382 6999. E-mail: ghalpin@andaluca.com Price US$30. Wine: US$20. Café Flora Vegetarian food so exquisite carnivores won’t notice the difference, served in a sophisticated Asian-style atrium with fountain and natural stone. The tacos stuffed with spicy potato and cheese or the Portobello mushroom Wellington must be tried. Weekend brunch features berry and ginger cream beignets and breakfast quesadilla. Reservations can only be taken for eight or more. Closed Monday. No dinner Sunday. 2901 East Madison Street, Madison Valley, North Seattle Tel: (206) 325 9100. Website: www.cafeflora.com Price: US$25. Wine: US$15. Cassis One of Seattle’s best-kept secrets: a small French country-style bistro for hearty eaters set in a stark, 1930s Art Deco atmosphere. Pâté and sausages are house-made. Recommended are the no-nonsense, wine-drenched steak frîtes or sautéed calf’s liver and, for dessert, the serious tarte tatin. 2359 Tenth Avenue East, Capitol Hill Tel: (206) 329 0580 or 325 9100 (reservations). E-mail: reservations@cassisbistro.net Website: www.cassisbistro.com Price: US$25. Wine: US$20. Izumi This is a true Japanese suburban family restaurant with a simple menu and friendly service, but it is so popular that it is not unusual to have to sit by the door watching children and their grandparents practising origami before a table comes free. The sushi bar is superb, the teriyaki salmon delicate and the tempura perfect – the house special has all of the above and more in a big lacquer box. Closed Monday. 12539 116th Avenue NE, Kirkland Tel: (425) 821 1959. Price: US$25. Wine: US$10. Sazerac This quirky and inventive restaurant invites excess with a nod to New Orleans cathouses and mammy’s southern cookin’. Killer cocktails are served in plush deep poison-purple booths surrounded by velvet drapes and huge chandeliers and there is sherry-laced pepper mayonnaise swimming over the crab and shrimp cakes. The ‘sexy’ grits and sinful desserts are recommended. Hotel Monaco, 1101 Fourth Avenue Tel: (206) 624 7755. Price: US$30. Wine: US$20. Sport Seattleites are quite sports-conscious and loyal to their local teams, whether Major League or university – bright purple and yellow banners of a howling dog denote the University of Washington’s Huskies, an all-sport team. Safeco Field (that opened in 1999), just south of Pioneer Square, is home to the Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball team (tel: (206) 346 4000). The Mariners far outpace any other team in Seattle obsession – attendance at their games in 1999 totalled 2.9 million, the second highest season attendance total in the team’s 23-year history. The KeyArena in the Seattle Center hosts the Seattle SuperSonics National Basketball Association team (tel: (206) 283 DUNK or 283 3865) and the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (tel: (425) 869 7825 or (206) 448 7825; website: www.seattle-thunderbirds.com). Basketball season is October to April and ice hockey season from September to March. The Seattle Seahawks National Football League team events are currently taking place at the Husky Stadium, 3800 Montlake Boulevard Northeast (tel: (206) 543 2200); a new stadium, adjacent to Safeco Field, is slated to open in the 2002 season. Football season is October to December. Tickets for all Seattle’s major sports events can be purchased through Ticketmaster (tel: (206) 628 0888; website: www.ticketmaster.com). Cycling and hiking: The Burke-Gilman Trail is a 24km (15-mile) trail through the woods, from Gasworks Park at Lake Union to the University District and onto the suburb of Bothell and Lake Sammamish. It is ideal for the independent cyclist or trekker. Fitness centres: The YMCA, 909 Fourth Avenue (tel: (206) 382 5010), is the best all-purpose cheap public centre for working out. Golf: Jackson Park, 1000 Northeast 135th Street, in North Seattle (tel: (206) 363 4747) has one of the city’s most popular 18-hole courses, which gets very crowded at weekends, and a nine-hole executive course. The 18-hole West Seattle Municipal Court, 4470 35th Avenue Southwest (tel: (206) 935 5187), offers superb views of Elliot Bay. Daily green fees start from US$25 weekdays, US$28 weekends, plus about US$14 for a cart for 18-holes; the nine-hole course costs half that. Sailing and kayaking: One in five Seattle natives own some kind of boat. Kayaks can be hired from Northwest Outdoor Center, 2100 Westlake Avenue, Lake Union (tel: (206) 281 9694), or a sailing boat from Sailboat Rentals and Yacht Charters, 1301 Northlake Way, Lake Union (tel: (206) 632 3302). Tours, equipment sales and rental are available from REI, 222 Yale Avenue North (tel: (206) 223 1944). Skiing: The mountains are easily accessible from Seattle and Seattle Ski Rental, 907 Northeast 45th Street (tel: (206) 548 1000), rent equipment and can offer advice. Swimming: Queen Anne Pool at 1920 First Avenue West (tel: (206) 386 4282) is a public indoor pool. The YMCA (see above) also has a pool. Tennis: Most of Seattle’s larger parks, such as Volunteer Park and Woodland Park, have their own courts. There are indoor courts at the Seattle Tennis Center, 2000 Martin Luther King Way (tel: (206) 684 764). Shopping Seattle’s Waterfront and the Pike Place Market offer all the crazy souvenirs imaginable, from wooden slugs (which look a lot like the real thing) to Space Needle hats and, of course, enormous sides of smoked Alaska salmon to ship home. The true Downtown shopping core, however, is between First and Sixth Avenues and Olive and University Streets, including the flagship Nordstrom Store, Old Navy, the Bon Marche, Pacific Place Mall, Barney’s, Nike Town, FAO Schwartz, Anne Taylor, Planet Hollywood, Barnes & Noble and more. Belltown, north along First Avenue from the city centre, has unique boutiques with everything from locally designed clothing, imported shoes, antiques, used clothing and more. Ruby Montana’s Pinto Pony, 1623 Second Avenue (website: www.rubymontana.com), is an emporium of kitsch, both modern and vintage, from salt- and pepper-shakers to furniture. Archie McPhee’s, 2428 Market Street, in Ballard, is an institution, known in the USA for its whimsical toys. Shopping hours are 0930-1800 on average, including Sundays. Seattle sales tax is 8.6% on non-food items and 9.1% on restaurant meals but this is not reclaimable, as in some states. Culture Although Seattle’s theatre scene is considered one of the most dynamic in the USA, natives notably prefer home-grown culture to that from outside the state and a look through the city’s listing and review tabloids will not in all likelihood produce names that you have heard of. Exceptions are the internationally acclaimed Pacific Northwest Ballet, glass art’s Dale Chihuly, maestro Gerard Schwarz, Kurt Cobain’s widow Courtney Love of Hole, sax man Kenny G, actor Tom Skerritt and writers Ann Rule and Tom Robbins. British travel writer Jonathan Raban has also made the Pacific Northwest his home and written affectionately about the quirks of the region’s natives. The Seattle Opera’s season runs from August to May and both the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Seattle Repertory Theatre run from October to May. All three perform at the Seattle Center. The Seattle Symphony Orchestra plays from September to June at Benaroya Hall. Ticketmaster (tel: (206) 628 0888; website: www.ticketmaster.com) sells tickets to all cultural events, as does Pacific Northwest Ticket Service (tel: (206) 232 0150), while Ticket/Ticket (tel: (206) 324 2744) sells half-price day-of-show tickets to theatre, music, comedy and dance events. Listings can be found in free tabloids, such as The Weekly and The Stranger. Music: The Northwest Chamber Orchestra (tel: (206) 343 0445; website: www.nwco.org) performs everything from Beethoven to Mozart to Debussy at different locations in the city, some of them open parks. Philharmonia Northwest (tel: (206) 675 9727; website: www.philharmonianw.org) performs Downtown at 1119 Eighth Avenue. The Seattle Choral Company (tel: (206) 363 1100; website: www.seattlechoralcompany.org) performs seasonal music events in different locations, while the Seattle Opera Company (tel: (206) 389 7676; website: www.seattleopera.org) performs at the Seattle Center Opera House, 321 Mercer Street, in the Seattle Center. The Seattle Symphony Orchestra offers a wide range of musical events at Benaroya Hall, 200 University Street, Downtown (tel: (206) 215 4747; website: www.seattlesymphony.org). Theatre: Performances of popular Broadway hits are on offer all year round at the Paramount Theatre, 907 Pine Street (tel: (206) 682 1414; website: www.theparamount.com) and other classics at the Fifth Avenue Musical Theatre, 1308 Fifth Avenue (tel: (206) 625 1900; website: www.5thavenuetheatre.org). More contemporary work can be seen at The Empty Space Theatre, 3509 Fremont Avenue North (tel: (206) 547 7500; website: www.emptyspace.org) and the Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer Street (tel: (206) 269 1900; website: www.intiman.org), at the Seattle Center. The biggest theatre company, the Seattle Repertory Theatre (tel: (206) 443 2222; website: www.seattlerep.org), plays at the Bagley Wright Theater in the Seattle Center, on 155 Mercer Street. The Seattle Children’s Theatre is at Second Avenue North and Thomas Street (tel: (206) 441 3322; website: www.sct.org), in the Charlotte Martin Theatre, Seattle Center. Dance: The Century Ballroom, 915 East Pine Street (tel: (206) 324 7263; website: www.centuryballroom.com), specialises in salsa and swing dancing. The world-renowned Pacific Northwest Ballet (tel: (206) 441 2424; website: www.pnb.org) is based at the Seattle Center Opera House, 301 Mercer Street, in the Seattle Center. Film: Cinerama (tel: (206) 441 3080 or (206) 441 3653), 2100 Fourth Avenue, a retro, restored theatre with state-of-the-art sound, shows mainstream American films and is also venue during the Seattle Film Festival. Pacific Place is a mainstream multiplex at Sixth Avenue and Pine Street (tel: (206) 652 2404). Foreign and alternative cinemas tend to be screened in Capitol Hill, such as the Harvard Exit, 807 East Roy Street (tel: (206) 323 8986) and the Landmark Egyptian, 801 East Pine Street (tel: (206) 323 4978). The best-known Seattle-based film, Sleepless in Seattle (1993), starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, was set in a Lake Union houseboat. Cultural events: The Folklife Festival (tel: (206) 684 7300; website: www.nwfolklife.org) is an international cultural celebration of note, taking place over Memorial Day weekend at the end of May in various venues of the Seattle Center. There are roughly 1000 performances, representing 100 countries and presenting traditional and ethnic dance, music and storytelling. Visual arts and folklore exhibits highlight the work of many Northwest communities, in particular the Native American. Seattle also has an International Film Festival (tel: (206) 324 9996; website: www.seattlefilm.com), which takes place in May and June at various cinemas around the city. Literary Notes As part of the Wild West and the Alaskan Gold Rush, Seattle is not known for its literary history until the Beat generation of the 1950s onwards. Writer Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) lived here briefly, while Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) passed through after a three-month stint as a fire-watcher in the Cascades in 1956. Poet Theodore Roethke taught at the University of Washington, along with native Seattle writer Richard Hugo and the more famous Raymond Carver, who once lived on the Olympic Peninsula. The best-known Seattle-based popular novelist is Tom Robbins, however, author of Another Roadside Attraction (1971) and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976). British travel writer and novelist Jonathan Raban lives in the Pacific Northwest and has written extensively about the area, as well as Seattle itself, particularly in his 1999 Passage to Juneau, where he made wry observations about the ‘Scandinavian rectitude’ of the natives. David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedars (1994) was set in the misty San Juan Islands and was recently made into a film. Annie Dillard wrote The Living (1992), a romantic tale of the Pacific Northwest set in the late 19th century. Now, there are an increasing number of crime writers using Seattle as a setting. Best known is Native American writer Sherman Alexie, whose book Indian Killer (1996) concerns a serial murder of scalped white men in the city, contrasted against the trendy coffee bars and misty scenery. Curiously, the Seattle area has also launched internationally known, offbeat contemporary cartoonists, such as Lynda Barry (Ernie Pook’s Comeek), Matt Groenig, originator of The Simpsons, and Gary Larson. 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. City Statistics Location: King County, northwest Washington State, USA. Country dialling code: 1. Population: 534,700 (city); 3.1 million (metropolitan area). Ethnic mix: 74% white, 11% Asian, 10% African-American, 3.6% Latino, 1.4% Native American, largely of the Duwamish Tribe. Religion: Majority Christian, equally Catholic and Protestant congregations; Buddhist largest minority, smaller Jewish and Muslim minorities. Time zone: GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October). Electricity: 110 volts, 50Hz; flat two-pin plugs are most common, although three-pinned plugs (two flat and one round) are sometimes in use. Average January temp: 8°C (46°F). Average July temp: 24°C (75°F). Annual rainfall: 919mm (36.2 inches). Special Events Chinese New Year Celebrations, dragon parades and Chinese cultural events (website: www.internationaldistrict.org), Jan/Feb, International District Folklife Festival, Memorial Day weekend, May, various venues in Seattle Center Seattle International Film Festival, May-Jun, various cinemas throughout city Seafair, showcase for the traditions and diversity of the Puget Sound area, with events such as parades, a triathlon and air shows, as well as over 30 community events, early Jul-early Aug, throughout the city Bite of Seattle, outdoor market with stalls featuring cuisine from the city’s top restaurants, Jul Bumbershoot, crafts fair and entertainment festival (website: www.bumbershoot.org), Labour Day weekend, Aug-Sep, various venues in Seattle Center Seattle Fringe Festival, hundreds of indoor and outdoor theatre performances (website: www.seattlefringe.org), late Sep, throughout the city Fremont Oktoberfest, more than 30 micro-breweries pouring handcrafted beers, music, streetfair, a children’s area and traditional German food, last Sat in Sep-first Sun in Oct, Fremont district, north Seattle New Year’s Eve, celebrations, 31 Dec, bottom of the Space Needle Cost of Living One-litre bottle of mineral water: US$1.25 33cl bottle of beer: US$1.75 Financial Times newspaper: US$4.50 36-exposure colour film: US$6 City-centre bus ticket: US$1.00-1.25 Adult football ticket: US$15-100 Three-course meal with wine/beer: From US$40 1 American Dollar (US$1) = £0.63; C$1.51; A$1.67; €0.93 Currency conversion rates as of February 2003 Copyright © 2003 Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd.