ryuhime

This was the are that I spent most of my childhood. Lake WAshington Blvd is the most peaceful walk I have ever enjoyed, next to Seward Park that is, but they're connected, so it's almost the same thing! This is the richer or upper class area and it's right on Lake Washington, the largest lake in Washington State. There aren't very many cars, but there are a lot of joggers, cyclists and people out for a stroll. The view is gorgeous, especially on a sunny day or on a full moon night when the light is reflected back to you and coats the water in a soft glow. My favorite part about Lake Washington Blvd, is that it leads you to Seward Park which is the last place in Seattle to be developed, and it won't ever be. It's the one are in Seattle that will never be developed because of the deal struck when it was donated to the city. It's this large peninsula in the lake and it's almost like a little wilderness. It has an amphitheatre where they host summer concerts and festivals and people go there to barbecue and take their boats and jet skis out. It's a beautiful and majestic area, and if you go anywhere in Seattle, you have to visit Lake Washington Blvd and walk all the way to Seward Park and explore our mini wilderness!

This area of Madison is beautiful. It's full of trees and parks and at the end of the street is the best beach in Seattle, in my opinion. There are quaint little shops and a Tully's and Starbucks and this delicious little ice cream shop that I can't remember the name of. It's obvious this is a rich or well off neighborhood, because as you ride down Madison the houses become larger and there are more gates and larger gardens. It all makes for a beautiful ride, but is can also be a little uncomfortable if you're not from the area, because you'll find yourself the center of unwanted attention. If that doesn't bother you, then I recommend you go the little ice cream shop, during the summer of course, and walk the two or three blocks to the beach and enjoy the sun and go for a dip!

On 12th Ave you have Seattle's premier Jesuit University, aptly named Seattle University. A few blocks north west and you have Seattle Central Community College, making 12th Ave rife with late night hangouts, cheap eats, studio apartments and convenient laundry. The area around SU is my place to hang out. There is this restaurant/bar called Cafe Presse that has teeny plates for a little more than you would feel comfortable paying, but it's worth it for the interesting fare. Next to it is Stumptown, a little coffee shop with daily tastings and macha pound cake to die for. There are also vietnamese restaurants, and a pizza place with delicious build your own pizza called Ti Amo. If you like the college town atmosphere then this your area.

Dearborn is largely residential until you get past Rainier Ave. To the west of Rainier Ave, you have the downtown Goodwill, which has a really good selection of work clothes for cheap, a good portion of those name brand. A little further west and you'll find an onramp to I-5 north shortly followed by the southern end of Chinatown, where you can ACRS and Uwajimaya, kind of the Haagen of asian food markets. If you go a little further, you end at Qwest Field, where you can watch football and soccer games, and if your lucky, you might see a few high school graduations. By far the best part of Dearborn is Goodwill and Uwajimaya, the rest is just space filler.

Jackson is a fairly congested street, there are a lot of cars and buses, and locals know to avoid it unless you need to be somewhere nearby. It's mostly apartments, but there are some great restaurants on this street, the House of Hong is on of them. They have dim sum to die for and because of that it's very popular, so it's very busy, but worth is if you're craving some good chinese food. If you go further into Chinatown, you'll find a lot more to do, but activities of Jackson are pretty limited, unless you plan to catch a bus in the bust terminal below ground to more interesting streets of Seattle.

Broadway is definitely one of the more interesting streets in Seattle. The southern area of Broadway boasts a Childhaven, Swedish Hospital and the best Community College in Seattle. The further north you go the more it becomes a nightlife hub. It's mostly late night eats after your done clubbing in Pioneer Square and Belltown, or just up the street and any of the number of late night spots in the Capitol Hill area. There are two clubs I know of on Broadway, one is Neighbours, which is largely a gay club, and the other is Julia's, which is more of a bar that has dancing. I go to broadway at night for food, but during the day there's also plenty of vintage shopping, on of the more popular being the Redlight, among others. Broadway attracts the most interesting crowds. If nothing else, you should go to people watch, because that's fun in and of itself.

In the past few years MLK has been changing because of the light rail that's in it's final stages of constructions right now, but it still has its charm. There are several shopping plazas that all have its abundance of restaurants, which are nearly all asian, from vietnamese to chinese to japanese. I think next to the International District in Seattle, this area has the largest population of people of asian descent in Seattle. As far as nightlife, there isn't any, but if you enjoy food this is you street, at least further north. The further south you go the closer you get to the freeway. After MLK and Othello it's mostly townhomes and houses until you reach I-5.

Not only is the Pioneer Square area where Seattle got it's start, but it's also where lots of Seattleites got to shake their booties! On 1st Ave we have jazz clubs, nightclubs, late night restaurants, hot dog stands, adult entertainment and a number of other things to do once the stars twinkle and the moon has risen. WHen the sun reins the sky you have antique stores, book shops, a year round farmer's market, (which Seattle is famous for), a huge newly renovated art museum, an army surplus store, and, my favorite, a tour of underground Seattle. The city was raised after the fire that pretty much destroyed the city, back when everything was wood, but there were still storefronts and whatnot and the original street level and the tour of Seattle's underground wonders begins on 1st Ave at Doc Maynard's. 1st Ave in Seattle is a wonderful place and I encourage everyone to spend a day and a night there, you won't be bored, I promise.

Rainier Ave S is one half of one of the longest streets in Seattle, I think. It's got a lot of apartments and coin laundry and grocery stores and fast food joints. The sit down restaurants are divine, they're largely asian inspired or mexican but always delicious. There are a number of small local businesses, a couple community centers and libraries. There is a high school being built and will be open pretty soon and another high school a little off of Rainier, but it still holds it's name. Rainier Ave S is a good place if you like variety and a good mix of people and industry, from the poor to the upper middle class. The nightlife on Rainier Ave is mostly located in the Columbia City area, it's got a movie theatre and a performance theatre as well as several delicious restaurants and relaxed bars.

23rd Ave isn't the place to be if you need to have an active nightlife. There are a couple of pubs in the Montlake are of 23rd, but it's mostly grocery stores, apartments and townhomes. There are a couple of parks and one of Seattle's best high schools is on this street as well as an early education center and a community center for the younger crowd. It's a traffic filled street but once you get used to it, it's not so bad.