 |
|
Purple Roofs Travels Gay Seattle Visit the Purple Roofs Seattle, Washington Section Want to get married in Washington? | Looking for Real Estate in Washington?
Seattle is surrounded by water - on the west is Puget Sound; bisecting the city is union lake, and to the east is Lake Washington, with the suburban (but ever growing) city of Bellevue on the other side.
Mark sees him and all he can manage is "Michael!" to which the poor guy, who is actually Hal Sparks, looks a little flummoxed. I mean, you play the one iconic role, and suddenly nobody knows your real name anymore.
So on the off-chance that Michael... I mean Hal... actually reads this, you seemed like a really nice guy, and we're sorry we acted like idiot fans. :) OK, so on to Seattle. This panoramic shot is actually several that we stitched together, and was taken from Alki Beach, across the sound from Downtown in West Seattle (click on the pic for a larger view:
As we mentioned, the weather here was fantastic - see the views of Mt. Ranier below (from close to SeaTac and from West Seattle) below - they're better in the large versions.
Capitol Hill
Broadway is the main north-south street through this part of town, and is where youi'll find most of the GLBT businesses. There are also two big condo projects going up here, as well as a new light rail station (still under construction):
Even the church here has a rainbow sign that says "You are welcome here."
Where to Shop on Capitol Hill There's a cool record shop here - think Tower in it's heyday - called Everyday Music. Bins and bins and bins of CD's, as far as the eye could see. I found some Erasure singles I'd never found before, and they even have vinyl (if you're under 30, ask your parents what vinyl is).
Where to Eat on Capitol Hill
There's also a cute cafe here - Vivace (at right) - where you can get a great pastry, cup of coffee, or iced tea on a hot day. There are also two great parks here. The newest of these is Cal Anderson Park, just off Broadway - a former reservoir turned into a vibrant city park, with a really cool volcano-shaped fountain:
But sometimes, tourists climb the stairs a little more quietly, and get a view they weren't expecting. <grin> No such luck for us, though, but we did enjoy the city views. The top of the tower is a wide, open room with windows all the way around, so you can take soem great shots of the Space Needle, Lake Union, Downtown Seattle, and even Bellevue on a clear day. Worth the walk to check this place out, and who knows? You might get lucky.
Capitol Hill Art Some great public art up here too:
Where to Stay on Capitol Hill We visited three accommodations on Capitol Hill, all gay owned:
Our first propety is the gay-owned Gaslight Inn, on Capitol Hill (Seattle's gay district) just a few blocks from Broadway. The owner, Steve, is a great host, and is constantly improving the Gaslight - this is the second time we've visited the property, and it's always great to see Steve and to see what he's done with his Seattle B&B.
The rooms are large, and each floorplan is unique. Several of the upper rooms have wide decks, with views of the Seattle skyline (at right). Capitol Hill was the first area of the city to be developed after downtown, and The Gaslight Inn retains the historic charm of the area, combined with modern conveniences and beautifully decorated guest rooms. The Gaslight serves a continental breakfast every morning to get you started, and is convenient to the shops and restaurants on Broadway by foot, and by car to the University (about 10 minutes away to the north) and downtown Seattle (5-10 minutes by car). You can even walk downtown from here fairly easily, but it is a decent hike. The Gaslight Inn is perfect for anyone looking for comfortable, clean, beautifully decorated accommodations at reasonable prices, in Seattle's Capitol Hill district.
Also on Capitol Hill, you'll find Foxgove Guesthouse, an Edwardian Style home on a quiet side street, about 9 (short) blocks from the shops, restaurants, and bars on Broadway. The Foxglove is also an easy walk to Volunteer Park and to the gay bars on Pike and Pine streets, and 5-10 munites from both downtown Seattle and the University by car.
The current (gay) owners are just the third owners since the home was built, so it was in great shape to begin with. The Foxglove features three guest rooms, one with private bat, and the other two sharing a bathroom. The innkeeper lives on-site, and is available to give you suggestions about things to do and places to see in the Greater Seattle area. Foxglove Guesthouse is perfect for anyone looking for a great, comfortable, clean and quiet place to stay in the heart of Capitol Hill.
On the northern edge of Capitol Hill, just past the end of the Broadway retail district, you'll find one more gay owned bed and breakfast - The Bacon Mansion.
Built in 1909, this Edwardian Style home stil retains much of the historic charm. In 1984, the property suffered a major fire, and the owners brought the property up to date, adding modern conveniences while retaining many of the historic elements. This Capitol Hill bed and breakfast has 11 rooms, two in the carriage house, and the rest in the main house. One of the Carriage House rooms is fully handicap accessible. Perfect for gay and lesbian couples and families - this B&B is kid friendly.
Downtown Seattle
Most of downtown Seattle is modern, vibrant, and clean (we did find a grungy little corner between downtown and Pioneer Square, but we're quibbling) - must be all the rain that washes it all so clean in the long winters. Where to Shop in Downtown There are three major shopping centers we ran across down here. Our far and away favorite is City Centre (at left and below) - and not just because of the 3 (count 'em, 3) Starbucks stuffed into this 3 story, 1 square block mall. Side note: we used a starbucks finder app on our iPhone, and within a 1 mile radius of this center, there are currently 43 starbucks locations.
For a more standard mall experience, try Westlake Center - a decent urban mall that has a nice outdoor terrace overlooking Westlake Park, which had a free outdoor concert going on the day we were there - see the pic at right..
When you're ready for something to eat, we've got some great places for you.
For lunch or dinner, try the Purple Cafe (at right), a small local chain with a killer atmosphere. Anchored by a huge central tower of wine, complete with its own spiral staircase to access the higher bottles, this place has atmosphere and great food.
It's close to the convention center, and just around the corner from another of our favorites, the Cheesecake Factory.
It has a cool atmosphere, and the breakfast here was really good. They also have outdoor seating - perfect for a late dessert after a play at the ACT on a warm summer night.
The play was about two couples - one husband having an affair with another man's wife - and was very intense, grity, and real. But our favorite thjing about this place was that afterward, all four actors and the director sat down on the bed and engaged in a back and forth with the audience about what they liked and didn't like about the play, what they thought about the characters, and much more. If you have a free night in Seattle, look up what's playing here - you'll get high quaility theater at a very reasonable price. On the northern edge of the downtown waterfront, you'll find the Olympic Sculpture Park, a free museum of outdoor sculpture, including some massive pieces and whimsical sculptures like the giant typewriter eraser rolling down the hillside. It takes about ten minutes to walk from end to end, but plan for a bit longer so you can enjoy each of the pieces.
The other big draw on the northern edge of downtown is the Seattle Center - home to the famous Space Needle and many other attraction, and site if the 1962 World's Fair. We took the elevator to the top of the Space Needle, and took some fantastic shots of Downtown Seattle and the surrounding neighborhoods. Tickets are currently $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $9 for kids age 4-13.
The music side focuses mostly on artists from the 70's and earlier, but we were greeted by Michael Jackson's sequined jacket and glove as we entered, with a tribute to the singer who had recently passed away. $15 gets you into both museums, and who knows who you might run into?
The Seattle Center is also where you'll find the monorail... it's a bit rickety, and only runs from here to the Westlake Mall, but it's fun to give it a try. Where to Stay in Downtown
Our only reviewed property Downtown, Hotel Monaco is one of the gay friendly Kimpton chain hotels.
The hotel has a number of great amenities, too - there's a fitness center on-site for guest use, and a great restaurant on-site - Sazerac, a cool cajun-style place with patio seating where you can enjoy dessert after an evening on the town. There's als a small store on site with the usual sundries and touristy items for sale. Hotel Monaco is in the heart of downtown, on 4th Street just a short walk from Pioneer Square, Pike Street Market, and the many great restaurants, entertainment venues, and shopping centers tha the city has to offer. Hotel Monaco is great for business or leisure travelers who want to stay in downtown Seattle.
Downtown Architecture Seattle has some amazing architecture - our personal favorites - the big building on the little teeny base (below left), the funky geometric library building (below center), and the curving roof over the convention center, below right.
This ext set is kind of cool, too - a historic building, below left and center left, a rendition of the new, sleek and modern building to be built right behind it, and a model we found of these two buildings at the airport the next day.
Here are a few other great buildings and architectural details from the Downtown area.
Speaking of models, the Foster White Gallery had a cool display of architectural models going on while we were there. Here are a few... the first two are the model and then a rendering of the finished building:
Downtown Art Art is where you find it... and Seattle has lots of great public art. From the armored pic food truck to the whale bone glas art display in a City Centre window, from bus stop art to the Eagle Outfitters window, the city is crazy with art:
Madison Park & The University District
At the end of the street, there’s a cute little bar called McGilvras - decent pizza, an improbably great cheese tray, and a lake view. And just across the street is the city’s gay beach – Madison Park – not much sand, but check it out if you’re around on a warm summer day. There's a swimming platform too - we saw some cute guys making the leap. This is a very gay friendly area, where lots of folks from Capitol Hill have moved, and its tree-lined streets and lakeside location give it a great charm. Just across Lake Union from Madison Park is the University of Seattle. There's a cute shopping district here along University Way that we didn't have time to explore, but we plan to go back for the next trip. Where to Stay in the University District
The closest B&B to the University, Chambered Nautilus is a charming Seattle bed and breakfast up on a hillside, just a block north of the University and about a five minute walk from the great shops on University Avenue.
This Georgian Colonial, built in 1915, is warm and comfortable, with a cozy common area next to a large fireplace where you can hang out and read a good book, or meet some of the B&B's other guests. There's also a bright, inviting sun porch where you can enjoy their gourmet breakfasts and free tea and cookies in the afternoon. Chambered Nautilus is perfect for gay and lesbian couples looking for a romantic getaway, and for anyone visiting the University and the vibrant neighborhood that surrounds it.
The Square itself is a wide open, tree-lined brick plaza fronted by a beautiful, ivy covered brick building. This is a great neighborhood just to walk through - take a stroll down tree-lined avenues, peer into shop windows, grab a coffee at one of the local coffee shops - it's a great neighborhood to just hang out.
Where to Shop in the Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square Architecture As in downtown, there's some great architecture down here:
The city's two major stadiums, Qwest and Safeco Field, and both are at the southern edge of Pioneer Square. On our last day, we decided to go back down to Pioneer Square, and were suddenly surrounded by throngs of green-shirted lemmings - huge crowds all making their way down to Qwest Stadium, where there was some kind of soccer match. It was all a bit eerie. This is also where the headquarters is for Starbucks - unfortunately, they are not giving tours at this time. Pioneer Square Art As in downtown, there's a lot of great public art in Pioneer Square:
West Seattle We didn't get to spend much time here, but we have a great companion article this month from the owners of Sweet Orange about the things to do and see in this neighborhood just across the Sound from downtown. Where to Stay in West Seattle
Of all the places we visited in seattle this trip, Sweet Orange was the only lesbian-owned property. The owners, Cassie and Morgan, welcomed us warmly, and seem to be great hosts.
Each unit also includes a full kitchen, so you can cook "at home" when you want to. West Seattle is an up-and-coming community just 10-15 minutes from downtown Seattle by car. It was the bedroom community for the local steel mill, and is now attracting many new buyers who are renovating their homes and gentrifying the neighborhood. There's a large (and growing) lesbian community here, and many gay couples are also flocking to the area. Sweet Orange is 10 minutes from Alki Beach (with great downtown Seattle views) and a short drive from the ferry to Vashon Island. The owners live close by, and are available if needed. The two vacation rental units at Sweet Orange are cozy and comfortable, perfect for couples or families and larger groups looking for a good-sized space in a quiet Seattle neighborhood, but close to everything Seattle has to offer.
Also in West Seattle, Alki Sunshine B&B is in an older neighborhood, and has a rather plain profile from the street. But that belies what you'll find inside - a clean, elegant bed and breakfast run by two very gay friendly innkeepers, Sam & Roseanne, who own the business with a sister and her partner.
Alki Sunshine Bed & Breakfast has tree guest rooms, two with shared bath and one ensuite, and caters to families with babies. But the star of this West Seattle B&B is the back deck - a wide, open space centered around a firepit that also includes a Puget Sound peek from the deck's eastern end. This is a great place to hang out on a nice Seattle day and relax, or chat with the owners or other guests. This West Seattle B&B is just one block from the Seawall, and tree blocks from Alki Beach, with the great Seattle views. Perfect for families, individual travelers and couples looking for a bed and breakfast setting close to one of Seattle's premier beaches.
Transportation We took a limo service from the airport - it cost about $50 each way. But the day we left, the new light rail system opened, and although it doesn't reach all the way to the airport yet (you have to take a bus the last leg), it's far better than the monorail. And plans are for the system to extend to the airport by the end of the year, providing a much cheaper alternative to taxis and limos.
Each car has its own name - we rented "Captain", at left.
Things That Make You Go Hmmm...
OK, so here are our entries for the Weird this month. The first one is just an ordinary bush... that looks, um, a but nutty if you turn it upside down. As for the second? We always love a good pun.
|
