Lady’s Seattle Neighborhoods Guide

Seattle is one of my favorite west coast cities in the US. I’ve been visiting relatives there since I was a child, and each trip brings with it a deeper knowledge of the city and the diverse Seattle neighborhoods.

Seattle Neighborhoods

First there were childhood visits to the Space Needle, then teenage trips to the famous Pike Place Market, and more recently, post-college visits to Rem Koolhaas’ Seattle Central Library.

With the major landmarks and tourist attractions covered in past trips, my visit to the city last week offered me a chance to dig deeper into some of the off-the-beaten-path Seattle neighborhoods.

Seattle Neighborhoods: Laurelhurst

I arrived on Thursday evening, and my cousin met me at the airport and drove us back to my aunt and uncle’s house in Laurelhurst.

We spent a great night catching up over dinner on their deck, which overlooked Lake Washington and Mount Rainier.

I’ve always loved their neighborhood in Seattle, not only for its views but also for its beautiful homes with their pretty front gardens and peaceful ambiance.

I wanted the evening there to last much longer, but between darkness and jet lag, I had to go to sleep eventually.

Seattle Neighborhoods: Capitol Hill

The next morning my aunt and cousin took me to the downtown Seattle neighborhood of Capitol Hill. The pretty area was full of shops, restaurants, and markets.

One such place was called Melrose Market. Inside the converted industrial space were a busy sandwich bar, a butcher, a cheese shop, a couple of gift shops, and a restaurant.

We sat down at the restaurant and ordered several dishes to share. I also ordered a glass of Washington wine to celebrate the trip and taste one of the region’s Rieslings.

After lunch we headed deeper into Capitol Hill with a trip to a great local bookstore and a stroll through a design shop.

Next door was Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, which tempted us with funky flavors like huckleberry chunk and peppermint with Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies.

Seattle Neighborhoods: Ballard

The next day my cousin took me to explore another of the best Seattle neighborhoods: Ballard. Once a Scandinavian fishing area, Ballard is now home to fun boutiques, lively bars and coffee shops, and award-winning restaurants.

We tried to go to a famous local restaurant called The Walrus and the Carpenter. Unfortunately it was closed for Labor Day weekend.

Instead we ate al fresco at another neighborhood restaurant. I had a breakfast pizza and my cousin ordered a pastry filled with cherries and chocolate.

Both were good, and we were glad to have gotten a taste of Ballard’s culinary offerings.

After brunch we spent time wandering through some of the shops in Ballard. We saw cute cards and paper goods in Venue and shoes in re-souL.

Seattle Neighborhoods: Downtown

Speaking of soul, that evening my aunt and uncle took me to a place called Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley. We had heaping bowls of gumbo for dinner, after which we enjoyed the music of the Rebirth Brass Band, a jazz group from New Orleans.

They played a great set, at the end of which everyone in the room was dancing.

Seattle Neighborhoods

The night ended on a high note (pun intended), as did my time in Seattle. The next morning we were all up early to head to other parts of Washington for weddings.

As we waved good-bye, my family encouraged me to come back again soon for another visit. With so many great Seattle neighborhoods and so much to do and see, I think I’ll have to take them up on it soon.

Find this post helpful? Buy me a coffee!

New here? Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email.

Pin it!