We moved to Seattle in May 2011, and in the relatively short time we’ve been here we have really grown to love it. I have a feeling that locals talk about the weather being so bad all the time, simply because they want to keep Seattle’s beauty and charm a secret. Yes, it rains here. But there are also gorgeous mountain views, scenic water ways, fantastic restaurants, and endless opportunities for outdoor adventures.
The following list of my Seattle favorites is by no means complete – I’m finding new hidden gems here all the time. I’m sure there are many places that others would add, but listed here are my family’s personal favorite things to eat, see, and do in the Emerald City.
Where To Eat
- Chaco Canyon Organic Café
- Sutra (visit one, visit two)
- Café Flora
- Plum Bistro
- Thrive
- Mighty O Donuts
- Flying Apron Bakery
- Carmelita
- Portage Bay Café
- Revel
- Silence Heart Nest
- Monkey Bridge
The Great Outdoors
- Greenlake Trail and Lake
- Gas Works Park
- Discovery Park
- Golden Gardens Park & Beach (more here)
- Alki Beach
- Magnuson Park
- Hiking St. Edwards State Park
- Hiking Mt. Baker – Mason Lake
Things to See and Do
- Pike Place Market
- The Space Needle
- Argosy Boat Cruise
- Ballard Farmers Market
- Fremont Farmers Market
- Juanita Beach Farmers Market
- Bellevue Farmers Market
- Fremont Solstice Parade & Festival
- Seattle Mariners Baseball (here and here)
As we continue to explore and find new things to eat, see, and do – I will continue to update this page to reflect our adventures! If you’re planning a trip to Seattle, I hope you find this to be a helpful resource. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions or need help planning your trip! Welcome!
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[...] Seattle’s Best. [...]
Thank you for posting this Emily! I can’t wait to visit Seattle this summer. :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
March 30th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
You are most welcome! Hope you have a great trip!
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If you’re ever looking for an out of town trip, drive up to the San Juan Islands. My mom grew up in Anacortes and it’s a really beautiful area.
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[...] Seattle’s Best. [...]
Been following your blog for months now :) I’m going on a very spontaneous trip to Seattle tomorrow, from Ireland. Look forward to seeing the city and all it has to offer.
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 2nd, 2012 at 9:29 am
Oh how exciting! Welcome! The sun is out today – you are in luck. :)
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Thanks Emily! :) Can’t wait to visit Seattle!
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Hey Emily! I’m headed to Seattle for a girls shopping trip in June…any must-see/shop spots for baby stuff (I will be 18.5 weeks)??
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 10th, 2012 at 8:48 am
Congrats – how exciting!! There is a nice maternity store at UVillage called Village Maternity (but it is a little pricey). Once Upon a Time in Queen Anne is a cute baby boutique! And UVillage also has a Land of Nod store – one of the only ones in the country. Hope that helps! Welcome to Seattle!
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Nikki T Reply:
April 10th, 2012 at 9:16 am
Thank you!! I’m really looking forward to the trip :)
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Amanda Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Kate Quinn Organics has an outlet shop in their warehouse in Kirkland. The prices are fantastic.
http://www.katequinnorganics.com/contact-us/
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 2:47 pm
I just found out about this too! Excited to check it out! (Although the girl stuff is way cuter than the boy stuff…)
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[...] Seattle’s Best. [...]
Thank you so much! My husband and I just booked a trip to Portland and Seattle and this is exactly the type of info we are looking for :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Glad to hear it! Have a great trip!
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Thanks for sharing, we are also new to the Seattle area, 3 months now and will need to check some of the places you have added here. My husband and I took the Pike Market Food Tour on Sunday, (we got a babysitter in) and it was really good, I highly recommend it. We also can’t wait to take the underground tour and discovery more wonderful parks this summer. What area are you moving too next?
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
A babysitter! I am jealous! :) We are moving over to Kirkland. Sad to be leaving Fremont, but excited about having a bit more space for our pups – they really need it!
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Kate Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Kirkland?! Are you just following my moves around Seattle (minus the stops in Magnolia and Bothell).
Good luck with the move. Its a differnt vibe from Fremont for sure but its nice. Tons of parks and good food options. If you have any questions on the eastside feel free to ask.
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Are you in Kirkland too?? Haha, too funny! I definitely need help discovering Kirkland – it is foreign territory to me. I’m excited about our house and the space, but I’m really nervous about transitioning to the Eastside. I have fallen so much in love with being right in the heart of the city! And actually – we were supposed to buy a different house that fell through right at the last minute…in Magnolia! :)
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jane Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
oooh so you are buying?? I assumed this last place you have been in was a rental; perhaps incorrectly. I would love to hear a post on the buying process as I am about to go through it myself :-)
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Yep, we’ve been in a rental and the current lease is up! Since we’re planning to stay in Seattle for the foreseeable future, we’re buying a place! Pretty exciting.
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Lena Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 7:45 pm
I can’t believe you are moving to Kirkland. I’m in Kirkland too. How exciting about buying a house!! That is always fun. There are a few great mom’s groups on the eastside. I joined a couple of them on Meetup.com when I moved here and have meet some great mom’s in the area. Let me know if you are interested in the info. We have some really fun Mom Night Out’s, dinners, trivia nights, book club nights etc. We might spot you running along the lakeside again sometime soon. (I saw you a couple of weeks ago running along the trail in Fremont).
It kind of blows my mind to think you will be living in Kirkland I know it doesn’t for you as you don’t know me, but I’ve been following your blog for a couple of years now and found out last year that it might be a possibility that we move to Seattle, USA. We are from Brisbane, Australia and have lived there all our life. We made the move in January for my husband’s work so here we are in a completely different country, with my husband and 2 kids (4 and 2) and you will be living in the same town. Small world. (for me that is). Have a good move, all the best.
Natalie Rae Reply:
April 18th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
I LOVE Fremont so I was curious where you were moving :)
Yay Kirkland! My in-laws are on Market Street. Last Christmas, when we were home from NC, I discovered a great new baby store in dwntwn Kirland next to the French bakery- I hope it is still there for you :) I bought my first cloth diaper from there. Also, I highly recommend the killer good consignment store, Zoka, Sur La Tab, both Greek places, and George’s (for hometown style brunches- Greek eggs benedict!).
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Thanks for the ideas! We are getting married this October and are planning our honeymoon to the Seattle area. It will be the second full week in October. I hope that we still get some good weather while we are out there! Any other recommendations on how to have the best honeymoon there would be appreciated :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
How fun! We had some great weather last October, so hopefully you will get the same!
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I am moving to Seattle/Seattle area next summer and I am so excited to have found this page! It gives me hope that I won’t be totally overwhelmed moving from my tiny town in Alaska to the great big city :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Glad to hear it! Welcome!
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Kerry Park on Queen Anne provides one of the best views in the city. While you’re up there, grab a deliciously strong coffee at El Diablo Coffee Company.
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Holly Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
Or grab some ice cream from Molly Moon’s – they always have some delicious dairy free options. I was just there on Saturday and had the vegan coconut chunk. Yum! Great to enjoy at the park.
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Coconut chunk mmmmmm. Now I reaaaaally want that!
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Awww, nostalgia. I studied in Seattle and my years there are so, so, fond, due in so many ways to the nature, friendliness of the city, and THE FOOD! Though I’ve been gone for nearly 5 years (and now live in Vienna, Austria (!), some of my fav restaurants were:
SERIOUS PIE: http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=serious-pie Really good pizza downtown
MADISON PARK BAKERY: http://www.madisonparkbakery.com/ mmmmm and have you explored this area yet? So fun and the summers! Water, sun, fun.
BLACKBIRD BAKERY: http://www.blackbirdbakery.com/ On bainbridge island! A great day trip! Cullen will love the ferry ride!
MIOPOSTO PIZZA: http://miopostopizza.com/ in Mt. Baker, another AMAZING part of seattle. Take the car and drive out along the water along lake washington blvd, all the way to Seward Park (another AMAZING neighborhood area) and loop back to finish with pizza here. YUM.
Ahhh I miss that town so much! Austria is pretty nice too, however:)
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SushiandStrudel Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
Ack I just realized you have been eating less and less dairy, so not sure about the pizza. Were you going to write a post about this change, actually? Would be interesting!
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
I’ll probably write something eventually! I’m not sure it’s a permanent change – just more something I’m trying out for now while I’m breastfeeding. We still love cheese-less pizza. :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 2:47 pm
Great suggestions – thank you!
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This is great, my husband and I relocated to Seattle a couple of months ago and have enjoyed exploring a little bit, but definitely have a lot more to do! I’ll be checking out some of the places on your list!
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Have you been running at Discovery Park? Beautiful views and nice, smooth trail.
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I love this page! I’m going to Seattle this summer so I’ll be referencing this a lot!
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Sitting in Seattle Airport right now en route from AK to Boulder. Love, love this airport. Concourse C picked up for lunch (4.5 hr layover) at Waji’s at Seat-Tac, Veggie Chilled Spring Roll with peanut sauce (little diluted for me, but used it anyhow), and Garden Rolls, about $10. About the best for us GFVegans. Sitting in the main terminal, love the area, lots to watch and great place to hang out in between flights, ESP with a Dilettante Soy Chai Latte.
Yes, I could take the Lightrailto Westlake Village or Pike’s, but its an opportunity to catch up on deleting my inbox, after bookmarking all my fav recipes from my fav Plant-based and gluten-free bloggers. Not a sunny day in Seattle, but if it was, I’d wish I was outside, not inside relaxing.
Emily and Casey and Cullen are so fortunate to have the opportunity to experience the wonders of the GNW! Hop on up to Alaska some time! Only 3.5 hr flight away (from Fairbanks).
Thank you Emily for the list, I’m hoping on our way back East (after 35 years), to check out Seattle one more time and grab some GFV eats this Fall.
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Thanks for the tips!! I will check ‘em out with the time I have left living in Seattle
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I lived in Seattle for 2 years (recently moved back home to the east coast), and one of my absolute favorite parks was Carkeek Park. Golden Gardens can sometimes get a little too crowded, and Carkeek is a great alternative. Northern Ballard – NW 117th St is the entrance.
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Emily Malone Reply:
April 20th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Great suggestion! We haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard good things.
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[...] super early, the parking would be nonexistent and the beach would already be filled with ghostly Seattle-ites desperate for sun. But after Saturday’s outing to Alki beach, we realized we needed some [...]
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[...] September 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment Tweet Pin ItGreetings from Seattle! I spent all of yesterday traveling home and recovering from the cross-country journey. [...]
[...] Seattle’s Best. [...]
this is super helpful! i was wondering what neighborhoods you would recommend for people thinking about moving to seattle? it sounds like you all really like where you are now.
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I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility problems? A handful of my blog readers have complained about my blog not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox. Do you have any recommendations to help fix this problem?
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what a great resource!! thank you for the reply to my email with a link to this. idk how i missed it ;D. i look forward to exploring seattle with my family next month…
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