Kimberly Baker Jewelry designer and store owner Kimberly Baker has called Seattle's Ballard hood home for the last few years, and loves lots about the city, especially escaping it for the nearby ocean and mountains.
Meg Bryan Meg Bryan lives in Capitol Hill, so she knows what she's talking about. She also works at the downtown Seattle Urban Outfitters, and interns for indie label Barsuk Records.
Leah Lawrence A buyer for renowned boutiques Blackbird and Birgitta, Leah Lawrence is also working on launching her own line of women's swimwear inspired by the many lakes surrounding Seattle.
Joel Leshefka & Justine Ashbee Justine Ashbee is an artist and Joel Leshefka owns 20twenty, a vintage boutique in Ballard. Together they own Cairo, a gallery on Capitol Hill that has a focus on young and emerging artists.
| Eat | Chill | Shop | Tour | Drink |
| Map of locations | |||
| Paseo (4225 Fremont Ave N; (206) 545-7440; www.paseoseattle.com/): "Amazing Cuban sandwiches and other dishes, grilled onions on everything. Be hungry." —L.L. Senor Moose (5242 Leary Ave NW; (206) 784-5568; senormoose.com): "Good lord, this place is good. You kind of think you're arriving at some dive diner, then you get inside and have some of the best Mexican food you've ever tasted. Highly recommend, absolutely everything on their menu... it's a can't miss." —J+J Stika And Spruce (2238 Eastlake Ave E; (206) 324-0662; www.sitkaandspruce.com/): "You would not think this place has some of the best food in Seattle because it is located in a strip mall, but it does." —K.B. Volunteer Park Cafe (1501 17th Ave E; (206) 328-3155; alwaysfreshgoodness.com): "This is a sweet little spot, tucked away on the backside of Capitol Hill. Good coffee, and great vibe. Super close to Volunteer Park, and the Conservatory, which is also a good spot to check out." —J+J Pano Kleftikos (815 5th Ave N; (206) 301-0393): "Real authentic Greek food. There are only like 10 tables and don't be in a rush when you come to eat here. Good food takes time." —K.B. Joe Bar Cafe (810 E Roy St; (206) 324-0407; www.joebar.org): "Geat coffee, crepes, soup, and sandwiches. All of this in the classic Loveless building, a positively European experience in all the right ways. They also usually have really interesting artwork on the walls." —J+J |
Cafe Presse (1117 12th Ave; (206) 709-7674; www.cafepresseseattle.com/): "Get the roast chicken and pomme frittes!" —K.B. Ballard Sunday Farmers Market (5330 Ballard Ave NW; (206) 781-6776; ballardfarmersmarket.wordpress.com): "This is probably the busiest market in the city...it's packed with fresh goodness, like: veggies, fruit, locally grown meat, and cheeses. It also houses Patty Pan grill, which is a traveling 10x10 booth full of veggie and vegan tamales and quesadillas. Yum." —J+J Kingfish Cafe (602 19th Ave E; (206) 320-8757; www.thekingfishcafe.com): "Go here for brunch. No one does grits like they do." —K.B. Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Club (1303 NE Boat St; (206) 545-8570; www.aguaverde.com): "They have really good fish tacos and margaritas, plus the deck overlooking the water is great for sunny days." —L.L. Nervous Nellies (1556 NW 56th St; (206) 706-1095): "Amazing Swedish toast, and what amounts to the best coffee, in a neighborhood full of good coffee. Swedish toast is really delicious, plus it's served by a real Swede in a neighborhood with deep Scandinavian roots. Legit." —J+J Mashiko (4725 California Ave SW; (206) 935-4339; www.sushiwhore.com): "Really amazing sushi. Super authentic and made right in front of you. The owner is the main chef and is also hilarious. Get whatever he recommends." —L.L. |
The Redwood (514 E Howell Street; (206) 329-1952; redwoodseattle.com): "Probably my favorite bar I've been to in Seattle thus far. Great vegan selections, free peanuts, a giant painting of a bear and a jukebox filled with Otis Redding, Fleetwood Mac and The Velvet Underground. Added bonus: the flannel-clad bearded babes that frequent the bar!" —M.B. Rancho Bravo Tacos (211 NE 45th St; www.myspace.com/ranchobravotacos): "Hello delicious burritos that you can get until 3AM on the weekends." —M.B. Elysian Brewery (1221 E Pike Street; (206) 860-1920; www.elysianbrewing.com): "A great local brewery, with more than just pub food. The Tofu Salad and Veggie BBQ are favorites of mine. When you go there definitely get the bartender's sampler to taste five of the current beers on tap."—M.B. Honeyhole (703 E Pike Street; (206) 709-1399; www.thehoneyhole.com): "A great sandwich place with an even better crowd. Capitol Hill locals hanging out enjoying cheap beer and hearty sammies." —M.B. Mama's Mexican Kitchen (2234 2nd Avenue; (206) 728-6262; www.mamas.com): "A great Mexican restaurant downtown with giant portions, the Elvis room and outside seating, because it doesn't rain all the time in Seattle." —M.B. Maritime Pacific Brewing Co. (1514 NW Leary Way; (206) 782-6181; maritimebrewery.ypguides.net): "Mini burgers, super thick onion rings and really good beer. Enough said." —L.L. |
La Carta de Oaxaca (5431 Ballard Ave NW; (206) 782-8722; www.lacartadeoaxaca.com): "Authentic Mexican food made by Oaxacans. The homemade mole sauce is a thing of beauty." —L.L. Mike's Chili Parlor (1447 NW Ballard Way; (206) 782-2808; www.mikeschiliparlor.com): "The chili is good, and it comes on everything from spaghetti to hot dogs, but the place and the regulars are even better. It's been there for like a hundred years and you can tell." —L.L. Tamarind Tree (1036 S Jackson St; (206) 860-1404; www.tamarindtreerestaurant.com): "Super amazing Vietnamese food. You can eat like a king for barely anything, plus it feels fancy even though you are in the back of a slightly sketchy international district plaza thing." —L.L. Kauai Family Restaurant (6324 6th Ave S; (206) 762-3469; www.kauaifamilyrestaurant.com): "If this place was more centrally located I would eat there way too much and I would weigh 300 pounds. Hawaiian food at it's finest." —L.L. Six Arms (300 E Pike Street; (206) 223-1698): "A small pub that has a killer tofu burrito. They have a selection of their own beers on tap. The Hammerhead is delicious." —M.B.  |
| Map of locations | ||
| Cafe Besalu (5909 24th Ave NW; (206) 789-1463): "The pastries there rival any Parisian bakery, not kidding." —L.L. |
Vivace (532 Broadway East; (206) 860-2722; www.espressovivace.com): "Probably the best coffee I've had in Seattle, and believe me, I've had my fair share of coffee since moving here. The Americanos are delicious and smooth." —M.B. |
Bauhaus Books & Coffee (301 E Pine Street; (206) 625-1600): "Iced lattes at an outdoor table provide great people watching on sunny days." —M.B. |
| Map of locations | ||
| Blackbird (5410 22nd Ave NW; (206) 547-2524; www.blackbirdballard.com): "Great unisex stuff for the ladies and the best selection of apparel and accessories for men. Hey, I work hard to find the best." —L.L. Space Oddity (5318 22nd Ave NW; (206) 322-6704; www.myspace.com/spaceoddityseattle): "If you like vintage furniture and goods...this is your jam. Amazing selection, and really reasonable pricing as far as Mid-Century goes. Lots of modern stuff, clean, nice lines...also a small heaven for amazing credenzas." —J+J Le Frock (317 East Pine Street; (206) 623-5339; www.lefrockonline.com): "If you have time to paw through this tightly packed treasure box of a store, you will always find the best vintage and contemporary designer scores. The prices are insanely good, too." —L.L. Tuuli of Finland (1407 1st Ave; (206) 223-1112): "The best selection of everything Marimekko, and other super adorable Finnish housewares and goods." —L.L. Pulp Lab (5402 22nd Ave. NW; (888) 706-7857; www.pulplab.com): "This is a really interesting new shop in Ballard...it's a highly-curated, rotating selection of retail and art. Cool stuff." —J+J 20Twenty (5208 Ballard Avenue NW; (206) 706-0969; twentytwentyballard.blogspot.com): "Really well-selected vintage at very reasonable prices. You can save your self a trip to the thrift store and barely spend more. Plus, the rotating art on the walls is always top notch." —L.L. Rhinestone Rosie (606 W Crockett St; (206) 283-4605; rhinestonerosie.com): "For vintage jewelry." —K.B. |
Impulse Boutique (3516 Fremont Place North; (206) 545-4854; totokaelo.com): "Really outstanding women's boutique with hard to find designers and brands. Be careful because you can drop a serious amount of money there without even trying." —L.L. Fantagraphics (7563 Lake City Way NE; (206) 524-1967; www.fantagraphics.com): "Great indie comic books by the local publisher and it is attached to a record store. A good reason to hit up the Georgetown neighborhood in the light of day." —L.L. Kinokuniya Bookstore (525 S Weller St; (206) 587-2477; www.kinokuniya.com): "This place has the biggest selection of foreign books and magazines and is located inside a great Asian supermarket." —K.B. Wall Of Sound (315 E Pine St; (206) 441-9880; www.wosound.com): "What's impressive about Wall of Sound, is that we are familiar with only 20 percent of the music they have on hand at any given time and we ourselves pretty knowledgeable when it comes to music. If this is as exciting for you as it is for us, this is your spot. Great selection of vinyl and zines." —J+J Souvenir (5325 Ballard Ave NW; (206) 297-7116; curtissteiner.com): "Souvenir always has the most beautiful creations made by local artist Curtis Stenier. He always amazes me with his talent." —K.B. Sugar Town (2421 NW Market St; (206) 789-1400; www.myspace.com/sugartownvintage): "Another great vintage spot in Ballard. Always full of hilarious treasures from the '70s and '80s." —L.L. Urban Outfitters (401 Broadway East, (206) 322-1800): "Yes, it's us! Stop by this weekend, when we'll be having a sidewalk sales with lots of goodies up for grabs." —U.O. |
Lamb's Ear Shoes (3516 Fremont Place N; (206) 632-2626; lambsearshoes.com): "This place has the best edited selection of high-end shoes and handbags. Be ready to shop!" —K.B. Juniper (3314 E Spring St; (206) 838-7496; www.juniperinmaadrona.com): "The best in sustainable clothing that is still cutting edge in design." —K.B. Bop Street Records (5219 Ballard Avenue NW; (206) 297-2232; www.spiralvinyl.com): "This is my mecca. There are about half a million records of every genre imaginable. Once you go, you'll have a hard time leaving empty handed, or leaving at all." —M.B. The Anne Bonney (534 Summit Ave E; (206) 382-7845; www.theannebonny.com): "A tiny little shop full of vintage oddities and furniture. They have a great selection and amazing prices. This place is run by Spencer Moody who is a swell guy, and Seattle music mainstay. This space also offers random music, book and poetry readings, and art shows. Awesome!" —J+J Half Price Books (115 Belmont Ave E; 206) 267-7777; halfpricebooks.com): "A great used bookstore that also stocks classic used vinyl. A great place to browse after grabbing your morning coffee." —M.B. Sonic Boom (2209 NW Market Street; (206) 297-2666; www.sonicboomrecords.com): "Another great local record store. Great selection of seven-inches, decent prices on new records and free in-store performances!" —M.B. |
| Map of locations | ||
| Kubota Gardens (9817 55th Ave S; (206) 684-4584; www.kubota.org): "I love to go here and soak up the perfect Zen gardens." —K.B. Olympic Sculpture Park (2901 Western Avenue; (206) 654-3100; www.seattleartmuseum.org): "The sculpture park is a beautiful walk on a nice day and you can walk down to the sound and see the Olympic Mountains in the background." —K.B. Fremont Sunday Market (206) 781-6776): "Tons of vintage collecting vendors and some specializing in highly covetable things like Bakelite bracelets and leather boots. A really great place for vintage housewares and classic old T-shirts." —L.L. Golden Gardens Park (8498 Seaview Place NW; (206) 684-4075): "Usually too cold to swim, but great for bonfires and barbeques. Get ice cream at Little Coney beforehand." —L.L. Gas Works Park (2101 N Northlake Way; (206) 684-4075): "Rad park overlooking Lake Union with a great view of the city. Picnicking there is highly advised." —L.L. |
The Fireside Lounge at the Sorrento Hotel (900 Madison St; (206) 622-6400; www.hotelsorrento.com): "You can order a fancy drink and just lounge on the overstuffed couches by the fire and feel like you've gone back in time 60 years." —L.L. Platform Gallery (114 3rd Ave S; (206) 323-2808; www.platformgallery.com): "Gallery in the Pioneer Square district of Seattle that always shows good work." —J+J Ambach and Rice (5107 Ballard Avenue; (206) 789-6242; www.ambachandrice.com): "Ambach and Rice always has amazing artists on exhibit." —L.L. Cairo Art Gallery (507 E Mercer St; (206) 453-4077; cairocollection.blogspot.com): "Super cool, indie art gallery space that has parties almost monthly." —L.L. Crawl Space Gallery (504 E Denny Way; (206) 201-2441; www.crawlspacegallery.com): "Consistently interesting shows." —J+J |
Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum (325 5th Ave N.; www.empsfm.org): "Two great museums for the price of one. You could literally spend ours in the EMP from the Hendrix exhibit to the Sound and Vision room and the great featured exhibition on The Art of Hatch Show Print. The Science Fiction Museum has a great collection of memorabilia and history of science fiction to satisfy your inner geek. The architecture of the building alone should be enough to get you down there, it was designed by Frank Gehry." —M.B. Cal Anderson Park (1635 11th Ave; (206) 684-4075 ): "When the sun is out in Seattle you can find just about everyone who lives on Capitol Hill hanging out, tanning, picnicking and flying kites at the park." —M.B. Pike's Place Market (85 Pike Street #500): "For a real Seattle visit, come check out the market. The market has a great selection of local products and the people who work down there are amazing." —M.B. |
| Map of locations | ||
| Sambar (425 NW Market St; (206) 781-4883; www.sambarseattle.com): "The drinks here are works of art. This is a super tiny and intimate spot with a dreamy outdoor seating area" —L.L. Hazelwood (2311 NW Market St; (206) 783-0478; www.myspace.com/hazlewoodbar): "Named after musician Lee Hazelwood. Boasts a really well stocked bar, but there's no shame in ordering a canned beer there either." —L.L. The Sloop (2830 NW Market St; (206) 782-3330; www.slooptavern.org): "Known for their super sized Sloop beers, and pool tables, this place has all the charm of the Viking, but we don't recommend hanging out here too late. All those 24 ounce glasses of beer sometimes leads to late-night jerkwads, and unsolicited invitations to fight." —J+J The Copper Gate (6301 24th Ave NW; (206) 706-3292; www.thecoppergate.com): "Recently converted from an extreme dive bar to one of the most creatively designed and decorated bars I know. The bar is a Viking Ship and there are more naked breasts than you can shake a fist at." —L.L. Summit Tavern (601 Summit Ave E # 102; (206) 324-7611; www.summitpublichouse.com): "Tucked away in the Summit neighborhood of Capitol Hill. This is a good ole-fashioned neighborhood bar. If you like roasted pig, you may just luck out, they seem to roast them fairly frequently on Saturday afternoons. Also, people seem to get up really,really early and come drink here on the weekends. Like before-they've-had-coffee early." —J+J |
The Baranof (8549 Greenwood Ave N; (206) 782-9260): "The best kind of dive bar. Half-assed under-the-sea theme, Karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights, and they also sell jello shots for a dollar. The bartenders wear non-ironic dream catcher sweatshirts and have names like Marcia." —L.L. Hattie's Hat (5231 Ballard Ave NW; (206) 784-0175; www.hattieshat.com): "In a constantly changing neighborhood, this place stays the same. Always good, even on the weekend, you know when the amateurs come out...wink, wink." —J+J Nite Lite (2D Virginia St; (206) 448-4852): "The oldest liquor license in Seattle. This is a great dive bar with and an equally great jukebox heavy on the Country Western." —L.L. Twilight Exit (2514 E Cherry St; (206) 324-7462): "This place has moved 3 times because the buildings it's in keep getting torn down, but it hasn't stopped yet. The same bartender has been there for over 7 years....he's rad." —L.L. 9 Pound Hammer (6009 Airport Way S; (206) 762-3373; ninepoundhammer.com): "In the industrial Georgetown neighborhood. You can get peanuts by the bucket and the shells better go on the ground." —L.L. The Saint (1416 E Olive Way; (206) 323-9922; www.thesaintsocialclub.com): "A great selection of tequilas." —K.B.. |
Shorty's (2222 2nd Ave # A; (206) 441-5449; www.shortydog.com): "A great dive bar, with cheap pitchers and pinball machines in the back. Decent hot dogs, outdoor patio and clown decor are definitely bonuses, too." —M.B. Linda's Tavern (707 E Pine Street; (206) 325-1220): "Always packed on the weekends, but the outdoor patio and happy hour make it worth it. $5 pitchers and $1 sliders?! Can't beat it." —M.B.. Flower's Bar & Restaurant (4247 University Way NE; (206) 633-1903): "A gem in the University District. The bartender, William, has a heavy hand. The bar has a great crowd of regulars and drink specials every night. Definitely worth the bus trip." —M.B. Cha Cha Lounge (1013 E Pike Street; (206) 322-0703; www.chachalounge.com): "I have a love/hate relationship with the Cha Cha. I love the cheap PBR, the photobooth and Lucha Libre-themed decor, but in the morning my head hurts and I question why I thought staying until last call was a good idea." —M.B. Roofs (Everywhere): "Go ahead, climb a few. Great views of the city." —J+J  |
