Seattle Travel Guide
3/05/2008 at 11:30 AM
Tags: Green Travel, Active Travel (all tags)
Commuter cyclists may brag about how far they ride each day, but few can lay claim to pedaling over open saltwater to get to work. Nat Hong is among those few. He makes daily jaunts across Washington state's Puget Sound, cutting an 80-mile round-trip drive into a 12-mile pedal-powered cruise.
According to The Seattle Times, Hong's commute is quite a process. Every morning he leaves his home on Bainbridge Island and hops aboard a HydroBike for a mile-long ride across the Sound, and then straddles another bicycle for the final few miles to his job in Bremerton.
The HydroBike has two polyethylene pontoons on the sides for stability and buoyancy--and they aren't that cheap, running just over $1,400. For something that reaches a max speed of about 6 mph, that might sound a little steep. But then again, these days it costs more than $30 just to gas up a Civic. Check out a photo of some HydroBike warriors post click.
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by benh
1/24/2008 at 11:28 AM
Tags: Coffee Shops, Starbucks Alternatives, Free WiFi, WiFi (all tags)
Seattle is probably the most caffeinated city in the world, and baristas at independent coffee shops all over the city will sling you some of the finest joe you've ever had. So skip the birthplace of Starbucks, and head to Cafe Allegro in the University District.
Established in 1975, it's the oldest espresso bar in Seattle and is the perfect spot to huddle up with a book during the rainy months. The bare-brick walls and worn wooden storefront give Allegro a character that can't be replicated. All the coffee is fair trade and organic, and is roasted locally by a guy named Neal at Brown's Coffee. Espresso drinks are pulled and poured with finesse, and served without pretension.
With an upper level that hosts monthly poetry readings and an outdoor deck that faces the lush University of Washington campus, the cafe is also a great spot to unplug and make some new friends. (Allegro also has free WiFi if you're feeling antisocial.)
A little known fact about the cafe building is that it used to be a mortuary! Take notice of the drain in the center of the back room; they say that's where the blood pooled. But don't let that ruin your appetite 'cause the almond croissants are delicious.
Related Stories:
· Cafe Allegro [Official Site]
· Brown's Coffee [Official Site]
· Starbucks Alternatives coverage [Jaunted]
· Seattle Travel coverage [Jaunted]
by benh
1/23/2008 at 10:00 AM
Tags: Broadway Shows, Movie Set Travel, Shrek, Theater (all tags)
Theatergoers in New York can't seem to get enough of large-scale adaptations of children's movies like "Mary Poppins" and "The Lion King." Dreamworks' star franchise "Shrek" will get the Broadway treatment this year, with the director of saucy smash "Avenue Q" behind the wheel.
The plot of the musical will roughly follow the first (and best) "Shrek" movie. Casting hasn't begun yet, but the show will open first in Seattle (also the out-of-town launch pad for "Young Frankenstein" and "The Little Mermaid") in August, followed by an official Broadway bow in November.
We hear the Broadway Threatre, currently home to "The Color Purple," will be Shrek's new swampy lair... but that's just a rumor.
Related Stories:
· Musical "Shrek" to Debut in Seattle [Seattle Times]
· Broadway Shows coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: charleylhasa]
by egw
1/17/2008 at 12:00 PM
Tags: Music Travel, Live Music, Seattle-Music-Venues, Music Venues (all tags)
A reincarnation of the early-'90s Seattle music venue Moe's Mo' Rockin' Cafe, Neumo's returned to the city in fall 2003, picking up where it had left off the previous decade. Original Moe's founder Jerry Everard teamed up with another local venue owner to take back Moe's original space, which had been used as a disco, several clubs, and even a video arcade, since it closed its doors in 1997.
Today, Neumo's hosts bands like uber-hipsters The Teenagers and punk legends Neurosis and Converge. Despite a few unlikely appearances (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) on its calendar, Neumo's has stayed true to its underground rock roots: Moe's did, after all, play host to the Flaming Lips and Radiohead in its early days.
The venue, located in Seattle's Capitol Hill area, has gotten nothing but glowing reviews from Seattle's local press. In addition to praise for its layout (one writer claims you can get an unobstructed view of the stage no matter where you stand), the venue also scored props for its gig selection.
Local writer Geoff Carter summed it up:
Its bookings are among Seattle's most righteous and run the gamut from old-school punk to new-school power-pop with stops nearly everywhere in-between.
Related Stories:
· Neumo's [Official site]
· Seattle Music Venues Map [Jaunted]
· Live Music coverage [Jaunted]
by laurenuta
11/02/2007 at 3:30 PM
Tags: Missed Connections, Bars, Restaurants (all tags)
When we were in the sixth grade, we thought Seattle must be the coolest place on earth. A later visit confirmed this initial impression was correct, as we jammed with an imaginary band at the Experience Music Project and visited the world's first Starbucks.
Right now, it's probably warmer than most places at similar latitudes--although probably not sunnier--and it's still a city that reeks of cool. Meet someone at one of these places, then ride the SLUT to romantic bliss:
Coastal Kitchen -- Enjoy the catch of the day while "catching" someone with nice tattoos and big blue eyes. 429 15th Avenue East
Linda's Tavern -- You don't need to have Groucho glasses on to see the good value of the pitchers (plus biscuits and gravy!) at this nouveau-Western bar. 707 E. Pine St.
Julie's Garden -- This Chinese restaurant (also featuring excellent pho) inspired the Craigslist post with the funniest title we've ever seen. Here's hoping someone finds moustache love this weekend. 81 Yesler Way
Related Stories:
· Coastal Kitchen [Official Site]
· Julie's Garden [Official Site]
· Missed Connections coverage [Jaunted]
· Seattle Hotels [HotelChatter]
[Photo of Linda's Tavern: stefanotis]
by egw
10/30/2007 at 9:30 AM
Tags: Seattle-Music-Venues, Music Travel, Live Music (all tags)
The Showbox at the Market sits comfortably in Pike Place Market, the city's most tourist-friendly stretch of shops and fish mongers. Since opening in 1939, the venue has hosted icons like Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters and the Ramones. It also provided a venue for now-well-known Seattle-based acts like burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee and Pearl Jam. Today, the guitars are out and DJs and drum machines are in: The Showbox is the best place in Seattle to catch hip hop.
Before the latest Method Man concert, fuel up on food and drink right at the venue. The Green Room is an adjacent bar and diner open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 pm to 2 am, or anytime there's a show. It pays to get there early: you can't beat the happy hour specials.
Related Stories:
· Showbox at the Market [Official Site]
· Live Music coverage [Jaunted]
· Seattle Music Venues coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Kevin Crumbs]
by ced138
10/23/2007 at 10:00 AM
Tags: Airports, SeaTac Airport, Christmas, Holiday Travel (all tags)
Arborial encore? Not this year...
After making headlines for all the wrong reasons, SeaTac Airport has already released its plans for the upcoming holiday season: They're nothin' but secular. Seems a little early to announce the plans, until you remember last year's dust up.
Upon seeing a bunch of Christmas trees last December, a rabbi asked that a menorah be included in the display. Rather than face legal wrangling or deal with requests to add nods to other religions, SeaTac scrapped its whole "holiday tree" display. Everyone chimed in on the debate, which continued over a long weekend before the airport decided it would bring the trees back.
This time around, it should be pretty hard for anyone to get offended. Plans call for artificial birch trees, synthetic snow, images of Mount Rainier and the San Juan Islands. Actually, that kind of offends us, but not because it's without religious iconography. The whole thing just sounds so boring and ugly--spice it up SeaTac!
Related Stories:
· Holidays May Bring Harmony at SeaTac [USA Today]
· Trees Return to Seattle Airport [Jaunted]
· Seattle Airport Takes Down Trees [Jaunted]
[Photo: josiehen]
by pbb
10/18/2007 at 3:01 PM
Tags: Best-Raw-Bars-Map, Restaurants, Oysters (all tags)
Shucking season is here, and we're searching for the top raw bars. Our map has the exact locations of the best briny bivalves.
While San Fran's Swan has its share of devotees, we could never overlook the best place on the West Coast for oysters: Seattle. And while we know it's a bit touristy, Elliott's Oyster House deserves all those guidebook mentions. With a deck overlooking Elliott Bay, there's no better place to order a platter and enjoy the Emerald City.
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by pbb
