As a college student from out of state, one of the many things I’ve come to appreciate more since starting college is my hometown. I live in a suburb of a beautiful city known as Seattle, Washington, and I couldn’t be more proud to come from such an accepting, culturally diverse, and scenically gorgeous place. Macklemore even said it himself, “My City’s Filthy”. There is no doubt that all us Seattlites at Cal Lutheran share a special bond. We may not have “In N Out” but we have ”Dick’s Burgers”, and we may not have Santa Monica but we have the downtown Piers! Here are 18 of my favorite things about my hometown and I hope someday you can all come and visit to experience this wonderful city!
- The coffee shops on every corner: Seattle is known as a city with a large coffee drinking population. It is, in fact, where the first Starbucks opened! Not only is there a Starbucks on almost every block, but there is also a large selection of small privately owned coffee shops! CafĂ© Ladro and Vivace are two of many that I enjoy going to with friends and hanging out with a cup of coffee!An upward angle perspective of the Space Needle!Â
- The space needle: The space needle to Seattle is like the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. It is designed in the shape of a needle. There is a restaurant on top with a rotating floor and an observation deck where you can see all of the city below. One of my favorite things about the Space Needle is the New Year’s firework show that is held there every year.The 5th Avenue Theater makes for great pictures during the winter when the streets are lined with lights on the trees.Â
- The citywide value of performing arts: It is evident that Seattle values it’s performing arts. The Seattle Symphony and other classical concerts are held at Benaroya Hall, Ballets and Opera’s at McCaw Hall and theatre productions at the 5th Avenue Theater and the Paramount, as well as many other smaller venues. The city gives students plenty of opportunities to experience the arts by offering them discounted tickets and by the Teen Tix program which gives teens tickets for $5. My friends and I like to go out, dress up, see shows, and eat at cheap restaurants downtown!Although the Market is closed at night, the sign is illuminated and beautiful.
Fresh produce being sold in the indoor market.Â
4.  Pike Place Market: This is a lively market on the Western side of downtown where there are interesting shops, bakeries, restaurants and an indoor market selling produce, flowers, paintings and other handmade goods. Pike Place Market is where you’ll also find Seattle’s gum wall and the first Starbucks. Macklemore sings about it in his song “Downtown” and references a tradition where the market workers throw fish in the air; “stop by Pike Place, throw fish to a player” (personal recommendation: Get Mac and Cheese at Beechers there!).White and milk chocolate covered strawberries at the Folklife Festival
5.  All the festivals! There are so many festivals in Seattle that there is always one to look forward to! Many artists perform at the Bumbershoot music festival which takes place every September. The Folklife festival celebrates folk traditions around the world and has SO MANY food vendors and mini shops where you can buy unique products. Many live music and dancing performances take place at this festival. I love going to Folklife every year and I’ve even performed there with my Scandinavian music group! The International film festival also takes place in Seattle at different theaters around the city and plays a multitude of films from different countries and in many different languages! These are only three of many that take place in Seattle every year!Shoutout to Snapchat for the snazzy Fremont filter.
6.  The Fremont neighborhood: Fremont is a lively neighborhood in Seattle along the canal that stretches from lake union into the Puget sound. There you will find many hipster and vintage shops, cultural restaurants and a lively street market every Sunday, not to mention – the famous Fremont “troll” under the aurora bridge. In my opinion Fremont is one of the easiest places to find free public parking in all of Seattle – believe me that is music to any Seattlite’s ears!The 5 Spot! I wish I had taken a picture of the Chicken and Waffle dish they serve! It is the bomb.comÂ
7. Â Hipster restaurants: Seattle has some of the most hipster neighborhood restaurants. One of these restaurants where my friends and I love to hangout is the 5 Spot on Queen Anne Hill. They serve their beverages in mason jars and have a menu that changes periodically and highlights one of 5 regions (hence the name: 5 Spot). There is also a menu that remains constant and serves dishes such as chicken and waffles and other classics. SO HIPSTER!!! Â Â LIFE TIP- Go on the Great Wheel at night! It lights up in different colors (like Santa Monica), and the view of the city at night from the top is STUNNING!
8.  City by the water: Seattle is located right next to the Puget Sound on the Western side and Lake Union divides downtown and the residential north. This means there are places to swim, boat and relax on the beach (if the weather is good). There is a waterfront walk that stretches for a few miles along the Puget sound. The walk leads you to the Piers where some of Seattle’s best seafood restaurants are located! There is also an aquarium, touristy shops and the Seattle Great Wheel (Seattle’s famous Farris wheel). The waterfront is also a famous port for cruises!  Kerry Park! NOTE- Mount Rainier is the mountain peaking in the background! Go visit it!!!!Â
9.  Kerry Park: A beautiful park on Queen Anne Hill with an unbeatable view of the city! Yes, it is on the street where “10 Things I Hate About You” was filmed!!!  Greenlake in the late fall! So many beautiful fall colors there!!!
10. Â Scenic walks: Seattle is home to many beautiful places to get some fresh air and exercise – a package deal in my opinion! Discovery Park on Magnolia Hill has a trail that leads you through forest, takes you along meadows and next to the beach. Greenlake (pictured) is surrounded by a pathway that is a two and a half mile walk around the lake! It is such a beautiful walk – in every season! The Ballard Locks and Carkeek park are two of my other favorite places to walk in Seattle!The red sculpture is visible from far away because it contrasts with its surroundings! Oh so artsy!Â
11. Â Visual Art: The appreciation of visual art is apparent everywhere you go! You will find interesting sculptures at the Olympic sculpture park and many other public parks in the city. Museums such as the Seattle Art museum also showcase interesting art.The EMP building with the space needle’s reflection.Â
12.  Cool Architecture: Seattle is home to many buildings that are architecturally designed to give you the “oh, so aesthetic” effect. The Seattle public library downtown and the EMP building are two of many of these cool looking buildings!  Scandinavian flags in Ballard. Photo courtesy of Ballardpublic.comÂ
13. Â The Ballard Neighborhood: The Ballard neighborhood is really significant to me and my family because of its Scandinavian history. The Nordic Heritage Museum, the Scandinavian bakeries, the Leif Erikson statue, and the flags and mural in the town center are reminders of the Scandinavian influence. Â The View from GasworksÂ
14. Â Gasworks park: A park next to Lake Union with this beautiful view of the city. The Fourth of July festival that takes place here every year is always a great time! Â Â Homegrown is one of many restaurants that serves organic locally-grown food.
15.  It’s sooo easy to find Healthy (and good) food:  Seattle has many restaurants, markets and stores that sell organic, healthy food! There is also a significantly large number of Vegan restaurants there!A rainbow crosswalk on Capitol HillÂ
16.  The accepting environment: Seattle is very socially and politically progressive which yields a very kind and accepting environment. Capitol Hill on the eastern side of downtown is a very prominent place for the LGBTQ community. There are even rainbow crosswalks on this hill! Seattle is also very diverse and is a safe-haven for immigrants! I love that I can walk anywhere and hear different languages being spoken. ​Sunset over the cascade mountains on a warm August eveningÂ
17.  Can someone say “nature”? : Seattle (and Washington in general) is a place where the good outdoors is very much appreciated. In my biased opinion, Washington state is one of the most beautiful places as far as nature goes. The highest mountain peak, Mount Rainier, is visible (on a clear day) from Seattle. The Olympic Mountain Range is also visible when looking beyond the Puget sound. Along with the appreciation of the outdoors comes the very environmentally friendly policies in store here. Seattle is one of the only cities in America that requires composting!  The Space Needle is illuminated in blue and green AKA SEAHAWKS COLORS!!!!
18.  The spirit: Seattle has a very spirited fan-base for its football team, the Seahawks! It’s one of the best teams in the NFL and you do not want to mess with a Seahawks fan! There are many other things I love about Seattle but I would go on for hours if I listed them all! I hope one day you all can visit this beautiful city and experience its wonders for yourself! Thanks for reading!