Widely acknowledged for unleashing Starbucks upon the world and seeing the rise and fall of grunge legend Kurt Cobain, Seattle is more than just San Francisco's rainy, northern cousin. The seaport city sits among stunning natural surroundings and is incredibly progressive. This forward-thinking mindset, whereby good old American hospitality is combined with an earnest hippie attitude and a mature approach towards sustainable living, means that what many would consider alternative is actually just the norm.
Everything in this town seems to have been stuck with a 'locally sourced' or 'ethically traded' sticker and residents are damn proud of it. With its lively markets, thriving East Asian communities, excellent coffee houses and a small, but very cool hipster scene, Seattle is a great base from which to explore the Pacific Northwest or frankly, just chill out.
Get a haircut - Coupe Rokei
Getting a new coif may not be the first activity on a traveller's list, but it's a great way to experience the local hospitality and get some great chat and tips from your stylist. Universally chipped as the best hair cut in town, this precision salon's strength lies in the ability to please an unusually wide range of tastes (a woman in her 60s gets a trim next to me while next to her, a bodacious blonde gets her highlights topped up). My stylist, a drummer by night, sports tattoos, a Andrew WK t-shirt and recommends his favourite gay dive bar with a 70s theme while snipping my bob into an asymmetrical "non-soccer mom cut".
• 1923 1st Avenue, (206) 443-4646
Get out of town – Snowshoeing with Evergreen Escapes
You'd be silly to visit Seattle without uncovering its dazzling wilderness. Try your hand at nature spotting and snowshoeing in the Snoqualmie Pass area with Evergreen Escapes, a wonderful independent tour operator based in Seattle. They will bundle you up in the necessary gear, feed and water you and set you off on a route based on the conditions of the day. The trips are designed for all levels and the guides are down to earth, knowledgeable and totally hospitable.
• 900 1st Avenue, (206) 650-5795
Dine on soul food – The Kingfish Café
The Kingfish is a swanky yet unpretentious soul food kitchen in a residential part of trendy Capitol Hill. The venue's theme draws on the African American family's rich tradition of hard work: the walls are adorned with black and white images of ancestors including a great aunt, born a slave in 1850 to third cousin poet, Langston Hughes. Go with an empty stomach and fill up on catfish, fried chicken, collard greens, and mac n' cheese.
• 602 19th Avenue East, (206) 320.8757
Get a tattoo – Super Genius
Of course it comes down to your own personal preference, but Super Genius, the subterranean Pike Street tattoo studio headed up by artist Damon Conklin, stands out among its peers. Featuring nine artists with varying specialities, most styles and tastes will be catered to. The staff is friendly and generous. Artist Rich comes highly recommended; his shading work and dexterity with the gun is simply out of this world – plus he tends to work late.
• 1017 E Pike St., (206) 322-1630
Go coffee tasting – Stumptown and Caffé Vita
As you might imagine, Seattleites take their coffee very seriously – in fact, a double espresso shot is custom for all hot drinks. When it comes to the best beans, there's a toss-up between two roasters in the cool Capitol Hill area. Walk into either Stumptown (1115 12th Avenue) or Caffé Vita (1005 East Pike Street) and you'll be struck by the intense scent of jet-fuel espresso brewing. Vita was my preference for taste. Their One Pot project sees the company's ownership heading out on coffee souring missions to the likes of Ethiopia and Sumatra. Stumptown Coffee Roasters, based in Portland, sources its beans through direct trade, making a serious mark on the coffee game through the will to pay high prices for excellent quality coffee.
Go shopping – The Field House
Streetwear connoisseurs that have moved on to the work-wear heritage look should head straight to Ballard for The Field House - an ode to the time-honoured American general store. Its great layout features rusted army beds piled high with carefully crafted pillows, bags, thermoses, lamps and even groceries. They regularly offer classes in cooking, wood chopping and other useful trades from times of yore.
• 5465 Leary Avenue, open every day 10 to 7
Slurp down noodles – Tamarind Tree
Set among your standard set of pho and dim sum houses in Seattle's International District (read: Chinatown in most cities, but including Pilipino, Japanese, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian communities), locals love this Vietnamese eatery, with its tropical orange walls and floppy banana trees that separate tables of lively punters. Stuff your face with the house's fantastic fresh rolls, exploding with crunchy tofu skin, crisp lettuce and tangy pieces of jicama; the buns are great too.
• 1036 South Jackson Street, (206) 860-1404
Catch a gig – Neumos
With its theatrical red velvet draping, stellar sound system and great balcony views, Neumos is a distinguished live music venue and the place for checking out new bands from both Seattle and elsewhere. As the management take much pride in their diverse programming - featuring all sorts from Ween to Dizzy Rascal - it's unquestionably worth a peek.
• 925 East Pike Street, (206) 709-9442
Get a foot massage – Imperial Foot Massage
Kick back in giant red leather armchairs and treat your tootsies to some pampering. Imperial Foot Massage is a favourite post-dinner spot for relaxing Seattleites who drop in to the traditional Chinese massage parlour on South Jackson Street, for their 30 minute foot rub-down for a mere $15USD. It's open until midnight every day, and thus an ideal stop after a day of exploring.
• 900 South Jackson Street, (206) 903-0878, Open to midnight everyday
Getting there
• Icelandair offers flights to Seattle via Reykjavik for only £480. A stopover in Iceland for up to 7 nights costs no additional airfare
Accommodation options include:
• The luxurious Hotel Ändra (2000 4th Avenue, (206) 448-8600 hotelandra.com, doubles from $135 excluding tax) for 315-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and soft alpaca headboards.
• The minimalist Ace Hotel (2423 1st Avenue, acehotel.com, (206) 448-4721, doubles from $105 excluding tax) for Shepard Fairey artworks in your wall.
• The Treehouse Point treehouse hotel 25 minutes outside the city, from $195 a night including continental breakfast.
• For B&Bs and self-catering rentals see seattlebedandbreakfast.com
• This article was amended on 5 February 2010. Caffé Vita was incorrectly spelt as Caffé Vita. This has been corrected.
