Local Life and Lore in Seattle

Learn the ins and outs of life in Emerald City

By Lauren Vane, FrontDoor.com | Published: 10/30/2008

Lake Washington, bordering Seattle on the east, is the city's largest lake.

INSIDER SECRETS

• Buy a good raincoat, and keep it handy. You never know when it's going to rain in Seattle and you've just got to be ready. Gortex is the buzz word here; it's a waterproof fabric that serves Seattlites well in all seasons.

• Know thy bodies of water. Downtown Seattle sits on Elliot Bay, a saltwater bay in the Puget Sound. To the east of downtown is Lake Union, a freshwater lake separated from the ocean by a locks system. Lake Union connects to Lake Washington, the city's largest lake, by a man-made channel called the Montlake Ship Canal.

• The buses are free to ride throughout the downtown corridor between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Catch the bus in the underground bus tunnel, which also makes for a great cut-through to stay out of the rain or cold.

• In Seattle's Pioneer Square, the street-level windows and doors to most buildings are actually the second story. There's an underground level beneath the street. When a fire destroyed much of downtown in the late 1880s, the city was rebuilt. The underground was used as a hideout during Prohibition and has been featured in many movies. You can tour the underground and even get married there if you want.

• Seattle has two floating bridges across Lake Washington: I-90, which connects south Seattle to Mercer Island, and I-520, which connects central Seattle to Bellevue. Both bridges shoulder a lot of traffic during rush hour.

• The roof on the Seattle Mariners' Safeco field can open and shut in a few minutes, so don't be worried if you have tickets and it's raining. But when the roof is shut, it can get really cold inside the stadium, so bring your jacket.

WHERE THE LOCALS GO

• The Fremont Sunday Market: Every Sunday throughout the year, in all weather, you can find just about anything at the Fremont market. It's a treasure chest for antique collectors. If you come hungry, there's plenty of food vendors.

• Dimitriou's Jazz Alley: Seattle's premier jazz and dinner club in actually located in an alley. This hidden spot boasts some of the top jazz acts. The night of the show, ticketholders line up in the parking garage across from the entrance.

• The St. Demetrios Greek Festival: Buried in the Montlake neighborhood near the University of Washington, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church is a neighborhood treasure. Each September, the church kicks off the start of fall with their annual festival. It's three days of traditional Greek dancing and food.

• Flowers at Pike Place Market: At a fraction of the cost of supermarket or floral shops, you can buy spectacular bouquets at the flower stalls inside Pike Place Market. The selection is seasonal, but you can't beat the deal. Bouquets start around $8 and up.

• Breakfast at Burgermaster: Hardly fancy and easy to overlook, this University District staple is a favorite breakfast spot for Seattle's movers and shakers. The food is good and you never have to wait for a table. The Swedish pancakes are famous.

NEXT: Local Lingo

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