It's funny that the first settlers named the city New York, because I compared the two cities frequently during the trip. The similarities between them are obvious (at least in my eyes): intellectuals are in abundance, foodies have many choices, culture and diversity is appreciated and celebrated, iconic landmarks are present and each city is made up of very distinct and different areas. Where they differ is the pace of each cities' inhabitants. Seattle is much more laid back than New York. The people seem friendlier and things seem to move at a more relaxed and "chill" manner. Don't get me wrong, I love visiting New York, but it's not a place that I would consider living. However, I could see myself living in Seattle. There's something about the Pacific Northwest and Seattle specifically that's very appealing. Maybe it was the fact that I was visiting during my anniversary with my wife or that we had wonderful weather and we were able to experience a lot that the city had to offer. Regardless, I really connected with the city and I feel as if I was really able to take in the environment and surroundings.
Our stay was split into two areas (Belltown and Downtown). It didn’t matter a great deal because Seattle
is a very easy city to get around in and the hotels were literally a few miles
apart on the same street. Walking to
various locations is very feasible and for areas that are a little farther from
your accommodations, the bus is a cheap and easy mode of public transportation. All it takes is a little consulting of the King County Metro Transit
website and you will have the entire trip planned out for you. During specific times of the day and year, the
bus is free within a set downtown Seattle Radius. We began our trip in Belltown, a cool, little
neighborhood featuring some fabulous dining spots and interesting boutique
shops. It’s within walking distance of
Pike Place Market, the Seattle Waterfront and Seattle Center. One of the gems of that neighborhood was our
hotel, The Ace Hotel. The Ace is a hip, boutique hotel which occupies a historical building.
The décor can be described as hip, funky, Pacific Northwest chic. The pricing is outstanding for a downtown
Seattle hotel and the staff will recommend cool spots that won’t be found in a
guidebook or by your fancy hotel concierge.
If you’re ever in Seattle, I highly recommend staying there. A few other cool spots to visit in the
Belltown area are Macrina Bakery, Local 360 and Bedlam Coffee.
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| Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Film: Impossible Project PX100 UV+ Test Film |
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| Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Film: Impossible Project PX100 UV+ Test Film |
On our very first night in Seattle, we did the touristy
thing and headed over to the Space Needle.
If you weren’t aware, the Space Needle is currently celebrating its 50th
Anniversary. It was built in 1962 as the
symbol of the World’s Fair which eventually lead to it being the symbol of
Seattle. It’s one of the most
recognizable structures in the world and is worth seeing in person. The ride up to the top is bit of a tourist
trap, but it’s worth doing once to see the Seattle skyline from a 360 degree
view. As a photographer, it’s hard to
approach a subject so iconic because it’s been “photographed to death” by
countless individuals. However, I tried
to use my unique approach to photography as well as draw inspiration from Zeb Andrews’ Eiffel Tower series to shoot the Space Needle differently. I was happy with what I was able to capture.
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| Camera: Canon AE-1P Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 |
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| Camera: Canon AE-1P Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 |
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| Camera: Canon AE-1P Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 |
Our first full day in the city began on a bike. We took a two hour bike tour
of the city, visiting many different areas like Pioneer Square, the
International District and the Seattle Waterfront. Our guide also provided us with a great deal
of history about Seattle and the various areas that we saw. It was a great tour, but buyers beware when
biking in Seattle; the hills are killer.
From a couple that usually bikes an average of 10 miles per bike ride,
we thought it would be rather easy.
Trust me, you find out how flat Ohio is after biking in Seattle. After our tour, we walked a few blocks to
Pike Place Market. It was super crowded
(as it was every time we passed it) and loaded with tourists but it featured
some of the freshest fruit, vegetables, seafood, flowers and goods you can
find. We picked up a few lunch items,
including some amazingly delicious peaches, and enjoyed lunch while overlooking
the waterfront. We did some shopping and
stopped back at the hotel; from there we headed to another area called
Ballard. Ballard is off the beaten path
in Seattle and is an old railroad/shipping town. We didn’t spend much time there, but we were
treated to some authentic Comida Tipica Mexican food at Senor Moose. If you like authentic Mexican, then this hole in the wall restaurant is definitely a place to look up. After scoring a table upon arrival, the
place was at capacity and there was a steady 35-45 minute wait for patrons from the moment we were seated until after we left. It was also voted best
Mexican Restaurant in 2012 by Seattle Weekly as well as Best Margarita. Believe me; it lived up to the hype. Afterwards, we then headed to the super hip
Capitol Hill neighborhood for drinks and dessert at an ultra cool prohibition
style bar named Tavern Law.
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| Camera: Polaroid 440 Automatic Land Camera Film: Fuji FP-100C |
Our last two days in Seattle were packed with
activities. After some antiquing on the
waterfront, we hopped a ferry to Bainbridge Island. Bainbridge is a 30 minute ferry ride from
Seattle and is about 28 square miles and has a population of a little over
23,000 people. To give you an example of
its’ size, Manhattan is about 23 square miles in size but has a population of
about 1.6 million. It’s a little bigger than NYC, but with only 1% of the
population. The community is vibrant,
artsy and quaint. The town center,
Winslow, is bustling with boutiques, shops, bistros, cafes, galleries and
museums. It’s a great place to spend a
day. After exploring on foot, we decided
to rent bikes for the afternoon and make the trek to an organic distillery about
2.5 miles away from the town center.
Again, we were faced with the harsh reality of Washington State hills.
It took us 45 minutes to get the distillery and we were exhausted. The distillery, Bainbridge Organic Distillers,
was a fun pit stop. While their operation
is small and they’re still trying to perfect their formulas, they have managed
to create a gin that is very distinctive and they have a waiting list for their
whiskey, which was still aging in the barrels.
After a few samples and a bike ride back to the ferry, it was time to
head back to Seattle for the evening.
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| Camera: Canon AE-1P Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 |
Our last day was spent exploring, shopping, eating and
drinking in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
We briefly explored this area when grabbing a drink at Tavern Law, but
this time we had more time and were able to explore it in daylight. Like other areas of Seattle, Capitol Hill is
situated on a hill and is east of the central business district. This neighborhood is very hip and reminds me
a lot of the Lower East Side in NYC. If
you’re looking for a variety of things to do and a vibrant night life, then
this neighborhood is the perfect place to spend your time. After a fulfilling brunch at Oddfellows,
vinyl, book and vintage shopping, coffee and espresso at Espresso Vivace and a
few brews at Elysian Brewing Co., we headed to the Bumbershoot festival. This is Seattle’s annual Labor Day Music and
Arts Festival. It’s a three day event
that features countless music acts (including some fairly big names),
comedians, arts and food vendors. We had
a great time at the festival and were able to watch sets from City and Colour
and M. Ward. It was the perfect end to
our wonderful trip.
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| Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Film: Impossible Project PX70 Cool |
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| Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Film: Impossible Project PX70 Cool |
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| Camera: Polaroid SX-70 Film: Impossible Project PX70 Cool |
After a morning coffee run at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, it
was time to hop a cab to the airport and head back to Ohio. In my research for the trip, I came across a
quote from an article by Travel + Leisure’s Gary Shteyngart. He was writing about a recent trip to the
city and a waitress said to him: “You
have to leave it to love it.” I think
that quote sums up Seattle – you don’t know how magical it is until after
you’ve visited. Being with the right
people helps, but there’s just something about this city. It will stick with you and that’s greater
than any souvenir you can purchase.
That’s how traveling should be; the feeling and memories of your short
time in locations and destinations should resonate with you longer than the
magnet or trinket you brought back home.
Embrace the city, become part of the local culture and reflect
often. It’s the true essence of travel
and you’ll never forget.
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| Camera: Canon AE-1P Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 |
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