Seattle/Downtown



Packed between Elliott Bay and the hilly neighborhoods to the east, Downtown Seattle unsurprisingly contains the city's bustling financial and retail district. This is also where many of Seattle's tourist attractions are, including the iconic Pike Place Market, the expansive Seattle Art Museum, the touristy waterfront, and some of the city's most stunning architecture, all within easy walking distance of each other.

By car
Getting in by car is not recommended, due to the congestion and parking problems, but if you have to, these are the main routes to get in:
 * From I-5 northbound, exit either onto James Street (Exit 164) or Seneca Street (Exit 165, on the left side of the road).
 * From I-5 southbound, exit onto Stewart Street (Exit 166), Union Street (Exit 165B) or James Street (Exit 165A).
 * From SR-99 northbound, exit onto Seneca Street.
 * From SR-99 southbound, exit onto Wall Street then turn left onto 5th or 2nd Avenue.
 * From I-90 from the Eastside, continue straight onto the 4th Avenue S exit, then turn left towards Downtown, or exit onto I-5 north and follow the I-5 northbound directions.
 * From WA-520 from the Eastside, exit onto I-5 south and follow the I-5 southbound directions.

By ferry
offer service from Pier 52 of the Seattle waterfront (also known as Colman Dock) to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, which makes for a very fun and scenic ride.

Additionally, the offers service between Pier 50 on the downtown Seattle waterfront and Seacrest Park in West Seattle and to Vashon Island, with amazing views of the city. Fare is $4.75 for adults ($4 with an ORCA card), $2 for seniors/disabled, $4.75 youth ages 6-18 ($3 with an ORCA card), free for children 5 and under.

offers passenger-only ferry service from Pier 50 of the Seattle waterfront to Bremerton, Southworth and Kingston where passengers connect to Kitsap Transit buses on the other side. For going to Port Orchard or Annapolis passengers would transfer to Kitsap Transit's other foot ferry in Bremerton. Washington State Ferries is the only option for going to Bainbridge Island. They go faster than the larger Washington State Ferries.

By public transit
for a list of intercity bus companies serving the Seattle Metropolitan area from Vancouver, BC; Bellingham, Portland, Spokane, Ellensburg, Wenatchee, Yakima and all parts of the state. Downtown is the hub of Seattle's public transit system and almost every neighborhood in Seattle and outlying suburban cities are connected by a direct bus route to Downtown:
 * Community Transit (CT) operates local bus routes within Snohomish County and express buses from downtown Seattle to Lynnwood (402, 421, 422, 425); Edmonds (405, 416); Lake Stevens (425); Everett (510); Mukilteo (417); Marysville (421, 422); Snohomish via Monroe (424), Stanwood (422), and to other places in Snohomish County. Express buses operate only during weekday rush hours with buses going into Seattle in the morning and out to Snohomish County in the afternoon/evenings. Buses board along 4th Ave, Olive Way & Howell St, check website and schedules for boarding locations. During the midday and weekends take the Link Light Rail Line 1 from downtown to Northgate and transfer to ST 512 to Snohomish County. ST 510 and CT 4xx buses do not operate midday and weekends.
 * Island Transit operates local bus routes within Island County (Whidbey Island and Camano Island). From Everett Station, Island Transit goes to Camano Island via Stanwood (412). Passengers can also connect to #3, 411C, 412 bus from CT #422 or 240 in Stanwood to get to Camano Island. From the Clinton Ferry Terminal they go up to Oak Harbor (1); and to Freeland via Langley (60) on Whidbey Island. The nearest transfer points to Island Transit from downtown Seattle are Everett Station, the Clinton Ferry Terminal, and Stanwood.


 * King County Metro buses serve Seattle neighborhoods and the surrounding cities in the suburbs of King County. Fares are $2.50 ($2.75 during the weekday rush hour) and include a paper transfer (or an automatic transfer if you pay using an ORCA card) good for two hours. Buses board on 3rd Ave (both directions); 2nd Ave (SB); and 4th Ave (NB). They also board on some of the east-west streets. Check website and schedules for stop locations for your particular route. They operate the Sound Transit buses to Bellevue (550); Issaquah (554); Redmond (545) and Mercer Island (550, 554) from downtown.
 * Kitsap Transit operates passenger only catarman ferries to Bremerton, Kingston, and Southworth from Pier 50 of the downtown waterfront. Washington State Ferry is still the only thing available for going to Bainbridge Island. Passengers transfer to Kitsap Transit buses from the ferry terminals in Kitsap County and to the following for going further north:
 * Jefferson Transit connects Port Townsend to the Kingston Ferry Terminal (14) and the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal via Poulsbo (7 & 390) as the nearest stops to Downtown Seattle. Kitsap Transit #390 connects the North Viking P&R to the Bainbridge Ferry terminal.
 * Clallam Transit Strait Shot #123 provides a direct route between the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal and Port Angeles via Poulsbo, Discovery Bay, US-101 @ Jamestown, and Sequim. It is a two-hour bus ride from end to end. Check schedules. Connections to Jefferson Transit buses are at Poulsbo Viking Transit Center, Discovery Bay, and Sequim.


 * Sound Transit (ST) provides all-day express bus service from the outlying suburbs and cities/municipalities of the Seattle Area such as Bellevue (550), Everett (510), Issaquah (554), Redmond (545), Federal Way (577, 578) and Tacoma (590, 594, 595). Northbound ST buses board along 4th Ave between Jackson and Olive while southbound buses board along 2nd Ave from Stewart to Yesler. Check ST website and schedules for stop locations of your particular route.
 * The Sounder, a commuter rail service, has lines running south to Lakewood via Tacoma (S-Line) and north to Everett (N-Line) on two separate routes. The Sounder's station is in the King Street Station, at the southern end of Downtown.
 * Pierce Transit (PT) Operates local and regional public transit bus routes in Pierce County. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Fife, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Puyallup, Steilacoom, Tacoma. From downtown Seattle they operate the Sound Transit buses to Tacoma (590, 594, 595); Lakewood (592,594); Dupont (592); Gig Harbor (595), Federal Way (577,578); Puyallup, and Auburn (578). Buses board on along Stewart St & along 2nd Ave, check website and schedules for boarding locations
 * Intercity Transit #620 continues to Lacey and Olympia from SR-512 P&R and the Lakewood Sounder Station in Lakewood.
 * Skagit Transit 90x serves as a continuation from Everett Station to South Mt Vernon P&R, Mt Vernon Skagit Station, and Burlington. Route 80x continues north from Mt Vernon to Bellingham.


 * In addition to buses, Sound Transit also operates the Link Light Rail Line 1, which runs north to Northgate through Capitol Hill and University of Washington. Going south the train goes towards Angle Lake Station in SeaTac via the airport, Tukwila and South Seattle (Rainier Valley). In downtown the light rail runs under 3rd Ave & Pine St with stops in Westlake (5th & Pine, Westlake Mall); University St (3rd Ave & University St); Pioneer Square (3rd & James St); and International District (King St Station on 5th Ave & King St). Construction is underway to extend the Link Light Rail Line 1 from Northgate to Lynnwood and from Angle Lake to Federal Way; and to extend Link Light Rail Line 2 into SODO (South of Downtown Seattle) from Bellevue.
 * The South Lake Union Streetcar connects the Westlake Center in north Downtown to the nearby neighborhood of South Lake Union just to the north. Fare is $2.25 for adults, $1.50 youth, and $1 for seniors.
 * The Seattle Center Monorail makes a direct connection between Westlake Center and the Seattle Center north of Downtown, which is home to the Space Needle. One-way tickets are $2.25 for adults, $1 seniors/youth; transfers or ORCA cards are not accepted.

Get around
Seattle's downtown is quite compact, and avenues (running NW to SE, parallel to the waterfront) are hill-free and can easily be walked. However, streets (running NE to SW) can be extremely steep. When your feet are tired, hop onto the Metro buses for a break.

A rule of thumb to remember the downtown street names, from Yesler Way to Westlake Park, is the mnemonic "Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest", as the streets are named as six first-letter pairs of these words (Jefferson & James, Cherry & Columbia, Marion & Madison, Spring & Seneca, University & Union, Pike & Pine).

Buy
Most of the district's retail is situated around Westlake Station, roughly in an area bordered by 3rd and 8th Avenues, Olive Way and University Street. Brand-name clothing and outerwear are the main draws: the flagship Nordstrom department store dominates the high-end, and the adjacent Macy's serves a more midrange market. Westlake Center has many well-known shops and a food court, and a handful of outlet stores for brands like Columbia and Mountain Hardware are nearby.

Pike Place Market is a tourist attraction, and a place to buy souvenirs and groceries.



Eat
Many of the best eating options in Seattle can be found downtown, primarily at the Pike Place Market and in the Belltown neighborhood.

Pike Place Market
The shops around Pike Place Market are an excellent place to grab some cheap eats. Pick up some bread, cheese, sausage and smoked meats and have a picnic on the park at the north end of the Market, or get a cup of coffee and sit at a table on the sidewalk.

Bars and taverns
The Belltown neighborhood is an excellent place for barhopping, particularly along 2nd Ave.

Sleep
If you're staying in Seattle, you're very likely to stay in Downtown, as here is where most of the city's accommodations are offered. Most splurge options are in the area surrounding the Pike Place Market or Westlake, while most budget options can be found in the Belltown neighborhood.

Connect
Cellphone signals are strong throughout Downtown, save for in the Downtown Transit Tunnel. Wi-Fi connectivity is available at most coffee shops. The Seattle Central Library has lightning-speed plug-in and wireless internet connections.

Stay safe
Downtown Seattle has a sizable population of homeless people (many neighborhoods have forced their homeless into Seattle's downtown core), and while many beg for change and some seem unstable, only a few are actually dangerous. It is worthwhile to be careful after dark in some areas around the downtown core. Some places to watch your back near major tourist areas include Belltown, between Pine and Pike Streets in Downtown, around Pioneer Square and the King County Courthouse; and SODO and International Districts, south of Downtown, where you'll want to beware of drug dealers and beggars.

Go next

 * A short ride by rail or bus takes you to Pioneer Square and International District, the Georgetown neighborhood, and South Seattle.
 * A ride by the South Lake Union Streetcar or the monorail will take you to the districts of Queen Anne and South Lake Union
 * A short walk away to the other side of the Interstate 5 is the hip district of Capitol Hill.