Seattle/Fremont

Seattle's Fremont district, which bills itself as "The Center of the Universe", is known for its quirky atmosphere (although the recent arrival of several major corporate tenants, including Adobe Systems, has somewhat undercut its bohemian image).

To the east of Fremont is Wallingford, a "small town in a big city" with numerous local shops and craftsman bungalows.

By car
Interstate 5 runs along the eastern side of the area; exit at NE 85th St or 7th Ave NE. If coming from Downtown or North Seattle, take Aurora Avenue N (State Route 99), from the University District or Ballard take NE 45th Street, and from Queen Anne take Fremont Ave N.

By bus
Bus routes 5, 62, and 40 all directly service Fremont from Downtown &mdash; additionally, the RapidRide E Line is an express service between Downtown and North Seattle that stops at Aurora Ave/N 46th St, in the northern part of the Fremont area. Route 44 goes east-west along N 45th St between Ballard and the University District, while routes 31 and 32 run east-west directly through Fremont, connecting to the University District to the east and running along the south side of the canal to the west. If coming from the east, take route 62. Route 26 also gets you here from South Lake Union and Northgate Transit Center.

Art
"The Artists' Republic of Fremont" — another of the neighborhood's self-proclaimed titles — has some of the most distinctive public art of any neighborhood in the U.S.


 * Can you find the shoes of the wicked witch? Clue: look near a big rock!
 * Can you find the shoes of the wicked witch? Clue: look near a big rock!

Do

 * The neighborhood also hosts outdoor movies on Friday and Saturday evenings in the summer.
 * There is a Sunday crafts market that is usually outdoors in the summer and in a covered parking lot in the winter.
 * There is an excellent outdoor market on Sundays.
 * There is an excellent outdoor market on Sundays.

Sleep
Not much, though there are nearby options in Ballard and the U-District.