Attitude city guide: Seattle
By Nick Levine
Nick Levine visits the relatively unheralded American city that has plenty to offer the British gay traveller…
Statistics released in September 2013 show that Seattle is now the USA’s number one city for gays in love: some 2.6% of households are gay and lesbian couples, which is a (moustache) whisker ahead of San Francisco at 2.5%. This liberal, laid-back city – whose population is approaching 700,000 – has clearly become a nesting place for loved-up American homos, but it’s also a great destination for the British gay traveller – whether you’re single, attached or somewhere in between.
Seattle is situated in Washington State, in North America’s Pacific Northwest region and has a climate similar to Britain’s, so don’t expect to be sipping gin and juice underneath the palm trees. Instead, Seattle offers a combination of classic city break activities (museums and galleries, shopping, food tours) and outdoor pursuits (kayaking on Lake Union, hiking up nearby Mount Si) in a setting that’s cool and cultured, but less hectic than New York and grungier than LA. Nirvana made it big here, you know. The city’s gay heartland is the Capitol Hill district, a brisk half-hour march uphill from downtown Seattle. Here you’ll find the Seattle LGBT Visitor Centre (which is really useful), cool cafes and loads of gay bars and clubs with a vibe that’s chilled and unpretentious. When I arrived on the first night sporting a vest-top – yes, I was sleeveless in Seattle – I felt pretty out of place among the throng of guys dressed casually in plaid shirts and chunky knits.
HOTELS
Located in the heart of downtown Seattle, The Fairmont Olympic Hotel is the sort of grand old-fashioned
establishment that creates a sense of occasion as soon as you walk in – I even spotted Vanessa Redgrave in the lobby one morning (though one of my fellow guests got a little confused and asked me, “Is that Dame Maggie Smith?” erm, no love). Anyway, The Fairmont Olympic basically has everything you want in a city centre hotel: great location, helpful staff and super-comfortable rooms with bathrooms nicer than the one you – or at least I – have at home.
fairmont.com/seattle
Like your accommodation ultra-modern? Hotel Monaco is a chic boutique hotel with bright, stylish decor and a bit of a playful side: they even provide complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks in the lobby from 5-6pm every day.
monaco-seattle.com
WHAT TO DO
Seattle’s most iconic landmark is the Space Needle, a 605 ft-high observation tower built for 1962’s World Fair. The observation deck, located at 520ft, offers an incredible 360-degree view of the city and is open until at least 11pm every day. If you want to live fancy, there’s a pretty chic restaurant called SkyCity at 500ft.
spaceneedle.com
Once you’ve filled your Instagram with panoramic shots of Seattle, the EMP museum – located just minutes from the Space Needle – is well worth a visit. It’s basically a big modern pop culture hub with current exhibitions including Icons of Science Fiction, Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses and Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film. Great gift shop too, btw.
empmuseum.org
Seattle considers itself a gourmet city and the jewel in its culinary crown is the historic Pike Place Market, one of America’s oldest farmers’ markets, which is open every day and home to over 500 shops, stalls and restaurants. Here you’ll find everything from fresh-caught fish to tropical fruit smoothies, luxury truffle oil to chocolate-covered cherries, and even the first ever branch of Starbucks. Definitely expect to spend a good few hours pottering about (and feel like Martha Stewart on a skive from work while you’re doing so).
pikeplacemarket.org
If you fancy getting out of the city for an afternoon, the picturesque town of Woodinville, a half-hour drive from downtown Seattle, is home to over 90 wineries all wanting you to sample their wares. I went on a guided tour organised by Evergreen Escapes that included complimentary nibbles, a pleasant woodland stroll and of course lots of locally-produced red, white and rosé. Evergreen will pick you up from your hotel and drop you back off again… FIVE AND A HALF HOURS later. *hic*
woodinvillewinecountry.com / evergreenescapes.com
WINING AND DINING
Located a peach stone’s throw from Pike Place Market, must-visit dinner spot Chan serves up delicious American-Korean fusion food. Think spicy pork sliders, deep-fried rice cakes and chilli caramel-glazed chicken wings, all washed down with inventive cocktails like my favourite the Ginger Mandarin Martini.
chanseattle.com
For lunchtime or evening carb-orama, head to Seattle’s finest pizza restaurant Serious Pie, which now dishes out slices from two separate city centre locations. Toppings are delicious and unusual without trying too hard: examples include sweet fennel sausage, roasted peppers and provolone; and soft-cooked eggs, smoked prosciutto, pecorino sardo and rocket.
seriouspiewestlake.com
Gay boys who brunch should definitely try Lola, a popular spot in the centre of town with a fun gossipy atmosphere and an endlessly tempting breakfast menu, available till 3pm at weekends. My pick: a stack of pancakes with pork-maple sausage, vanilla mascarpone and maple syrup. Yum! Don’t be surprised to queue on Sundays.
tomdouglas.com
In this cut-throat modern world of cronuts and duffins, it’s tough for the humble cupcake. The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co, a bespoke bakery close to downtown Seattle, should help you rediscover your fondness for frosting. The flavours are inventive (tomato soup – surprisingly delicious; pancakes ‘n’ bacon – even more so), and owners Tony and Michael are usually on hand to explain how they get their buttercream so silky-smooth.
theyellowleafcupcake.com
DRINKING AND DANCING
If tonight feels like the perfect night to dress up like hipsters, head to trendy gay dive bar Pony, which stays open until 2am seven days a week. The music is indie-leaning but unpretentious – just like the guys.
ponyseattle.com
If you fancy somewhere more mainstream, make a beeline for Purr Cocktail Lounge, a camp, poppy gay bar with a welcoming atmosphere. It’s the sort of place where they’ll restart the video screen if it starts skipping midway through Cher’s Woman’s World (this happened while I was there).
purrseattle.com
If in doubt head to Neighbours, Seattle’s most famous gay club, which is a bit like G-A-Y, only with more hot beardy guys and no sign of Jeremy Joseph. It’s open until 4am on Friday and Saturday nights, 2am every other night.
neighboursnightclub.com
For a more chilled night of chatting and shooting pool try Madison Pub, a large, laid-back drinking hole that locals have affectionately dubbed “the Mad Pub”. It’s basically a big gay sports bar. Think jocks with cocktails.
madisonpub.com
DOWNTIME
City breaks can quickly become exhausting, so once you’ve ticked off a few things on your ‘to do’ list, I’d recommend a visit to the Elliott Bay Book Company. It’s a large and charming independent book store in the gay heartland of Capitol Hill with a cosy cafe and an impressive selection of novels, coffee table tomes and magazines (including Attitude). Keep an eye on your watch, though: it’s easy to potter away here for longer than you realise.
elliottbaybook.com
Also in Capitol Hill: a Starbucks that sells WINE. No lie. It’s located at 1600 East Olive Way and stays open until 11pm from Monday to Sunday, so in theory you could spend an entire day here as long as you don’t mind a diet of paninis and granola pots.