Home of The Hat n' Boots a Seattle Land Mark from the past.... Needless to say I appreciate the…read moresmall park in Georgetown that's wedge between BOEING and the Freeway.... We all still need some urban green space to roam on this planet. Not sure I'd wander around in bare feet since unsavory people have been know to consume drugs in the park but it's great to grab your lunch at nearby Calozzi's Cheesesteaks and gobble it up on a sunny day. The giant red hat & monstrous pair of boots use to belong to a local gas station that closed decades ago.. Cool gimmick for getting you to gas up, yet now will stand the test of time at OXBOW PARK for all to enjoy..

Oxbow Park is located in the historical Georgetown neighborhood and is home to the well known Hat…read moreand Boots! This park is very, very small and you basically only come here for the sculptures....unless you live in the area in which case there's a small p-patch for the local community. Not exactly worth a special drive BUT the neighborhood itself is lovely! Lots of historical homes with really interesting architecture!

Loved it here. Such a great place…read more I was looking for gardens with trails and found this place. It was relaxing and quiet. I loved it. I highly recommend stopping here if you're looking for scenic views.

Lovely gardens. Peaceful and Serene. Our guide Ellen very knowledgeable. Spring time is beautiful…read morewith the trees and flowers. Private parking so easy to park and it's free to visit.

This building is a work of art. Coupled with its services and amenities, this library is now my…read morefavorite in the United States. It's a dynamic public space, open 10am-6pm every day (and until 8pm Tuesdays-to-Thursdays). There's a community bulletin board, art to appreciate, board games to borrow (to play there, not takeaway), an auditorium, computers to browse the web, plenty of power outlets, DVDs to rent, and a cute gift shop ($1 book deals!). Plenty of seating, free Wi-Fi, restrooms. There's a filtered water dispenser (bring a water bottle!). To my surprise, there's a cafe ("Howdy Y'all Coffee", open all week except Sundays) on-site. Oh, there are books too. Recommendation: Visit the 10th floor! It has a huge naturally-lit reading room. A serene oasis in downtown Seattle.

One of the most beautiful libraries in the U.S. is this 11-story masterpiece on a hill overlooking…read moreSeattle and the water. There's an underground parking garage or simply walk there since it's in downtown Seattle. Clear signage throughout is helpful in wandering 10 floors of thousands of books, maps, and more. There's plenty of seating, a gift shop, a cafe, reading rooms, computers, and more. Outlets for charging are everywhere. If you love travel, their travel section is among the best I've seen. Spend an hour walking up stairs or using the elevator to see the stunning architecture and views of the city.

Soooo weird but so cool lol This is a must do when visiting…read moreSeattle, as much as it's so gross to think about I just had to come experience it and it didn't disappoint.. We came prepared with lots of bubble gum thanks to my long time friend Emma who lives in Seattle and has been the best tour guide ever!! After looking at all the gum and unique ways people placed there's I decided to blow a bubble and leave it while my hubby left his hanging lol Fun memories made, definitely come see this alley way full.of gum that you won't see anywhere else in the world.

A little bit disgusting but fun at the same time. Lol! It is located on the street below the big…read morePublic Market Center sign. We purchased gum from the window of the shop at the entrance of the gum alley. After a few minutes of chewing, we were ready to add our contributions. Haha! We went on a Monday around noon and it wasn't crowded at all.

I love a sculpture garden. I grew up in the DC area so was super excited to see the same metal tree…read morethere in Seattle. They also seemed to have the iconic face sculptures that most sculpture gardens I've visited tend to have (re: Chicago and DC). My best friend and I walked to this from our hotel. It seems that they have mini golf this summer which was really cute. There were different art installations that you could hit a golf ball to. We just observed. It looks like a fantastic park to read a book or have a picnic. The Chinese zodiac heads were my favorite. I'd recommend checking this spot out.

The renovations to this park has been great! It's great having different paths for cyclists and…read morepedestrians. The beaches are more accessible. The natural flora are beautiful. There are also a lot more seats and picnic tables. My only gripe is the lack of bathrooms. There's one up at the top of the park but the next one is further in the park where Cafe Hagen has opened up. I'm glad that cafe opened up because there needed to be a food option. But the bathrooms are disgusting. They've only been open for a month and it's the only bathroom in the park. They need to do A LOT more cleanings. The staff at the cafe was mostly friendly except the Asian girl that worked on Saturday. She seemed more interested in chatting with her friends than serving customers. It's a shame considering the other staff members were friendly. I hope these are resolved soon. Otherwise the park is beautiful. Just plan your bathroom breaks.

This tour made me so happy. Kevin and Russ were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and their passion (and…read morenerdiness) for the public arts was infectious and endearing. I'll never walk over another hatch cover the same again. I'm excited to go home and see what's beneath my feet there. I would highly recommend this off the beaten path tour to anyone and i'll be happy to do it again the next time i'm back in Seattle. Thanks guys!

I am always looking for low cost, less formal ways to learn about places I either live in or visit…read moreand have done many free tours both in Seattle and while traveling. I learned about this tour from a friend and I think it's fairly new. At any rate, interesting tour. Not your typical here's the city and these are some of the landmarks and here are some fun facts. The difference is this tour was focused around the public art that can be seen everyday along the streets and sidewalks, built into the infrastructure, in the form of manhole covers or hatches as they are referred to. The folks conducting the tour included information of the various artistic manhole covers, combining it with first hand information from the artists and discussed the history of the work and how it fits into the identity of Seattle. They also provide information on the history of the city and how Seattle became the city you see as you take the tour. Pretty neat concept exploring aspects of the city that folks often take for granted as they pass by. Another fun fact about this tour is that it evolved out of an art project. I thought that was particularly interesting. Some of the prints, etc are pretty cool and again not what you would typically expect or encounter from one of these free tours. I'd recommend this tour to anybody to who wants to learn more about the history of Seattle, who appreciates public art or art in general and who has a free hour or so on a Saturday morning.

This place turned out to be one of the most enjoyable stops during my visit. The atmosphere is…read morewelcoming, the space is well maintained, and everything feels organized and easy to enjoy. There is a fantastic variety of pinball machines along with several classic arcade favorites that bring back a lot of nostalgia. What really stands out is the opportunity to spend as much time as you want exploring and playing different games without constantly worrying about additional costs. The staff keeps everything running smoothly and creates a comfortable environment for guests. The location is also convenient, making it easy to add to a day of exploring the surrounding area. Whether you're a longtime fan of arcade games or just looking for something different to do, this is a fun and memorable place worth visiting.

Really nice little spot. Decided to check this place out while I was in town. Glad I did. Staff was…read morereally professional and friendly. Great selection of pinball machines and select old school arcade games like pacman and donkey kong. What's great about this pace is that you can play the whole time they are open for free and they offer beer. Nice and clean interior. What's also cool is that they are in the heart of Chinatown/Japantown. Definitely have to come back. One of my favorite spots so far.

Nice historical "skyscraper" with great views of Seattle as well. They've preserved most of the…read morehistory and it still uses the original elevator (albeit with some modern improvements) so there's a few rooms of self-guided "museum" to visit as well on your way up to the observation deck. It is definitely not as tall as Sky View or the Space Needle, but is much less crowded and still offers amazing 360 views. It's also cool that there are people who still work in the historic building! They don't open before noon, so plan accordingly. Staff was super friendly and upbeat, and you do need an entry ticket to get to the observation deck bar/restaurant. If you go early on a weekday, you basically get the place to yourself for a little bit, which is super cool. Worth a visit if you're in the area!

This was actually my second time visiting the Smith Tower, but it was my boyfriend's first and…read moresince he's already been up the Space Needle, I wanted to show him that this historic spot also offers some seriously cool views of Seattle. What's even more impressive is that at one point, Smith Tower was actually the tallest skyscraper in the West! One thing I love about this place is how well they've preserved its old-school charm, especially the elevators. They still have an operator who manually controls the lift, and there's even a display of the original green Otis elevator motor in the lobby, the same kind that powered the elevators for over a century! The operator told us there's a tenant who lives above the observatory, which blew my mind. The rent was originally a whopping $17,000 a month, but the tenant apparently negotiated down to $14,000 since there's no A/C up there. Talk about living in style with a historic discount! Once you reach the top, there's a bar where you can grab a cocktail and enjoy the view. As you walk around the observatory deck, there are plaques pointing out different Seattle landmarks, so you can easily spot everything from Mt. Rainier to Lumen Field and Lake Washington. It makes the 360 deg view even more interactive and helps you appreciate just how much of the city you can see from up there. Pro tip: They don't open until noon, so if you're planning to go early, you'll end up waiting downstairs. Otherwise, grab a drink, take your time, and soak in one of the best vintage views Seattle has to offer.

"The Red Popsicle" by Catherine Mayer located on the corner of Fourth Street and Blanchard Avenue…read morein Downtown Seattle in the Belltown neighborhood. This is one of those public art pieces I heard about and had to go find. We were at Pikes Place and decided to set on a mission to find it and it wasn't to far away. It's a cool sculpture in person and is 17-feet tall. One of those little touristy things I wanted to do and now craving a red popsicle. It's a cool piece to checkout.

Admittedly, there may be better views of the New Year's Eve fireworks show at the Seattle Space…read moreNeedle, but "The Popsicle" on the corner of 4th Avenue and Blanchard Street is where it's at for us. We've celebrated NYE here many times and witnessed many things (including a marriage proposal that included the "fine print" disclaimer of "I will propose to you for real...someday." ‍ While you may or may not witness anything like a sorta/kinda marriage proposal when you visit, the views from this spot of the Space Needle and the fireworks show are only obstructed by a few power lines and tree branches (and this year some lingering clouds). This viewing location is easily walkable from most downtown hotels (our walk was approximately 12 minutes) and has felt safe each year to us with just two recommendations. Be sure to remain on the streets where the largest number of pedestrians are traveling and be sure to completely avoid walking on 3rd Avenue. A brand new year has been christened and hopeful new resolutions abound. Who knows? Maybe we'll meet 'ya at "The Popsicle" next year! And that's...Henry's Take. #seattlepopsicle #seattlenye #happynewyearseattle

Being a musician and singer/songwriter and former DJ and lover of Jimi, I had to stop by when I…read morelearned that this statue of him was just around the corner from my bridal shower. Whoever sculpted this did an amazing job. And it's a piece of Seattle history, just like Jimi. If you're a real fan, go visit his grave in the Renton Highlands cemetery. Jimi is parked in front of an art supply store. He should be in front of a record store.

Great statue if you're in the area - not a "must see" destination…read more It has been painted somewhat recently; kind of sad that people feel the need to vandalize everything. That being said, the vandalism kind of goes along with his aesthetic.