36 Hours in Seattle
November 23, 2008 – 10:09 am
DOWNTOWN Seattle may have a Space Needle that pierces the clouds, a Monorail that whizzes above the streets and, most recently, the bloblike Experience Music Project designed by Frank Gehry. But until recently, it offered little else to draw Seattleites. The “real” Seattle was found along the city’s fringes, in neighborhoods like Fremont and Ballard, where cheap rents fostered artsy communities and cafe cultures. In recent years, however, a wave of new condominiums has sprouted near a waterfront once reserved for tchotchke shops selling “Sleepless in Seattle” T-shirts, bringing with it fashionable boutiques, trendy restaurants and gourmet shops. Now, the city center is starting to feel like a neighborhood again, and not just a backdrop for a Space Needle snapshot….(read more)
