where is the best area to stay in seattle, washington?

Where is the best area to stay in Seattle?

By Teagan Cunniffe. Jan 21, 2022

The best area to stay in Seattle is Downtown and Waterfront area, which includes Belltown and Pioneer Square. Within walking distance of all the major tourist attractions, the Downtown area is gleaming with modern skyscrapers and historic buildings and has direct access to the waterfront. You’ll find ample bars, restaurants, museum, art galleries, live theatre and music venues as well as boutique shops to choose from. It is well-connected to outer Seattle by bus routes and the Sound Transit Central Link Light rail, which runs from Angle Lake past SeaTac International Airport through to Northgate. You can hop on a ferry from Downtown to the nearby island of Bainbridge for a day trip, or take a cruise around the Elliot Bay harbour.

Seattle is bordered by the island-dotted, blue waters of the Puget Sound, fringed by the snow-capped mountains of the Cascades to the East and surrounded by evergreen forests that give it the name ‘The Emerald City’. It’s unmistakably one of the United States’ most scenic and most innovative cities: an urban hub for liberal thinkers, outdoor adventurers, creative artists and biotech leaders that keep the city at the forefront of modern development. The home of coffee-culture and famous Starbucks, music geniuses Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder, and the headquarters of macro tech giants Amazon and Google, it’s no surprise why this small, smart city has become an increasingly popular tourist destination and active gateway to the magnificent Pacific North West.

Other areas to stay in Seattle: South Lake Union, Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, University District and Northgate.

If you are interested in where to stay in Seattle, you may also be interested in where to stay in Portland or where to stay in Vancouver.

Downtown, the best area to stay in Seattle

First Time / Tourists / Without a Car / Mariners Game / With Family

Here, you’re within walking distance of the original Starbucks and Pike Market Place. Open daily, the seaside farmer’s market is busy with fishmongers, flower sellers, local artisans and food vendors who’ve been selling their wares in this same spot since 1907. Take a stroll along the waterfront sipping on hot apple cider and go for a ride on the Great Ferris wheel to take in the views across Elliot Bay and into the heart of the city. Visitors can walk to the Space Needle with its 360-degree views, explore Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Olympic Sculpture Park, and expand their knowledge at the Pacific Science Centre.

This area is close to cultural attractions like the Seattle Art Museum, the 5th Avenue Theatre (which has hosted leading Broadway productions), and landmark live music venues such as The Showbox and Paramount Theatre. It’s a prime location for shopping and restaurants - and you’ll certainly have your full of both.

Hotels in Downtown

Other neighborhoods to stay in Seattle

South Lake Union

Business / Sightseeing / Scenic / Couples / Solo Travelers

Just a short distance away via the South Lake Union Streetcar is South Lake Union. Home of the Amazon headquarters and biotech industry, the area buzzes with hip bars and pop-up food stalls filled with tech-industry employees on their lunch breaks and after-work drinks. This is primarily a business area and apartments can be expensive to rent.

The flat, low-lying waterfront is best explored on foot or by bicycle, where a dedicated bicycle lane whisks you around the edges of Lake Union, past Goose Beach swimming spot and Seattle’s unique houseboats. South Lake Union is lined with yacht moorings and is a popular spot for water-sports, with summer days seeing swimmers, kayakers and boat cruisers enjoying the sun. Try the award-winning clam chowder at Duke’s Seafood, learn more about Seattle’s economic makeup at the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) or hire a kayak from the Centre for Wooden Boats.

Hotels in South Lake Union

Queen Anne

Business / Luxury Accommodation / Family / Tranquility / Before a Cruise

Queen Anne is linked to the city by a quick (but steep) monorail ride, providing easy access to tourist hot-spot areas like the Space Needle, Seattle Centre and Memorial Stadium and central business areas like South Lake Union and Downtown Seattle, making it a popular choice for both residents working in the city and tourists alike. This is an affluent area filled with genteel cafes and classical, historic homes.

Loftily overlooking the city’s skyline and the waters of the Puget Sound, Queen Anne is a leafy residential suburb crisscrossed by 121 staircases that connect various roads and viewpoints for pedestrian access. Urban hikers can stretch their legs on the Queen Anne Stair Climb, which links 43 staircases over 5 miles! One of the best views of the city can be found at Kerry Park, where one can see across Downtown Seattle to Mount Rainer on a clear day.

Hotels in Queen Anne

Capitol Hill

Nightlife / First-Time Visitors / Restaurants / Galleries / Breweries

Known as the LGBTQ+ capital of Seattle, this gritty, vibrant district overflows with hip restaurants, coffee shops, thrift stores and craft breweries surrounding Broadway and 12th Avenue. Streets are often closed off for day festivals. It’s got great nightlife too, from dive bars to nightclubs - and for that reason, Capitol Hill is known to be a somewhat noisy suburb to live in. For book lovers, Elliot Bay Bookstore is not to be missed. Operating since 1973, it is a double-storey space filled with personal, handwritten recommendations from staff and readers.

Head to the expansive 48.3-acre Volunteer Park during the day for a picnic, and visit the exquisite victorian-style conservancy. This trendy area is easily accessed from the Downtown area, with busses and pedestrians making the walk up and down the hill or travelling to the Capitol Hill Link Light rail station.

Hotels in Capitol Hill

University District

Business / Solo Travelers / Couples / Students / Restaurants

A quick rail connection via Westlake Station, University District is dominated by football’s Husky Stadium and the University of Washington main campus. Founded in 1861, the latter can be accessed by visitors wishing to mosey about one of the oldest public universities on the West Coast and is made even more scenic during March, when the University’s 88-year-old cherry trees, bloom with flowers. Like Downtown and Capitol Hill, the area has a range of restaurants serving International and American cuisine, and arguably one of the best sun downer viewpoints from The Mountaineering Club’s rooftop bar.

University District is casual, providing a residential area for not just students but locals and visitors too. Head to ‘The Ave’ for shops and restaurants, visit the state’s first public art museum, the Henry Art Gallery’ and factor in a visit to Gas Works Park. The eclectic, rust-colored spires of a shut-down synthetic gas manufacturing plant squat on a grassy hillock with a prime view over the waters towards South Lake Union.

Hotels in University District

Northgate

Business / Families / Restaurants / With a Car / More Affordable

Northgate is connected to the Downtown area by the Link Light rail and numerous bus routes, although these can be lengthy commutes. Somewhat more residential, Northgate is a good option to stay if you have a car. From here you can access North Seattle and nordic-influenced Ballard with its cafes, Golden Garden beach and many breweries, Fremont and University District. Visit Thornton Place for shopping, eateries and to walk alongside Thornton Creek.

Northgate is home to the newly-built Kraken Community Iceplex, where visitors can learn to ice skate or watch an action-packed ice hockey game. Green Lake Park is a beloved local hangout, with swimmers, walkers and tennis enthusiasts making the regular commute to its shores. If you’re a golfer, Northgate is ideally located. Take a swing at golfing destinations such as Jackson Park Golf Course, Sand Point Country Club and the upscale Seattle Golf Club.

Hotels in Northgate