Pioneer Square is where the city of Seattle was born. Settled in 1852, buildings around the square were heavily damaged in the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. The area’s Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, dating back to the 1890s, was saved from demolition by preservationists such as Bill Speidel and Victor Steinbrueck in the 1960s.
Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour is an entertaining walk through Seattle’s origins at Pioneer Square. The tour is named for Bill Speidel, a journalist and preservationist who started the tours in 1965. He helped save the Pioneer Square historic district from demolition.
Columbia Center, located in downtown Seattle, is the city’s tallest building. It opened in 1985 and is 76 stories tall. The building is mostly used for office space, but there is retail space on the ground floors and an observation deck on the 73rd floor.
Pike Place Market in Seattle opened in 1907 and is one of the oldest continuously operated farmers’ markets in the country. It’s the most popular tourist destination in the city.
The iconic Space Needle is one of the unmistakeable symbols of Seattle. Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, it was once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River. It features an observation deck and rotating restaurant and is located at Seattle Center.
Seattle Center is a festival, arts, and entertainment center just north of Belltown in Seattle. It was originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair but now hosts a collection of excellent museums and the Space Needle as its centerpiece.
We had no problem finding good restaurants in Seattle. Most of them were near the apartment we stayed at in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, but we ventured a bit further out for a couple of them.
It took me no less than a day to fall in love with Seattle. The Emerald City is not only beautiful, it has character in its several interesting neighborhoods along with great food and music. A starting point to the Klondike Gold Rush, Seattle also has an intriguing history.