Play. Shop. Eat. Seattle, WA

I've lived in Seattle over 20 years from bustling Belltown to relaxed Redmond to trendy Capitol Hill. I am the former About.com Guide to Seattle where I reviewed local travel destinations, Broadway shows, restaurants and more. And I've worked for major local names here including Eddie Bauer Corporate, Martingale and Co, AOL City's Best, Northwest Runner magazine. I currently freelance write and edit for several Seattle-area clients through my own freelance company.

I've also been a runner for 30 years (trail and road), a rock climber for 15 years and a lifelong hiker, cyclist and tennis player. And in my free time you'll find me flying kites, exploring the latest boutiques in the area and discovering the best places to shoot nature photography.

And my husband (who is also a local real estate agent / broker in Seattle) and I do home exchanges with our property on Capitol Hill where we offer guests a helpful site for everything Seattle.

My point? I know Seattle.

If you plan to visit Seattle these are my picks for where to play, shop and eat in the Emerald City.

Play
If you like to fly kites the best place to go set your sail in the air is Gasworks Park. If you love to hike don't miss Mount Si, Little Si, Tiger Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge and Mount Pilchuck. If you love to trail run my favorite place to run trails near downtown Seattle is Discovery Park in the Magnolia neighborhood. If you like architecture Seattle offers several walking tours. Speaking of tours there are Underground tours and ghost tours and food tours. Or find a huge list of things I recommend to our home exchange guests for where to play. Find local Seattle festivals by season. And explore more Seattle attractions (including day trips, museums, theatres, parks and more).

Shop
My favorite local stores in Seattle include: Velouria, Blackbird and Horseshoe. I also adore Pretty Parlor. And SPUN Collective. I love visiting local "cycle boutique" Hub and Bespoke. And The Field House. And pretty much the whole Ballard area for boutique shopping. Discover more from my home exchange list of where to shop.

Or shop like a local:

• Capitol Hill Neighborhood Shopping Guide  
• Ballard Neighborhood Shopping Guide
• Fremont Neighborhood Shopping Guide 
• South Lake Union Neighborhood Shopping Guide
• Queen Anne Neighborhood Shopping Guide

Eat
I love the Volunteer Park Cafe (my husband and I walk there from our home every couple weeks to have breakfast). It's a cozy cafe tucked away in our local neighborhood.  I also recommend Spinasse for its intimate feel and melt in your mouth cuisine (reservations recommended). The Melrose Market is my go-to local eatery for daily needs and for dinner check out Sitka and Spruce tucked in the corner inside the market (be sure to make a reservation before you go though, it's very popular). And if you like Southern food don't miss the Kingfish Cafe. And the best farmers' market in the Seattle area (and in America for that matter) is in Ballard. Want more? Explore my home exchange site for where to eat in Seattle.

If you are new to the area learn all about how to get around the city too.

And the best place to snap a photo of the Space Needle is from Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill.

Enjoy Seattle!

Read more Play.Shop.Eat posts.

Photo: CopyStrands