10 Most Popular Streets in Seattle

Broadway is Seattle’s bustling main thoroughfare, which cuts through the quaint Capitol Hill neighbourhood. Book-ended by Volunteer and Yesler Terrace Parks, the street has many unique points of interest and dynamite food options, all accessible by streetcar.

Start your exploration of Broadway by perusing picturesque Seattle University before enjoying a picnic at historic Cal Anderson Park – home of the Jimi Hendrix statue. If food is on your mind, swing by Dick’s Drive-In for Seattle’s greasy burger staple or enjoy local fare at Optimism Brewing Company. For visitors looking for an electric late-night scene, Broadway is home to some of the city’s best clubs, such as Q Nightclub and The Mercury.

University Way, or ‘The Ave’, is the main drag cutting through Seattle’s University District, just north of the Ship Canal Bridge. It boasts a hip vibe, with a slew of restaurants, cafés, pubs, shops and theatres to cater to the local University of Washington students.

Start your walk at Café Allegro for a trip back to the 1960s hippie anti-war culture. Take a second to people-watch while sipping a coffee at Ugly Mug Café before ending on the picturesque Parrington Lawn. The district is quite expansive, so consider renting a car or using public transport to get around.

Alaskan Way is the epicentre of all things Seattle tourism, including iconic sights and panoramic views of Puget Sound. The bustling street stretches south from Olympic Sculpture Park for several miles under the shadow of the city’s skyline.

Take a ride on The Seattle Great Wheel for impressive views or swing by the Seattle Aquarium to learn about unique sea life. Food-wise, you can enjoy fresh seafood at Elliot’s Oyster House or Ivar’s Fish Bar. For a scenic sunset cruise and dinner in Seattle, you can rent a charter boat from the main dock.

Pike Street is Seattle’s quintessential strip for nightlife, food, and shopping. As it runs parallel to popular Pine Street, this street also leads you to the city’s marquee food attraction, Pike’s Place Fish Market.

Snap a picture in front of the world’s first Starbucks before grabbing a bite at incredible eateries such as Capitol Cider or HoneyHole. You can find an eclectic combination of national retailers and local boutiques lining the strip. Pregame with a refreshing local beer at Elysian or Redhook Brewery before club-hopping signature venues such as Neumos, the Comet Tavern and the Unicorn.

Lake Washington Boulevard is a behemoth of a thoroughfare running the entire east coast of the namesake lake from Bailey Peninsula to Washington Park. The boulevard has a more residential vibe, with stunning lakefront homes dotting the hillside. Numerous quaint parks provide ample opportunities for a relaxing afternoon in nature.

Lake Washington Boulevard's signature attraction is the Washington Park Arboretum. It has miles of walking trails meandering through unique botanical gardens, as well as pretty Japanese maples that bloom every spring.

The colourfully tiled Pine Street is where locals and out-of-towners go shopping in Seattle. Whether you are looking for a new wardrobe, a home décor upgrade or that unique gift for a friend, this strip is the spot to visit.

Big-name retailers such as Macy’s, Nordstrom and Nike can’t be missed with their towering building signs. Pike Place Market and the Seattle Antiques Market are dynamite places to shop for a 1-of-a-kind gift. Make sure to finish up your shopping excursion with a stop at the classic Pine Street bookstore, The Elliott Bay Book Company. A word of caution – you might spend a few hours lost perusing its extensive book collections, so try to keep your dinner plans flexible.

First Avenue is a thriving strip bordering Alaskan Way in Seattle. It runs through Downtown's Mercer Street, where you can find the upscale Queen Anne Metropolitan Market. Finally, the road passes by Seattle's baseball and football stadiums before ending at the second Showbox venue location in SoDo.

Pike's Place Fish Market and the legendary Showbox music venue are 2 key highlights in First Avenue. The Seattle Art Museum and Smith Tower are also easily accessible from the thoroughfare. Public transport is your best way to get around as Downtown Seattle's traffic can get rather congested.

Denny Way cuts east-west through the heart of Capitol Hill, connecting the Puget Sound with Lake Washington. If you are ever lost, find this road and you’ll get your bearings back fairly quickly.

The avenue starts in the west under the shadow of the iconic Space Needle, Seattle's tallest building. Other signature attractions along the thoroughfare include Memorial Stadium and the Pacific Science Center. The eastern end of Denny Way is Denny Blaine Park, which offers a beautiful sandy beach – locals often come here during summer to get a nice tan.

Yesler Way is a street connecting both bodies of water flanking Seattle. It's most known for its logging history – the city's founding father, Henry Yesler, would skid tree logs along this muddy road from the ancient forests of the Puget Sound to be milled in his lumber yard.

Today, Yesler Way is a busy thoroughfare with key sights such as Smith Tower, and Leschi Park being built on it. It also connects many of the city's diverse ethnic populations, as Jewish, Chinese, and Japanese immigrants made this area home back in the 19^th century.