No Matter where you go, you're going to need to fit in a little. When you visit some one's house, you follow their rules, right? It's no different for a city or a country. And with , you're in luck; even the natives don't know the rules, but they are there.
Lets get some key points of the people's experience out of the way:
-You should avoid being social AT ALL COSTS.
-Whenever possible, try to make snide remarks. For example, if someone next to you trips, laugh at them and say "smooth".
-If the person next to you does trip, not only should you say "smooth", you should not help them up
-However, if someone is being mugged by the police or anyone else, DO Step in; heroes are big in .
-Buses are the best method of getting about . Just get a month pass, unless you do all of your traveling down town in the free ride zone. Buses are also a freak-show on wheels; every person who rides the bus on a regular basis knows what I mean, but in , everything is fair game. Make sure the seat you sit down in is dry before you do...trust me...
-Don't invest in a rent-a-car, it's a joke. 's streets make no sense because they were designed by a man who was perpetually drunk. He was eventually shot by his wife and she was awarded the key to the city. For more information, check out the Underground Tour.
-Finally, the more eco-friendly you can be, in general, the better; bring extra bags to carry shopping items in. Bring a reusable coffee mug of bottle. Bring your own dish ware and such for added brownie points.
-Do as much of your shopping as possible from ma-and-pop shops; Wal-Mart and Target are looked down upon as big corporations trying to destroy the little man (and they are), so unless you want to get mugged by the SPD while tourists look on, you'll shop at ma-and-pops.
Now that we have the basics of the attitude down, the check list:
-No umbrellas: only tourists use umbrellas in
-Expensive rain coat: North Face rain coats and expensive designer rain coats get extra brownie points
-Own mug/bottle/bag/dish ware: helps with the whole eco-friendly view point.
-month-long bus pass: ONLY if most of your trips will be outside of the down town free ride zone, which is recommended. about $80, give it to a homeless person afterwards as good karma.
-Sweaters: Not that Seattlites don't like to look good (and a hell of a lot of them look GREAT!), but most of the time it's too cold to not go outside without the staple bulky shape-concealing sweater.
-Good walking shoes with excellent traction: this is just common sense
-messenger bag: Brownie points if it's from Timbuk2.
Now, to the good stuff: Where to go, eat, and buy stuff, Seattlite Style:
Waterfall Garden: Go to Salumis before hand and eat your delicious dead pig here
Elliot Bay Book Store: Check out the Oddfellows Cafe next door
University of Washington: just check out the campus. For a whole lot of fun, check out the green house, over 80 years old (if I remember correctly).
Central Public Library: try to navigate the maze that is the elevator and stair system to reach the 6th floor for a breath taking, 1-block view of downtown .
Alaska Junction: Check out the Huskey Deli!! Keep an eye out for Eddie Vedder.
Cafe Vita; as far as I'm concerned, BEST Coffee in .
Madison Markey Coop: If you've having a hard time finding ANYTHING, this is the place to go for guilt free purchases of awesome food and products/produce!
Danny Woo Gardens: At the top of 6th and Washington, it's a local P-Patch in the heart of international district. One warning, and I wish I was kidding; this is where all the homeless people go to have sexual favors acted out, so if you're bringing kids, walk ahead of them in the middle of the day in open spaces.
Uwajimayas: not all of the food is sustainable (avoid the salmon and shrimp and octopus), but it's a feast for the eyes and the tummy.
If you plan on making a pilgrimage to every tattoo parlor in (Good Choice!), check out Madam Lazonga's, a staple in the tattoo scene for 23 or so years; Tiger Tiger Tattoo with my personal Favorite Chula (will show you my Bat Ribcage tattoo at some point); Apocolypse Tattoo featuring the every-talented and amazing J@ck and Ben Moss; Laughing Buddah for those of you who are, like myself, more into piercings; and Deep Roots, another piercing hot-spot. The list should be much larger, these are just some of the staples of the tattoo scene.
Anapurna: Indian, Himilaya, and Tibetan food. Amazing. Go for the lunch special if possible. Vegan friendly.
Travelers Tea Shop: Lots of wonderful teas. less visited then Tenzing Momos in Pike Place.
Collins : not the best in , but they make a great vegetarian ruben...you read me...
$50 travel: just put $50 in your pocket and start walking somewhere in :-D
What NOT to do:
-Don't buy anything with "Sleepless in " written on it
-Don't Eat at the restaurant at the top of the space needle; it's terrible!
-Don't brag about going on the underground tour; its essentially a long history of 's toilet troubles.
-Do not make jokes about 's rain, we saw them coming a mile away
And above all, DO NOT RIDE THE DUCKS!!!! You will never be welcome in this town again...
I hope this list is of some help to someone.
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