Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE PIKE-PINE CORRIDOR: A VILLAGE WITHIN A VILLAGE
The Pike-Pine corridor, a sinuous urban strip on the eastern edge of Capitol Hill,
is Seattle's factory of hip, a village within a village where the city's most fashion-
able offspring come to party like bright young things in a latter-day F Scott
Fitzgerald novel.
Once a huddle of auto showrooms (only a couple remain), the area underwent
a metamorphosis in the early 21st century when an influx of artists and young en-
trepreneurs snapped up the vacant car lots and transformed them into unique
community-run boutiques, cafes, restaurants, clubs and bars.
A fast-evolving scene was quickly established as Pike-Pine garnered a reputa-
tion as the best place in Seattle to buy back your grandma's sweaters, bar crawl
with Kurt Cobain's ghost, get your hair cut like Phil Oakey from the Human
League or merely pull up a street-side chair and watch life go by.
And what a colorful life it is. Style in Pike-Pine is edgy and ephemeral. Typical
interior design juxtaposes old high-school desks and sofas rescued from junk-
yards with chandeliers, ethnic antiques and post-Pollack art. Even more voguish
is the neighborhood's retro-cool fashion scene, which marries beatnik beards and
1980s indie-pop hairstyles with ironic tattoos, natty headgear and Simone de
Beauvoir's old dress collection. Tolerance is widespread. This is the epicenter of
Seattle's gay life and a haven for every alternative philosophy this side of San
Francisco. In the space of half a dozen blocks you'll find a lesbian pub, an anarch-
ist coffee bar, an apothecary, a shop selling sex toys, countless indie coffee shops
and Seattle's finest bookstore.
To experience Pike-Pine in all its glamorous glory, start at Melrose Market near
I-5 in the early afternoon, then walk up E Pike St to Madison Ave and come back
down E Pine St. There are enough interesting distractions to keep you occupied
until at least midnight - the next day!
