Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
WORTH A DETOUR
SODO
Giving a neighborhood an acronym is often seen as giving it a green light to be-
come hip, repurposed and tastefully gentrified. In the case of Seattle's SoDo (the
name originally meant SOuth of the defunct KingDOme but now means SOuth of
DOwntown), the trendy makeover has yet to materialize. A sketchy warehouse
district built on reclaimed tidal flats near the mouth of the Duwamish River,
SoDo's raison d'être has long been industrial; freight companies, scrap-metal
merchants and small factories overlook the ugly tangle of South Seattle's endless
rail yards here, though the landscape is slowly changing. Starbucks maintain its
HQ in the impressive 1912 former Sears building, now called the Starbucks
Center, on Utah Ave S (yes, there's a cafe!), and ambitious internet start-ups have
moved in nearby, lured perhaps by the close-to-downtown location - or the ac-
ronym! Nonetheless, SoDo, unlike Georgetown further south, still struggles to
tempt many curious visitors. If you come here, it will probably be for a ball game
Pike Place Showbox that hosts middle-range rock acts. SoDo's iffy restaurant
scene has improved slightly in recent years. Check out
Cafe con Leche
(
206-682-7557; 2901 1st Ave S; sandwiches $8-9; 11am-4pm Mon-Wed, to 7pm Thu & Fri)
, a kind
of Cuban 'food cart' that has sprung roots and knocks out some decent pork
sandwiches, or go for a drink at the industrial-chic Pyramid Ale House (
Click
Georgetown
MUSEUM OF FLIGHT
MUSEUM
See
Click here
.
