Seattle - Washington State - page 104

observation deck provides superb views of the city and its surroundings. Displays
identify more than 60 sites and activities in the Seattle area, and high-powered
telescopes let you zoom in on distant sights. You'll also find a pricey restaurant
atop the tower (see the review of SkyCity on p. 92). If you don't mind standing
in line and paying quite a bit for an elevator ride, make this your first stop in Seat-
tle so that you can orient yourself. There are, however, cheaper alternatives if you
just want a view of the city (see the box immediately above).
Seattle Center, Fourth Ave. N. at Broad St. & 800/937-9582 or 206/905-2100. www.spaceneedle.com. Admis-
sion $13 adults, $11 seniors, $10 youths ages 11-17, $5 ages 4-10, free under 4. No charge if dining in the
SkyCity restaurant. Daily 9am-midnight. Valet parking $12 for 4 hr. Bus: 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 15, 16, or 18. Monorail:
From Westlake Center at Pine St. and Fourth Ave.
THE NEIGHBORHOODS
THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT
Seattle today boasts of its strategic location on the Pacific Rim, but its ties to Asia
are nothing new. This is evident in the International District, Seattle's main Asian
neighborhood, which is centered between Fifth Avenue South and 12th Avenue
South (between S. Washington St. and S. Lane St.). Called the International Dis-
trict rather than Chinatown because so many Asian nationalities have made the
area home, this neighborhood has been the center of the city's Asian communities
for more than 100 years. You can learn about the district's history at the Wing
Luke Museum, 407 Seventh Ave. S. ( & 206/623-5124; www.wingluke.org).
There are many restaurants, import stores, and food markets, and the huge
Uwajimaya is all of these rolled up in one (see “Shopping,” later in this chap-
ter, for details).
At the corner of Maynard Avenue South and South King Street, you'll find
Hing Hay Park, the site of an ornate and colorful pavilion given to the city by
Taipei, Taiwan.
FIRST HILL (PILL HILL) & CAPITOL HILL
Seattle is justly proud of its parks, and Volunteer Park, on Capitol Hill (drive
north on Broadway and watch for signs), is one of the most popular. Here you'll
find not only acres of lawns, groves of trees, and huge old rhododendrons, but
also an old water tower that provides one of the best panoramas in the city. A
winding staircase leads to the top of the water tower, from which you get 360-
degree views. On the observatory level there is also an interesting exhibit about
the Olmsted Brothers and the system of parks they designed for Seattle. To find
the water tower, park near the Seattle Asian Art Museum if you can, and walk
back out of the parking lot to where the road splits. The view from directly in
front of the museum isn't bad either.
Frye Art Museum Located on First Hill not far from downtown Seattle,
this museum is primarily an exhibit space for the extensive personal art collec-
tion of Charles and Emma Frye, Seattle pioneers who began collecting art in the
1890s. The collection focuses on late-19th-century and early-20th-century rep-
resentational art by European and American painters, with works by Andrew
Wyeth, Thomas Hart Benton, Edward Hopper, Albert Bierstadt, and Pablo
Picasso, as well as a large collection of engravings by Winslow Homer. In addi-
tion to galleries filled with works from the permanent collection, temporary
exhibitions are held throughout the year.
704 Terry Ave. (at Cherry St.). & 206/622-9250. www.fryeart.org. Free admission. Tues-Sat 10am-5pm (Thurs
until 8pm); Sun noon-5pm. Closed July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Bus: 3, 4, or 12.