How hilly is Seattle?

We are staying near the Space Needle for one night pre-cruise with another couple. My friend has back problems and has difficulty with hills. Is the area around the Space Needle hilly? If so, is there a less hilly area where we can stay in a good area? It would be helpful if the immediate vicinity of the hotel is relatively flat.

We are staying near the Space Needle for one night pre-cruise with another couple. My friend has back problems and has difficulty with hills. Is the area around the Space Needle hilly? If so, is there a less hilly area where we can stay in a good area? It would be helpful if the immediate vicinity of the hotel is relatively flat.

That's where we stay in Seattle - it's relatively flat. Stick to the avenues if you walk downtown and slopes are smooth. I'd avoid walking up Queen Anne (which has the 'Frasier' view of downtown) as that's a really, really steep street.

You can walk around Seattle Center to plenty of bars & restos no problem - and following 1st Ave is a relatively consistent and gentle slope that gets you down to Pike Place, that's our preferred walking route into downtown. If you come down 5th (e.g. if you monorail from the needle to the other end of the route) the streets can be pretty steep heading toward the water.

That's where we stay in Seattle - it's relatively flat. Stick to the avenues if you walk downtown and slopes are smooth. I'd avoid walking up Queen Anne (which has the 'Frasier' view of downtown) as that's a really, really steep street.

 

You can walk around Seattle Center to plenty of bars & restos no problem - and following 1st Ave is a relatively consistent and gentle slope that gets you down to Pike Place, that's our preferred walking route into downtown. If you come down 5th (e.g. if you monorail from the needle to the other end of the route) the streets can be pretty steep heading toward the water.

Great - thank you!

Seattle expert question....can we walk from cruise port to Pike Market and The Underground tour from our ship? I was thinking of buying our tickets to Underground (in Pioneer Square) now online to avoid disappointment....we are in port 7-4 on The Crown Princess...

Thank you

Seattle expert question....can we walk from cruise port to Pike Market and The Underground tour from our ship? I was thinking of buying our tickets to Underground (in Pioneer Square) now online to avoid disappointment....we are in port 7-4 on The Crown Princess...

 

Thank you

Not easily. Princess uses the Pier 91 complex which is around 3 miles from the Pike Place market (thus around 4 miles from Pioneer Square) in an industrial/warehouse area. A taxi from Pier 91 to downtown will run $15 - $20 tops.

There is a waterfront path that covers most of the way, but you're looking at a 1-2 hour walk, and assuming you're on a coastal cruise in September, the weather isn't all that predictable. If it is mid-September, you won't have any troubles with crowds at any of the visitor sites, however.

The King County Metro Transit Regional Day Pass is convenient, and very reasonable - especially if you are a Senior. Seattle's transit is similar to the TTC. We also received a discount on the Monrail that runs to the Space Needle.

Not easily. Princess uses the Pier 91 complex which is around 3 miles from the Pike Place market (thus around 4 miles from Pioneer Square) in an industrial/warehouse area. A taxi from Pier 91 to downtown will run $15 - $20 tops.

 

There is a waterfront path that covers most of the way, but you're looking at a 1-2 hour walk, and assuming you're on a coastal cruise in September, the weather isn't all that predictable. If it is mid-September, you won't have any troubles with crowds at any of the visitor sites, however.

Thank you very much..appreciate your expertise..we will plan on a taxi or uber..didn't realize they were so far away. Still cheaper to do it on our own than the Princess excursions..and they don't combine both....but I like being prepared before hand...so we are set now. Thanks again...;)

The Seattle Center area and towards downtown is flat because back in 1897 (to 1929) they systematically removed Denny Hill in what became known as the Denny Regrade. Wiki article.

If doing the Underground tour a great companion book written by the originator of the tour, Bill Spiedel, is named "Sons of the Profits". Copies can be found on Amazon.com for as little as 1 cent. A great tale of the founding of the city and the characters involved.

Um, we should check ourselves before we wreck ourselves. Hillslife is asking about a port call day. When Princess is making a port call in Seattle, are we sure it's at Smith Cove? I'm flashing that they use Pier 66 for port calls.

If this is the case, then it is completely realistic to walk to either the market or the underground tour. The underground tour is a flat walk down the waterfront. The pier has elevator access to a flat walk to the market, or a flat walk to elevator access if you head down the waterfront and then up to the market. If you plan to do both, do the market first and then have a downhill walk to the underground tour and a flat walk back to the pier.

Um, we should check ourselves before we wreck ourselves. Hillslife is asking about a port call day. When Princess is making a port call in Seattle, are we sure it's at Smith Cove? I'm flashing that they use Pier 66 for port calls.

 

If this is the case, then it is completely realistic to walk to either the market or the underground tour. The underground tour is a flat walk down the waterfront. The pier has elevator access to a flat walk to the market, or a flat walk to elevator access if you head down the waterfront and then up to the market. If you plan to do both, do the market first and then have a downhill walk to the underground tour and a flat walk back to the pier.

When we were on a Princess cruise several years ago it stopped in Seattle for the day it was at Pier 66 & we walked and used the bus around Seattle. However no Princess ship is scheduled to be at Pier 66 this year so 'hillslife' will be at Pier 91 even though it's only a port day. The schedule shows the only port day for the Crown is on 9/19/16 at Pier 91.

The OP said they have a one night precruise hotel stay so they might be at Pier 91 and here's a link to Seattle cruise ship schedules.

http://www.portseattle.org/Cruise/Schedules-Cruise-Lines/Pages/Schedule.aspx

The schedule shows which ships are port calls with the * indication and Pier 66 stops are in green. However not knowing which ship & the date the OP is sailing, there's no way to know which pier they'll use. Skimming through the 2016 schedule I only see NCL and Oceania using Pier 66 for embarkation/disembarkation with other cruise lines using Pier 91 for that activity.

Um, we should check ourselves before we wreck ourselves. Hillslife is asking about a port call day. When Princess is making a port call in Seattle, are we sure it's at Smith Cove? I'm flashing that they use Pier 66 for port calls.

 

If this is the case, then it is completely realistic to walk to either the market or the underground tour. The underground tour is a flat walk down the waterfront. The pier has elevator access to a flat walk to the market, or a flat walk to elevator access if you head down the waterfront and then up to the market. If you plan to do both, do the market first and then have a downhill walk to the underground tour and a flat walk back to the pier.

This is how it was when we were there 3 years ago on a Princess cruise, and DID walk to Pike's market, the Duck Boats, then the Underground tour; we also walked to the monorail station and went to Space Needle.

I know there are 2 cruise ship ports in Seattle- the question is which one is this particular cruise using?

dogdoc2002

This is how it was when we were there 3 years ago on a Princess cruise, and DID walk to Pike's market, the Duck Boats, then the Underground tour; we also walked to the monorail station and went to Space Needle.

 

I know there are 2 cruise ship ports in Seattle- the question is which one is this particular cruise using?

dogdoc2002

The link I previously posted shows the Seattle cruise schedules & each ship's pier...the Crown is berthed at Pier 91

http://www.portseattle.org/Cruise/Documents/2016_cruise_schedule.pdf