pikes market & fireworks in seattle

[luv2gamble]

What is so special about this market? I did a search on it and it just looks like an outdoor market to me with fruits, veggies, and fish. Why does it get so crowded? I don't see why everyone goes there and whats the thrill. I read that by noon it is packed and can hardly walk?? Am I missing something? Why is this a mark on the map as a must see or thing to do?

also, someone wrote that Seattle does fireworks daily? Is this true? If so, where & when? Thanks all

[Gardyloo]

It's the Pike Place market (not Pike's) and it's one of the oldest, if not the oldest, continuously operating farmers' market in the country. In addition to the food items sold in the stalls (some permanent, some with farmers) the market has crafts stands, numerous restaurants, bars and cafes, antique and collectable specialty shops, garden shops, the original Starbucks, a shoe repair stall, dentists, social service offices, bakeries, cutlery and record stores... hundreds. In the summer (i.e. cruise season) some of the farm stands switch over to selling cut flowers - an amazing display. It's not outdoor, although some of the stalls open to the street. It's on both sides of Pike Place and on the side streets up to Lenora, and consists of many buildings and several floors.

 

A big part of the market's appeal is its location - right in the middle of downtown Seattle but perched on the edge of a bluff overlooking the central waterfront. Thus the market has great views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic Mountains, and ferry and shipping traffic coming and going. It also means that the market has numerous levels - a street level (Pike Place, the street) then several lower levels that go down the hillside toward the waterfront. Inside it's a warren of passages, little alleys leading to tiny shops or cafes, places to look at the view or the people... more like a Middle Eastern bazaar or one of the classic European markets like Covent Garden before it was turned into a shopping mall, but more vertical.

 

It's one of the big tourist draws to Seattle and rightly so. You're right in that by noon in the summer it's mobbed; however it's simply superb in the early morning while the merchants are setting up and before the salmon have been bruised by all that tossing around. Especially for visitors from the east, it's a great place for breakfast (several old-time diners and/or bakeries/coffee places) while watching the ferries come and go across the bay, then stroll through the main arcades before the crowds hit, maybe go "down under" to explore the bowels of the market, and get gone by 11 or so. It's a great morning.

 

No daily fireworks, just on the 4th of July, over Lake Union north of downtown.

[martincath]

As a non-local, though frequent visitor to Seattle, I can give you a perhaps slightly-different perspective.

 

Everything GL says above is true, but to some extent the market is a victim of it's own success. Yes, there's something for just about everyone (I often go browse the bookstores, all of which are independent) including some genuinely good food options, and it really is one of those locations that strike at the heart of the tourist experience in a city - I think Pike's is a more Seattle-defining experience than the Space Needle.

 

But you could not pay me enough to go there in the summer between 11am and mid-afternoon. Slight exaggeration perhaps - but it would have to be at least a 3 figure sum! The sheer press of people is just as bad as street markets in the Middle East, without any of the redeeming features of a different culture or the fun of bartering. Plus you have to deal with packs of people being led through the crowd by market tour operators!

 

Make it your FIRST stop after getting off the ship, have a leisurely wander around (don't forget to go up & down all the staircases and through all the buildings, there are levels and nooks & crannies all over!), and watch the place fill up. You can feel extra-smug if you're leaving with a brunch reso somewhere nice nearby (I like Café Campagne) just as the crowds are really starting to pack in around the pig statue or the fish-flingers.

 

The food tours get great reviews, e.g. Savor Seattle, but if that's your thing book the earliest or latest one available.

 

If your schedule does not allow an early/late visit for whatever reason, then it gets tricky. If you don't plan to return - suck it up, go anyway, just do your best to have fun. If you will be back in Seattle again though go do other things this time around and prioritise Pike on your next visit.

[Gardyloo]

The reason I said it's good for eastern time zone people is that when you arrive in Seattle your body clock is three hours ahead of the local time, so when it's 10 to you it's only 7 to us. So head to the market, have breakfast at Lowell's or the Athenian (both old-time places with killer views) and do your browsing/noshing/buying after that, and be gone by 11. Guaranteed good time; after 11 things will get increasingly congested.

[Casagordita]

Gardyloo and martincath have said it pretty well. I'll just add...when I went to Pike Place Market on my first visit to Seattle, I remember thinking, o-kay...is this it?? And after moving here three years after that, and living here for over 20 years now, I adore it.

 

At first glance, it doesn't look that big. But the Market is so complex--sprawling, random, tacked-together, full of weird passageways and hidden corners and levels that most people never even see--that you couldn't possibly see (or find!) it all on one visit. I was there a few weeks ago, looking for a shop that I KNOW is in the Underground, beneath the Main Arcade, and I went up and down stairs and ramps for half an hour and never did find it!! And after all this time, I'm still discovering shops and vendors there that I've never seen before.

 

If you're a serious cook, the possibilities of the Market are endless. Check out the collection of business cards from high-end local restaurants and celebrity chefs at World Spice, and you'll see how essential they are to the local restaurant scene. DeLaurenti's has a world class cheese section, deli meats to die for, and all kinds of exotic imported goodies you won't find anywhere else in town. The fish-throwing guys at Pike Place Fish are a gimmick, but their fish is high-quality fresh (and likewise, the half-a-dozen other fish vendors in the Market who don't throw their products). I have my favorite butchers, produce vendors, bakeries, pasta-maker, dairy store, shops for ethnic ingredients... Of course, if you're staying in a hotel, most of that is no good to you--but if you know good food, you can still appreciate quality and selection when you see it--or just enjoy it because it's all so damn pretty.

 

Then there's the day stalls, where you'll find some interesting and occasionally truly unique crafts and food products...the flower vendors, who make a walk through the Main Arcade in the summer glorious...the buskers, playing every instrument and style of music you can imagine...the restaurants, where you can get a great meal cheap (or not at all cheap) at any number of places...the history of the place, and the residents who never leave (the Market is widely believed to be haunted)...and the views of Elliott Bay...and the parade of humanity that traipses through the Market on any given day. It's like nowhere else in the world.

 

If all that doesn't appeal to you, then by all means, skip the Market when you're here. And if you go, and it's not to your liking...you might just want to keep that between you and your out-of-town companions. Most folks in Seattle are very fond of the Market, and very protective of it. People call it "the heart of Seattle" for a reason. Sure, we tend to avoid it in the summer, when y'all are here by the thousands, but we always go back when the cruise ships leave in the fall. I didn't get it the first time, either--but after I gave it the time to actually get to know the place, I did.

Edited February 16, 2014 by Casagordita

[MaggieHans]

As a native, I usually take visiting guests to the market, including international visitors. Several times, people have said "We have markets back home. We don't really need to see another one." But after I insisted, I have not had one person who wished they wouldn't have gone. Most common reaction is something along the lines of "This is wonderful. I didn't realize the market was like this!" from people who didn't really care if they went. It's easy to get to, free, and easy to leave if we are all wrong.

[Mytime2014]

I want to get to this market so bad! we don't have anything like it in South Texas [no surprise there!!]. We're staying at the Sheraton on July 4th - so I expect it is going to be jam-packed and I'm pretty sure my friend is not going to want to A. walk that far; B. get hot; or C. be in the crowd...so I may try to get up early and go just to say I've been.

 

I do need to research the bus system for getting around downtown since there are some walking limitations....

[MaggieHans]

I want to get to this market so bad! we don't have anything like it in South Texas [no surprise there!!]. We're staying at the Sheraton on July 4th - so I expect it is going to be jam-packed and I'm pretty sure my friend is not going to want to A. walk that far; B. get hot; or C. be in the crowd...so I may try to get up early and go just to say I've been.

 

I do need to research the bus system for getting around downtown since there are some walking limitations....

 

The good news is Pike Place Market is only 5 blocks on level ground from the Sheraton. So, A) it's not that far, really. B) Fourth of July is often rainy and cool in Seattle. If you are from South Texas, I don't think you would EVER be hot in Seattle. And C) if you go around 9:00-10:00 am, it really won't be too crowded, except for a few areas here and there. I hope you get to go!

 

Seattle's bus service is called the Metro. They have a great web site that should help a bit.

[Casagordita]

I want to get to this market so bad! we don't have anything like it in South Texas [no surprise there!!]. We're staying at the Sheraton on July 4th - so I expect it is going to be jam-packed and I'm pretty sure my friend is not going to want to A. walk that far; B. get hot; or C. be in the crowd...so I may try to get up early and go just to say I've been.

 

I do need to research the bus system for getting around downtown since there are some walking limitations....

 

If you are here on the 4th of July, you will be lucky if you CAN get hot!! Traditionally, summer in Seattle starts the week after the 4th. And by summer, I mean it mostly stops raining for a couple of months. Daytime temperatures will usually be in the seventies to the mid-eighties. It does get above 90 degrees for a couple of short spells every summer, causing us all to wail and moan like we're about to perish from the heat--but that's usually in late July or August. Even then, I'd still recommend bringing a sweater--or better yet, something waterproof!

 

Now, jam-packed, that it will be. But if you go early, maybe get some breakfast around 7 am at the Athenian or Lowell's, you'll miss the worst of the crowds and see the Market as it's waking up and getting ready for the day. It's lovely then.

 

But definitely do go to the Market--it's not to be missed. When you tell your friend about it, she's going to be sorry she didn't come with you!

[Mytime2014]

Thanks for the info. I could not find the bus /streetcar info the first time I searched. I have talked to my friend and told her she was going to have to start walking with me at work so I don't have to go by myself. I've started an itinerary and bookmarking the links. Now to survive the wait!

[luv2gamble]

wow, glad I started this thread. Learned a lot. thank you all so much. I have to hit this market for sure :). Does anyone know how far this is from the hotel I booked called the Spring Hill Suites Downtown Seattle. Also, going to the Space Needle. Hope these are not far. Hotel said its about a 10 minute walk but how knows. I later found out that is could be a big walk because its Hilly around there?? Still have no clue who is right or wrong. My friend is disabled so was curious how much walking involved. Thanks all!

[MaggieHans]

wow, glad I started this thread. Learned a lot. thank you all so much. I have to hit this market for sure :). Does anyone know how far this is from the hotel I booked called the Spring Hill Suites Downtown Seattle. Also, going to the Space Needle. Hope these are not far. Hotel said its about a 10 minute walk but how knows. I later found out that is could be a big walk because its Hilly around there?? Still have no clue who is right or wrong. My friend is disabled so was curious how much walking involved. Thanks all!

 

I just double checked and can give you a bit of information. Your hotel is about a mile from both the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, which are about a mile from each other - a triangle. The "hilliest" leg is between your hotel and the Space Needle. If you enjoy walking, it would work best to walk from your hotel to Pike Place Market first, then take the Monorail from Westlake Center to Seattle Center (the Space Needle) OR walk along the waterfront and up the hill to the Space Needle. And finally, after all of that sight seeing, take a cab that one hilly mile back to your hotel.

 

The walk into town from your hotel is along a busy street, so if you don't mind paying for a cab or finding a bus, that might be better and instead use your energy for a walk along the waterfront and up the hill to Seattle Center/the Space Needle.

[martincath]

wow, glad I started this thread. Learned a lot. thank you all so much. I have to hit this market for sure :). Does anyone know how far this is from the hotel I booked called the Spring Hill Suites Downtown Seattle. Also, going to the Space Needle. Hope these are not far. Hotel said its about a 10 minute walk but how knows. I later found out that is could be a big walk because its Hilly around there?? Still have no clue who is right or wrong. My friend is disabled so was curious how much walking involved. Thanks all!

I find Walkscore invaluable for figuring out how easy it is to get around unfamiliar places. Start with this (your hotel), look down the left side of the map to the field named 'See commute time to...' and input Pike Place Market and you'll see a route profile with all the hills listed. They use a Google-map algorithm that estimates walking speed accounting for steepness and direction (faster downhill than up!). Given your friend has limited mobility, Seattle may be a bit of a challenge (I walk daily and seriously struggled to make it all the way up Queen Anne the first time!!!) but as MaggieHans suggested you can strategically do the easier parts on foot and cab the rest - with the distances involved you won't hit $10 on the meter.

[Rocknie]

Since we'll be in Seattle on July 11 & 12 - it's clear to stay away from Pike's Market late morning to early evening. So, does the Market have traditional hours or does each vendor open/close at his or her own schedule? Generally, what time does Pike's Market open in the morning and close in the evening? Also, we are arriving early evening on Friday the 11th, can you recommend a dining spot in the Market that would be open after 8PM? Thank you for your help!

[Gardyloo]

Since we'll be in Seattle on July 11 & 12 - it's clear to stay away from Pike's Market late morning to early evening. So, does the Market have traditional hours or does each vendor open/close at his or her own schedule? Generally, what time does Pike's Market open in the morning and close in the evening? Also, we are arriving early evening on Friday the 11th, can you recommend a dining spot in the Market that would be open after 8PM? Thank you for your help!

The answer to all your questions, with no apostrophes. http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

[Casagordita]

Since we'll be in Seattle on July 11 & 12 - it's clear to stay away from Pike's Market late morning to early evening. So, does the Market have traditional hours or does each vendor open/close at his or her own schedule? Generally, what time does Pike's Market open in the morning and close in the evening? Also, we are arriving early evening on Friday the 11th, can you recommend a dining spot in the Market that would be open after 8PM? Thank you for your help!

 

There are a few restaurants (including two with great views--Lowell's and the Athenian) that open by 7 am. Most vendors are open by 9 am. The day stalls (the vendors that have temporary setups that they take down every day) start packing up by 5-ish and they're gone by 6 pm. Most vendors are closed by 6 pm.

 

There are a LOT of good restaurants in and around the Market that keep later hours. You didn't mention a price range, but if your budget allows, Matt's in the Market is one of Seattle's most acclaimed restaurants. The Pink Door does great Italian food and strange and wonderful entertainment, and the view from the patio is gorgeous. Cafe Campagne is a really nice little French bistro. Within a block of the Market on the north end there's Etta's (a great seafood place from Tom Douglas, a local celebrity chef) and Cutter's Crabhouse (really good seafood, fabulous view). So you have LOTS of choices for a later-evening dinner!

[Rocknie]

Thank you for the information, it is greatly appreciated.

[Glaciers]

We too like The Pink door. We also enjoyed eating at The Alibi Room at the gum wall during our last visit.

[luv2gamble]

Thanks for all the info. Hilly, not for me lol. Your suggestion to take a cab seems the best way to go. Thanks for all your help with the map idea also