I'll be honest with you: I don't know a whole lot about Seattle. But, my big bro was a Husky, so that meant family trips. With every visit made to this lovely place, I added an extra item onto my ongoing "list of reasons why I like Seattle". Though this list was created years ago, and has not been renewed (meaning, I haven't been to Seattle in a while), here is my semi-dated, humble list.

1. Trees. Though I am no tree hugger, the site of Seattle's lush landscape captivated me. Having come from Southern California where rain is scarce and palm trees reign, I was extremely excited to see this dark, thick, green - in the enormous trees aligning the freeway, in the neighborhoods, everywhere! green!

2. Pike Place Market. Sure, it can be touristy, but it's also rich with community spirit. The fish sellers can be quite the exhibitionists- where, on busy days they'll holler and play toss with the fish, attracting and entertaining small crowds of gawkers.

In addition, Pike Place Market is also known for the flowers- brightly colored blooms arranged in gorgeous bouquets that create a kaleidoscopic display of colors. And, of course there are a plethora of produce stands, craft stands, and bakeries (The Three Girls' Bakery is my favorite).

3. The lower level of the public market. This is cheating because it's still may be considered part of Pike Place, but I'm talking the stores and coffeeshops on the lower street. You gotta appreciate a thriving culture of antique sellers, comic book sellers, family-owned restaurants, greek bakeries, and random coffee shops. Look to the other side of the street (and if it's actually a non-rainy day) you'll see art sellers, lounging in their chairs next to their wares, roller bladers and your regular weekend wanderers.

4. The Original Starbucks. Even though Starbucks is like the McDonald's of coffee, I still have to pay homage to the original. It's almost like a cheesy part of history, and I know when I say this, it's kind of sad. Even so, the first Starbucks, with it's old-school wooden floors and walls has kept well since it's 1971 inception.

5. Ben Gibbard- the sweet-little-boy voiced singer who amongst many things, penned the song that made lover's suicide romantic/poetic, hails from Seattle. Need I say more?

Labels: lists, Seattle, ShoutsOfAdoration