Why Seattle?
Even when the drizzle and grey skies descend on Seattle – which even the most optimistic resident will admit is a fairly regular occurrence – there is something deeply and instantly admirable about the city’s attitude.
It has always been a place where people are left alone to concentrate on what interests them, whether it’s artisan cheese, high-grade coffee or chocolate. This often manifests itself in small, highly specialised businesses that pride themselves on doing something very well.
That room to experiment has led to some businesses going rather larger than initially anticipated – Boeing, Amazon, Starbucks and Microsoft are Seattle-born. And the same principle applies to the music scene – Nirvana and the grunge vanguard bloomed here because they had space to grow outside the public eye.
It’s a vibe that hits time and time again. Anything that looks like a me-too fad is usually rooted in genuine fascination. Pretence is low, curiosity is high – and brains are valued far more than brawn.
A comfortable bed
The Hotel Five (www.hotelfive-seattle.com; 001 206 441 9785) is beautifully located with Seattle Center, Pike Place Market and the restaurants of Belltown within easy walking distance. It's also bags of fun, with free coffee and cupcakes in the lobby, staff happily handing out umbrellas and perky, bold colours splashed across the rooms. Doubles cost from US$155 (Dh569).
The Monaco (www.monaco-seattle.com; 001 206 621 1770) has a knowingly gaudy, eccentric harlequinesque vibe to it, with leopard-skin bathrobes and a goldfish in a bowl to keep you company should you wish. Doubles cost from $233 (Dh856).
Of the top-end hotels, the Hotel 1000 (www.hotel1000seattle.com; 001 206 957 1000) has the most interesting quirks – including a virtual golf course for anyone wanting to practise their swing and in-room art that can be adjusted according to personal tastes. Rooms cost from $348 (Dh1,278).
Find your feet
Seattle's best-known icon is the gloriously unsubtle Space Needle (www.spaceneedle.com; 001 206 905 2100). The $19 (Dh70) tickets to the observation deck are only worth it on a clear day, however.
Elsewhere in the Seattle Center area, the Electronic Music Project museum (www.empmuseum.org; 001 206 770 2700) has excellent displays on local heroes Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix, plus a marvellous time-sucking exhibition dedicated to music videos.
From there, make a beeline to Chihuly Garden and Glass (www.chihulygardenandglass.com; 001 206 753 4940) to see glass art on an astonishing scale. Then walk through the gentrifying Belltown area towards the historic Pioneer Square. Here, Bill Speidel's Underground Tours (www.undergroundtour.com; 001 206 682 4646) explore the extensive subterranean city beneath the streets – much of Seattle was built on top of rubble after the Great Seattle Fire in 1889. The tours cost $18 (Dh67).
Meet the locals
The Ballard Locks, which connect the saltwater of Puget Sound to the freshwater of Lake Washington and Lake Union, are much-loved – partly due to the salmon ladder that allows salmon to leap upstream to their traditional breeding grounds. A good way of exploring the waterways is on the $41 (Dh151), two-and-a-half-hour cruise with Argosy Cruises (www.argosycruises.com; 001 206 623 1445), which takes in the floating homes made famous by Sleepless in Seattle.
Book a table
Seattle has an almost nerdish dedication to locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, and one of the finest exponents of this locavore movement is Sitka & Spruce (www.sitkaandspruce.com; 001 206 324 0662). You might not recognise many of the vegetables on the menu, but experimentation is all part of the fun. Try dry-aged duck breast with walla-wallas, escarole, honey and apriums for $30 (Dh110).
Tom Douglas is Seattle's major restaurant mogul, and of his joints, Lola (www.tomdouglas.com; 001 206 441 1430) has the best balance of relaxed atmosphere and excellent Mediterranean-inspired food; mains are in the $20 to $30 (Dh74 to Dh110) bracket.
Shopper’s paradise
The Pike Place Market (www.pikeplacemarket.org) is a delightfully disorganised maze, and has been standing since 1907. The first Starbucks opened here in 1971 and is something of a tourist attraction in itself. The market is popular with locals and visitors. Stallholders throw fish around to amuse bystanders, gorgeous bunches of flowers cost an insanely cheap $10 (Dh37) and crafts and jewellery can be found towards the northern end.
The main shopping district tends towards chains and department stores, but of the latter, Nordstrom (www.nordstrom.com) at 500 Pine Street is made-in-Seattle. It's aimed at slightly larger wallets, but the quality is meticulously high.
What to avoid
Seattle’s privileged (and beautiful) position on Puget Sound isn’t used all that advantageously. The roaring traffic of the Alaskan Way Viaduct separates the tired-looking waterfront from the city. The viaduct is due to be replaced by a tunnel, however, so the area may get a much-needed boost soon.
Don’t miss
The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/klse; 001 206 220 4240), in the Pioneer Square area, offers a surprisingly riveting exploration of Seattle's rise to fortune. The gold rush may have taken place in Alaska and northern Canada, but most people heading there went through Seattle. The city didn't go for the gold – it simply sold the equipment to those brave/foolhardy enough to try.
Getting there
Emirates (www.emirates.com; 600 555 555) flies direct from Dubai to Seattle, with economy-class returns available for from Dh5,905.
