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Introduction
The Seattle Seahawks entered the NFL in 1976 as part of the league’s expansion to 28 teams. Consistent playoff success was scarce until the mid-2000s, when Mike Holmgren’s teams racked up four straight NFC West titles and won the NFC Championship in 2005. Under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks have won a Super Bowl, been to another, and have missed the playoffs only twice since 2010. All of this success is cheered on by one of the loudest fanbases in all of sports.
‘The Emerald City’ has a beautiful, diverse landscape to go along with an ethnically diverse population. It is a major hub for food and drink, music, medical research (pertinent in this COVID-19 pandemic), and of course technological innovation.There’s a reason why Seattle is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Seattle is a place that truly has something for everyone.
What to Eat
Jade Garden Restaurant
Seattle has one of the largest Asian-American communities in the country, and as a result, you have a wide variety of Asian restaurants both downtown and throughout the greater metropolitan region.
In the Chinatown-International District, Jade Garden Restaurant is where many locals go for Hong Kong-style dim sum. Once you’re seated (which on some weekends might take awhile!) you’re treated to everything from chicken feet to dumplings to shrimp cakes to egg custard buns and whatever other dishes are rolled out from their carts for you to choose. They do have a takeout menu and non-dim sum options, but the dim sum is Jade Garden’s specialty.
Pink Door, Pike Place Market
Believe it or not, there’s more to Pike Place Market than fish tossing! Pink Door is one of the many great dining options in that area. This restaurant serves up exquisite Italian-American cuisine in a relaxing, laid back atmosphere. Seafood lovers (of which there are many in Seattle) will definitely want to try the cioppino Pink Door, which has fresh prawns, rock fish, mussels, clams and calamari all in a tomato broth. And yes, they have a plentiful selection of local and imported wines.
For the dinner crowd there is nightly live entertainment at the lounge, including jazz ensembles, doo wop groups, trapeze artists, and tarot readers. If you like your meals with a view, there is outdoor seating that overlooks Elliott Bay.
Biggest tourist attraction
Seattle Space Needle
Built in 1962 for the World’s Fair, there is no more iconic structure in the whole of the Pacific Northwest than the Space Needle, located at the activity-laden Seattle Center. More than 1.3 million people visit the Space Needle annually to take that 43-second elevator ascent to the observation deck, which is 520 feet above ground. Visitors can soak in stunning views of Downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and much more. The recently installed revolving glass floor at the 500-foot level provides new vantage points where you can see the exterior of the Space Needle.
It has also become near tradition to see the 12 Flag atop the needle come playoff time for the Seattle Seahawks, with many famous ex-players and/or Seattle celebrities given the honors of raising the flag.
Under the radar attraction
Seattle Pinball Museum
Once upon a time there was a world where you didn’t have readily available access to games on your phone or a console. Located just minutes away from Lumen Field in the city’s Chinatown-International District, the unassuming looking Seattle Pinball Museum has over 50+ playable machines that date as far back as the 1960s. The price of admission ($20 for adults, $17 for 65+ seniors and kids aged 7-12) gives you unlimited play time on however many machines you want to try out, and you can also purchase local craft beers and even vintage soda beverages.
If you yearn for nostalgia and love pinball halls and arcades, this is the place for you if you are ever in town.
Game day experience
Lumen Field was built in 2002 but still feels like a top-end stadium. There are no bad seats and it’s impossible to describe how loud it truly gets without visiting.
There are five options for getting there on gameday: pay for stadium lots or pay the locals using business property, free spots about a mile away, Uber, and light rail. The Link light rail runs about $5, and drops you off a couple-minute walk from the stadium. Skip the Seattle traffic and enjoy the pre-game hype with fans!
Surrounding Lumen are some great breweries, and tailgating is best done by hitting up the Gantry across the street or checking out the options on First Avenue. If you do head straight in, fans are greeted with a convention floor full of music, taps, highlights, and even a place to show your 40 time isn’t what you’ve told your friends.