Seattle 2001

Sunset, Oct, 2001 by Steven R. Lorton

By the 1990s the secret was out. What had come to be known as Belltown--named for the original Bell family settlement on the west slope of Denny Hill--was in full boom. Today Belltown is a densely populated, politically active district not unlike New York's Upper West Side.

You go to Belltown to shop and eat. At Shiro's (2401 Second; 443-9844), sushi chef Tommy Yoshizaki will happily make off-the-menu delicacies for the patrons at his bar. At Mistral (closed Sun-Mon; 113 Blanchard St.; 770-7799), chef and owner William Belickis shops the market daily, making a different, complete dinner each night.

Set aside an afternoon and evening for Belltown. From downtown, follow First Avenue north. Between Stewart Street on the southeast and Clay Street on the northwest, weave your way between First and Fourth Avenues, and browse to your heart's content.

What you can't miss

Every Seattleite has a list of must-sees. For outdoors types, it might be C.C. Filson Co. on Fourth Avenue South, purveyor of woolens since the Yukon gold rush. The Lake Washington Ship Canal is choice for its views of boats and water. That said, here are some experiences all Seattle residents agree upon.

PIKE PLACE MARKET

With its luscious produce and famous flying fish, its costarring roles in everything from Singles to Frasier, this magnificent ramble of a public market (opened in 1907) tops every tourist's itinerary. But here's a secret: Seattleites love it too.

Natives know, however, that Pike Place is at its best early in the morning. By 6:30 A.M., restaurants start serving breakfast: At Lowell's and the Athenian Inn, you can dig into a big Hangtown fry made with fresh local oysters or, for the more cosmopolitan, broiled Scottish kippers. Then follow the map printed in the Pike Place Market News (copies are available, free, at racks sprinkled around the market) and head to DeLaurenti Specialty Food Market to shop for deli ingredients. By 11 A.M., the crowds are gathering to watch the hurtling salmon at Pike Place Fish; applaud the show, then move on--unless you want to return for an evening stroll, when the market again calms down as the sun sets over the Olympics. First Ave. and Pike St.; 682-7453 or wwwpikeplacemarket.org.

SPACE NEEDLE

Built for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, the 605-foot-high needle remains the city's most endearing symbol. The 520-foot-high Observation Deck is open morning through evening, but a late afternoon visit garners the best view: a daylight panorama, then a spectacular sunset (at 6:21 P.M. on October 15), and finally the city lights twinkling on. The needle's restaurant, SkyCity, sits 20 feet below the Observation Deck, rotates once every 47 minutes, and features Northwestern cuisine. Observation Deck: $11. Fifth Ave. and Broad St.; 905-2100, (800) 937-9582, or www.spaceneedle.com.

EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT (EMP)

Long before Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen was one of the world's richest men, he was a guitarist electrified by the example of fellow Seattleite Jimi Hendrix. In 1996, as a way of honoring America's popular music heritage, Allen and his sister, Jody Allen Patton, hired Frank O. Gehry to design EMP. The crumpled mass of stainless steel and aluminum stretched out near the Space Needle is probably the most controversial piece of architecture ever to hit Seattle.