The park is hilly and forested, so even a 30-minute walk on its modest loop trail will make you feel as though you’re miles away from the big city.įrom there, it’s not far to Lake View Cemetery and Volunteer Park. As the final resting place of actors and martial arts legends Bruce and Brandon Lee, the cemetery sees its fair share of tourists eager to view the graves and pay their respects. The park houses the Volunteer Park Conservatory and Asian Art Museum, one of the three locations of the Seattle Art Museum. The small conservatory only costs a few bucks and has a particularly impressive cactus room. The Asian Art Museum, located in a 1930s Art Deco building, is one of Capitol Hill’s top cultural attractions. Volunteer Park also boasts killer views of the Space Needle. Head up to the Water Tower Observation Deck for the best backdrop for your Instagram photos!įor lunch, I recommend heading to Fogón Cocina Mexicana, which offers delicious Mexican food and drinks. Go with the enchilada or chilaquiles for lunch, or wait until 3 p.m. The rest of the afternoon is a great time to do some shopping and chilling out.
Browse the excellent selection at Elliott Bay and Twice Sold Tales bookstores. The neighborhood has no fewer than five record stores still going strong. Spin Cycle and Zion’s Gate have particularly good vinyl sections. I can spend hours at the vintage clothing stores here-this is the neighborhood that partly inspired Seattle-native Macklemore’s Number 1 hit “Thrift Shop,” after all. You can usually find good stuff at Rove Vintage, Lifelong Thrift, and Out of the Closet, which supports AIDS research and treatment. Ice cream lovers have numerous options, such as the unique flavors of Salt & Straw and the traditional offerings of Old School Frozen Custard.
The Stranger quipped, "The gays know how to have fun: They know it, you know it, I know it, and Pony is more fun per inch than anywhere in town, if not the world.I like to get a waffle cone at Molly Moon’s, then head to Cal Anderson Park across the street for people watching and to join in a game of pickup soccer or volleyball.įrom 5 to 8 p.m. Oh, and there's a gloryhole in the bathroom, if that's your thing. Drinks are affordable and (pun intended) stiff, and I'm led to believe that it still serves as one of the city's better meat markets. Because it doesn't pander to a straight crowd, it remains relevant to several generations of gay guys in Seattle without going too far down the nightclub rabbit hole. If you were unsure of this upon entering, the gay pornography plastered on almost every inch of the space will reassure you very quickly that you are in fact in a gay bar. While other Capitol Hill bars try to appeal to both a gay and straight clientele, Pony is unabashedly aimed at gay males. Let's be blatantly clear: Pony is not a bar for those who only dabble in gay culture. The paper's Zach Geballe said of the bar and its clientele: In 2013, Seattle Weekly readers voted for Pony as the best gay bar in Seattle. This isn't a zoo and we're not your pets." Reception If you aren't queer (or a respectful ally), get lost. In 2014, in response to the neighborhood's changing demographics, the bar's manager displayed a sign which read, "Attention: This is a gay bar. Seattle Weekly described Pony as a "one-of-a-kind bar that pays tribute to New York's Castro and West Village bars of the 1970s". It is housed in a 1930s building that served as a gas station. Pony is located at 1221 E Madison Street in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.