West Seattle

Explore

With its laid-back West Coast beach vibes, Alki Beach (2665 Alki Ave SW) is a wonderful place for basking in the sun or beachcombing on a misty day—it’s gorgeous year-round. Enhance your experience by renting skates, bikes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards at Alki Kayak Tours (1660 Harbor Ave SW). Another alluring nature spot is Lincoln Park (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW), which offers a beachside path with dazzling panoramas of the Olympic Mountains. Other grand green spaces are Hamilton Viewpoint Park (1120 California Ave SW) and Schmitz Preserve Park (5551 SW Admiral Way), where you can take a 1.7-mile hike through the old-growth forest.

Eat and Drink

Head to the neighborhood’s bustling Junction district for great coffee, local beer, and light cafe fare at homey Freshy’s (2735 California Ave SW) coffeehouse. For plant-based doughnuts, check out the rotating menu at Dough Joy (4310 SW Oregon St). Snapdragon West Seattle (4500 California Ave SW), a fixture on Vashon Island, recently opened here, serving up the rustic bakery’s fruit turnovers, gooey cinnamon rolls, and savory sandwiches. Mission Cantina (2325 California Ave SW) and Mioposto Pizzeria (2139 California Ave SW) are fun dinner spots. Near the waterfront, Salty’s on Alki Beach (1936 Harbor Ave SW) pairs quintessential Pacific Northwest seafood with stunning views. Future Primitive Brewing (2536 Alki Ave SW) turns out crisp craft brews with Adirondack chairs lined up in their sand-filled patio.

Shop

In the Junction, scope out the great reads at Paper Boat Booksellers (4526 California Ave SW) and Pegasus Book Exchange (4553 California Ave SW), which specializes in used tomes. And Arlen (4130 California Ave SW) is known for its huggie hoops and other minimalist jewelry, and Fleurt Collective (4536 California Ave SW) is great for stickers, cards, and souvenirs made by local artists.