Waterfront Revival
This year, Seattle officially unveiled its ambitious and expansive waterfront transformation. Today you’ll encounter new landscaped pathways, art-filled gathering spaces, and dramatic new viewpoints spanning beautiful Elliott Bay, from the sports stadiums near Pioneer Square to Pike Place Market to Belltown. For visitors, this dramatic restoration of one of the city’s most popular districts has been a complete game changer.
“The new waterfront provides so many new and improved opportunities for connection,” says Kevin Clark, CEO of the sightseeing outfitter Argosy Cruises. “Expanded walking and biking paths better connect businesses and attractions, while new public amenities and activated spaces provide visitors more ways to engage with the neighborhood’s natural beauty and community.”
The City of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront, in collaboration with the community and Friends of Waterfront Park—the nonprofit that manages and stewards Waterfront Park—reimagined 17 blocks along Alaskan Way, where the elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct freeway had stood as a barrier between the waterfront and downtown until it was razed in 2019. Here are some of the exciting features to watch for as you explore.
For details about Waterfront Park, including upcoming events, visit waterfrontparkseattle.org.
Click here to jump to our guide on making the most of your time exploring Pike Place Market (the soul of Seattle).
Sights & Strolls
Pioneer Square
courtesy Seattle Parks and Recreation
In partnership with the Alliance for Pioneer Square, this historic area rife with shops, eateries, and galleries has newly renovated sidewalks and landscaping between Waterfront Park and Occidental Square, with its shade trees, ping-pong tables, bocce courts, and a playground. Have a look at Shoreline Alley, between South Main and Washington streets, where painted paving stones depict the curve of the city’s original shoreline.
Railroad Way
Jo Cosme courtesy-Friends of Waterfront Park
Stroll along this new pedestrian pathway that connects Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park with Waterfront Park. At Stadium Plaza, view rotating art installations curated by Friends of Waterfront Park, featuring works by Indigenous local artists. The inaugural exhibit is by Kimberly Saladin, of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.
Pioneer Square Habitat Beach
Erik Holsather courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
Connect with the water at this compact and serene new beach that helps reestablish downtown’s natural shoreline, using shallow waters, local rocks, and riparian vegetation that support the waterfront ecosystem and enhance the bay’s salmon corridor. The historic Washington Street Boat Landing now features a restored pergola and a food concession. Also check out artist Buster Simpson’s immersive installation of concrete sculptures, Migration Stage, which provides seating and is fun for kids to play on.
“Pioneer Square Habitat Beach created a critical connection for the salmon migration corridor that has been improved by the new seawall, but it also created a direct connection to Elliott Bay for visitors. It’s a perfect example of how the new waterfront provides many different improvements, serving diverse communities in different ways.”
–Jessica Murphy, Construction Program Manager for the Office of the Waterfront & Civic Projects
courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
Park Promenade
Along this new pedestrian path connecting Pioneer Square to Pier 62, you can access famous attractions like The Seattle Great Wheel and Argosy Cruises. “We’re excited to welcome guests to tour Seattle’s waterways from the renewed waterfront,” says Argosy Cruises CEO Kevin Clark. Up to 16 daily sightseeing cruises will depart this summer, including the 90-minute Summer Views Cruise, which offers lighter tour narration and thus more of a chance for guests to chat while taking in the golden-hour vistas.
Continue along the lushly landscaped promenade or pedal along the new two-way bike lanes. On the span between Columbia and Spring streets, view the post-and-beam house posts that bracket the bike lanes. Designed by Oscar Tuazon and collaborating Suquamish and Muckleshoot carvers, they honor the Native tradition of Salish longhouses. Check out Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan’s Seawall Strata, a concrete textured seawall that’s part of the seawall replacement project. And look for Norie Sato’s Unfurling a Gesture (The Nature of Persistence), which includes a nature-inspired sculpture that frames the stairway at the Union Street Pedestrian Bridge.
Colman Dock
courtesy Visit Seattle Staff
As you walk across the rebuilt Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge to Colman Dock, where ferries depart to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, enjoy the new panoramas across Elliott Bay. Colman Dock’s waiting area has tripled in capacity, and new elevators and staircases improve access. Along the park promenade at Columbia Street, admire the beautiful fountain created in 1966 by the late Japanese American artist George Tsutakawa.
Pier 58
courtesy Friends of the Waterfront Park
Currently planned for completion in summer of 2025, the pier has been reimagined with stadium seating, a grove of trees, and a verdant grassy knoll. An elevated section provides stellar views of the bay and mountains. Kids will be able to play in a new playground with a fanciful four-level “jellyfish tower” featuring a slide and climbing elements. Family, Qwalsius-Shaun Peterson’s bronze-and-cedar Coast Salish art installation, greets you along the adjacent promenade.
Pier 62
Courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
This striking pier offers seating, games, and free events—from yoga to concerts to firepit socials—hosted by Friends of Waterfront Park and their community partners. The pier features Stephen Vitiello’s Land Buoy Bells, comprising five musical instruments crafted out of the ends of steel tanks; they’re struck with a device that’s driven by the bay’s waves.
Owalsius-Shaun Peterson’s Family courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
“Integrating arts and culture has been a part of the vision for the revitalization of the waterfront from the outset. Responding to the history of the site, its ecology, economy, and communities, the permanent artworks help to create a sense of place on the renewed waterfront that acts as an invitation to residents and visitors alike to reflect on what was here before and what is to come.”
–Ruri Yampolsky, Public Arts Manager for the Office of the Waterfront & Civic Projects
courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
courtesy City of Seattle and Garrett Weintrob
Overlook Walk
This dramatic elevated park and pedestrian bridge boasts a 360-degree panorama, thoughtful landscaping, ample seating, a cafe (planned to open in summer 2025), and kids’ play elements. This impressive structure connects the rooftop of Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion to the outdoor terrace of Pike Place Market’s inviting MarketFront building. The design of native plantings by landscape architect and Muckleshoot Indian Tribe member Valerie Segrest helps tell the story of the region’s landscape, from white cap to white cap, meaning from the snowy top of Mount Rainier (Tahoma) to the shores of the Salish Sea. The greenery also speaks to the Pacific Northwest’s diversity of ecosystems and food sources. On the Ocean Pavilion rooftop, for example, there’s a native berry garden. Along the Salish Steps you’ll find blue-flowering Camas prairie plants, and up the steps toward Pike Place Market you can explore a wetland ecosystem.
“There are so many ways to enjoy the waterfront—strolling, biking, sliding down new slides, sitting and taking in views of the water. All were designed with the goal of making this a welcoming, safe, and inclusive space. We have built a waterfront that truly reflects our original vision of creating a waterfront for all.”
–Angela Brady, Director for the Office of the Waterfront & Civic Projects
courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
Ocean Pavilion
In the Seattle Aquarium’s stunning new Ocean Pavilion, marvel at some 3,500 animals and plants native to the Coral Triangle, which encompasses the waters of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. As you walk beneath the Pavilion, look up at the sea life through a giant oculus window. Acclaimed Lummi glass artist Dan Friday designed three elements at the building’s entry, including a brilliant school of 33 hand-blown glass salmon suspended from the ceiling. “The story of the Coast Salish people is the story of the Salmon People,” says Friday, touching on the inspiration behind this dazzling work.
“The Ocean Pavilion highlights the message of connectivity,” says Emily Malone, Seattle Aquarium’s public relations specialist. ”We have one ocean, and the same issues impact marine life and ecosystems here at home and around the world.”
courtesy The Edgewater
Belltown and Beyond
As you continue up the shoreline, bike lanes and landscaping further invite you into hip Belltown and to explore the dynamic works of the Olympic Sculpture Park.
“We’re pleased to see the new bike paths, the Centennial Park/Myrtle Edwards Park revitalization, and the improvements along the old train tracks that have been supported by Melinda Gates,” says Ian McClendon, general manager of the historic Edgewater Hotel, with its beloved restaurant, Six Seven. He adds that visitors this year can look forward to an expanded Sound Waves concert series “with some amazing bands coming through the hotel. And the Seafair Torchlight Parade will be happening on Alaskan Way (on July 26).”
Market Magic
One of the West Coast’s most famous visitor experiences, Pike Place Market is also beloved by locals, who shop for produce and groceries, or break for coffee or a bite to eat during their workdays. It’s every bit as vibrant today as when it opened in 1907, in an effort to curb soaring produce prices by allowing farmers to sell directly to consumers. The handsome architecture of the main buildings has scarcely changed, and several businesses, among them Athenian Seafood Restaurant, Three Girls Bakery, and Sosio’s Fruit & Produce, date back decades.But every year new vendors and eateries join the Market, which in 2017 added the sleek MarketFront building, with its expansive Elliott Bay panoramas. In 2024, the construction of Overlook Walk, “created a new front porch for Pike Place Market, seamlessly connecting it to the revitalized waterfront,” says Madison Douglas, director of marketing and communications for the Market. “It offers stunning views, a welcoming pedestrian experience, and a new way to experience the heart of Seattle.”
courtesy Benedek/istock
MarketFront courtesy Paul Christian Gordon/Alamy Stock Photo
Market Magic Shop courtesy Mark Eden/Alamy Stock Photo
Pike Place Market courtesy Brian Jannsen/Alamy Stock Photo
It’s hard to believe that during the mid-20th century, as car-friendly suburbs and strip malls boomed, the Seattle City Council nearly replaced the Market with a massive urban renewal complex of office towers and shopping malls. The grassroots Friends of the Market formed in 1964 to save the Market, and they quickly galvanized public support. Led by architect and preservationist Victor Steinbrueck, in 1971 the group rallied Seattle voters to pass the Market Initiative, which created the Market Historical District and placed Pike Place Market under public control. Adjacent to the MarketFront, Victor Steinbrueck Park honors his efforts—following a recent redesign, it reopened in March.
Pike Place Market comprises a nine-acre historic district made up of around two dozen buildings. It contains a senior center, a food bank, daycare, preschool, a health clinic, and affordable housing for more than 450 residents. With more than 220 independent shops and eateries, around 170 artisans and craftspeople, 70 farmers, and 60 street musicians, it continues to thrive as a dynamic and diverse public space.
Explore More
Visit pikeplacemarket.org to explore the online directory, map, and themed itineraries, and download the free, fascinating, and photo-filled Inside: Pike Place Market digital book.
Food & Drink
Shugs Soda Fountain photo credit Vivian Hsu Photography in collaboration with ZCreativeDesignCo
courtesy Old Stove Brewing Co
courtesy Pike Place Fish Market
The Market is home to many full-service sit-down restaurants, including the romantic French spot Maximillien. Convivial Place Pigalle puts more of a Northwest spin on its French cuisine—think Dungeness crab bouillabaisse and pan-seared Pacific black cod. At Sushi Kashiba, book a seat at the counter to watch James Beard Award–nominated chef-owner Shiro Kashiba create sublime nigiri. Highlights of the Lonely Siren are the exceptional Portuguese cooking and a unique glass-house dining area. For 50 years, Il Bistro has served Tuscan classics in a cozy subterranean space. Enjoy pizzas and beer at the Alibi Room, across from the famed Gum Wall.
Beneath the Market’s glowing historic neon signs, browse the famously prolific fresh-food stalls, including Pike Place Fish Market and Frank’s Quality Produce. The French bakery Le Panier serves heavenly sandwiches and colorful macarons. Drop by Crumpet Shop for griddled cakes topped with maple butter or smoked-salmon cream cheese. Fans of Honest Biscuits swear by the When Pigs Fly sandwich, made with ingredients from two other amazing Market businesses: pork sausage from Uli’s Biergarten and white cheddar from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, which also doles out addictively delicious fresh cheese curds.
Savor salmon and halibut sandwiches at the counter-service Market Grill. DeLaurenti Food & Wine has kept the city stocked with gourmet groceries since 1946. Shug’s Soda Fountain dispenses old-fashioned ice cream sundaes as well as boozy concoctions like the Happy Pants with aperol, housemade orange soda, prosecco, and vanilla ice cream. Savor rich gelato-like desserts in flavors like honey-macadamia and marionberry at Hellenika Cultured Creamery.
Maiz handcrafts tortillas using the traditional Mexican nixtamalization process, and Lands of Origin is your source for sauces, spices, and baked goods from Africa. Seattle Dumpling Co and Mee Sum Pastry are go-tos for Asian comfort food. Order perfectly seasoned Filipino fare at the lunch counter inside Oriental Mart, run by the Apostol family for more than a half century.
Starbucks began in 1971 in Pike Place Market; snap a photo of yourself sipping a Frappuccino at the “original Starbucks” (technically its second location). Other notable cafés include Storyville Coffee and Indi Chocolate, which serves rich drinking chocolates. For refreshing juices, stop by rōJō Juice.
Serving cured meats and Washington wine from White Heron Cellars, Northwest Tastings wine bar has tall windows with bay views. Family-friendly Old Stove Brewing, known for sour beers, enjoys a dramatic open-air perch in the MarketFront. Rabbit Box is a cozy, tucked-away speakeasy offering curated cocktails. In addition to serving up creative bistro food, the Can Can Culinary Cabaret wows guests with dazzling burlesque shows. The thrilling shows at the Italian Pink Door include trapeze and cabaret. Unexpected Productions serves up funny improv comedy and well-made cocktails and local beer.
Pay it Forward
Rub the back of and donate change to Rachel the Piggy Bank, a 550-pound bronze sculpture that raises funds for the Pike Place Market Foundation, supporting social services for the Market community.
Go With a Guide
courtesy Savor Seattle Food Tours
Try tasty food from celebrated Market purveyors and hear colorful stories on a tour. Eat Seattle, Savor Seattle Food Tours, and Show Me Seattle lead engaging insider walks that stop by several eateries to sample goods and chat with owners and chefs. Downtown’s sweet Underground Donut Tour culminates at Pike Place Market’s Daily Dozen Doughnut Co. Atrium Kitchen and Diane’s Market Kitchen offer immersive guided strolls among the food shops and produce stalls along with cooking classes that use many Market ingredients.
Shops & Galleries
Allow at least an hour to browse the incredible variety of wares—including glass, floral designs, leather, jewelry, and paintings—sold by the roughly 170 rotating local artisans in the Handmade Craft Market. For 60 years, women-owned Art Stall Gallery has represented acclaimed artists. Ventures Marketplace shows work from 50 notable makers. Yarn Dragon features eco-sustainable knitwear, tools, and fiber art by Jonathan Berner. Pick up colorful fleece boot liners from Native-owned WithTheRain, fashionable vintage headwear at Eclipse Hat Shop, and thoughtfully selected apparel at newcomer Stoll & Heart.
courtesy cdrin/shutterstock
The original Sur La Table brims with stylish and practical kitchen goods. Washington-grown Bing and Rainier cherries star in the jams, granola, and chocolates at Chukar Cherries, while Pappardelle’s is your source for creative pastas, sauces, and oils. Venerable herbal apothecary Tenzing Momo stocks lotions, teas, and incense and also offers tarot readings. Impress your friends with the props and tricks at Market Magic Shop.
Not surprisingly in this UNESCO-designated City of Literature, the Market has several great bookstores, including Golden Age Collectibles, said to be the world’s oldest comic shop, and Left Bank Books, a collective-owned shop with a decidedly progressive focus. Old Seattle Paperworks is packed with intriguing old magazines, postcards, and historic prints.
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