Seattle, Washington, located on the Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, is the largest city in the state. Surrounded by water, forests, and mountains, with thousands of acres of parks as well. Seattle is home to a lot of nature, in addition to a big art and culture scene.
Sustainability: Seattle is becoming increasingly more and more sustainable. It is one of the nation’s most walkable cities. As the city increases their sustainability initiatives, they are in the process of doubling their economy while cutting carbon emissions in half. Employers are also dedicated to improving sustainability by entering contracts for transitions to solar and wind energy.
Language: English is the most popular language spoken throughout Seattle. Spanish is the second most common, as almost 5% of the population are native Spanish speakers.
Transportation: Seattle has a vast system of buses that run throughout the city, but sometimes it can take a little bit longer than driving. Make sure to account for that! Rideshares and bike rentals are also available throughout the city. The monorail is a good use for tourists and the water taxis and ferries can transport you across the Puget Sound!
Climate: Seattle is classified as a temperate or oceanic climate depending on the source. The winters are cool, wet, and mild, and the summers are dry, but very mild heat. The highest summer temperature average is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with the lowest winter temperature average being around 40 degrees.
WHERE TO STAY
There are plenty of great options to choose from in Seattle! Whether you’ve chosen a luxury hotel, a quaint inn in the outer neighborhoods, or a quirky Airbnb – you won’t be disappointed with the options available.
1. Modern, Green, and Designed Airbnb Getaway
- Location: Northwest Seattle/Greenwood
- Accommodation: Entire apartment
- Price Range: $-$$
After staying in Airbnbs all over the world, the hosts of this stay have designed the home to include the things of utmost importance. This stay is within walking distance of many amazing locations and even has an onsite licensed massage therapist. Solar-powered and LEED Platinum Certified, they’ve thought of every detail! From the type of mattress on the sofa bed to a juicer and rice maker included in the kitchen. This stay is one of the best you can get – with amazing extra-mile amenities. It even has an EV charger, so you’ll have everything with this Superhost.
2. The Edgewater Hotel
- Location: Downtown/Pier 66
- Accommodation: Boutique/Luxury
- Price Range: $$$
The Edgewater has hosted some of the most famous names in music, including Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, and The Beatles, and is surrounded by breathtaking views of the Olympic Mountains, Elliott Bay and the sparkling city. The hotel is perfectly located on the pier, making it easy to walk around and enjoy Seattle. The hotel’s restaurant, Six Seven, features seasonally inspired and expertly prepared dishes that are crafted with the freshest organic and naturally raised ingredients. They even offer complimentary loans of guitars and sheet music, so you can really feel like the stars that have resided there once before.
3. Modern Sustainable Airbnb
- Location: Downtown Ballard
- Accommodation: Townhouse
- Price Range: $$$
With a Walk Score of 92, and a modern and cozy design, this Airbnb is a sustainable choice alone for the walking distance to downtown Ballard. There are great restaurants, shops, grocery stores, and activities that this vibrant community offers. In addition, by choosing this Airbnb, you’re supporting a small business, and the home is eco-built using reclaimed materials!
4. The Most Sustainable Stay in Seattle: Cedarbrook Lodge
- Location: Seattle-Tacoma Airport Area
- Accommodation: Boutique/Getaway
- Price Range: $$
Cedarbrook Lodge promises to be your home away from home! They have incomparable hospitality, a central location to the airport, and impressive amenities. Cedarbrook puts a heavy focus on environmental concerns, as their mission involves protecting the planet’s resources through every element of their experience. They embrace green practices and support sustainability efforts that benefit the Pacific Northwest region.
Cedarbrook Lodge aims to involve all of their guests into their sustainable actions. At the hotel they acknowledge that there are numerous vendors that contribute to their stays – and aim to make the most impactful choice in every detail- from the soap used in guestrooms, to the recyclable Cedarbrook pens, to the food served and ate, to the LED light bulbs that are used throughout the property.
WHERE TO EAT
Seattle is rich with a diverse food scene and is known for many great dining experiences. While in Seattle, there is plenty of opportunity for delicious seafood, authentic cultural cuisine, and many organic and plant-based options.
1. Plum Bistro
Options: Vegan, VEG, GF options
Price: $$
Hailed as Capitol Hill’s most beloved vegan restaurant, Plum Bistro creates artful and inspiring upscale vegan dishes. Try delicious plant-based mac and cheese, American style burgers, and even tofu-strami in their signature reuben. Head to their Sugar Plum bakery or their more casual Pantry for even more options!
2. Frankie & Jo’s
Options: Vegan ice cream and desserts
Price: $-$$
Frankie & Jo’s is every vegan’s (and lactose-intolerant’s) dream! Their mission aims to reduce our dependence on animals, so every option they have is entirely vegan. They believe plant-based ice cream is a force for good, so they hope to inspire people to eat more plants. Try their more unique flavors, like Salty Caramel Ash, or Chocolate Tahini Supercookie. Or, go for the classics, like Cookies & Cream or Harvest Strawberry Milk.
3. Oddfellows
Options: Italian/French cuisine, V & GF options/modifiers
Price: $$
Oddfellows Café + Bar is an all-day, all-night café and bar that serves simple, fresh food influenced by French and Italian dishes. Oddfellows claims to be the perfect setting for a range of outings, from working on your computer, a romantic date, or dinner with friends and family. Get banana-tahini french toast in the morning or dive into pan-roasted cauliflower or creamy risotto for dinner.
4. The Most Sustainable Place to Eat in Seattle: Local360
Options: Farm-to-table, VEG, GF, V options/modifiers
Price: $-$$
Local360 invests in their local community. By sourcing as many ingredients as they can within a 360 miles of Seattle, they utilize their resources in an efficient and renewable manner. The idea behind Local360 is that “local produce, meat, and grains are more than mere vehicles for nutrients, but vital parts of the intricate system that supports our environment and the good folks who live here.” Try delicious BBQ chicken sliders, local oysters, or pan-roasted carrots.
WHAT TO DO
With the lush Pacific Northwest forests and parks just miles away, walkable and enjoyable streets, and Puget Sound in the backyard, Seattle offers a range of activities for anyone to enjoy. Walk around and shop, enjoy a craft cocktail or amazing cup of coffee, or head out for a hike.
1. Go Shopping at a Sustainable Store!
Options: Women’s/Trendy
Price Range: $$
Resisting fast fashion, Prairie Underground is committed to sustainability and is incredibly transparent about their practices. They are also very clear about how they communicate sustainability to their consumers. In addition to their own sustainably made clothes that promote longevity and adaptability within your wardrobe, they also have a selection of intriguing vintage pieces. The additional pieces have been merchandised with their collection to tell a greater story about apparel design and manufacturing. With this, they also provide suggestions on ways to mix Prairie Underground with other pieces in your wardrobe.
Options: Men’s Clothing/Accessories
Price Range: $$
Hammer + Awl offers products for the modern man! Check them out for a collection of accessories and select apparel with a focus on quality, style and US made craftsmanship.
2. Rent a Kayak or Paddle Board
In good weather, Seattle is a great place to go for a kayak ride or rent a paddle board for some amazing panoramic views. As the city is surrounded by water, there are many rental places throughout the city. These ones will help you get started in the most central places!
- Ballard Kayak – Head to the Shilshole Bay Marina to rent a single or double kayak, or a stand-up paddle board. Remember to get there early as there’s no designated parking on the premises. Be prepared to choose a bike or a rideshare!
- Green Lake Boathouse – As a portion of each rental goes to the Seattle Parks Department, this is an easy choice to support! The Boathouse is located along the 2.8-mile path around the lake that provides a great spot for runners, bikers, walkers, and of course, boaters and swimmers alike. In addition, they have a cafe, which is a convenient stop for food, beverages, fishing tackle, beach supplies and anything else you would need for a day at the lake. Rent a kayak, paddle board, pedal boats, and more – or even participate in SUP yoga!
- Agua Verde Paddle Club – Book a tour or discover Seattle from Portage Bay, exploring quaint houseboats, hidden coves and local wildlife in the Arboretum. Also – they have tours, classes, and group rates available!
3. Visit the Museum of Pop Culture
If you’d like to spend a rainy day in Seattle immersing yourself in unique pop culture – through art, music, movies, and more, then take a trip to the Museum of Pop Culture. You can explore exhibitions about tattoo culture, music, fantasy media props, and world-building. Or, you can view items and costumes from iconic horror movies and television shows!
4. Walk Around Pike Place Market
Seattle’s public market and one of the country’s oldest farmers markets encompasses nine acres! From Pike St. north to Virginia St. and from 1st Ave west to Western Ave, the market’s historic arcade, winding alleys, stairways and lower levels offer a multi-sensory experience of sights, sounds, tastes, aromas and textures. With a farmers’ market, fish markets, speciality foods and crafts, collectibles and antiques, there’s something for everyone at Pike Place Market. You can even take a walking tour throughout. Without a doubt, you’re sure to find something unique and delicious on your visit.
5. Visit the Wing Luke Museum
This museum will give you perspective as you tour through the exhibitions and history of the Asian American Pacific experience. Wing Luke believes that stories have the power to change the world. They give a platform to AAPI roots and point of view, by allowing a place for them to share. With exhibitions dedicated to all different sectors of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – they explore people from Cambodia and Vietnam, unpack beauty ideals, and honor the journey of the earliest immigrants.
6. Visit Chihuly Garden and Glass
Explore the amazing and breathtaking sites of Northwest artist Dale Chihuly. As a talented glass maker and blower. this art museum is ranked high on the list of things to do in Seattle. Intertwined with a beautiful garden, the artistic glass pieces of Chihuly provide a look at his inspiration and influences. The exhibition includes eight galleries, the centerpiece glasshouse and a lush garden.
7. Enjoy nature!
Surrounded by the beautiful PNW trails, mountains, and parks – your trip to Seattle would not be complete without digesting some amazing nature.
- Discovery Park – Covering 534 acres, Discovery Park is Seattle’s largest city park. Within the park, you can view a stunning overlook on the former Fort Lawton site to the Puget Sound, the Cascades, and the Olympics. Discovery Park has two miles of protected tidal beaches. In addition, there are open meadow lands, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves, active sand dunes, and streams. The role of the park is to provide an open space of quiet and tranquility away from the city, a sanctuary for wildlife, as well as an outdoor classroom. Take the Lighthouse Loop for a hike as well!
- Hike, ski, or bike! – Named The Emerald City, for the access to lush greenery Seattle is near to countless trails for a variety of activities. Ski on one of the nearby mountains, bike a trail, or go off the beaten path and seek adventure on a hike.
- Kubota Garden – Kubota Garden is a beautiful Japanese garden in south Seattle that blends unique Japanese garden artistry with Northwest nature. Started by a Japanese emigrant in the mid-twentieth century, Kubota Garden is an immersive trail filled with history, lush nature, and scenic trails.
8. Grab a cup of coffee
Visiting Seattle isn’t complete without discovering the best cup of coffee around. With so many roasters and unique coffee shops in the city, you’ll be sure to find a cup of joe to suit your taste buds.
- Espresso Vivace – Providing coffee in authentic Northern Italian styles, Espresso Vivace aims to research, develop, and prepare caffe espresso as a new culinary art. Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse even has said that Vivace’s espresso is the best coffee in the US! To offset the CO2 that their coffee produces, they partnered with Cascade Land Conservancy in 2004 to plant hundreds of small cedar trees in Seattle’s Interlaken Park.
- Victrola Coffee Roasters – Victrola, named for the popular home phonograph from the 1920’s, embraces the liveliness, exuberance and fun of the Jazz era in a fun coffee drinking environment. They have dedicated their mission to sourcing, roasting, and preparing the finest coffees available. They also actively seek out new neighborhoods to share great coffee and community with, as well as new partners to serve our coffee, and new and deepened relationships with farmers and producers.
Final Thoughts
With over 3 million people bustling in the city, Seattle does not fall short in unique experiences. When traveling, it is always important to search for this unique experiences, and soak in what each place you visit has to offer! It is always a great idea to find the activities, stays, and meals that are specialties of the city and enjoy them in all their originality!
Staying mindful is such a big piece of being sustainable while traveling. Consider choosing public transport, looking into the eco-friendliness of your stays, and supporting local business. The smallest steps lead to the biggest changes!
Check out my Austin, Texas Sustainable Travel Guide!
