36 Hours in Seattle

DOWNTOWN Seattle may have a Space Needle that pierces the clouds, a Monorail that whizzes above the streets and, most recently, the bloblike Experience Music Project designed by Frank Gehry. But until recently, it offered little else to draw Seattleites. The “real” Seattle was found along the city’s fringes, in neighborhoods like Fremont and Ballard, where cheap rents fostered artsy communities and cafe cultures. In recent years, however, a wave of new condominiums has sprouted near a waterfront once reserved for tchotchke shops selling “Sleepless in Seattle” T-shirts, bringing with it fashionable boutiques, trendy restaurants and gourmet shops. Now, the city center is starting to feel like a neighborhood again, and not just a backdrop for a Space Needle snapshot.

Friday

4 p.m.

1) BIRD ON THE BAY

Seattle’s waterfront was once known as Skid Road, but the historic district has burst to life with gorgeously restored buildings, cute boutiques and inviting cafes. The newest addition is the Olympic Sculpture Park (2901 Western Avenue, 206-654-3100; www.seattleartmuseum.org), a former industrial blight converted by the Seattle Art Museum last year into a nine-acre gallery along Elliott Bay. For great people-watching — joggers and dog walkers love it there — find the row of deck chairs under Alexander Calder’s spiderlike sculpture, “Eagle.” When it’s clear, a rarity this time of year, you can see the saw-toothed Olympic Mountains to the west.

7 p.m.

2) FOIE GRAS AND FLANNEL

It may be after hours, and the neon signs advertising fresh fish may illuminate puddles of melted ice, but the Pike Place Market now draws a buzzing dinner crowd, thanks to Matt’s in the Market (94 Pike Street, Suite 32, 206-467-7909; www.mattsinthemarket.com), a cozy bistro that builds its menu around the daily plenty. Last year, Matt’s expanded its closetlike space to seat 59 people and include a petite bar. For postcard views, ask for one of the tables under the arched windows overlooking the iconic “Public Market” sign. If that doesn’t say Seattle, the fact that the kitchen staff is better dressed than most of the patrons should. Fall menu highlights include the smoked pork belly with huckleberries ($12) and Alaskan halibut in a broth of heirloom tomatoes and clams ($30).

9 p.m.

3) MIX MASTER

He may be something of a minor celebrity, but Murray Stenson, the mixologist at Zig Zag Café (1501 Western Avenue, No. 202, 206-625-1146; www.zigzagseattle.com) didn’t get there by being flashy. Squeeze into one of the booths of this secluded lounge behind Pike Place Market, and ask Mr. Stenson to mix you one of his favorites. You can’t go wrong with the Diablo — tequila, cassis, lime and ginger ale ($8.25) — or a classic martini made with Aviation Gin, which is distilled in Oregon ($9.50).

Saturday

9 a.m.

4) FIXIES AND FRITES

In Seattle, attitude increases with altitude. For a dose of countercultural coolness, climb up Capitol Hill, where you’ll find Café Presse (1117 12th Avenue, 206-709-7674; www.cafepresseseattle.com), which strives to approximate a Parisian sidewalk cafe, complete with a chalkboard listing that week’s schedule of televised soccer matches. You won’t see many Gauloises smokers, just fixie — fixed-gear — bikes parked out front and skinny jeans inside. The menu (in French and English) includes slender baguettes ($2.50) and eggs with mayonnaise and cornichons ($4). In case you don’t get the hint, there’s a map of France on the wall.

11 a.m.

5) RAIN OR SHINE

Seattle may be nicknamed the Rain City, but you can always dry out at the Volunteer Park Conservatory (1400 East Galer Street, 206-684-4743; www.volunteerparkconservatory.org), a glistening greenhouse fashioned after the Crystal Palace in London, where you can visit the cactus room and four other houses. Each month features a different flower; November is mums, December is, of course, poinsettias. Nearby is the Seattle Asian Art Museum (1400 East Prospect Street, 206-654-3100; www.seattleartmuseum.org), home to a charming collection of Chinese snuff boxes. As you’re exploring the grounds, don’t miss Isamu Noguchi’s doughnut-shaped onyx sculpture, “Black Sun,” that inspired Soundgarden’s grunge anthem, “Black Hole Sun.” Take a photograph of the Space Needle through the center hole. Later, climb up the nearby brick water tower for views of the city’s quickly changing skyline.

3 p.m.

6) MARINATED MARINER

Trace the waterfront’s arc from wartime shipyard to boathouse dock by floating along Lake Union, a large freshwater body in the middle of Seattle. The nonprofit Center for Wooden Boats (1010 Valley Street, 206-382-2628; www.cwb.org) has rowboats for rent starting at $25 an hour. If your arms start to tire, look for a mosaic-dotted park halfway up the eastern shore. Pull up to Pete’s Wine Shop (58 East Lynn Street, 206-322-2660; wwwpeteswineshop.com.com) and order a bottle of Walla Walla cabernet sauvignon. Just keep an eye out for the floatplanes from nearby Kenmore Air terminal.

6 p.m.

7) PAPER SUNSHINE

In a city where a local librarian, Nancy Pearl, has her own action figure, it’s worth checking out Seattle’s new Central Library (1000 Fourth Avenue, 206-386-4636; www.spl.org), a spectacular building designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. The stunning glass-and-steel exterior resembles a cubic wave breaking over Fourth Avenue, but the interior — with its sharp colors and angles — doesn’t exactly make you want to curl up with old media. A better reading nook can be found at Elliott Bay Book Company (101 South Main Street, 206-624-6660; www.elliottbaybook.com), where the worn wooden shelves are filled with used and new books, and the floor planks creak warmly. Check its online calendar for readings.

8 p.m.

8) NO TOFU

In the 1990s, Seattle was all about sushi, tempeh and coffee. Nowadays, everyone seems to be a meat-eating beer drinker. Tap into your inner carnivore at Quinn’s Pub (1001 East Pike Street, 206-325-7711; www.quinnspubseattle.com), a dim gastropub that serves hearty dishes like braised oxtail and wild boar sloppy joes. The 14-tap beer menu includes local favorites like Manny’s Pale ($4.50 a pint) and obscure Trappist ales like Koningshoeven Bock ($27 for a 750-milliliter bottle). 9 p.m. 9) POST-GRUNGE

Sure, grunge is dead. But as the faithful Web listeners of KEXP know, the city that gave us Nirvana and Pearl Jam moved onto newer sounds long ago, with acts like Band of Horses and other Sub Pop Records performers. The top spot for live music, the Crocodile cafe, shut its doors last year but is scheduled to reopen in 2009. Until then, get your head-bobbing, sweaty-mob fix at Neumos (925 East Pike Street, 206-709-9442; www.neumos.com), a Capitol Hill institution.

Sunday

9 a.m.

10) DISCOVER COLUMBIA

Condo developers have carved many of Seattle’s quirky neighborhoods into bland real estate listings. But Columbia City still feels like a microcosm of the city itself, a gumbo of art galleries, bike shops, yoga studios and butchers where it’s easier to find homemade tamales or good pulled pork sandwich than a macchiato. Start your tour of the south side neighborhood with a coffee and bostok ($3) — Eastern European toast with orange and almond cream at — at Columbia City Bakery (4865 Rainier Avenue South, 206-723-6023) to fuel your foot-powered tour.

Serious velophiles will enjoy sorting through the bins of bike parts at Bike Works (3709 South Ferdinand Street, 206-725-9408; www.bikeworks.org) while their less gear-inclined counterparts head to the Columbia City Gallery (4864 Rainier Avenue South, 206-760-9843; www.columbiacitygallery.com), a mixed-media cooperative that offers works from local artists like the glassmaker Mark Ditzler. For local goods, head to Andaluz (4908 Rainier Ave South, 206-760-1900; www.andaluzseattle.com), which feels like a crowded closet stuffed with eccentric bric-a-brac like cashmere wrist warmers ($28) and bike chain bracelets ($10). You might find a vintage Space Needle postcard.

THE BASICS

Many airlines, including Alaska Airlines, Continental and Delta, offer direct flights from New York City to Seattle. A recent online search found a Delta flight from Kennedy Airport starting at $249. A light rail to downtown Seattle is scheduled to open in 2009 (www.soundtransit.org.) Until then, you can take a taxi or bus (www.transit.metrokc.gov). Buses and taxis are also a good way to get around the city.

Seattle’s grande dame is the Fairmont Olympic (411 University Street, 206-621-1700; www.fairmont.com/seattle), a classic hotel that still offers a full tea service. Rates range from $299 for a guest room to $3,000 for the 3,450-square-foot suite.

For more affordable accommodations, try the Ace Hotel (2423 First Avenue, 206-448-4721; www.acehotel.com/seattle), part of a stylish boutique hotel chain that started in Seattle’s Bellevue neighborhood. The high-fashion, if somewhat spartan rooms start at $165 for a double with a private bath.