Latest news with #SeattleCenter
Forbes
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
New Food Tour Makes The Case For Seattle Center As A Culinary Hot Spot
Here's a welcome shot in the arm for the neighborhood that's home to the world famous Space Needle. Let's take a sweet sneak peek at the latest offering from Eat Seattle Food Tours. The Space Needle, Seattle's most iconic landmark, was built for the 1962 World's Fair. A walking ... More food tour of the Seattle Center makes a convincing case that the neighborhood's a culinary destination worth exploring. There's no doubt that the expansive area that hosted the 1962 World's Fair is a thriving arts district. A calendar full festivals, celebrations of cultures from across the globe, cutting edge plays at Seattle Rep, the wildly entertaining Museum of Pop Culture opened by the late Paul Allen in 2000 and exquisite ballet makes the case nearly every day of the year. (BTW, the lineup of for Bumbershoot 2025 has just been announced and it's exceptional. Can't wait to see Car Seat Headrest, Janelle Monáe, Say She She and so many more during this celebration of music, art and chef-driven food over Labor Day weekend.) But when it comes to a serving as a dining destination, that's a bit of a tough sell. Well, Eat Seattle Tours recently introduced a new offering that makes a convincing case there's some tasty spots to explore. Dog in the Park under the Space Needle serves the original cream cheese-smeared Seattle Dog. It's ... More featured on a new culinary walking tour from Eat Seattle Food Tours. First up, these walking tours are led by folks who have backgrounds working in the professional kitchen leading to some juicy insider dish. Bet you didn't know the famous cream cheese adorned Seattle Dog dates back to a street vendor hawking bagels in the city's historic Pioneer Square way back in the late 1980s. That's where this ramble begins, under the soaring Space Needle, in front of a steamy Seattle Dog from Dog in the Park. While savoring those satisfying bites, the tour guide will walk you through some fascinating history of this vast campus, built on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people. Lots of good info, and what kind of buns do they use for those dogs? Eat Seattle Tours founder Liz Philpot was looking to explore neighborhoods beyond the highly popular wanderings around Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. For the thousands of cruise shippers flooding Seattle during the summer season, this is a welcome detour. Wondering how to get to this tour? Take the Monorail, of course. That World's Fair relic offers a quick ride from downtown to the Center, landing dramatically with a slide through the magnificent Frank Gehry-designed home of MoPOP. Premier Meat Pies uses local ingredients in its British-style creations. It's featured on the new ... More Eat Seattle Food Tour of the Seattle Center and environs. Premier Meat Pies in the Seattle Center Armory – once home to the region's National Guard – serves up an extensive lineup that features traditional Scottish pies stuffed with beef and oats to the jaw-dropping mac-and-cheese pie that's begging to be featured on your Instagram feed. Now with four locations, the original debuted in the Center's food court in 2015, and yes, the devotion to that European pastime/obsession known as football is palpable. While noshing on this satisfying savory pie, your tour guide will pepper the group with some little known facts about this space. There's a secret pool downstairs, originally built for those serving in the National Guard. And, guess what? Today, it's also home to the Center School, a small arts and college prep program that's part of the Seattle School District. While strolling past the International Fountain and Climate Pledge Arena – home of the Seattle Storm and the Kraken – your tour guide might spill some tea about the high profile partner involved in the branding of that popular venue. Yup, it's none other than Amazon. Sure wish this ramble included a stop at Caffe Vita's outpost at the fantastic KEXP Gathering Space, but apparently, that space isn't exactly accommodating to tour groups. Circle back for an expertly crafted espresso drink, OK? Eat Seattle Food Tours founder Liz Philpot wanted to introduce visitors to the culinary highlights ... More of the Seattle Center neighborhood, including Taylor Shellfish's Oyster Bar. Just outside the Seattle Center, Taylor Shellfish Farms has been schooling oyster slurping beginners and thrilling seasoned bivalve enthusiasts for more than a decade in this location. The well-versed staff walks newbies through the basics of growing oysters and, most importantly, eating them like a pro. Before you say ewww, no way, give it a shot. But if you cannot go there, alternative bites are offered. Consider yourself fortunate if they're shucking the famous Sumo Kumos – an extra large-ish version of Kumamoto oysters – or the delicately flavored Sunseeker oysters from the frigid waters off Vancouver Island. So good. Little known kernel: Visionary food pioneer Jon Rowley was one of the first to sing the praises of this Pacific Northwest oyster producer. The Uptown Hophouse near Seattle Center features a Philly-style pretzel. It's a stop on the Eat ... More Seattle Food Tours ramble through the neighborhood that launched in the spring of 2025. After picking up some treats at Sugar Bakery & Coffeehouse, the tour concludes on a high note, at the Uptown Hophouse. This sport bar pours an impressive lineup of local craft brews and a beer-friendly menu that includes what is possibly the best Philly-inspired pretzel west of the Mississippi. It's served with spicy queso and if you're still hungry after this action-packed food tour, consider taking a side trip to the top of Queen Anne Hill for something sweet at Moonrise Bakery or go savory at Just Poke and grab some delicious Seattle souvenirs at La Pasta. Listen to Eat Seattle's Liz Philpot discuss with Tom Douglas and co-host Bridget Charters her inspiration for this new tour on a recent episode of Hot Stove Radio show.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seattle opens new waterfront restrooms as part of $806M transformation
The Brief Seattle's waterfront has new public restrooms, part of a $2 million effort to improve accessibility and address complaints about inadequate facilities. The restrooms are part of the city's $806 million waterfront transformation, with maintenance by Seattle Center and Friends of Waterfront Park. Officials highlight the restrooms' role in enhancing the waterfront experience, especially with increased tourism and the FIFA World Cup in 2026. SEATTLE - Visitors to the Seattle waterfront now have access to new public restrooms, part of the city's ongoing efforts to maintain over 100 public facilities and accommodate increasing foot traffic this summer. The City of Seattle and local partners announced the grand opening of a centrally located restroom in Waterfront Park, between Union and University streets. It features six all-gender stalls with privacy and accessibility features, baby changing stations, and ample natural lighting. Seattle Center will oversee maintenance and safety, ensuring the facility remains clean and secure from the moment it opens. Click to open this PDF in a new window. The new restrooms follows years of complaints about the lack of accessible public toilets in Seattle. An audit released last month found many park restrooms to be "dirty and unreliable." The report detailed issues such as vandalism, fire damage, and a lack of basic supplies like soap and toilet paper, with as many as 15% of restrooms missing necessary items. "It's a hit or miss," said Seattle local Makenzie Dills. Waterfront project spokesperson Iris Picat says, of the entire $806 million renovation project, the city invested $2 million into new waterfront restrooms, including $200,000 for boardwalk and landscaping elements surrounding them. This effort follows a failed attempt in 2004 to install automated toilets in Pioneer Square, a project that cost $1 million per unit. Those toilets ultimately became hubs for drug activity and prostitution before being sold for just over $12,000 each on eBay a few years later. What they're saying "When you gotta go, you gotta go," said Dills. "Some of the plastics definitely melted [at other public restrooms], and there's graffiti and stuff, but that's just, like, art." "Our waterfront is designed to be a destination for individuals, families, and visitors to come to, not just pass through," said Mayor Bruce Harrell in a press release. "These new public restroom facilities are key to ensuring all visitors of the waterfront have access to the amenities they need as they explore all the waterfront has to offer. Expanding access to clean, safe public restrooms is essential in creating welcoming and inclusive public spaces." "Definitely [prefer] here," said Oakland tourist Maurice Rumsey. "Very clean. I was very shocked by the sink. I've never seen that before, so it was pretty fun." "We heard loud and clear from the community the desire for a public restroom on the waterfront and are thrilled to be able to make good on that request," said Angela Brady of Sound Transit. Big picture view With summer tourism ramping up and Seattle set to host FIFA World Cup games in 2026, city officials hope the new facilities will meet demand. "I think it's good that the city is trying to accommodate for the amount of people that are going to come," said Tacoma native Samuel Polanco. The restroom will be cleaned daily and locked outside operating hours, which are 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., with extended hours until 10:00 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. A concierge will be on-site at all times to assist visitors and ensure cleanliness. The city also plans to clean the restrooms daily to maintain hygiene standards. The Source Information in this story comes from original reporting by Alejandra Guzman. Deputies shoot suspect in Spanaway, WA 'Happy Face' serial killer nearly confessed brutal murders to WA teen daughter Police investigate DV shooting at Redmond, WA, apartment complex Two teens arrested after shooting at father, son near Kitsap Mall in WA Bobcat or cougar? Magnolia residents report close call with wild cat To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
