Category: Guides

Fall in love with Seattle, steps from home. Autumn is in the air, the leaves are changing and Seattle is wide open. The Emerald’s premiere location at Second and Stewart places you in the center of downtown Seattle – just one block from the iconic Pike Place Market, Seattle’s new waterfront, and close to all the action. Start exploring the best of the season with these local to-do’s.

 

 

Catch a concert at Pier 62. Friends of Waterfront Seattle invites you to Pier Sounds, a concert series featuring regional bands and artists including The Black Tones, D’Vonne Lewis and Friendz, Lady A, and Tiffany Wilson. Enjoy live music, local food trucks, a beer garden, and all the sights and sounds of Seattle’s waterfront on October 2, 9 + 16.

 

Meet a friend in the Underwater Dome at the Seattle Aquarium. Step through a short tunnel and into this one-of-a-kind undersea dome with a 360-degree view into a 400,000-gallon habitat, filled with hundreds of fascinating Puget Sound fish. You’ll experience a beautiful, ever-changing snapshot of life in Puget Sound. See schools of silvery, open-water salmon flash in the filtered light from above. The aquarium is open with timed ticketing and limited attendance to enhance the visitor experience. Want to venture out? Join the Seattle Aquarium at five locations along the Cedar River this October. Trained naturalists will be on-site to help you spot spawning salmon and learn about the things we can all do to help them. Dates include October 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24 from 11am to 4pm.

 

Experience the Grand Opening of the most sustainable arena in the world – a short bike ride from The Emerald. On October 22, the Climate Pledge Arena will host the seven-time Grammy award-winning band, Coldplay. Plan to catch a Kraken game this season and cheer on our local hockey team. Just over a mile from The Emerald, getting there is easy! For most major events they’ll have a bike valet for convenient and safe bike storage, 3 parking garages located on Seattle Center Campus, and you can also hop on the Metro and be there in 20 minutes.

 

Taste the best of Seattle during Seattle Restaurant Week. SRA runs from October 24 – November 6 and will be offering special menus to include $20 lunches, $35 and/or $50 dinners. Indulge in nearby specials like beer and burger pairings from Pike Brewing Company, the 3 course surf-n-turf special at Wasabi Sushi & Izakaya, and a 3 course menu featuring fall flavors from Chef Potvin at the Le Igloo @ Maximilien – all within a few minutes from The Emerald.

 

Toast to autumn atop it all at Smith Tower Observatory. Less than a mile from The Emerald, you can experience the iconic, world-famous observatory with its historic exhibits, Otis elevators, stunning 360-degree views of Seattle, and open-air viewing deck. Order the new fall special Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) Martini at the thirty-fifth-floor bar as you explore the intriguing menu and amazing views. Tip: Grab a ‘Straight Up By Night’ ticket available at the door Wednesday – Sunday at 3:00 pm. The Emerald has partnered with award-winning Columbia Hospitality to provide highly personalized concierge services and premier hospitality. One of the unique perks of this program is an exclusive discount admission to the iconic Smith Tower Observatory, which includes a ride in the historic Otis elevator to the thirty-fifth floor, where you can enjoy an exciting menu of local cuisine, craft cocktails, a pinch of Prohibition and some truly amazing views..

 

Enjoy a fall bike ride from The Emerald. Layer up and pop over to Olympic Sculpture Park. Start your journey by spying the Seattle fall foliage unfolding, then follow the Elliott Bay Trail through Myrtle Edwards Park as you try to spot eagles, gulls, and crows. Continue through Centennial Park as you take in views of Elliott Bay, Mount Rainier, and Olympic Mountains. Pedal all the way to Elliott Bay Marina at Smith Cove Park, which is a great spot to take in fall colors where crimson trees are brilliant against the turquoise waters and Seattle’s skyline shines.

 

Dine in a gondola 200 feet above the Salish Sea. Assemble 4 people, friends or family and make reservations for the dinner experience of a lifetime at Seattle’s Great Wheel. Enjoy a spectacular 4-course dinner including prawn cocktail and grilled salmon paired with views of the Puget Sound. While it’s a nice walk from our doorstep, if you opt to drive or Envoy There, you’ll receive 3-hour parking vouchers for the Pike Place Parking Garage upon arrival. Make your reservations here and pre-order a bottle of wine here.

 

Make it a Market Day. There’s no better time than autumn to head to Pike Place Public Market and grab a Pike Place chowder bowl. Spend a day shopping for fall flavored treats and picking your favorite fall stems. From sunflowers and dahlias to new dried floral arrangements, Pike Place is the perfect spot to find bouquets to warm your home. Plus, for the very first time, visitors can grab food or drinks from 30+ eateries and restaurants at the market to enjoy in two new public seating areas on Pike Street and Pike Place. The MarketFront sundeck is a great spot to take in the waterfront views.

 

Keep your eyes open for the 2021 Elliott Bay Oyster New Year announcement and tickets. Every year, Elliott’s, a seafood mainstay in Seattle for over 40 years, has donated proceeds from its Oyster New Year bash to the Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF) and we’re looking forward to ringing it all in with our waterfront neighbor.

 

There’s no better spot to enjoy the best of Seattle. Take advantage of The Emerald’s incredible location by finding your move-in-ready home today and start exploring what each season offers, just steps from your front door. Visit theemeraldseattle.com to schedule your tour.

 

Image credit: Paul Emery

The Emerald’s premiere location at Second and Stewart places you in the center of downtown Seattle – just one block from the iconic Pike Place Market. We’re excited to share the news that the much-loved and highly anticipated Sunset Supper returns to Pike Place Market on Friday, August 20^, 2021. The outdoor event along Seattle’s waterfront is presented by the Pike Place Market Foundation and will celebrate not only the 25^th anniversary, but also the Market’s first in-person event of its kind to return to Seattle this summer. A limited number of tickets are now available, get yours here.

 

 

“Bringing Sunset Supper back to Pike Place Market marks a time of hope for our community while we move forward from the hardships the past year brought us.” said Patricia Gray, community relations manager of Pike Place Market Foundation. “After postponing the event last summer, we’re looking forward to safely gathering with our community once again to not only enjoy delicious food and drinks from some of Seattle’s favorite restaurants, breweries, wineries and distilleries, but to raise funds to continue supporting the people of Pike Place Market through the aftermath of COVID-19.”

 

The 2021 Sunset Supper will have reduced capacity with ample space and tables for all guests. Guests will dine al fresco in the heart of Pike Place Market and enjoy a curated supper made by famous chefs from Pike Place Market and across the region. The dinner menu is complimented with a wide variety of Washington state wineries, distilleries and breweries that will line the iconic cobbled streets of the Market to serve tasty sips and desserts for an al fresco dining experience to remember.

 

Below are a few vendors to get your tastebuds tempted. New vendors are signing up for the event every day, check back often.

 

Savory: Art Marble 21, Atrium Kitchen at Pike Place Market, Baker’s Seattle, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Ben Paris, Bonnie B’s, Café Campagne, COMMUNION, Conversation at Thompson Seattle, GoPoke, The Hart and The Hunter, Hempler’s, Herban Farm NW, Hitchcock Restaurant Group, Honest Biscuits, Kells Irish Restaurant & Bar, Le Coin, MarketSpice, Paseo, Pasta Casalinga, Pike Place Chowder, Pike Place Fish Market, Pike’s Pit Bar-B-Que, Seatown Seabar, That Brown Girl Cooks!, TRACE Market, Truffle Queen Gourmet Food & Wine, Uli’s Famous Sausage

 

Sweet:

Chukar Cherries, The Confectional, Ellenos Greek Yogurt, Gelatiamo, indi Chocolate, SELEUSS Chocolates, Shug’s Soda Fountain & Ice Cream, Theo Chocolate

 

Brews & Beverage:

Can Can Culinary Cabaret, Copperworks Distilling Company, DRY, Elysian Brewing Company, Fair Isle Brewing, Fast Penny Spirits, Ghost Alley Espresso, Highside Distilling, JarrBarr, Lowercase Brewing, The Nest at Thompson Hotel, Old Stove Brewing Company, Pike Brewing Company, Republic of Cider, rōJō Juice, Schilling Cider & Street Bean Coffee, Seattle Kombucha Company, Temple Distilling, VIDO Vodka by Goose Ridge, Wild Roots Spirits

 

Wine:

Abacela, Abiqua Wind Vineyard, Armstrong Family Winery, Bodega Garzon, Dahlman Cellars, Elevation Cellars, Foundry Vineyards, Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery, House of Smith, J Bell Cellars, L’Ecole No 41, Mercer Wine Estates, Montinore Estate Winery, Reininger Winery, Rocky Pond Estate Winery, Sin Banderas Wine, Tertulia Cellars, Tinte Cellars, Treveri Cellars, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Wilridge Vineyard, Winery & Distillery, The Woodhouse Wine Estates

 

Paired with a delicious dining experience the celebratory return includes live music from local artists throughout the evening. The event also includes a golden raffle and prize wheel for guests to try their chance at bringing home gifts.

 

Join us at Pike Place Market in support of these incredible small businesses and restaurants at Seattle’s iconic food destination just a short distance from home at The Emerald. For more information about the Pike Place Market Foundation and to review the vaccination policy, visit the website.

 

Image Credit: @pikeplacemarketfoundation

Seattle is open and culture is making a big comeback. Add a dose of the arts to your Seattle afternoon by visiting one of three distinct SAM locations. SAM has been the center for world-class visual arts in the Pacific Northwest since 1933. Be sure to catch an upcoming First Free Thursday and plan a date night to dine out nearby! The Seattle Art Museum and the Seattle Asian Art Museum are open at limited capacity, Fridays through Sundays, 10 am–5 pm, and the outdoor spaces at nearby Olympic Sculpture Park along the Seattle waterfront are also open to the public dawn to dusk.

 

 

Seattle Art Museum. 1300 First Ave, 0.3 miles from The Emerald.

Located downtown, one block from Pike Place Market, global art collections, temporary installations, and special exhibitions from around the world bridge cultures and centuries. First Thursdays of every month are free to all and First Fridays for seniors.

 

“SAM has a wide range of art from ancient to modern with everything in between. Their current Impressionist exhibit was very well done and showcased some of the lesser known works and artists. I always appreciate the section devoted to native art in the Pacific Northwest.” – William M.

 

Upgrade your experience and add the Special Exhibition option to view the Monet at Étretat. Monet at Étretat will be on display from July 1 – October 17, 2021. Meet Monet at a pivotal moment in his pursuit of impressions in Monet at Étretat. This focused exhibition places SAM’s Monet painting, Fishing Boats at Étretat, within the larger landscape of this important painter’s artistic development.

 

Tickets will be released on a rolling basis every Thursday. Everyone must get tickets online in advance of their visit. General Admission tickets get you into the museum and include access to the collection galleries and Barbara Earl Thomas: The Geography of Innocence. The SAM Shop & Gallery will require a museum ticket for entry. Online orders and curbside pickup will continue to be available to the public. Start your adventure by entering at First and Union.

 

Olympic Sculpture Park. 2901 Western Avenue, 0.8 miles from The Emerald.

Covered in monumental artworks, this award-winning nine-acre sculpture park on the waterfront is Seattle’s largest downtown green space and is just one mile north of the Seattle Art Museum. Olympic Sculpture Park, open daily 30 minutes prior to sunrise and closing 30 minutes after sunset, offers monumental contemporary sculptures and breathtaking views of t​he Space Needle, Olympic Mountains, and Puget Sound. Stroll along a 2,200-foot path that zigzags from the pavilion to the water’s edge to tour the park and its surroundings.​

 

“This beautifully constructed park is worth visiting just for the grounds, let alone the artwork. Perhaps the most prominent sculpture is Alexander Calder’s “The Eagle,” not just because it’s a super-sized form with distinctively Calderian sail and wing shapes, but also for its international orange color which matches other prominent Calder works like “Flamingo” in Chicago. Another notable work is Jaume Plensa’s “Echo,” which alternately feels like a three-dimensional or two-dimensional work, depending on which angle you use to look at the face. It evokes, or foreshadows, “Paula,” “Rui Rui,” and “Laura Asia,” three smaller head-shaped works outside the Encore Boston Harbor casino.” – Vincent L.

 

Follow an audio tour of the Olympic Sculpture Park the next time you find yourself strolling along Seattle’s waterfront. The Changing Sky: Tour Seattle Cloud Cover or Tangible Space: Tour of Wake are ready and waiting.

 

Asian Art Museum. 1400 East Prospect Street, 2.1 miles from The Emerald.

The newly renovated and expanded museum is welcoming visitors once more, breaking boundaries to offer a thematic exploration of art from the world’s largest continent (rather than a geographic or chronological one). The restoration of the historic Art Deco building, expanded gallery and education spaces, and a new park lobby that connects the museum to the surrounding Volunteer Park are just some of the ways the museum has been transformed and preserved as a cultural and community resource for future generations.

 

You will no longer find galleries labeled China, Japan, or India. Instead, vibrant artworks from Vietnam to Iran, and everywhere in between, come together to tell stories of human experiences across time and place. From themes of worship and celebration to clothing and identity, nature and power to birth and death, the new collection installation reveals the complexity and diversity of Asia—a place of distinct cultures, histories, and belief systems that help shape our world today.

 

“The Seattle Asian Art Museum is housed in a art-deco building that’s almost worth coming to visit simply on its exterior merits; if you actually enter the museum then you’ve completely amortized the time investment.” – Clarice O.

 

To enter, follow marked entrance and exit signs at front doors to maintain one-way visitor traffic and physical distancing. Reserve your timed tickets today and revisit the original home in Volunteer Park. The last Friday of every month the Asian Art Museum is free for all and Free First Fridays are reserved for seniors.

How far is Mt. Rainier from Seattle and what should you take with you? Mt. Rainier is 61.4 miles away from Seattle, which takes roughly 2 hours, with no traffic. Though it may take a little bit of time to get all the way over to this famous national park, it’s well worth the time. With gorgeous mountain views and miles of trails, rivers and climbing terrain, there’s no shortage of things to do or vistas to see.

 

We want to help you get the most out of your trip to Mt. Rainier, so we’re going to cover some details about what you should be sure to bring when you head out to camp at this gorgeous national park.

 

 

The Best Tents for Camping
Bringing a tent on your camping trip is pretty much a given, but there are so many options it can be difficult to find what will be the most comfortable. Because sleep is so very important after long hiking days, you want to be sure that you have the space, air flow and coverage that you need for a restful evening. These needs, however, can change according to the people you bring with you and the season you’re visiting.

 

Determining Size
There’s no general standard for determining how many people can fit in a tent, so when you’re accommodating adults or want a little more elbow room, it’s often best to aim for a tent built for an extra person. This is especially true if you’ll be camping with children or a pet in the same tent.

 

What Seasonal Tents Mean
It can be easy to get distracted by the massive variety of tents available, whether they’re backpacking tents, dome tents, A-frame tents, tunnel tents or any other shape. What’s most important in terms of temperature and season, however, is the distinction between season use. Season 1 and 2 tents are made to be thin, lightweight, and are best used during the summer months. They won’t hold up especially well to rain, which may make them less than ideal for camping near the mountain.

 

Season 3 tents are the most versatile and are equipped to accommodate campers during the spring, summer and fall. Many of them feature rain flies and coverable vents so you can adjust the warmth of the tent according to the weather.

 

Although they’re called season 4 tents, these types of tents are best used during the winter months and feature more heavy duty materials to keep campers warm. Outside of these, season 5 tents are designed for professional mountaineers and explorers who deal with high altitudes and very cold weather.

 

There’s no single best kind of tent for everyone, but once you have a sense of size and weather conditions you’ll be camping in, you can make a solid investment to keep you comfortable staying the night in the natural landscape around Mt. Rainier.

 

What to Take for Outdoor Cooking
Much like a tent, it’s not a question of whether or not you’ll bring food and equipment during your stay, but a question of what you should bring. It’s easy to overcrowd your car with unimportant items, only to realize you’re missing something important the moment you need it. Every park has its own limitations regarding how to manage cooking fires, how to store your food and how to dispose of trash, so keep these common tips in mind when making your campsite cooking checklist.

 

Proper Food Storage and Disposal
The easiest way to avoid an overflowing campground receptacle is to prepare for trash disposal ahead of time. Food scraps can easily attract animals, so be prepared to stash away food and critter-attracting garbage in odor-proof bags, bear bags and bear canisters. You should also always store your toothpaste in a bear box or canister. Lastly, take care with how water is disposed and use a separate container to clean cookware and dishware before disposing of the water away from a campsite.

 

Tools and Fuel for Food
You can skip cooking over a campfire completely with portable stovetops, but if you want an authentic campfire experience, the requirements for wood fires are important to follow. You can purchase firewood on your way to the campsite, but don’t bring anything that was cut 50 miles or more from the campground. This is because insects and dangerous plant diseases from distant locations can threaten the health of the surrounding foliage. It’s also prohibited to forage for potential firewood around the campsites, so keep this in mind when camping.

 

You’ll also need enough accommodating tools for your wilderness menu. While every camper’s needs will vary, these basics should cover most outdoor visits:
– Matches/Firestarters
– (Collapsible) Pots, pans and lids
– Cooking utensils (skewers, tongs, can openers)
– Bottle opener
– Cooking knives and cutting board
– (Collapsible) Mixing Bowls
– Eating utensils/Messkit
– Cups, plates and bowls
– Napkins/paper towels
– Insulated or reusable water bottles
– Flashlight/Lantern
– Coolers
– Bear canisters/odor-proof bags
– Camp sink/bucket
– Paper towels
– Cooking spices

 

Hiking Clothing
Last but not least, you’ll want to make sure you have proper clothing for the season you’ll be camping in. This is even more important for campers who stay longer than one day, as weather can change quickly and dramatically around the mountain. To stay comfortable, prepare for both warm and cold temperatures during the day and the evening. Having a jacket will be handy in case of rain, and a down jacket may become necessary for a cold spell during the evening.

 

The most important and easily underestimated pieces of clothing to consider are your shoes. During a full day of hiking, your feet and legs will experience a lot of stress that your everyday shoes don’t always handle well. To avoid blisters, uncomfortable sweating and sore feet, be sure to take along shoes that can handle the rougher trails and give you support for a full day on your feet.

 

Being close to nature is just one of many perks residents in Seattle enjoy. Hundreds of hiking opportunities are available to downtown Seattle residents, including a longer jaunt to the awe-inspiring Mt. Rainier. If you want to experience a luxury lifestyle with all the benefits of a nearby campground to rough it out, you can check out the outdoor-inspired design of The Emerald’s beautiful condos.