Seattle Comes Across As a Bit of a Renegade

by AMANDA CASTLEMAN | photography by EVAN KLEIN

At ﬁrst glance, Seattle comes across as a bit of a renegade. Its 615,500 inhabitants appear to run off-leash. Many seem more concerned with snowpack and saffron vodka than stock options or society galas. No one bats an eye if a coder brings his dog to work. Or when a creative director telecommutes from a café, over a latte and yam-kale wrap. Long lunches? But of course. This crowd is hard-pressed to

resist the lure of the North Cascades mountains .29 or an afternoon paddle in Puget Sound, just steps below the city’s skyscrapers. Yet despite its freewheeling Neverland vibe, Seattle has transformed itself from a frontier town into a cultural capital and innovation hub—rivaling even Silicon Valley for entrepreneurial oomph. Now’s the time to visit, as this Paciﬁc Northwest hotbed starts to truly hit its stride.

2013 ZDX tours the Emerald City Strolling past the landmark Dutch Bike Co. café in Seattle’s old Ballard district; the city’s latest tourist attraction is a 17-story ferris wheel /2.0 at the waterfront (right). seattleacura.com FALL/WINTER 2012 acura.com .30 itsel Despite its !

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- Dutch BikeCo.(right). relaxing coffeebreakat fixture atthepier(left); are along-standing houseboats (opposite); course at Sitka & Spruce to detailisparforthe Painstaking attention the Frank Gehry-designed ExperienceMusicProject (EMP), abold iconic SpaceNeedle bloomsarchitecture, leading-edge including its condos, streetcars and upscalerestaurants. Adjacent tothe warehouses. The high-tech beehive ofSouthLakeUnion, with Georgetown, where artstudiosandmicrobreweries pack brick eateries andthelive-music Beat Walk. Diamond-in-the-rough mature intovibrant urbanenclaves. Columbia City, hometoethnic through thedistinct—andfiercely tribal—neighborhoods asthey new ofprosperity.” engines Moretti says thecity’s innovation hubsare “poised tobecomethe his 2012book ences worldwide (KEXPRadio). started.And Seattleisjustgetting In (Zillow andRedfin)spread thegospelofgreat music toaudi (REI)andswankygear cookware (SurLa Table), redefine real estate Nordstrom andStarbucks. Otherenterprisingupstartsselloutdoor eight Fortune 500headquarters, includingmega-retailers Amazon, Rush greenhorn totechnology central. Today, thearea houses But it’s notallchutzpah andcomputercode. Take adrive Boeing andMicrosoft ignitedSeattle’s transition from Gold The New Geography ofJobs , economicsprofessor Enrico FALL/WINTER 2012 - arts # culture The Seattle Central Library Needle. Visitors can soak up USEUM M Rem Koolhaus designed this sci-fi lore and rock memora-

11-story origami-like steel- bilia via technology-intensive EMP and-glass structure. The New multimedia displays. One Yorker critic Paul Goldberger exhibit even charted North-

called the 2004 building “the west music from Bing Crosby OF OURTESY C most important new library through to Hendrix, Heart, to be built in a generation, grunge and beyond. and the most exhilarating.” www.empmuseum.org Ride the chartreuse escalator to the 10th floor for views of Belltown Elliott Bay. Boutiques, galleries and res- www.spl.org taurants pack the downtown waterfront from Pike Place Chihuly Garden and Glass Market to the Seattle Art The Northwest put glass on Museum’s free Olympic the fine-art map. Its leading Sculpture Park. Fuel your light is Dale Chihuly, whose window-shopping at Macrina. work is included in more A slice of leavened heaven, outdoor than 200 museum collections this bakery reigns in reader worldwide. In May, the local polls, thanks to European adventure luminary opened a 1.5-acre recipes and long, slow Stand Up Paddleboarding permanent exhibition below fermentation that produces This Hawaiian twist on surfing is the Space Needle, just in soulful, artisanal treats. one of the country’s fastest-grow- time for the landmark’s 50th www.macrinabakery.com ing sports. Grab a board and hit anniversary. www.chihulygar- one of Seattle’s beaches, like denandglass.com Caffè Fiore Alki or Golden Gardens, where Caffè Fiore boasts four loca- the sea, city and mountains merge. EMP Museum tions, but the Old Ballard venue For a lesson, turn to Ballard’s Founded by Microsoft wins out for its gorgeous iron- Salmon Bay Paddle: its owner co-founder Paul Allen and work, smooth espresso pulls Rob Casey wrote the first compre- designed by architect Frank and south-facing Adirondack hensive SUP how-to book. Gehry, this sheet-metal struc- chairs that overlook the see- www.salmonbaypaddle.com ture resembles a smashed and-be-seen Ballard Farmers electric guitar, especially Market on Sundays. Concert Cycle

when viewed from the www.caffeﬁore.com THE PIKE PLACE MARKET PDA. COVER LOCATION: IS A TRADEMARK OWNED BY THE PIKE PLACE MARKET CLOCK THIS PAGE: Bike the Burke Gilman, a 27-mile urban trail, and stop at Theo Chocolate for a funky fair-trade factory tour. Hard-core cyclists can push out to Woodinville’s $e good li!e %early &"es " Redhook Brewery or the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, both of the 'ate’s large' metropolis which host concert series. www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks

Paddle In Skyscrapers’ Shadows Loop around Lake Union, kayak- monument to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary culture. About a ing past the Sleepless in Seattle .32 mile south, 10 million visitors wander past the fish-flingers in Pike Place Market houseboat and glass-artist Dale Chihuly’s studio. On the north each year, rubbing shoulders with world-class chefs in search of exotic ingredi- shore sprawls Gas Works Park, ents and farm-to-table freshness. where emerald lawns and indus- Let gourmet java fuel your explorations. Cafés occupy almost every corner trial ruins frame the stunning You’ll find everything here at the ground zero of North American coffee culture. Artisanal roasteries, panoramic skyline. Stop nearby from fresh-cut flowers such as Vivace and Herkimer, elevate espresso-pulling to high art, backed by at Ivar’s famous replica long- to fresh-caught fish at house for alder-smoked salmon. bustling Pike Place indie cafés like the Dutch Bike Co. in the hip Ballard district. www.nwoc.com Market. The Acura ZDX And when it’s time to dine, Seattle serves up everything from pho to pu- takes the market’s pusas, but its Northwest-fusion fare best captures the flavor of this bountiful Hike the Urban Forest cobblestone streets landscape. A bite of the goat cheese tart with kale and foraged mushrooms at The tawny bluffs and shady comfortably in stride. Emmer & Rye says it all, especially when paired with one of Washington’s re- glades of Discovery Park include Pioneer Square a 534-acre natural area with vis- (opposite, top right). nowned wines, like a McCrea Mourvèdre. tas of the snow-gilded Cascades The good life clearly shines in the state’s largest metropolis (even if clouds and Olympic Mountain ranges. blanket the city 220 days a year). And when the sun sets, the town that sparked www.seattle.gov/parks acura.com FALL/WINTER 2012 nightli!e Ballard This onetime home to the Shilshole tribe and former Scandinavian fishing district has been transformed into a chic nighttime destination complete with bars, boutiques and restaurants. Local faves include the Noble Fir (microbrews and small plates) and The Sexton (juleps and Southern-comfort fare). Plus, The Walrus and the Carpen- ter—an oyster bar that starred in Travel + Leisure’s list of America’s Best Cities For Hipsters (Seattle ranked number 1). www.myballard.com

Knee-High Stocking Company Five years ago, Washington licensed craft distilleries. Now Seattle teems with spice-infused cocktails and speakeasies that require special knocks or passwords. At this gin joint, a suspendered bartender will serve a drink so dirty it needs a bath, seattle scene 'ealer/ made with scotch aged with mesquite in a Mason jar under the porch. With the features-enriched 2013 ZDX, www.kneehighstocking.com .35

Showbox and Crocodile Acura raises the bar—but not the sticker price Seattle keeps the grunge spirit alive with by ARTHUR ST. ANTOINE KEXP, the first public radio station to stream CD-quality audio 24/7 on the Inter- When it strode onto the world’s automotive stage in the 2010 superb craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology. net. Today it has a worldwide fan base but model year, the all-new Acura ZDX—boasting a 300 horsepower That technology, by the way, has never been more advanced and still hosts live performances at local hot VTEC® V-6, Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) and extensive. Acura prides itself on maintaining a dialogue with its spots like The Crocodile and the art deco head-turning good looks—quickly sent the automotive press Showbox at the Market. devoted customers, and when buyers offered a wish list of features www.kexp.org scrambling to find synonyms for “wow!” Motor Trend gushed over they wanted to see on the ZDX, Acura engineers made it happen. So, the “space-race styling,” dubbing the sharply creased handiwork of in addition to such standard luxuries as a rear-view camera, keyless Triple Door Acura’s Southern California design studio “stunning.” Car and Driver entry and an Acura/ELS Surround Sound audio system, the 2013 ZDX After lectures and concerts at downtown’s had similar praise for the ZDX’s cockpit, calling it “epicurean.” offers such premium added equipment as a Blind Spot Information glorious Benaroya Hall, Seattleites cross That, ladies and gentleman, is called making a splash. the street to this sleek bar and music System (to alert the driver to the presence of vehicles detected nearby venue. Some head straight to the Music- Now, for the 2013 model year, Acura is cranking up the dial that may not appear in the rear-view mirrors); ventilated front seats; quarium Lounge, named for its shimmer- marked “bold” while adding a host of coveted features—making the front and rear parking sensors; power-folding, auto-dimming side ing 1,900-gallon fish tank (no cover). Pair ZDX a more compelling and sophisticated ride than ever. mirrors; plus forward-collision and lane-departure warning systems. a Kickback—black-tea vodka brightened Outside, a revised grille and new wheel-color accents enhance the In all, it’s a significant boost in luxury, safety and convenience. Yet, by lemon and soda—with Southeast Asian vehicle’s striking presence yet maintain that iconic silhouette. New nibbles imported from neighboring Wild almost incredibly, Acura engineers have managed to add everything Ginger, which Zagat has listed as the most high-contrast interior designs (such as black with Seacoast) boost except a price increase. That’s right: the ZDX—from the start offering popular restaurant in Seattle since 1997. the tone from epicurean to downright sexy. Boasting a dramatic an impressive return on investment—now doubles down with a truly www.tripledoor.com the careers of Jimi Hendrix and “twin-cockpit” layout and astutely arranged controls, the ZDX cabin unparalleled combination of user-friendly performance, sophisticated has been carefully crafted to maximize its man-machine interface, amenities, rakish style and unbeatable value. The Hideout Kurt Cobain comes alive with providing an ideal environment for high-performance driving while Here the city trades its flannel for bo- pop, folk, jazz, cabaret, hip hop Hear that? It’s the competition grumbling. Acura, aided by input hemian rhapsody. Mingle with creatives and all manner of eclectic indie surrounding its occupants with the rich ambiance of fine leather, from its loyal customer base, has just raised the bar once again. at this low-key lounge full of art, velvet, rock. But spend a night wining mahogany and chandeliers. and dining in funky Fremont—experiencing its unofficial motto “De Libertas www.hideoutseattle.com Quirkas” (Freedom to be Peculiar)—to really understand why Travel + Leisure Library Bistro readers voted this America’s Best City for Hipsters. te( # specs 2013 Acura ZDX This classy nook, just off the Alexis Hotel’s For its next act, Seattle plans to reconnect its downtown with Puget ENGINE: 3.7-liter, SOHC, VTEC® V-6 | TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with Sequential SportShift and Grade Logic Control | STEERING: Torque-sensing, Variable power- lobby, takes a page straight out of detective Sound, creating a grand promenade between the market and the aquarium. assist rack-and-pinion | BRAKES: 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist | DRIVETRAIN: Super Handling All-Wheel ERRY RISHEL (CHIHULY) ERRY

noir. Packed with books—free to read, $5 to T Drive™ (SH-AWD®) | ADDITIONAL NEW FEATURES: Parking Sensors (front and rear); Power-folding, auto-dimming, side mirrors; Forward Collision Warning (FCW) System; The $420-million project includes a skating-rink pier and a heated saltwater keep—it also boasts a bar stocked with 70 Lane Departure Warning (LDW) System | WHEELBASE: 108.3 inches | LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT: 192.4 x 78.5 x 62.8 inches | FUEL ECONOMY RATING: (16 City/22 scotch labels and about an equal number of swimming pool on a barge. Experts hail the new waterfront as one of the city’s Highway/19 combined)* | BASE PRICE: Please visit acura.com to build and price the perfect ZDX for you. American bourbons and whiskeys. all-time greatest design projects. And you can bet that clever, quirky, up-and- *Based on 2013 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

www.librarybistro.com coming Seattle will pull it all off with its usual low-key grace. PHOTOGRAPHY: For more information on the 2013 ZDX and all Acura models, visit acura.com. acura.com FALL/WINTER 2012 .46