



But nothing smells stronger than the heart-racing aroma of brewed coffee wafting from open windows and steaming take-out cups. Starbucks has since proliferated worldwide to become something Seattle is not: An epitome of identikit chain culture. But the company’s heritage resonates through whirring espresso machines in indie cafes, and the original 1971 store is still a bastion of caffeine kicks.



The boom? It’s partly down to tech giants like Amazon and Google, who some might say have colonised the city. But despite their corporate presence, a bohemian spirit still flows through neighbourhoods like Ballard and Fremont, where fairy-tale sculptures huddle below bridges and dinosaur topiary decorates sidewalks.


In short, Seattle is a destination for anyone who likes to switch between concrete edifices and skyscrapers sprouting evergreen leaves - a city refusing to be a city in any conventional sense.

Watch whales in the Puget Sound


How: Puget Sound Express ( operate half-day tours between April and December, from $135/£111.

Sleep in an iconic piece of architecture

Built in 1904, the redbrick building on Second and Pike Street had several incarnations before it’s recent opening as The State Hotel. Once a dentist’S and a drug store, it was abandoned in the 1940s, and now offers one of the city’s finest sleeps.

Inspired by markets, seafood and street performers, custom-made wallpaper by local artist Kate Blairstone decorates each floor, while a curious collage of doorknobs collected from across the state dominates the buzzy reception lounge.


How: Doubles, room only, from $195/£160 per night. Visit

Sip coffee in Fremont

Of all the neighbourhoods fanning from Downtown, Fremont has the quirkiest appeal. Artists have left their mark in various street furnishings: Look out for a Cold War rocket perched on top of a building, pose with a family of aluminium figures at a bus stop, or stumble upon the centre of the universe where a signpost lists distances to destinations across the globe.

You can relax in wicker chairs on the veranda of Fremont Coffee Company (459N 36th St), where baristas channelling Kurt Cobain sport an equally dishevelled look.

Climb to the top of the Space Needle


How: Entry from $32.50/£27. Visit

Getting there:

Norwegian (; 0330 8280854) offers affordable flights to Seattle from London Gatwick on modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft that feature a Premium cabin. Economy fares start from £294.80 return and £1,109.80 return in Premium