Our favorite things about Seattle (so far).

In light of a recent post about Alki, and in celebration of my mother, grandmother, and sister arriving tonight (!), we want to share some of the best things we've discovered here in the past seven months. The weather has been generally crappy, but we've kept busy exploring the city and its many neighborhoods. We're saving Oregon and other parts of Washington for the impending dry season (which we hear may not actually start until June!). Until then, these are spots we enjoy on a regular basis:

1. Green Lake.
   Lots of dogs, lots of people watching, Peet's for coffee, and good exercise too.
2. Alki Beach Park.
   Our own neighborhood beach. Amazing views of the city and mountains.
3. Pike Place Market.
   The birthplace of Starbucks. Also home to my favorite cheese shop, Beecher's.
4. Neumo's.
   This is the Radio Radio of Seattle for us. Not as swank, but better shows...
5. The Seattle Public Library.
   Hands down the coolest library I've seen... sort of looks like a pile of scrap from the exterior, but the interior reveals that it's truly an architectural marvel.
6. KEXP.
   Not a physical place, but a definite spot on our radio dial. John Richards' Morning Show is a dream come true. And, no commercials!
7. Easy Street Records.
   We love eating breakfast at our local record store. Yup, that's right... breakfast and CDs finally come together under the same roof.
8. Red Hook.
   Seattle has many great microbreweries--Red Hook, Pyramid, Hale's, Mack and Jack's. Some offer amazing free tours (that include free beer!), as well.
9. Metropolitan Market.
   With places like the Metropolitan Market, grocery shopping is almost tolerable.
10. Many amazing restaurants and dessert spots, too!
    Agua Verde, Tutta Bella, Blue C Sushi, The Celtic Swell, Pies-n-Pints, Cupcake Royale, Bottega Italiana, Top Pot Doughnuts.