Frye Art Museum
The Frye is great. It's located on Capital Hill, but has a parking lot attached, and is housed in a beautiful building that was remodelled recently. The Frye Cafe serves us delicious food, and since the founders left the museum an endowment, entrance to the museum is free. They display a great selection of realist art, and have continual moving exhibits that challenge and intrigue the art-lover. The Frye is quite a Seattle treasure.
Landmark Harvard Exit
The Harvard Exit is a bit hard to find: it's wrapped around a corner on the far northern end of Broadway. It shows mainly indie films, and parking is terribly difficult to find, but the theater is charming. It's in an old building that rambles, and you can never quite figure out how many theaters there are...or how many flights of stairs you just climbed.
24 Hour Fitness
Gyms can be intimidating. Who wants to work out next to Arnold or Jennifer Garner? But this gym is nothing like that. It is corporate, but a little small while maintaining enough equipment to challenge and meet your fitness needs. Your fellow gym patrons tend to be older, and much less scary than someone who can bench 480 lbs.
Dahlia Lounge
Dahlia Lounge is a Tom Douglas restaurant, and it's pricey. But the food is so savory and delicious, and the atmosphere so warm and calm, it's worth it. The menu is constantly updated to incorporate the freshest ingredients in the most surprising ways. Fusion is the name of the game at Dahlia Lounge.
Fox Sports Grill
It may seem creepy to go into the basement just to get a drink, but you'll be pleasantly surprised at the Fox Sports Grill. Not only is the food terrific and the drinks expertly concocted by their waitstaff, the atmosphere is fun--what with a waterfallon a sheet of glass, a glass-topped bar that changes colors, a pool table, at least 10 huge tvs for sports. It's hard to even notice how delicious the food is!
Fireworks
Even if you're broke and have no cash to spend on knick-knacks, you should go browse in Fireworks. Not only do they have quirky jewelry, they have fun postcards, random books, entertaining gizmos, eclectic lampshades, odd memorabilia...you name it. Ifit's unique, it's here. It's a joy to wander through, reading cards, looking at crazy books, and staring at odd devices. You'll find yourself tempted to spend money, because the objects are so delightful!
Yanni's
It doesn't look it--at all--but Yanni's has great Greek food. Really great. They have a beautiful avgolomeno soup, and while the decor is definitely on the southern side of kitsch, you'll find it bearable when you start in on your souvlaki. Or moussaka. Or gyro. Yanni's is a great dining experience!
Madame K's Pizza Bistro
You have to go to a pizzeria that advertises itself as being in an ex-brothel! Madame K's, located in Ballard, is housed in a former brothel, a leftover of Seattle's railroad and mining days. You have to be 21, you have to go there, and you have to eat their pizza--while being served by a saucy waitstaff dressed as if they were employed by the former occupying business! They also have a great patio out back overlooking the locks if you're lucky enough to be in Seattle when the sun is shining.
Matador
The Matador in Ballard is fabulously decorated with iron grille-work and beautifully polished wood. It is 21 and over only, so be prepared to whip out your ID if you look young. The food is fun, a zesty mix of TexMex with some standard Seattle fare, and the drink menu expansive. On nice days, sit on the patio and watch Ballard stroll by.
Olympic Athletic Club
The OAC is a great little neighborhood gym in Ballard, perfect for those of us who don't like corporate gyms. The atmosphere is nurturing, almost, and while the gym building winds through a whole block's worth of building, you'll eventually figure out where your yoga class is. OAC has a pool, some covered parking, machines, a great staff, a wide offering of free classes, and fabulous locker rooms complete with (at least for the women!) carpet floors, curtained changing stalls, and a girls-only hot tub.
