Welcome Week 2015: What to see around the Pacific Northwest
We checked in with Northeastern University-Seattle students, staff and faculty to get the best advice on welcoming you to the forever-green Pacific Northwest!
“I love Seattle,” said Yooree Chae, a MS of Bioinformatics student who moved to Seattle from Portland for her program. “I like that it’s a big city with a lot of access to different types of industry.”
A light rail train car decorated in Northeastern University-Seattle messaging.
Transportation
Simply walking around is the best way to see the city, encourages David Van der Linden, student services representative. “I’ve discovered so many awesome places, because I walk everywhere,” he said. “Be sure to take new routes!”
Most staff and students use the Metro and bus to get to campus. Paco Mesh, faculty cooperative education coordinator, says a must download tool for transit users is the One Bus Away app.
Outdoors
[FACT: Did you know that more rain falls in Boston each year than in Seattle? It’s a fact locals like to keep secret. It’s true Seattle might have a lot of rainy days, but the beautiful summers and temperate winters help make up for it.]
Staff and students alike praised the clean streets, fresh air, parks and nature available in and around Seattle.
Yooree recommends taking advantage of the beautiful landscape and going on one of the many hikes located within 30 minutes to an hour of the city, like Rattlesnake Ledge.
Aravindhan Eswaran, an MS in Engineering Management student who moved to Seattle from India, echoed this sentiment and has enjoyed the summer weather by hiking, camping in Olympic National Park, and visiting the western most part of the contiguous United States.
Tourist Spots: Off the Beaten Path
View of Seattle from Alki Beach.
The Seattle Center’s Space Needle and Pike Place Market are essential spots to visit, but staff and students recommended a few spots not everyone takes the time to see.
- Alki Beach and the Olympic Sculpture Park offer great views of the Puget Sound.
- The Fremont Troll is a must find as well as a viewing of the jumping salmon at Ballard Locks.
- Can’t beat the view from the 74th Floor of Colombian Center Tower.
- Head up to Capitol Hill to see the Rainbow Crosswalks.
- For board game fans, Card Kingdom and Café Mox in Ballard are a great place to spend a few hours with friends
[box type=”shadow” align=”alignright”]TIP: On the first Thursday of every month several museums, like the Seattle Art Museum and the Museum of History and Industry, are FREE! See a full list of free museum days.[/box]
Local Fare
“Coffee and breweries are essential to the culture,” Yooree said, mentioning her favorite local spot is her West Seattle’s Machine House Brewery.
To get started make a visit to Starbucks’ new Roastery and Tasting Room or find the nearest brewery in your neighborhood with the Beer Guide: Seattle.
For spots close to campus, check out more South Lake Union specific recommendations here.