austin

Austin

chicago

Chicago

denver

Denver

lasvegas

Las Vegas

madison

Madison

nashville

Nashville

philly

Philly

pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

portland

Portland

saltlake

Salt Lake

seattle

Seattle

twincities

Twin Cities

We make podcasts and newsletters that connect people with the cities they love.

City Cast Seattle

Ashley Smith

Summer in Seattle will be over before we know it. I'm sorry to point that out in the middle of August, but it's true! So we want to help you make the most of your time by encouraging you to check out POPS or POPOS around the city. 

 are Privately Owned Public Spaces like parks and beaches (these are also called "street ends") and 

 are Privately-Owned, Public Open Spaces like rooftops and plazas. These spaces are free to the public and the perfect way to soak up the rest of summer. Hang out, bring a picnic, take a dip, launch your paddle board, or just enjoy the views! 

An example of what the maps look like. The green spots are open! (Seattle.gov)

Do you frequent any of these spaces and want to tell us about it? Did we miss anything important? Let us know by sending an email to seattle@citycast.fm

This spot in Eastlake is definitely on the map of POPS to check out! (Ashley Smith / City Cast Seattle)

Harry Cheadle

Most of South Lake Union, with its shiny high-rises, is literally in the future — AI giant Anthropic just leased 

 of office space here, inside of which it’ll do whatever AI companies do. But right next to the 

 is a pathway that leads to a dock, a cheerful, windworn boathouse, and a fleet of wooden boats — rowboats, canoes, sailboats, and a single small antique steam-powered boat. This is the 

, a nonprofit devoted to preserving the arts of sailing and boat-building.

Wooden boats are “easy, in a sense,” says livery manager Kathleen Lothrop (“livery” just means “boat rental place”). The techniques for building and maintaining these boats have not changed all that much over the years — unlike a lot of pieces of disposable technology, they can be repaired pretty much indefinitely.

“You can literally replace plank after plank, rib after rib, thwart after thwart, knee after knee,” says Lothrop. “Does it cost money? Of course it does. Does it take time? Yes. But is the practice of it going to hold up the integrity of that boat? Yes. And can we continue to do it forever? Absolutely. It's never going to change, and you'll always be able to do it.”

The Center was founded by Dick and Colleen Wagner, a married couple who started renting boats from their houseboat in the late ‘60s, an endeavor that eventually became the livery and museum it is today. The Center offers classes in sailing, maritime first aid, boatbuilding, and a variety of programs for children. You can come here to rent or charter boats, or get a free hour on a small “peapod” rowboat. Once a month, there’s a “

” where anyone can show up to take a ride on one of the Center’s many boats, including a two-masted schooner and the 

, that steam-powered boat. (The next public sail is on August 30.) These programs, Lothrop says, are intended to help Seattleites of all types and all income levels get access to the waterfront. People can learn to sail here, they can take their children out in a rowboat for a blissful hour, they can volunteer, they can fall in love with the water.

“It's funny how many people come down here, and they say, ‘I've lived here for X amount of time, and I didn't know this existed,’” says Lothrop.

Most of South Lake Union, with its shiny high-rises, is literally in the future — AI giant Anthropic just leased 113,00 square feet of office space here, inside of which it’ll do whatever AI companies do. But right next to the Museum of History and Industry is a pathway that leads to a dock, a cheerful, windworn boathouse, and a fleet of wooden boats — rowboats, canoes, sailboats, and a single small antique steam-powered boat. This is the Center for Wooden Boats, a nonprofit devoted to preserving the arts of sailing and boat-building.

Learn About Boats at the Center For Wooden Boats

The Center for Wooden Boats Is a Gateway to Another World

Sign up for Keep It Local from City Cast Seattle

Keep It Local

There are rental spots all over Seattle’s various waterfronts — consider this a sampling of what’s available. Walk-ins are welcome at most of these locations, but reservations are recommended.

 offers classes in everything from kayaking on the sea to whitewater trips. You can also buy all sorts of gear and get your suits and kayaks repaired. If you’re just getting into kayaking, though, you can come here to rent boats and explore Lake Union.

The hours here shift depending on the season; it closes earlier as the sun sets earlier. Consult the website for more 

🏃 Tired of running around Green Lake? Go across it instead. This 

 offers pedal boats, kayaks, row boats, and paddle boards, ideal for low-key or family outings.

If you need a little pick-me-up, they also sell coffee and breakfast sandwiches here.

🌊 If you want a more guided boating experience, 

 — located next to the West Seattle Water Taxi stop — offers tours across Elliott Bay to the Alki Lighthouse and sunset tours around the mouth of the Duwamish River. Check the 

 for more information about timing and which tours are available when.

🌲 A great way to explore the southern half of Lake Washington is to grab a paddle board or kayak from the Adams Street location of 

, not far from Seward Park. Lake Washington Boulevard has a gorgeous view, why not get 

 but cars can still drive onto the Adams Street boat launch — just look out for cyclists and pedestrians as you cross Lake Washington Boulevard.

🔥 You may have seen these hot tub boats around Lake Union. They are what they sound like — boats that double as hot tubs, so you’re soaking in warm water while you float around in the colder lake water. (These boats, made in the Netherlands, are wood-fired.) It’s the kind of thing you get for anniversaries or bachelor/bachelorette parties, though if you are bringing drinks onboard, be advised you can’t take glass containers.

This is quite a bit more expensive than renting a kayak, for obvious reasons — prices start at $400 for one boat on a weekday. (Weekends start at $450)

Best spots to rent for water activities

Where to Rent Kayaks, Canoes, and Other Small Boats in Seattle

Liam Billingham

Seattle seems to be in the midst of a bagel renaissance, and it may seem daunting to figure out where exactly to get the bagel you’re looking for. So we got some tips from Seattle food lover 

, who runs the bagel newsletter Its A Shanda, to find out where to get the bagel we want.

Winner of the Bagel Fest West and headed to Bagel Fest in New York City, 

 is one of our favorites and won our blind taste test back a few months ago. Also, Sean called it the best in his intricate and immaculate rankings. Honorable mentions for 

, both of which also have delicious bagels.

Montreal-style bagels are smaller, thinner, denser, and baked in a wood fired oven. They are delicious. The sweetness comes from them being baked in honey sweetened water. If you want one, 

The OG bagel in America, they are usually fatter and larger than the bad (sorry) grocery store bagels, and delicious, no city would be complete without them. According to Sean, 

 is the only real Seattle bagel that is NY style.

A rye bagel has caraway seeds and is a really good pairing with pastrami. Check out 

If you like sourdough bread (or become an expert in it like everyone during Covid), then 

If you happen to be on Whidbey Island and craving a breakfast sandwich, check out 

. Their breakfast sandwich is supposed to be tops. Likewise, 

Two experts tell us where to find the best bagels in Seattle

Craving a Bagel? Here’s Where To Go in Seattle

Where To Eat

, you’re already feeling pretty silly. The novelty shop occupies a bright red-and-yellow storefront in Wallingford, and inside you’ll find whoopee cushions, corn-shaped air fresheners, possum-flavored candy, that sort of thing. Then you walk to the back where there’s a velvet rope in front of a wall full of rubber chickens, and you feel even sillier. Welcome to the Rubber Chicken Museum.

A visit to the museum takes about five or 10 minutes, depending on how much you want to learn about rubber chickens. And there is actually a lot to learn. Dead chickens may have been used in comedy dating way back to the court jester era — they 

sort of funny — and Steve Martin used rubber chickens as props in his avant-garde comedy act in the 1970s. Johnny Carson had one on his desk, Weird Al Yankovic deployed one in the music video for “Eat It,” and there was even a rubber chicken floating around the MSNBC newsroom for a while. (That last chicken is in the museum, maybe its most famous artifact.) You can take in this history and see a lot of rubber chickens, many of them designed by Archie McPhee.

To be clear, the museum is funny. Some of the exhibits, like the “world’s second-smallest rubber chicken,” are jokes. Arguably, the whole museum is a joke, although the thing is delivered with such a straight face that it's more strange than laugh-out-loud funny. According to an 

, the Archie McPhee employee who devised it, Shana Danger, “was inspired by old-fashioned cabinets of curiosities she saw while traveling in Europe,” and it is both amusing and strange, an oddity. And honestly, we could use more oddities in Seattle.

When you walk into Archie McPhee, you’re already feeling pretty silly. The novelty shop occupies a bright red-and-yellow storefront in Wallingford and inside you’ll find whoopee cushions, corn-shaped air fresheners, possum-flavored candy, that sort of thing. Then you walk to the back where there’s a velvet rope in front of a wall full of rubber chickens, and you feel even sillier. Welcome to the Rubber Chicken Museum.

Check Out The Rubber Chicken Museum in Wallingford

What You’ll Actually Learn at the Rubber Chicken Museum

Make sure to double-check the hours of any museum you are planning on visiting — they may be closed at days and times when you would assume they’d be open.

🕹️ This is a museum for people who would rather play than look at stuff. 

, in the CID, is a playground for pinball wizards, with over 50 games that range from vintage 1960 models to present-day machines (there are a handful of non-pinball arcade games in the mix). All are free to play with a $25 admission.

Toddlers and babies are allowed as long as you hold them the entire time, but children under seven are not allowed, because the website says they “have a hard time remembering the rules we have for safety of your young ones, other patrons, our staff, and equipment.”

 to the museum’s namesake, Kent Bakke. The coffee industry icon imported espresso machines to Seattle in the 1970s and eventually became La Marzocco’s international CEO. Now his collection is the centerpiece of this free museum that tells the story of the espresso boom in the U.S., and how the coffee industry has evolved.

The museum is only open for walk-ins on the second and fourth Sundays of each month from noon to 4 p.m., though guided tours can be arranged on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. An appointment must be made in advance for tours.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

 but really a compact series of exhibits about the Klondike Gold Rush, when the discovery of gold in the late 1890s led tens of thousands of people to move to the Yukon territory of Canada (spoiler: most of them had a bad time). Admission is free!

It’s a fun snapshot of history, but don’t expect to spend a long time here. Fortunately, there’s lots to do in surrounding Pioneer Square.

⚡A disclaimer: Many, perhaps most, people are not interested in looking at vintage telecom-related equipment. But if you 

 run by the Telecommunications History Group is open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The suggested donation is $10 for adults, and the website says that you can take a quick tour in about an hour, though it notes “For those with a keen technical interest, 3 hours in the museum is common.”

Children are welcome at the Connections Museum, but the website recommends that parents with kids under 12 visit the museum first to make sure that it would be suitable for their children.

Some lesser-known museums in Seattle to visit

Lesser-Known Museums in Seattle

Lesser-Known Museums in Our City That Are Worth Visiting

Chef Bryan Vietmeier and his wife, Rebecca Rouleau, bought 

 in early 2024 after working at the Ballard corner store and sandwich shop for a combined 30 years. Together, they had helped build up the business: Vietmeier created a menu of sandwiches where nearly every component was made from scratch, while Rouleau focused on providing high-level customer service. Take 5 became the kind of place where a neighborhood kid can walk in saying her mom needs some heavy cream for a recipe and Rouleau will pour some into a cup for her.

Then, four months after the couple purchased it, the business exploded. Literally. In May 2024 a 

 blew out the windows and burned out the interior. Nearly everything — except for the espresso machine — was ruined.

It took 11 months, but Take 5 was able to rebuild thanks to insurance. When it reopened it was swarmed with grateful customers. “When you have something and it's taken away, you then really understand what you have. That was us with the neighborhood and the neighborhood with us,” Rouleau says. “They realize how important having this kind of thing in their neighborhood is, and then vice versa for us… having this connection with our neighborhood and knowing how important we are to the neighborhood.”

Take 5 remains a staple for neighbors who want soda or simple grocery items, but it’s also become one of Seattle’s sandwich destinations. Occasionally, one of their menu items blows up online, precipitating a sudden spike in orders. One time it was the Caesar salad wrap, another time it was the breakfast sandwich. Then there was the day when everyone in line was ordering the meatloaf burger. “We were like, ‘What in the world’s happened?’” says Rouleau. And we go, ‘Oh, the meatloaf burger’s on the internet.’”

Take 5 Urban Market Is Ballard’s Unstoppable Corner Store

There are a lot of sandwich shops in Seattle worth visiting, and only so much space in this newsletter, so consider this a starter pack of a list, not a definitive rundown.

🥓 Our first entry is also the newest place on this list. This deli hidden inside an indoor courtyard in Pioneer Square just earned a 

. Louie’s doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel (though it does put whole grain mustard in its Italian sub), it just serves classic, East Coast-style sandwiches that are well-balanced and served on sturdy, fresh bread.

The hype is real, and Louie’s often sells out by the early afternoon.

 has been a destination for any Seattleite craving a cheesesteak. Since then it’s moved from 23rd and Union down to its current location opposite Franklin High School, but the menu hasn’t changed much. Big, meaty, rich, and served in rolls that somehow hold up, these bad boys feed two people or one very hungry person. You can also get variations on the cheesesteak like a “pizza steak” with red sauce.

. Layers serves a rotating menu of wildly creative sandwiches. You want some crispy pork belly with pepper jam? Ham and burrata sharing a potato bun with strawberry jam? Or just try the tuna sandwich that has some barbecue chips inside for a bit of flavor and crunch.

Get a side of crispy potatoes just so you get access to the green goddess dressing dip.

🇮🇹 Last year focaccia sandwiches were suddenly everywhere in Seattle. This 

 deviated from that trend by using schiacciata bread instead, which is crispier and thinner than focaccia. It’s a perfect vehicle for traditional Italian sandwich fillings. Expect olive oil — they have a 

of different olive oils — creamy stracciatella cheese, the usual meats… you know the drill.

Expect lines if you go at peak lunchtime.

The Carribbean sandwich king of Seattle, 

 specializes in slow-roasted pork and luxurious caramelized onions, though non-carnivores can content themselves with rice and bean bowls, salads, or a sandwich that is 

onions, which is honestly not a bad idea.

Get the beans. Aromatic, saucy, with a hint of sweetness, they are an incredible side.

Seattle's Best Sandwiches

These Are the Best Sandwiches in Seattle

The World Cup has come and gone and it gave many of us a new lens on the city, like seeing Seattle through someone else's eyes. This is also the time of year that a LOT of people are visiting from out of town and it got us thinking about the unofficial rules to the city. The stuff you only know, if you know. Plus, we figured this might come in handy to all the transplants (Hi Liam!) moving to our city and trying to fit in.

🌧️ Know the difference between when it’s raining and when it’s RAINING

👖 Dressing casually is always acceptable

❄️ Really settle in if it’s going to snow - the city 

Watch out for the hills, they’re surprisingly steep

♻️ Learn how to recycle and compost or prepare to be judged

🗣️ We love to complain and we do it often

🍺 Go to the hole in the wall spot - support local to become a local

🚫 Stop adding an “s” at the end of things: Pike Place, Nordstrom, etc

🐦‍⬛ Don’t make enemies of the crow population

☂️ Umbrellas are traditionally for tourists only… invest in a good rain jacket

🚗 Don’t leave anything visible in your car

🛑 Don’t jaywalk - wait for the signal

☀️ Try not to leave the city during the summer, Seattle summers cannot be beat and wherever you’re going will not compare

There’s gotta be more, right? What did we miss? Send us your essential rules for living in Seattle and we'll add them to our list! Oh and if any of these look familiar, you may have seen our Audience Development Manager, Ben Keenan, sharing his own list 

What to do and what not to do for anyone who just moved to our city

Our Essential Rules for Living in Seattle

Seattle Guides

Beaches, rooftops, parks, plazas. These spaces are free to the public and the perfect way to soak up the rest of summer!

Where To Find Privately Owned Public Spaces in Seattle

Where To Find Privately Owned Public Spaces

What To Do

Ben Keenan

The soccer world is coming to our city for games on June 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th. Plus a couple big, yet to be determined matches on July 1st and 6th. Here are our tips for fellow locals on where to watch and what to do.

Rough & Tumble (Ballard, Women's Sports Bar)

Atlantic Crossing (Green Lake, official Sounders supporters bar)

Buckley's (Belltown/Queen Anne, good spot for sports enthusiasts)

The George & Dragon (Fremont, big international soccer culture)

Kell's Irish Pub (Pike Place, big international soccer culture near the Market)

Armory Food & Event Hall/Mural Amphitheater (Seattle Center)

Where to eat/drink near "Seattle Stadium":

Salt Harvest (in Populus Hotel, farm to table, very local)

Un Po Tipsy (pizza attached to Lowlander Brewing)

Taylor Shellfish (oyster bar, which is something we're known for)

Firn (on the rooftop of the Populus Hotel - good if we have nice weather)

Lowlander Brewing (popular chef owned/brewery culture)

Cowgirls (a classic party bar with a mechanical bull you can ride)

Browne Family Vineyards Tasting Room (to taste a sample of the local wine)

Where to take tourists when there isn't a game:

Go to a Mariner's Game instead - currently at #1 and they have plenty of home games

Visit the Official Fan Zone at Victory Hall

Seattle Underground Tour in Pioneer Square (learn about the history of Seattle)

Day of Seattle Tourism (Seattle Center (Space Needle, Chihuly, etc.), Pike Place Market, Waterfront)

A list of where locals recommend watching the World Cup soccer games in Seattle

Where To Watch the World Cup Games

Where To Watch the World Cup

In recent years, small venues in Seattle have been shuttering and taking with them some of the art scene our city is known for. Just as City Cast Seattle launched, we reported on the 

. But, there are still many small and DIY venues for just about every kind of show. Here are just a few:

Home to the incredible drag show TUSH! and a whole range of music from lo-fi and dark wave to roadhouse and punk rock, this Beacon Hill bar and music venue is a gem. Also, it has amazing pizza thanks to Stevie’s Famous – which was the winner of the 2024 Seattle Times Pizza Smackdown.

I’m a huge fan of anything the Vera Project does, and Black Lodge is no exception. The venue closed during the start of the pandemic, but the Vera Project brought it back to life by combining the space with the former Lo-Fi Cafe (RIP). The new space sits in the back of 

 in SLU, which is where I found my copy of the Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Suzanne Ciani record Sunergy (synth nerds, I know you get it). It’s a great DIY venue that can hold about 150 people, perfect for discovering that new group you can’t wait to say you “knew when.”

This 15-year-old storefront performance venue in the Central District is a staple for that project your friend has been working on for years and is finally showing the world. They operate as a collective of independent artists – “primarily musicians, but also writers, dancers, theatre artists and other fellow travelers.” Because they are in a residential neighborhood, they have a much lower volume restriction than most venues, so this is the place to go for low-fi, acoustic or more contemplative shows.

I somehow didn’t know about The Rabbit Box until a friend of mine played a show there (shout out 

). Located right by Left Bank Books in Pike Place Market, the venue feels like traveling back in time. It has ornate wallpaper, chandeliers and vintage couches. The lighting is warm and low and the cocktails are served in vintage glassware. Unfortunately, 

the venue is currently seeking a new owner

. But hopefully it will continue to host shows in the meantime!

From Executive Producer Ashley Smith: I lived in a tiny studio apartment across from the Tractor Tavern in 2014. In the year that we were neighbors, I can say the venue only woke me up a couple of times and I couldn't even complain because I was basically getting to hear concerts for free! And I decided to live across the street from a music venue, so really what did I expect? My best Tractor memory is seeing the elusive Fiona Apple grace their stage with The Watkins Family Hour. I'll never forget seeing her perform 5 feet from me while I drank a Rainier at the bar and stumbled home (again, across the street) after. Long live the Tractor!

In the years I’ve lived in Queen Anne, the Bad Bar location has gone by many names, but their Twin-Peaks-inspired decor and side room venue for all things DIY remains a great space to see experimental noise shows, host your own DJ sets or just drop by for a drink next door.

Okay, so this isn’t exactly a small venue, but Abbey Arts puts on this concert series every year, featuring indie bands playing in the incredible acoustics of the St. Marks Episcopal Cathedral. This is the perfect space for fans of reverb-washed surrounds and picnics at a show – attendees can spread out blankets and pillows on the floor or choose seating on chairs or the pews. Especially in the winter, these shows are really a balm for the soul.

As promised, the list is long. And there are still more. Here are some other beloved venues to add to your weekend plans: 

 (owned by Ryan Granger who still plays in rock bands around Seattle), 

Your Guide To Seattle's Small Music Venues

Seattle is a town of nerds, and it’s no wonder that we have a plethora of fantastic bookstores. Here are a few of my favorites:

Elliott Bay, located in the heart of Capitol Hill, is perfectly positioned for a post-brunch peruse or a spot to browse before you go out on the Hill for the night, but it’s also worth stopping in to the basement for their readings. Big-name authors regularly drop by on book tour, and the reading space is somehow both spacious and cozy.

The Couth feels like you walked into a cool arty friend’s living room. In a city that’s increasingly besieged by a minimalist light-wood-and-brushed-steel interior design, the Couth has old Seattle charm with zero frills: concrete floors, no-nonsense wood bookshelves, and solid coffee at the cafe. They also sell local art, and have a gathering space in the back with board game nights, open mics, book clubs, and fiber arts meet-ups.

Come for the queer books, stay for the bathroom. Yes, the bathroom — Charlie’s is located in an impeccably decorated, charming one-story Fremont home that screams queer joy, and its crown jewel is the f bathroom, complete with flamingo and palm tree wallpaper. And after you go, you can pick up 

 that says “I pissed in Seattle’s most beautiful bookstore bathroom.”

Located in Pike Place Market, Left Bank has been running since 1973 and is collectively owned and operated by its workers. Its selection elevates writers from marginalized communities and you’ll find a variety of local zines as well as books published by Left Bank’s publishing arm. The collective is also the sponsor of Books to Prisoners, a program that mails books to people who are incarcerated.

Girl math says that if you make money selling your old books and you use that money to buy new ones, you got them for free. Third Place will let you make an appointment at any of its three locations to bring in your used books, and while you wait for them to review your haul and make you an offer for in-store credit, you can browse around or get yourself a sweet treat at the cafe.

Our guide to the best bookstores Seattle has to offer.

Guide to Seattle’s Best Places to Buy Books

Your Ultimate Guide to Seattle Bookstores

It’s Liam, your friendly producer and movie nerd. The first thing I did when I moved to Seattle was start checking out the movie theaters. Real heads know that Seattle IS a movie town, not only with a great history of movies made here but with some real movie fans and 

Movie theaters in Seattle that are better for screening a new film instead of streaming it at home

What To Do

Where To Find Privately Owned Public Spaces

Ashley Smith

Share article

What To Do

Where To Watch the World Cup

Your Guide To Seattle's Small Music Venues

Your Ultimate Guide to Seattle Bookstores

Seattle Movie Theaters That'll Make You Forget Streaming Exists

The latest in Seattle

The Center for Wooden Boats Is a Gateway to Another World

Where to Rent Kayaks, Canoes, and Other Small Boats in Seattle

Craving a Bagel? Here’s Where To Go in Seattle

What You’ll Actually Learn at the Rubber Chicken Museum

Lesser-Known Museums in Our City That Are Worth Visiting

Take 5 Urban Market Is Ballard’s Unstoppable Corner Store

These Are the Best Sandwiches in Seattle

Our Essential Rules for Living in Seattle