Few travelers come to Seattle, Washington without making a stop in Pike Place Market. Each year, this bustling market sees more than 10 million visitors, its website says. I was one of them just a few weeks ago, and it was nearly sensory overload. It was so packed that I got claustrophobic at times, but the smells, colors, and buzz of excitement brought me back several times during my trip.
The market was created in 1907 when locals were outraged at the skyrocketing costs of onions. It allowed the community to cut out the middle man and purchase fresh food directly from the farmers.
Now famous for its fresh seafood (primarily raw, but you can also buy cooked crab in cups), Pike Place is also well-stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, baked goods, arts and crafts, and other food items. Hundreds of merchants operate here year-round–one being the original Starbucks coffee shop. An underground section of the market is home to quirky stores, such as a magic shop and a store packed with old magazines, maps, movie posters, and other memorabilia. There are also several restaurants, both very large and microscopically small, situated throughout the market. We saw many street performers, including a group of four young boys with Beatles haircuts playing guitars and singing Beatles songs and a man who hula hooped while playing guitar and a harmonica.
Here are some of my favorite photos I took in Pike Place Market when I was there this month.
Have you ever been to Pike Place Market? Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite part was!
______________________
Ad: Check out these New Zealand holiday packages!
