Seattle, WA
I flew to Seattle but stayed in Bellevue — I loved its walkable streets, great food, and outdoor escapes
As my flight approached Seattle, I eagerly peered out of my window seat, hoping to see Mount Rainier’s majestic glory. The mountain hid in the clouds, typical of the local weather. I couldn’t wait to land at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and catch a rideshare to Bellevue, where I’d stay for a few days. I planned to eat at the local restaurants, taste local wine, kayak, zipline, and go sightseeing around town.
Arriving in Bellevue
Bellevue Botanical Garden
The traffic leaving the airport was heavy, and I wasn’t surprised — over four million people live in the Seattle metro. However, I was relieved to notice a slower pace once I got into Bellevue.
During the 30-minute drive from the airport, my friendly rideshare driver told me that Bellevue is a safe place to visit and that I would enjoy walking around town with my friends. He also revealed that it’s home to a few big tech companies. I subtly picked up on the tech scene when I saw multiple brands of electric cars, like Tesla, driving on the streets.
I was dropped off at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Seattle’s Eastside. The lobby was gorgeous, the staff was kind, and I was thrilled to have a fantastic suite overlooking Lake Washington.
Dinner and drinks in Old Bellevue
Dinner at Monsoon Bellevue / Drinks at Browne Family Vineyards Tasting Room
I freshened up and headed out to meet with my friends and walk around town. After window shopping along the way, we decided to grab a glass of wine at the Browne Family Vineyards Tasting Room, which serves local wine from Walla Walla. One of my favorite things about visiting places is trying the local wine, and a sparkling glass of their brut rosé was refreshing after a long day of travel.
We headed next door to Monsoon Bellevue, a Vietnamese restaurant, for dinner. The lighting was dimmed, and the aromas inside were warm and inviting. My tastebuds sang as I savored authentic vermicelli dishes, spring rolls, flank steak, and the best flan I’ve ever had. I left wishing there was a Monsoon Bellevue in my hometown.
Planning tip: If you decide not to walk or drive while exploring Bellevue, take the BellHop. It is a free shuttle servicing Old Main, the Spring District, and downtown Bellevue.
A kayak tour that shows off the area’s best views
Kayaking around Lake Washington in Bellevue
The following day, we drove to Meydenbauer Bay Park to kayak around Lake Washington. While driving there, I learned that Bellevue has over 100 city parks.
My friends and I rented gear from the REI Boathouse and took a guided tour to look for turtles, seabirds, and other wildlife. We also hoped to see Mount Rainier, but it was hidden in the haze. On a clear day, kayaking around the lake lets you see the Issaquah Alps, Cascade Mountains, and Mount Rainier.
After paddling, we walked to Gilberts on Old Main Street for brunch. Their apple, walnut, and gorgonzola salad hit the spot, and I appreciated the outdoor patio. We did more window shopping and found a cute boutique chocolate shop called Fran’s. I bought delicious chocolate-covered salted caramels to bring home to my husband.
Soar through the canopy on a ziplining adventure
Suspension bridge / Ashlee getting ready to zipline
Rainforests are the best place for ziplining; Bellevue Zip Tours leans into that opportunity. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, the park has seven ziplines and two suspension bridges where you can fly through the Douglas fir and bigleaf maple trees like Tarzan.
We did the two-hour tour, which took us through the entire course. The two guides were patient, kind, and motivating. It was a blast! I would have never thought a place like this existed near a major city like Seattle.
A tranquil escape for nature lovers
Exploring the Bellevue Botanical Garden / Suspension bridge
On the last afternoon of the trip, we visited the Bellevue Botanical Garden. It’s one of the city’s top attractions, attracting over 400,000 visitors annually. As soon as I entered, I was awed by a hummingbird collecting nectar from a giant trumpet flower.
The garden has over 3,000 varieties of plants and an incredible swinging bridge. It’s a beautiful place to visit all year round. If you visit during December, you can see its spectacular holiday light display.
Planning tip: The garden is free for the public and open from dawn until dusk.
Ending the trip at a charming local tavern
Bellevue cityscape at sunset
After touring the garden, we returned to our hotel to freshen up and then walked to Black Bottle Tavern. There, we shared family-style dishes with a rustic twist, like blistered shishito peppers, bacon lemon scallops, and malbec demi-glazed beef short ribs.
We concluded the night by indulging in their lemon curd ricotta cake with a lavender crust over a cup of coffee. It was the best way to end the day before walking back to the hotel to rest after the epic adventures.
Seattle, WA
Seattle weather: 80s on the horizon before a long cooldown
SEATTLE – Offshore winds at the surface will warm us well into the 80s on Tuesday. This will mark the warmest day of the week with some spots warming to the upper 80s, especially in the Cascade foothills.
Offshore winds will warm many spots into the 80s on Tuesday.
What To Know:
The ridge will begin sliding to the east, opening the door for some high clouds to increase throughout the day. A disturbance will produce showers and even a few storms in Oregon. These will eventually move northward into western Washington, increasing showers and rumbles of thunder. There is also a chance for showers in Central and Eastern Washington as well.
A disturbance will push showers and even a few storms into the area beginning Tuesday night.
What’s next:
Tuesday will be the warmest day of the week. Days will quickly cool off beginning Wednesday with chances for showers through the weekend. Drier skies and mild weather will return by next Monday.
80s for Tuesday with a cooldown later in the week.
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Seattle, WA
Victim identified in deadly Seattle beer garden shooting on Lake City Way; suspect sought
SEATTLE — A north Seattle community is mourning the loss of a 25-year-old beer garden employee who was killed while closing the business Friday night.
Loved ones identified the victim as Quusaa Margarsa, known to many as “Q.” Seattle police are searching for the suspect but have not released details about the circumstances surrounding the killing, including whether investigators believe it was a robbery gone wrong or a targeted attack.
Police said Margarsa was working at The Growler Guys on Lake City Way NE on Friday night when he was killed. A co-worker discovered him the next morning.
“I want to know why. I think we all want to know why. What was the reasoning?” said Coreena Richards, a childhood friend of Margarsa.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Memorials, mourners honor young employee found dead at North Seattle beer garden
Throughout the weekend, friends, family members, and customers stopped by the north Seattle beer garden to leave flowers, candles, and messages at a growing memorial honoring Margarsa.
“Amazing, one of one — you’re never going to meet anybody like him,” Richards said.
Margarsa, a graduate of Nathan Hale High School, was a member of the school’s 2017 championship basketball team, according to the school’s alumni association. Friends described him as a “gentle soul” who was full of humor.
“He’s funny as hell. He was the life of the party. Very sweet, very kind,” Richards said.
Family members said Margarsa was preparing to celebrate his 26th birthday later this month and had been planning a birthday trip. Instead, his life was cut short while he was closing the beer garden where he worked. Police said Margarsa died of apparent gunshot wounds.
ALSO SEE | Seattle beer garden employee found shot to death inside workplace
“He was very sweet, very nice — a young guy with his whole life ahead of him. Very sad,” said Robert Bishop, a customer at The Growler Guys.
Days after the killing, customers continued to visit the memorial site, lighting candles and calling for answers as detectives searched for whoever was responsible.
“I’ve been on social media asking everybody, because it’s one thing for a mom to find out on Mother’s Day,” Bishop said. “Everybody in the neighborhood should be up in arms about this.”
As investigators work to solve what police say is Seattle’s 12th homicide of 2026, authorities have not said whether the attack was random or targeted. Police also have not said whether surveillance cameras at the business captured images of the suspect.
“You got nothing out of it. You gained nothing from this,” Richards said. “They took somebody very, very important to the people who knew him, loved him, and cared for him.”
Seattle police said the circumstances surrounding the killing remain under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the department’s violent crimes tip line at 206-233-5000.
Seattle, WA
Cities Only Work if We Show Up
I have always been in love with cities. I joke with friends that I have crushes on cities the way they have crushes on good-looking strangers. Sometimes—as with Paris and London—my unrequited crush meant finding an excuse to move there. With Seattle, however, that initial attraction grew into a long-term relationship.
Liz Dunn
Phot by TRAVIS GILLETT
I arrived here as a “tech baby,” coming from Canada to work at Microsoft as a college intern. For a long time, I felt as though I were living in a bubble—until I realized I could pivot my career and work in and on the city I’d come to call home. Through my company, Dunn & Hobbes, I’ve done just that, spending more than 25 years building and renovating spaces for retail, restaurants, and creative work. I love old buildings—but what I love more is what happens inside and around them. I love making space for creative people and then watching them fully inhabit those places and thrive. I also love how a collection of structures on a block can become an economic and artistic ecosystem.
Working in real estate is not just about making deals—you’re crafting pieces of the city, and that comes with both impact and responsibility.
Small businesses are the heart and soul of any neighborhood. Research shows that locally owned businesses generate a much higher multiplier effect in the regional economy than national chains. Beyond economics, the independent shops, restaurants, and designers that comprise the core fabric of a city are the secret sauce that makes it feel unique.
Nowhere is that more evident than Capitol Hill’s Pike/Pine corridor, where I’ve conducted most of my work and lived out large chunks of my adult life. During the past 25 years, it has become a case study in what happens when you preserve character and invest in small business. The area was once filled with old auto-row buildings that had fallen into disuse. Instead of wiping the slate clean, local developers, including me, saw an opportunity for creative reuse. Those buildings turned out to be perfectly scaled for independent retailers and restaurants, creating a unique critical mass that offers a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.
What makes Pike/Pine special is its texture and grit—the layered history you feel in both the physical architecture and the spirit of the shops and restaurants. A large percentage of businesses are owned by members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, immigrants, and people of color. The density of independent retailers and studios—and the inclusive community that supports them—creates omething you can’t replicate with a formula. It evolved over decades, shaped by artists, musicians, designers and small entrepreneurs willing to take risks and plant their flags.
Today, neighborhoods like Pike/Pine face challenges that threaten the tightly woven ecosystem that makes them thrive. There’s a difference between gritty and too gritty, and during the past six years, it’s become harder to attract people. Foot traffic in neighborhood retail districts is dropping, even as downtown begins to recover with tourism. Small businesses are dealing with crushing cost pressures, many tied to public safety concerns and well-intentioned policies with unintended consequences. Public safety has been the elephant in the room—though I do believe we are starting to see improvements. At the same time, our habits have changed. Seattleites have been hibernating, whether because of repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic or the convenience of delivery apps, streaming, and gaming.
And yet, people still deeply crave connection.
That’s why what’s happening in Pike/Pine right now is inspiring and hopeful. Many of the people who helped shape the neighborhood are still here, investing their time, money, and creativity because they care deeply about its future. We’re doubling down on what makes it special—art walks, a slate of new murals, the On The Block street fair, and Capitol Hill Block Party—all invitations for the community to come back out and re-engage.
This spring, on Saturday, May 16th, we’re launching something new: the Pike/Pine Spring Fashion Walk and Social. It’s designed to be an annual celebration that stretches across the neighborhood, anchored by a collection of activations at Melrose Market, and a runway show on the “catwalk” at Chophouse Row that will include Seattle fashion apparel leaders Glasswing, JackStraw, the Refind, the Finerie, and Flora and Henri. Neighborhood-based designer and brand activations up and down the corridor will include open studios, DJs, wine tastings, in-store pop-ups, and involvement from local college students—bringing in the next generation of designers and entrepreneurs. One of the goals is to remind everyone that Seattle still has amazing fashion “game,” offering a scene that is just as creative and diverse as anything you might find in New York or LA. At its core, this event is not about shopping. It’s about creating a reason for people to come together, to reconnect, and to experience the neighborhood as a shared space.
Because that’s the point. Cities work best when we show up—for them and for each other. Seattle’s culture is not something that exists just for us to consume; we are all participants in shaping it. So, my call to action is simple: come out. Walk around and meet your neighbors. Engage in what’s happening. It feels good—and it does good.
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