Hello from my residency! I have a writeup in the works about my amazing time here, but you’ll have to wait a couple weeks for that. Here’s a post about home, since I’m homesick <3
This started out as a “cheap date ideas” post, but that doesn’t really fit the theme of this newsletter (going to places on your own), so now it’s just about fun things to do in Seattle. Our city is a playground for people with copious disposable income, but the rest of us have to plan our fun more carefully. Heads up, these are just my own favorite places — it’s not a definitive or subjective “best of” list by any means. You can do any of these by yourself, or you can round up friends/family, or you can take a date. Reader’s choice!
1. Rent something at Scarecrow Video
Scarecrow is the most romantic place in Seattle and you can’t change my mind. It’s one of the biggest independent collections of physical media in the world (over 145,000 titles!), with lots of little corners to get lost in. Go there and just wander, and I promise you won’t be able to walk out without renting something. On Wednesdays you can rent two movies for the price of one! You can rent online or over the phone, and you can renew your rentals over the phone too. Just like your parents did at Blockbuster in the 90s!
2. Dinner and a movie at Central Cinema
Disregard their clunky website — Central Cinema is one of my favorite places in the world, and I’ve been visiting at least once a week since late 2022. It’s our chill date night spot so if you see Ethan and I, feel free to say hi, and don’t expect me to look cute because I usually go there in sweatpants. It’s basically my second home.
Central Cinema is a second-run (but first-rate, lol) theater that serves classic American food, stiff drinks, and excellent vibes. Every Tuesday they sell two entrance tickets for the price of one, so you can either roam on your own or take somebody with you. I’m cheating a bit here, because dinner and a movie together will cost you more than $15, but the menu prices are pretty reasonable. Go early, find a booth, and order whatever you want from your phone. Not trying to sound like an ad, but it’s genuinely hard to be in a bad mood at Central.
3. Pet kitties and buy books at Twice Sold Tales
Twice Sold Tales is a secondhand bookstore with several cats living in the store. Amazingly, most of the store smells like old books and not like cat. Twice Sold Tales has a mega-cozy vibe, lots of nooks to snuggle into, and I love their shelf categorization system. Book prices have a wide range, with many items under $15, under $10, or even under $5 on their sale carts. And the cats are very friendly and content! I have a video with some clips of my visit that you can check out here.
4. Enjoy the Frye Art Gallery
The Frye is always by-donation for everyone! Yay! They have well-curated rotating art exhibits, often by local artists, and the permanent collection has dozens of beautiful oil paintings. The gift shop has some unique finds, too. You can spend a quiet hour and a half here – maybe more if you have lunch at their cafe or take your time reading every plaque.
5. Picnic at Golden Gardens Beach
Golden Gardens is as great as you remember from your childhood. It’s a relatively clean beach with real bathrooms, enough space to spread out, and volleyball nets if you’re into that. Nearby food options are not that good, but eating on the beach is a luxury not to be missed, so pack your own lunch! Obviously this is a warm-weather activity, and it’s a worthy one. There’s firepits (I roasted marshmallows there this summer), a train that goes by, even a forested area! Parking can be a bit rough on sunny days, especially early in the year, so try to leave early in the morning.
Seattle is an expensive city that gets harder to live in each day, but there are still people and places that create and support culture instead of homogenize it. I’m always on the lookout for those places, so please let me know your favorite affordable outings in the city. Fun is a right, not a privilege!