Seattle Places

Fremont and Phinney Ridge

If you ever wondered where the center of the universe is, look no further—the self-styled "Republic of Fremont" was declared just this by its residents in the 1960s. This pretty neighborhood isn't as eccentric as it used to be, but it's a great side trip when you're done sightseeing and want to do some shopping or strolling along the canal or sample artisan goodies (the neighborhood has both a chocolate factory and a craft brewery).

For many years, Fremont enjoyed its reputation as Seattle's weirdest neighborhood, home to hippies, artists, bikers, and rat-race dropouts. But Fremont has lost most of its artist cache as the stores along its main strip turned more upscale, luxury condos and town houses appeared above the neighborhood's warren of small houses, and rising rents sent many longtime residents reluctantly packing (many to nearby Ballard). On weekend nights, the downtown strip sometimes looks like one big party, as a bunch of new bars draw in a very young crowd from Downtown, the University District, and the city's suburbs.

The mixed bag of "quintessential sights" in this neighborhood reflects the intersection of past and present. Most of them, like Seattle's favorite photo stop, the Fremont Troll, are works of public art created in the 1980s and '90s. Others, like Theo Chocolate and Fremont Brewing, celebrate the independent spirit of the neighborhood but suggest a much different lifestyle than the founders of the "republic" espoused. Still others are neutral and timeless, like a particularly lovely section of the Burke Gilman Trail along the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

Phinney Ridge, above Fremont, is almost entirely residential, though it shares the booming commercial street of Greenwood Avenue North with its neighbor to the north, Greenwood. Although not as strollable as similar districts in Fremont or Ballard, Greenwood Avenue has a lot of boutiques, coffee shops, and restaurants that range from go-to diner food to pricey Pacific Northwest.