Pike Place Market Seattle Wa

Pike Place Market: What It Is and What It Is Not

Pike Place Market opened in 1907 on a bluff above Elliott Bay in downtown Seattle. It is a public farmers market, not a shopping mall. The distinction matters because tourists often arrive expecting one and get the other, which produces the confused expressions you see on people who just queued 20 minutes for a coffee at a chain that did not exist until 1971 and is not particularly central to what makes the market worth visiting.

The market runs along Pike Place and First Avenue, covers several levels stepping down the hillside, and contains around 225 permanent commercial businesses, 190 craftspeople, and 100 farmers. It is open every day, most stalls from 9 AM to 5 PM, year-round. The lower levels beneath the main market arcade, often called the Downunder, hold a rotating collection of small vendors, antique dealers, and specialty shops that most visitors miss entirely.

The Fish

The fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Co. do actually throw whole salmon. They have been doing it since 1986 as a crowd management and morale technique that became a tourist attraction. The throws happen when a purchase is made and the vendor behind the counter needs to relay it to a colleague. If you want to see a throw, stand near the stall and wait; they happen often enough that patience of 15 minutes is usually sufficient.

The fish is genuinely good: Dungeness crab, oysters, salmon, halibut, and Alaskan King crab when in season. Buying and having it packed with dry ice for travel is a legitimate option if you are flying out of Seattle.

What to Eat

Pike Place Chowder, on Pike Street just east of the market, serves New England clam chowder that has won national competitions. A bread bowl runs around $12. The line moves. Go before noon or after 2 PM to avoid the worst of it.

Piroshky Piroshky on Pike Place has been baking Russian filled pastries since 1992. The potato and cheese piroshky and the smoked salmon cream cheese version are the two most reliable. They cost about $5-6 each and are hot from the oven. Do not let the queue deter you; the shop has a fast turnaround.

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese at the main arcade entrance makes cheese on site in visible vats behind the counter. The Flagship Cheddar is good; the Flagship Blend used in their macaroni is better. A cup of mac and cheese from the shop window runs about $5 and is worth the brief wait.

The market also has a collection of produce stalls with year-round Washington State apples, stone fruit from the Yakima Valley in summer, and salmon and shellfish from local waters. Buying seasonal fruit to eat while walking through the market is the correct breakfast.

The Original Starbucks

The Pike Place Starbucks at 1912 Pike Place is not technically the original location, which was at 2000 Western Avenue before moving. It is the oldest currently operating store, which is a meaningful distinction if you care about corporate history and meaningless if you do not. The queue is long. The coffee is the same as every other Starbucks. The signage is slightly different. Whether 30 minutes of waiting for unchanged coffee is a reasonable trade is between you and your relationship to brand mythology.

Rachel the Pig

Rachel is a 550-pound bronze piggy bank cast by Seattle artist Georgia Gerber in 1986 and positioned at the main Pike Place market entrance. She collects around $10,000 annually in dropped coins and the money goes to the Market Foundation, which provides social services to the approximately 400 residents who live in the market’s residential units above the stalls. Patting the pig is free and the tradition is genuine.

The Downunder Levels

The lower levels accessible by staircases near the main fish stalls contain antique dealers, comic shops, specialty booksellers, and small artisan workshops that are not visible from the main Pike Place walkway. Most tourists never find them. These floors are where the market’s genuinely old character is preserved: rough concrete, low ceilings, individual stalls that have been there since the 1970s. Spend 30 minutes wandering down here before or after the main market and the Pike Place you experience is considerably more interesting.

Getting There

Pike Place Market is at the western edge of downtown Seattle, walking distance (about 12 minutes) from the central business district on First Hill. The Seattle Center Streetcar on First Hill stops at Westlake and you can walk down Pike Street. Driving and parking is possible but expensive; the garage under the market charges market-rate parking and fills quickly on weekends.

From Pioneer Square or the waterfront, the walk is 10-15 minutes north along First Avenue. The market is also accessible from the waterfront piers via the hillclimb stairs, which are steep but direct.

Hotels Near the Market

The Inn at the Market on First Avenue is positioned directly above the market with rooms overlooking the water and Elliott Bay. Rates run $250-400 per night. The Alexis Royal Sonesta on First Avenue and Seneca is a more affordable boutique option about three blocks south.