The University of Washington is situated about 5 miles North of downtown Seattle.
The Ave - University Way Northeast
0.3-1 mile / 0.5-1.6 km walk
The closest food to Kane Hall is on University Way Northeast which is often referred to as The Ave. The Ave has many food options often marked by the cheapness and proximity to campus. There are also several coffee shops including Starbucks and several local spots. There are many spot just west of campus and additional options north.
Short List:
- U:Don, fresh Japanese noodle station 10 minute walk
- Shultzy's Bar & Grill, German comfort food 10 minute walk
- Cafe Solstice, coffee and quick bites 10 minute walk
- Broadfork Café, vegan sandwiches 17 minute walk
- Pizza Pi, vegan pizzeria 20 minute walk
U Village
0.8 mile / 1.3 km walk
U Village is a mall just north of UW with several food and shopping options. There are a few chain restaurants here and some local options as well. The QFC here is one of the closest full grocery stores to campus.
Short List:
- Ma'ono Fried Chicken shares space with Rachel's Ginger Beer, alcoholic & non-alcoholic 20 minute walk
- Din Tai Fung, upscale dim sum 20 minute walk
- Veggie Grill, vegan comfort food 20 minute walk
- Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, warm tasty ramen 20 minute walk
- Pasta Co, deli and homestyle food 20 minute walk
- Molly Moon, ice cream mostly dairy but sometimes vegan options call to confirm, 20 minute walk
If you want to venture away from the University of Washington you have a few options. Capitol Hill and Downtown Seattle can be accessed via the light rail and are south of UW. To the west of UW there are a few neigborhoods that can be reach via buses, Wallingford, Fremont, and Ballard. These locations might be hard to get there and back for lunch but could be a good place to get dinner and/or drinks in the evening.
Capitol Hill and Downtown Seattle can be reached by the light rail which can be caught at the University of Washington Station on Montlake Blvd. This is a 0.6 mile / 1 km walk from Kane Hall. There are also buses (48/197/271/542) along 15th Ave which connect to the light rail station, this includes <0.3 miles / 0.5 km of walking.
<Bus directions to neighborhoods>
The transit timetables are integrated into the popular map apps, such as Google Maps. There is also the One Bus Away app for buses which gives you live updates as to when the next bus is due at each bus stop.
Seattle is served by taxis as well as rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber. There are also car-share services such as Car2Go and ReachNow, but street parking is limited in Capitol Hill and Downtown. Check out SDOT for streat parking or popular map apps, such as Google Maps, to find garages.
Capitol Hill
15-20 minutes via public transit
Historically the LGBTQ centre of Seattle, Capitol Hill has grown to be one of the most popular nightlife areas in the city. There are many food options here as well and bars and other nightlife. To get to Capitol Hill via public transit you can take the light rail and get off at the Capitol Hill Station or there might be buses that get you closer to a particular restaurant.
Short List:
- Tacos Chukis, tasty tacos 15 minute public transit
- Dick's Drive-In, local fast-food burgers 15 minute public transit
- Highline, vegan bar/music venue Note: shows start at 9pm both nights, 21+, 15 minute public transit
- Bok a Bok, korean fried chicken 25 minute public transit
- Ian's Pizza, pizza with vegan and gf options 20 minute public transit
- Unicorn, carnival-themed bar with sweet drinks 21+, 25 minute public transit
Downtown Seattle - Pike Place/Westlake Station
20-25 minutes via public transit
To get to Pike Place take the light rail to Westlake Station then walk towards the water (lower street numbers) on Pine or Pike. There are a few sit down options here but mostly quick eats to grab and go. There are a variety of bars here as well as some late night food.
Short list:
- Pike Brewing, americans + beer all ages lots of space, 25 minute public transit
- El Borracho, tacos+ vegan options smaller space 25 minute public transit
- Alibi Room, bar with pizza and bites 25 minute public transit
Westlake station has additional food and happy hour locations within walking distance. There are a few cocktail bars and restaurants close to the station around the shopping area. If you are up for a walk there are several hip bars around the Amazon Campus (0.3 mile / 0.5 km walk from Westlake Station) or in Belltown on 1st and 2nd Ave (0.5 miles / 0.8 km).
Short list:
- Yard House, americans + beer all ages lots of space, 20 minute public transit
- Suite 410, fancy cocktails smaller space 20 minute public transit
- Shorty's, arcade bar with hotdogs 25 minute public transit
- Serious Pie, Pizza 20 minute public transit
Downtown Seattle - University Station
20-25 minutes via public transit
The University Station is the next stop on the light rail. It is the closest station to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) and situated in the business district of Seattle. There are many fast eats that serve the downtown workforce. As well there are bars and evening restaurant nearby that often have happy hours. The vibe is often more upscale and serving to business professionals after work.
- Japonessa, upscale sushi with a spicy twist 25 minute public transit
Downtown Seattle - Pioneer Square
25-30 minutes via public transit
The next stop on the light rail is Pioneer Square. Pioneer Square is going through a revival and has many new and established restaurants and bars. There are several cute shops and food options.
- Altstadt, German beer hall with communal tables 25 minute public transit + 5 minute walk
Downtown Seattle - International District
25-30 minutes via public transit
International District has a lot of great food. If you are looking for dim sum this is where you want to be. There are lots of great authentic cuisine here along with bubble tea, and karaoke.
Fremont
25-30 minutes via public transit
Fremont is known for its quirky, artistic flair. It’s home to the Fremont Troll sculpture, the most-frequently opened drawbridge in the United States (which doubles as an art studio for the current artist-in-residence) and a number of dining spots and bars. The easiest way to get to Fremont from the U-District is to grab either the 31 or 32 bus. Fremont, like the UW, also lies on part of the Burke-Gilman Trail.
+Fremont is something of a nexus of tech companies. Google, Tableau, Getty Images, Olis Robotics, and Adobe (among others) are there.
I am especially fond of Schilling Cider which has one of the finest selection of hard ciders in the area [Full disclosure: my daughter works there]. Must be over 21. Dog friendly.
Short list:
- Qazi’s Indian Curry House & Mediterranean Cuisine
- Nuna Ramen All ages, smaller space
- Evergreens All ages, smaller space
- Uneeda Burger, unfussy but delicious counter service burgers 20 minutes public transit + 5 minute walk uphill. All ages, smaller space
- PCC community market All ages, it's really a medium sized grocery store with a deli and a few places to sit. It is comon to get food at PCC and drinks at Schilling.
- Cafe Turko, Turkish food with plenty of gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options 20 minutes public transit
- Pie, counter service hand pies includes veggie & gluten free options` 20 minutes public transit
- Eve, slightly fancier sit-down with a full-service bar 20 minutes public transit
Ballard
30-35 minutes via public transit
Ballard is the Scandinavian cultural center of the city and has recently been the focus of a lot of new development. The easiest way to get to Ballard from the U-District is to grab the 44 bus.
There are a lot of shops and nightlife in the historic center and the formerly industrial-centric area is exploding with breweries. Ballard alone has 11 breweries, a cidery, a distillery and a winery and the adjacent neighborhoods have even more!
Short list:
- Ballard Coffee Works 25 minutes public transit
- Ruben's Brews, Ballard's biggest and most centally-located brewery 5 other breweries are within 0.3 miles (0.5 km), all but one are kid friendly and pet friendly, often with rotating food trucks outside, 25 minutes public transit + 10 minute walk
- Cafe Mox, board game store with attached cafe Games can be borrowed from the store and played in the back room or over a drink in the cafe, 25 minutes public transit + 5 minute walk
- Tractor Tavern, bar/ music venue Nightly performances, tickets requires, 25 minutes public transit + 5 minute walk
- Connor Bryne, bar/ venue Nightly events, sometimes requires a cover, 25 minutes public transit + 5 minute walk
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