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I think Pike's Place is a big tourist trap on the weekends. On the weekends you cannot even move around in that place. If you go really early then it's not as bad.
Strongly disagree, the market is loved by locals and tourists alike. Several vendors of fresh seafood, local produce (West coast produce is the best),a quality butcher, florists, art, a French Bakery, a shop where they make homemade cheese onsight, crepes, a vendor with a variety of roasted nuts, several acclaimed restaurants, some of the best food I've come in contact with. Pike Place Market is a gem, not a trap at all. It's the heart and soul of downtown Seattle and one of the best farmers markets in the US. If you can't appreciate it then maybe you ought to head up to Wal Mart, Burger King, or Applebees.
So you are telling me the vendors throw fish for their own benefit?
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ram2
So you are telling me the vendors throw fish for their own benefit?
Are you judging the whole market by that ONE fish vendor there? Believe me I bought seafood from other vendors at the market (local dungeness crab, Alaskan sea scallops, Pacific Halibut) and it was top quality. The fruit and vegetable selection at the market is excellent. I picked up many culinary delights there at Pike Market in my five years of living in Seattle. If you're dismissing the entire marketplace as a tourist trap based off of that one vendor tossing fish as seen on TV as opposed to the subtance of the place and what it really offers then you have yourself a pretty weak argument. Others may complain of crowds there, duh!!! Because its a great place and well liked by locals and tourists alike. Go at the right time.
What annoys me though, is whenever someone in Portland or Seattle that I work with is talking about going to San Francisco for their first time, I'll always give them a list of cool places/neighborhoods to check out that I . I tell them to maybe check out the Cliff House and walk along Land's End Park, give them the names and locations of some great Chinese, Burmese, Vietnamese restaurants to go eat at, tell them about some cool spots in the Mission and favorite Mexican/Salvadoran joints, or recommend they visit the Asian Art Museum downtown or the Museum of California in Oakland--and go see some jazz at Yoshi's. And I emphasize--please don't just go to Fisherman's Wharf and think you've seen San Francisco. And like clockwork, when I ask some of them how their trip went and where they went--they'll just say, oh we went down to Fisherman's Wharf. Some can't even be bothered to spend more than a half-hour in other touristy but more rewarding areas like North Beach or Chinatown.
I went to Fisherman's wharf both times we went to San Francisco. First time partially because it was on the list of things to do as a tourist and it was where the boat to Alcatraz leaves. Second time because we wanted to watch the sea lions; it was a 10-15 minutes from where we happened to be and thought let's check out the sea lions at sunset. Watched them for a while then left. It was fun.
We got a guided tour of Chinatown from a (possibly former) resident about what it's like now and its history.
Well I would again put Fishermans Wharf on this thread. I think its so popular becuase its a "safe" place for tourists to be. (not safe as in crime, safe as in the choices are designated for tourists).
I worked in an office a block from the Wharf and it sucked because there are so many FANTASTIC places to see there I got pretty frustrated. I mean the places ON the Wharf are cool, but I really never saw the point of it. Just felt like it was "placed" out there for only tourists. I know thats not exactly how it happened, but it felt like it.
As a former Seattleite, Pike Place Market was my favorite places to go. I would always go there for some fresh fish, fresh flowers and locally grown fruits and vegetables. Sometimes I would pickup a cheddar cheese roll from that russian bakery and just walk around the market. I truely miss PPM.
I think Seattle Center is the worst place in Seattle. I love the Space Needle, but $14 to go to the top is ridiculous and the gounds around the SN are in need of a makeover.
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