The following is similar to a post I put up for last year’s PAX Prime. Some text has been directly lifted from the existing post and some is brand new.

——-

Coming to PAX Prime in Seattle next week? AWESOME!  We should totally hang out and be BFFs. 

Some of you live in Seattle or have been to PAX Prime before, so this post may not have a lot of new info for you.  This is more for those that are PAX/Seattle newbs.  Either way I hope there’s at least one nugget of info that helps you out.

Travel:

Seattle proper actually isn’t that big.  If you have the legs for hills you can walk from one end to the other quite easily, but I assume most people aren’t that ambitious.

Seattle has a decent bus system (Metro and Sound Transit) both on the streets and in the underground tunnels.  Unless you take the bus or Light Rail train to or from the airport you will probably not have to go through them.

For bus routes and times for both Metro & Sound Transit check out King County Metro (within the city) and SoundTransit.org (mostly to/from areas outside of Seattle incl. train)

If it’s late, you’re in the outer areas of the city, or you just aren’t seeing taxis then it doesn’t hurt to call one on your cell.  Be warned that you need to know the actual address of the building you are at or standing in front of or they typically won’t come.  For some reason the cab services won’t take a call if you only provide the cross streets.  Any bar neighborhood will be full of cabs, but if you find yourself downtown you’ll have good luck on 3rd, 4th, or 5th Ave. Seeing as the city will be full of tourists it shouldn’t be that hard to find a taxi. All taxis in Seattle take credit card, but make sure you ask them when you get in or they may try to tell you cash only when you get to your destination. It’s not a problem unless you’re like me and never carry cash on you.

Yellow Cab – (206) 622 – 6500
Orange Cab – (206) 522 – 8800

Though if your destination is within a mile or so I’d say save the $6 to $10 and just walk.  Seattle is actually quite awesome and if you are visiting why would you give up the chance to take in some sights and sounds personally?

Tourism/Shopping:

Want to do the really nerdy tourist things while in town?  Don’t overbook yourself since I’d suggest hitting up the smaller, more personal experiences (dive bar with friends), but it doesn’t hurt to check out what puts Seattle on the map.

Pike Place Market – 10am to 6PM – 1st & Pike in Downtown Seattle
If you don’t go here in your once a year trek to Seattle then you fail.  That’s all I gotta say.  It may be crowded, but this is a Seattle staple.  Awesome food, fresh flowers, a comic shop, etc.  What else could you ask for?

Experience Music Project (EMP) and Science Fiction Museum – Open Daily 10am-7pm – 325 5th Avenue North
An interesting combo that will easily eat an entire morning or afternoon.  $15 a ticket for adults.

Seattle Underground Tour – 10am to 7PM – 608 1st Ave (Pioneer Square)
I had a blast on this one and if you are a history buff or just want a slightly different experience then this is for you.  Do this with a group of friends! You’ll learn more about the city’s history on this one than probably any other tour in Seattle and the tour guides are funny and quirky.  $15 per person ($12 for teens/college ID).

Seattle Space Needle – 9am to Midnight – 400 Broad Street (Kind of hard to miss, and it’s right next to the EMP/SFM)
I haven’t been in the Space Needle yet.  Tickets are $18 a person, which I personally think are a bit much.  Heard the view is awesome though.

Seattle Ducks – Check the website for hours and info
This is a land AND sea tour of Puget Sound.  This would be a GREAT one for you and a group of friends to do together.  A bit more expensive at $25 per person, but it is a 90 minute long tour.

Woodland Park Zoo – 9AM to 6PM – 601 North 59th Street
Your typical zoo and as long as it isn’t raining you should have a great time.  $16.50 per ticket.

Seattle Aquarium – 9:30AM to 6PM (last entry is 5PM) – 1483 Alaskan Way
I hate fish, so no comment.  $17 per person.

Seattle Mariners Baseball – Check the website

Seattle Sounders Soccer – There’s a home game on that Saturday at 1PM PST against the Columbus Crew

Magic Mouse Toys – 603 1st Ave
Not really a Seattle tourist attraction.  I just think this place is rad.  It’s near the Underground Tour.

Pacific Place – A shopping center that’s a little higher class than Westlake Center at 632 Pine St with an AMC Theater. There is also a Regal Theater on 7th Ave not far from the Convention Center.

Food and Chilling:

Before I get to the cool hangouts, there is a grocery store about four blocks from the convention center.  It’s underground but there’s a big sign that says “IGA Kress Supermarket” at 3rd and Pike St.  It’s near a Walgreen’s (222 Pike Street) AND the Pike Place Market so you could probably get everything you need in one well planned trip. Also, there are Bartell’s Drugs stores all over the city.

In downtown Seattle there are a ton of venues within a couple blocks of the Washington Convention Center, but they are all chains like FOX Sports Grill, Gameworks, Rock Bottom, and Tap House.  Those are all fine if you just want a standard offering of drinks and food within a short walk.  Other easy options can be picked up if you use something like an Urban Spoon app on your smartphone.

If you have the time and energy I would say you walk (or cab) your ass up to the Belltown or Capitol Hill areas of Seattle.  This is the real Seattle experience.  They have better bars, better food, and cooler people. You can look for places using these handy guides: Stranger Bar Guide and Stranger Restaurant Guide

The following are some places I’ve been to and personally sugges. Apologies to the under age who may not be able to visit some of these yet. Also, be responsible while drinking, especially in an unfamiliar city. The last thing I want to hear is someone falling down the steps near my place cursing my name.

Shorty’s Pinball Arcade and Bar – 2222 Second Ave – Pinball hall with two bars (lounge in the back) and some tasty bar food/snacks
PoDog Hot Dogs (@podog) – 1009 E Union St – Best damn hot dogs I’ve ever had.  Dare you to try the peanut butter and banana dog.
Red Mill Burger – Great burgers and fries. Not within walking distance so you’ll need to drive or take a 25 minute bus ride
Lunchbox Laboratory – Another fantastic burger (excellent milkshakes too!)
Quinn’s – 1001 East Pike Street – One of my personal favorites located in Cap Hill district (ten minute walk from Con Center)
Honey Hole – 703 E. Pike Street – Sweet little bar with fantastic sandwiches
Grim’s Butterfly Loung & Social Hall (@grimseattle)- I love this place. Go upstairs to the Butterfly Lounge. That’s all I’m going to say.
Tavern Law - 1406 12th Avenue – It has a speakeasy theme to it and makes some of the best classic drinks (warning: pricey)
Garage – 1130 Broadway Ave – HUGE venue with pool tables and bowling.
Dahlia Lounge – 2001 4th Avenue – Breakfast and lunches are reasonably priced and would be a great place to take a date.  All the Tom Douglas restaurants are highly recommended by everyone I know.
Barca – 1510 11th Avenue - Next door to Grim’s. A two floored bar with huge comfy booths for you and your friends. This place has my favorite servers.
Stumptown Coffee – 616 East Pine – Unless you hit the original Starbucks in Pike Place market then Starbucks, Tully’s, and Seattle’s Best are basically all the same.  Stumptown has a more relaxed, less corporate attitude and don’t serve those fancy “candybar in a cup” drinks.  You go here to drink coffee and read a book or chat with friends.
Bauhaus Coffee - 301 e pine street – Another nice little coffee shop where you can relax with a laptop or book

Other info/suggestions:

Bathe every morning or at the end of the day.  Seriously.  Doesn’t take much for our geek collective to produce a katamari of odor.

Put your phone number in a visible place inside your wallet, backpack, etc. Sometimes you lose things, but not everyone is a criminal. Make sure that if a good samaritan finds it they can contact you.

A messenger bag or backpack just for your swag is a good idea.  [Thanks @lauralollipop]  Use it for swag, hand sanitizer, snacks, etc. 

Try adopting the fist bump.  Shaking hands is great, but I’ve gotten sick the last three conventions.  Use hand sanitizer and if you explain why you aren’t shaking hands I don’t think anyone will be offended.

Pioneer Square is a great little area both day and night, but don’t be surprised if you’re on 2nd Ave between Pioneer Square and Qwest Field and you see a large number of homeless.  There is a shelter there and at night they all sleep on the sidewalk in that one little area.  The homeless in Seattle aren’t known for being that aggressive (unless you ask @treitandtrue).  I tend to not give them money since I hate the idea of it going towards booze or drugs.  Though DO tip the street entertainers/buskers that are usually in Pike Place Market or near 4th and Pine.

Charge your phone whenever you are taking a break. It is insane how fast your phone battery dies at a convention when you are texting, Tweeting, and using GPS all the time.  I plan on using Twitter as my main communication for finding places to chill as long as it’s not overloaded.

If you see a newspaper dispenser with Seattle Weekly or The Stranger in it, grab one.  They are free local lifestyle “newspapers” that get published weekly here in Seattle.  They are a good source of local color commentary and tips on good concerts and bars to hit up.  Grab one as soon as you can.  At the very least you’ll get a good idea of the general attitude of Seattle is like. Be warned that there are ads throughout for a couple “gentlemen” clubs and personal & escort ads in the back.  The articles are probably okay for a young teen, but you may want to remove a couple pages first before giving to a child.

If you are serious about getting a job in the industry and want to network at PAX then it’s not a bad idea to bring your resume along.  Just remember that most people are either working at PAX or using it as their chance to relax.  Most people in this industry are willing to give you a moment of their time, but do not push the issue too hard or you will be “that guy”.  Check it: Effective Networking.

Hope to see you all at PAX and maybe we can hang out after the show one night.  I plan on hitting a lot of parties and community meetups.

<4 Zilla