Seattle Pike’s Market Other Than Fish
5 January, 2012As I mentioned in the post about some of the oddities of Seattle, Ali and I stopped in to the city on the way to TBEX. One of my must-see’s in Seattle was Pike’s Market. I didn’t know much about it, but I wanted to see it. I had first seen it on the intro to a Real World season on MTV years ago. Yes, folks this is often how I pick what I want to see, a random snippet of TV.
The famous bit of the market is the fish stall. People buy fish and the workers shout and fling the fish from one to another for packaging. It was indeed fascinating to watch. Despite which, I loved walking through the rest of the market and all the cool little bits. So here is my look at Pike’s Market other than fish.
The Famous Sign
Other than the fish throwing, the Public Market sign is what I associate with the market the most. Here are two views of it, both front and back. I like the look from the back.
Piroshky Piroshky
While the fish throwing is the most widely known aspect of the market, I enjoyed Piroshky Piroshky the most. According to the numerous newspaper cutouts posted on the walls, it is famous in its own right. The store is a tiny place. Ali and I took the only two stools up against a small bar with Juan standing. The main area is a large case of the pocket pastries with fillings ranging from sweet to savory to all kinds of things in between. A line of people was constant and extended out the door into the sidewalk of the market. The line was unending and yet never seemed to get longer. There were always people waiting and yet the ladies running the register and pastry case had the system down so the line never stopped. Order, pay, receive, eat.
Starbucks
Seattle is well known as the home town of Starbucks. The spot of the first shop is in the market area. I got it into my head as we were walking around that the number above the door was the date founded. I was very tired that morning and had a flight to “look forward” to. It took me a few minutes to realize that 1912 wouldn’t really make sense for a coffee store founding date. Oh well. We did go in, but it looks pretty much exactly like every other Starbucks I’ve ever been in.
Fruit: It really is a market
And yes, it really is a market. The main hall with the fish definitely has a few restaurants and the roads around the area are full of interesting shops and small restaurants like Piroshky Piroshky, but there are still more traditional food market stalls. Vegetables, meat, cheese and smoked salmon are all represented. The restaurants were a mix of a lot of different things. They all seemed mostly touristy, but I liked this sign of the German Bierstube. However, I wanted a sandwich for the flight home and we ended up at a small grocery store with a deli in it. I miss delis in Germany. The idea of a sandwich stacked with meat on a slice of toast is pretty much nonexistent here.
More Little Oddities on the Walk
As mentioned in the Seattle Oddities post, I love the quirky little things that make a place unique. The differences that speak to a personality of a place. The slightly off color things that don’t a mold perfectly. These are the views and ideas that make somewhere interesting and not just another unemotional place. Seattle has tons on its own and here are a few more that I found just in the market area itself.
I get vibes of the 80's song Streetlight People when I see that.
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Category: Phototour
Tags: market, oddities, phototour, seattle
Posted by Andrew
Ah, your post is making me a little homesick! I’m from CA, but lived in Seattle for many, many years. For a few years while I was going to school, I walked from work to class through the market every day. Just love the feeling there, so amazing! Thanks for the nostalgia.
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That is really cool you were able to walk through the market. I really liked Seattle. I like it even more knowing it is walkable. Thanks for the comment.
As Seattlites, it is very easy to forget about the market and what a huge draw it is – and I used to work there!
Fun to see it from someone else’s perspective.
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I guess it falls into the same category of most tourist things in your home town. They get ignored until visitors. But this one, other than the parking issue, could definitely be a daily or weekly thing for me if I lived there. Im glad to provide a new perspective.
Enjoyed the mini-tour of Seattle.
Anyplace that calls itself “Books, Ale, & Wine” would be high on my must-visit list!
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I just loved the sign of the place. I unfortunately did not have the time to go in and explore.
As a former Seattle dweller, I’m SO happy you mentioned Piroshky Piroshky. We used to take the bus 20 minutes into town just to do our shopping at the market, pick up some delicious food from the stalls and get loose tea and coffee (I know, how Pacific Northwest) from the Market Spice shop. What I loved the most about taking my Couchsurfers or visiting friends there is that locals frequent the market just as often as tourists, making it feel a bit more like an authentic experience. Fabulous and accurate post.
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Thanks for the Seattl-ite seal of approval. I really enjoyed my time at the market. Although I don’t know if I could tell the difference between a local and a tourist necessarily, it was a lot of fun to wander around. Other than the parking issues of a city, it definitely looks like a place that I could do most of my shopping at. P-P was definitely a highlight.
I’m planning on visiting Seattle from Vancouver this Spring/Summer. Have heard lots of good things about the city. That bakery (if you could call it that) sounds cool, will definitely have a look for this.
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Piroskhy Piroshky is definitely worth multiple visits. There are sweet things and savory ones, so plenty to try. The market is an awesome place to wander. And although we didn’t see so much of the rest of the city, it too looks great. Have fun.
Nice job of highlighting stuff. I liked Pike’s Place Market for the experience. It’s fun just to explore and watch people. I think we bought something when we were there – I think it was fruit!
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Thanks. It is neat as a farmer’s market. At some level it is a bit of a shame that it has become so tourist filled, but I think in the main it has retained it’s utilitarian roots as well.
I knew there had to be more to it than fish. But, I still want to catch one
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Watching the fish throwers certainly is entertaining. I have a bunch of pictures of the fish stand too, so maybe a later post.
I’m glad you made it to Piroshky Piroshky! I lived in Seattle for a few years and went there all the time (and every time I go back to visit). You need that time in the line decide what deliciousness to order.
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Yeah, it is a pretty great place and a wonderful warm meal on what ended up being a pretty cool summer morning. I kind of remember a sign saying do not stand in line unless you know what you want. Do you remember any sign to that effect?