I usually do not enjoy crowds or noisy places, but something about this part of Seattle keeps pulling me back. I love the movement of the market, the colorful flower stands, the vendors calling to customers, and the smell of coffee and food drifting through the walkways. Every visit makes me want to buy a plane ticket and return for another day.

There are plenty of guides covering the market’s most famous attractions, so these are simply some of my favorite stops from our visit. My best advice is to wander without rushing and arrive ready to sample plenty of coffee, pastries, beer, and other treats along the way.

Storyville Coffee

I would choose Storyville over the more famous coffee shop down the street any day. The espresso was smooth, the pastries were delicious, and the breakfast sandwiches were shockingly good.

The Pike Place cafe was tucked upstairs above the market, giving us a comfortable place to sit with our coffee while the activity continued below. While visitors waited in a long line outside the original Starbucks location, we were very happy with our espresso and breakfast at Storyville.

Flowers at the Pike Place Market

The flower stands were my favorite part of the market. Buckets overflowed with fresh-cut blooms in every color, and the air carried their fragrance as we walked past.

I loved watching the vendors build bouquets, selecting flowers and arranging them with quick, practiced movements. Even though the flowers made me sneeze, I could have lingered around those stands for a very long time.

The Gum Wall

The Gum Wall offered a dramatic change from all those beautiful flowers.

Chewed gum covered the brick walls and nearly every other surface in the alley. It was colorful, strange, and thoroughly gross. I felt like holding my breath as we walked through, but it was still something I wanted to see once.

Three Girls Bakery

Three Girls Bakery was one of my first food stops because they had my favorite chocolate crackle cookies waiting on the rack. Pike Place had no shortage of doughnuts, pastries, breads, and other baked treats, but I left Three Girls with a bag of crackles. They were rich, chocolatey, and exactly as good as I remembered.

The Seattle Center Monorail

The Seattle Center Monorail was touristy, but it was also a fun way to travel between downtown and Seattle Center. The ride was short, carrying us from Westlake Center to the area around the Space Needle in only a few minutes.

The original ALWEG trains had been running since the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, which made the little trip feel like more than simple transportation. We were riding above the streets in a piece of Seattle history.

Beer Near Pike Place Market

Old Stove Brewing

Old Stove had beers across the spectrum from light to dark. We especially liked the saison and double IPA during our visit. The taproom was right in the middle of the market activity, making it an easy place to pause after wandering through the crowded walkways. Food was available, but we stuck with the beer.

Cloudburst Brewing

Cloudburst was a little farther north on Western Avenue, but still within easy walking distance of the market. Being removed from the busiest part of Pike Place gave the taproom a calmer atmosphere, with more people who seemed to be local regulars. The selection was smaller when we visited, but we found a good IPA to enjoy with our spicy barbecue.

The Seafair Parade

We happened to be downtown during Seattle’s Seafair celebration, with a parade taking place on the day of our visit. The streets were filled with spectators, colorful floats, and performers. We had not planned our trip around Seafair, so finding a parade in the middle of an already lively day felt like an unexpected bonus.

Pike Place Market gave us so much to see, smell, and taste within a few busy blocks. We drank espresso, watched bouquets take shape, carried away a bag of chocolate cookies, tried local beer, and walked through an alley completely covered in gum.

Even with the crowds and noise, I loved being surrounded by all that color, food, and activity. Pike Place has an energy unlike anywhere else we visited in Seattle!

A Morning at Pike Place Market in Seattle