ETA: Leaving Monday mornig.

Planning a trip to Seattle in June.  
We’ve never been.  We plan on flying in and having VRBO lodging.
I need tips and suggestions before I commit to any vendors.
With the light rail, does it really matter what area I stay in?
(I know it’s a very liberal area.)

You'll need a car. Light rail doesn't go anywhere you'll want to go. You will have to deal with virtually no parking though. If I were coming to the area as a person that has never been here before, the City of Seattle is probably the last place I'd visit. It is a dump. The Pacific Northwest is gorgeous however.

It could be a very fun trip for you, but we need to know a little bit more information to be helpful.

How long?
Adults only or with kids?
Need to be close to a certain area or venue? and where in relation to Downtown Seattle?

The one thing I would recommend is taking a Ferry Boat ride from the waterfront to Bainbridge Island and then maybe stop for some lunch there and come back.
It provides a few hours of entertainment with a great view of the city from the water and gives you a chance to just chug along on a boat for a couple of hours and see the sights, smell the air, look at things and not have to drive.

On the waterfront are several options for food, shopping, sightseeing and such.

Tell us a couple of details.
TIME counts on a vacation!

I've lived in Washington my entire life, most of it in Seattle.
I live in Bellevue now and dislike Seattle with a passion...but, for a visitor, depending on their constraints, it could be a LOT of FUN!  

(BTW, staying in Bellevue and then getting to and from Seattle via I-90 could also be an option.  It would require renting a car and dealing with parking, though. )

A great way to visit downtown Seattle is to park either north or south and ride the Sounder in.  It's a train and it runs along the coast, the views are beautiful.  You get off downtown and can walk anywhere you like including the public market.  My wife and I will park in Edmonds which is north of Seattle and ride it in to spend the day.  We always have a great time and come back with some good seafood to cook.  IMHO that's the most interesting way to visit the city.  You can uber around in the city if something is too far to walk, or catch a bus.  The waterfront is nice with some interesting pier based businesses and eateries.  I haven't seen it yet with my own eyes but I understand we now have a Steak-n-Shake in downtown Seattle!

Seattle is as lovely as any US city. The living standards of the USA are not as high as Western Europe, so you will have to deal with some homeless people wandering the streets. If you like good food, and beer, Check out Brouwer's Cafe. If you want great east coast style pizza try Ballard pizza. If you want great asian food it is easy to find.

Wrong.

Don’t waist your time... bums, piss and panhandling.. enjoy

'The living standards'



Thanks for identifying yourself.

Watch where you walk.  Good chance you'll step in human shit or heroine needles if you don't.  Zombies walking around everywhere.  If you leave anything in your car make sure its out of sight

I took a trip from Vancouver, WA to Seattle, WA just last week.  I took the GF and her sister to Pike's Market.  The rest of Seattle.....well, just say that I was happy to get home.

OK, Ok, ok......Boeing Museum, WA State Ferry ride (perhaps even to Vancouver B.C.), Space Needle, Underground Seattle Tour, since you're from another state.

Aloha, Mark

Thanks for input. Booked it today for June 11-18.
Staying downtown at "Homewood Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown". Full kitchen was a must.
Planning on renting a car only for a couple of days. I could not believe the charges for parking.
Is the Bike Share up and running? It looks like it would be simple and handy to use.

There are several different companies with bike share programs.  If you use one make sure the brake lines haven't been cut.

The good news is Seattle demands employers pay a living wage. This is $15/hr in the city. Servers at restaurants make the full minimum wage. They do not make the federal minimum wage of $2.13/hr (plus tips) that most states adheres to.

What does this mean for you? Nothing but good news.

Thou SHALT NOT TIP for food/drink service in the city of Seattle. If you encounter a restaurant that automatically adds a “service charge” or “convenience fee”, leave. Thou SHALT NOT DINE/DRINK there.

Good to know, since I worked as a bartender tip well. I'll already be paying higher prices to insure a living wage.
As a bartender, straight pay would suck. If I only made 15 and hour in tips, I'd need to look for another job.

I will second the Seattle Underground Tour. They do a 21+ one that goes more into the seamstresses, murder, and debauchery too.

There's a good gelato shop at the corner of 3rd and Union. If you like your brown spirits, I would suggest The Whisky Bar or Radiator Whiskey, and Canon if you want super fancy drinks and hipsters

Was it "Seamstresses" or mattress maker? I seem to remember something about a crude looking box coil leaned up in the corner of one of the displays.

Holy shit, 5:00 traffic.

Haha
I don't think yesterday was any worse than normal.

Fixed.

It sucks.  Always.

2 hours to get to work today because I left my house 20 minutes later than usual.

The ferries might be worth a ride if you are just looking to get out on the water.    You can bring stuff to eat, buy a beer or wine in the ferry's galley, but can't take alcoholic beverages out of the galley eating area. There are plenty of places where you can get out on deck and eat, read, or kill time.

Are you looking for suggestions for stuff to do, or just wondering about areas to avoid, or things to do downtown?

Had a good day. Took wife and kids to skate in the park by the needle.  
Did the underground Seattle thing which while not as good as I hoped, it was interesting and worth the time.  
The market was cool.  
Staying at Homewood downtown and the included breakfast and dinner service rocks.  Saves some bucks too.
Had Thai for lunch in a while in the wall.  It was very good.
Did the $15 minimum wage jack prices locally? Stuff seems kind of expensive.
Going to Boeing tomorrow.  
This place is a liberal training ground.
We do book stores.  
The “A” is for activism” bed time story book blew me away.  
The kids books teaching them to be against a sitting president was icing on the cake.