While Belltown is perhaps best known for being a major center of nightlife, trendy boutiques and art galleries, this downtown Seattle neighborhood also offers quite a bit for the intrepid health-conscious tourist.
Parks
The Myrtle Edwards Park is located on the northern edge of Belltown, right on Seattle’s waterfront. It takes up 4.8 acres, and contains a hiking and cycling path that stretches along the coast for 1.25 miles. Myrtle Edwards is an idyllic park for bird-watching enthusiasts, as you’ll have plenty of opportunities to observe crows, eagles and seagulls.
Belltown is also home to one of Seattle’s newer parks, the Olympic Sculpture Park, which was opened in 2007. It covers nine acres and contains an outdoor sculpture museum and beach. It is one of the few green spaces in the downtown Seattle area, and is worth devoting an entire afternoon to wandering around among the sculptural masterpieces. Best of all, it’s free of charge.
Art Walking Tour
Put on your walking shoes and prepare to obtain an insider’s view of the neighborhood’s thriving art scene while simultaneously getting a great afternoon of exercise. Scene in Seattle specializes in walking tours with local curators and gallery owners. On these tours you can simultaneously learn all the local art gossip, see some of the area’s more interesting galleries and public art works and do your cardio.
Local Food
Pike Place Market is a good place to buy fresh produce from local farmers. For tasty organic meals, head to Rob Roy on 2nd Avenue; it has been a Belltown favorite since opening its doors in 2003. For hearty, healthy Indian cuisine--including a range of vegetarian options--Tandoori Hut has been a Seattle institution since 1990.
Spa & Wellness
Sweat all those toxins out of your body, massage your aching limbs after a day spent exploring Belltown by bike or foot or simply pamper yourself at one of Belltown’s day spas, such as Ananya, which specializes in massages and salt mousse exfoliation, and has been voted Best of Citysearch Top Ten every year since 2005 for its spas, massage, facials and hair removal. Spa Noir offers rejuvenating body wraps, energizing foot treatments and massages. Having opened its doors in 2004, the spa has already become a Belltown institution.
Indoor Fitness
Seattle can be a rainy place, but don’t let that put a damper on your fitness regimen. Belltown is home to a number of gyms and health clubs, such as X Gym, which has been in the neighborhood since 1998, and specializes in high intensity training. As a visitor to the Seattle area, you can take advantage of their three free trial workouts.
References
- “Seattle City Guide”; Lonely Planet; 2008
- “The Rough Guide to Seattle”; Jeff Dickey, Richie Unterberger; 2006
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