Seattle’s Chinatown International District

Not your average Chinatown, so don’t visit with any expectations the likes of San Francisco or even New York — albeit it is worth a visit.
There are the Historic Chinatown Gates located on the corner of 5^th Ave and King Street; however, there’s not much organization, or «boundaries» so-​to-​speak in Seattle’s Chinatown/​International District. So, just plan on spending some time walking up, down, and around a few blocks to make sure not to miss anything.
There is a really cool animé/​toy store with tons of collectibles, Asian apothecary stores, a few small food markets and one HUGE one, Uwajimaya, that carries more than just groceries (see complete separate review on business site). The District is also home to the Seattle Pinball Museum where you can ogle and play forever (
). And, they don’t call it «International District» for nothing. You will find cuisines from several parts of Asia: Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and I believe I saw a very inviting Thai place. We opted for a super casual Japanese izakaya-​esque joint that was both affordable and delicious — Maekawa Bar (review on separate business listing).
Overall, a nice way to spend a few hours in Seattle and get off the beaten path.
***CIDBIA is consistently making efforts to improve the District, including bringing in more businesses, making the streets cleaner and safer, and creating more events for visitors and locals alike to attend. Please visit their website for more information and to see how you can help the project.
Big changes to come in the future!
[134 in 2015]