When most people think of Seattle’s best shopping destinations, they picture this: a bunch of coffee-drinking, grunge-listening hipster outdoor enthusiasts whose only shopping options are places to fulfill their daily uniform consists of North Face fleeces and socks with sandals.
Sure, we have some of that here. But in reality, Seattle is so much more, with its eclectic neighborhoods made up of equally eclectic shops with everything from high fashion brands to small indie labels.
We’re always looking for shopping guides for cities around the world when we travel. So we wanted to make sure people who come to Seattle find one for the Emerald City. In this guide, you’ll find a list of the best areas to shop and what vibe you can expect.
Whether you are new to the city, passing through, or a long-term resident, hopefully this will help you get better acquainted with the best shopping neighborhoods in Seattle.
Seattle’s Best Shopping Destinations
There are a ton of awesome Seattle gift shops throughout the city. But these are the best shopping neighborhoods with a high concentration of stores you can walk between.
Seattle Shopping Destination #1: Ballard
Ballard is my favorite Seattle neighborhood and where I call home. It’s located about 15 minutes outside of the downtown Seattle area. Most tourists rarely venture outside of cushy downtown Seattle where the infamous Pike Place Market and Space Needle are, so you can expect a really authentic Seattle experience if you visit this neighborhood.
Ballard is low-key and eclectic, dotted with independent local shops ranging from cooking supplies, home decor, and fashion boutiques. Plus it is home to one of the best farmers markets in the city.
On Sundays, Ballard Ave. is transformed into a mini market year round, with tents housing vendors selling produce, baked goods, meats, jewelry, and locally-designed apparel. One of my favorite things to do is take a self-guided food tour of the neighborhood and pop into shops between eats.
Some of my favorite Seattle vintage stores are in Ballard, including Buffalo Exchange, Ballard Consignment, and Space Oddity.
Ballard is also home to some great fashion boutiques, such as Prism, Horseshoe, September, Blumenkinder, and Re-souL shoes. There’s also a Filson storefront in Ballard.
If home goods and gifts are more your thing, check out Lucca, Digs, Annie’s Art & Frames, Venue, and Fair Trade Winds.
There’s also Clover Toys if you have kids in your life. Or if you have someone who loves board games and geek culture, definitely check out Mox Boarding House.
A touch north of the main downtown Ballard shopping area you’ll find Anders, a beautifully-curated lifestyle shop. You’ll also find Baleen, an affordable shop for jewelry.
Seattle Shopping Destination #2: Fremont
Fremont is about 2 miles east of Ballard and again, isn’t usually a neighborhood frequented by out of towners. Self-proclaimed “the center of the universe,” Fremont is similar to Ballard with its quaint shops and bustling culinary scene perfect for a self-guided food tour.
However, it’s different in terms of vibe. It’s a bit busier than Ballard and draws the college crowd from the nearby Seattle Pacific University, especially at night when the bars are overflowing with stumbling college students. It is also a major hub for commuters going downtown, so it has a good amount of bus activity.
Despite the larger crowds, Fremont is vibrant and eclectic, resting on beautiful Lake Union and the infamous Burke-Gilman Trail (a bike/walking trail that weaves through most of the city and beyond). Plus, it is home to some interesting boutiques.
My favorite shop located in this Seattle shopping destination is the Fremont Vintage Mall. It has impeccably curated home and fashion goods at reasonable prices. I also frequent Evo a lot for snowboard/extreme sport equipment and fashion.
If you love items for around the home, plant parents will love Peace Love and Happiness Club and Indoor Sun Shoppe.
If you prefer Pacific Northwest gifts, check out Portage Bay Goods or Sfingiday.
Home chefs will die when they visit The Book Larder cookbook store, one of my Seattle for foodies bucket list visits. There’s also Theo Chocolate, which also offers tours of their chocolate factory. I used to live nearby and they make the whole neighborhood smell like confections!
For designer lingerie enthusiasts, Bellefleur is a must see in this neighborhood.
Some great clothing boutiques include Pipe and Row, Les Amis, and Show Pony. There’s also Liten, which sells beautiful jewelry made in Seattle and beyond out of Les Amis.
Similar to Ballard and other areas of Seattle, it has a farmers market on Sundays, which showcases a lot of vintage vendors and local designers.
Insider tip: If you venture to this area, be sure to make the trip to Gasworks Park, which offers some the best Seattle water views in the city.
Seattle Shopping Destination #3: Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill is an indie music-listening, American Apparel-wearing hipster mecca. It’s an artsy destination great for eats, overflowing bars (both straight and queer friendly), and some serious thrifting opportunities. Capitol Hill is near downtown, so can be walked to from the tourist center of the city. If you visit one place, especially if you are in the younger age demographic, go here! It’s one of Seattle’s best shopping destinations.
Where to begin. If you are into thrifting and finding that perfect piece among overstuffed racks Crossroads Trading Co., a gently-used second hand shop. They have uncompromising standards for what they accept (I once tried to sell these amazing gray boots I thought would be a shoe-in, but they rejected them), but most of their pieces come from local Seattleites getting rid of their ridiculously awesome threads. It generally doesn’t have many high fashion brands, but we once found a Burberry trench there, so it’s worth a stop. Plus it is right next to hipster name-brand staples like Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, so if you don’t find something there you can go to these familiar retailers.
Other great second hand/thrift stores include Red Light Vintage, Pretty Parlor, and Homestead for decor.
Or if you prefer modern boutiques, check out Glasswing, Freeman, and Sway and Cake for clothing, Sugar Pill for apothecary goods, Station 7 for gifts, and The Works Seattle for gifts and crafty classes.
You should also stop in Melrose Market and Chophouse Row, two indoor markets with small shops and restaurants hidden inside.
And don’t forget to stop into Elliott Bay Book Company to support one of the most popular independent bookstores in Seattle.
It’s impossible to name all the amazing retailers Cap Hill has to offer, but we guarantee that a walk throughout this unique ‘hood will most definitely result in a dog-at-every-fire-hydrant effect as you stop in shop after shop and walk out with one-of-a-kind pieces. As a result, it’s one of Seattle’s best shopping destinations.
Seattle Shopping Destination #4: U-District
The U-District, as it names implies, is home to thousands of college students attending the University of Washington. As a result, there are a slew of funky shops mixed among your typical retailers. In addition to independent street front stores, there is also University Village, an outdoor mall with retailers such as J. Crew, Madewell, Anthropologie, H&M, Banana Republic, Mercer, Victoria’s Secret, and so forth. Fun fact: I used to work at the Banana Republic and J.Crew here!
Some noteworthy stores in the U-District include another Buffalo Exchange location, Gracious Home, and Lucky Vintage. On any given day, a walk up University Way NE will offer a number of small shops and boutiques worth peaking into. Plus, this area is known for its cheap eats and young crowds.
Pro tip: If you’re wondering what to do in Seattle during spring break, go shopping in the U-District and then hit up the cherry blossoms at the University of Washington campus.
Seattle Shopping Destination #5: Queen Anne
Queen Anne is split into two areas according to locals: upper and lower Queen Anne. Lower Queen Anne is closer to downtown and has mostly restaurants, bars, and apartments. It’s busier and has a younger, edgier vibe. Nat + Sus is a great women’s shop in this area.
Upper Queen Anne is closer to Fremont and is more family friendly. Here is where you’ll find the higher concentration of shops. So I’d say it’s the better of the two Seattle shopping destinations.
Make sure to check out Queen Anne Frame & Gift and Queen Anne Book Company for gifts. There’s also Stuhlberg’s for kids gifts.
If women’s clothing is more what you’re after, head to Simple & Just, Foundation, Meadow, and Willa.
There are also some great stops if you’re looking for Pacific Northwest food gifts, such as A Bit of Taste for olive oil and vinegars. If checking out Seattle urban wineries or the best independent Seattle wine shops is your thing, head to the Robert Ramsay tasting room and McCarthy and Schiering Wine Merchants.
Seattle Shopping Destination #6: Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Seattle. As such, it has beautiful historic brick buildings and a few cobblestone streets. Tucked away in these gorgeous buildings you’ll find art galleries, boutiques, and gift shops perfect for spending a day shopping. Plus this is one of Seattle’s best shopping destinations for grabbing a bite or some of the best coffee in Seattle between stores.
Some not-to-miss stores in this Seattle shopping neighborhood are Cone & Steiner for pantry staples, Flora and Henri and Casa di LaValle for home goods, and J. Rinehart Gallery for affordable Pacific Northwest art work.
Seattle Shopping Destination #7: West Seattle
Seattle locals are funny because many act like West Seattle is hours away, yet it’s only 10 minutes from downtown. It’s home to the largest and most popular beach, Alki Beach, and is a funky, often overlooked shopping neighborhood. It’s reminiscent of Ballard, with its offbeat boutiques and happening main drag (California Ave SW).
Some of its best boutiques include Cherry Consignment, CAPERS Home, Alair for stationary and oddities, Mystery Made for men’s clothing, Click! for gifts, and Curious Kidstuff if you have little ones in your life.
If you’re into music, don’t miss Easy Street Records. It also has a diner inside that most people don’t know about!
Seattle Shopping Destination #8: Belltown/Downtown
Belltown and downtown are the two areas mostly frequented by tourists. Downtown, where most locals work, is known for big-name retailers such as Nordstrom, Barneys, J. Crew, Club Monaco, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, H&M, and the like.
However, it does have some great boutiques worth visiting. Definitely make sure you check out the vendors in Pike Place Market. There is also The Handmade Showroom right inside Pacific Place, an urban mall. It sells local crafts made around the PNW.
Fashion stores worth mentioning include Jack Straw, The Finerie, Alhambra, and Wayward.
For home goods, make sure to check out Watson Kennedy. The store is color coded, which makes for a really interesting vibe while shopping.
Seattle Shopping Destination #9: Madison/Madrona
Madison Park and Madrona are neighborhoods to the east of Seattle along Lake Washington. While they’re technically two neighborhoods you need to drive between to get to, they’re two of Seattle’s best shopping destinations you can easily visit in a day.
On Madison Ave leading from First Hill to Madison park make sure to visit Alice, Jarbo, Refind, and Sugarlump for women’s and kids clothes.
Once you’re in Madison Park, don’t miss Emry for women’s fasion, The Original Children’s Shop, Madison Books, and Cookin’ for gifts for chefs.
To the south in Madrona, head to Valerie Madison Fine Jewelry and Honed by Claire Kinder for beautiful jewelry. Also stop at Hammer + Awl for men’s clothing and Bottlehouse for wine gifts.
Seattle Shopping Destination #10: The Eastside
Most tourists don’t get the opportunity to venture out to the Eastside, especially if they didn’t rent a car. However, it has one of Seattle’s best shopping destinations.
The Eastside comprises of all the surrounding suburbs just outside of Seattle, including towns such as Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond. If by chance you do have an opportunity to venture out (the drive alone is spectacular, as you need to go across either the 90 or 522 bridge over Lake Washington, which on a clear day offers sunny vistas of mountains in the backdrop), here are some of our favorite stops.
If you’re looking for high-end designer labels, check out Bellevue, home to Seattle’s Fashion Night Out fall extravaganza and a multitude of high end powerhouses such as Hermès, Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Tory Burch. The two main areas to shop in downtown Bellevue include The Bravern and Bellevue Collection, with The Bravern featuring more high-end luxury labels.
If you’re looking for independent boutiques, check out La Ree in Bellevue and Asher Goods in Kirkland.
Seattle’s Best Shopping Neighborhoods, Mapped
To make it easier to shop, here’s a map featuring the stores from this guide.
More Seattle Shopping Ideas
There are so many awesome makers around Seattle. Some that don’t have physical store fronts or others that are tucked away in neighborhoods that don’t have a high concentration of stores. Either way, they’re worth checking out in addition to Seattle’s best shopping destinations!
