Things to Do on Capitol Hill
A recent issue of Windermere Real Estate’s Premier Living says it well: “Eclectic and energetic, Capitol Hill provides a glorious mix of the old and new. Located on a hill directly east of downtown Seattle, the neighborhood is overflowing with art galleries, independent film theaters, coffee shops, restaurants and shopping.
Built primarily at the turn of the century, the elegant mansions of Capitol Hill are among the largest and most opulent in the city, often featuring the exquisite architectural detailing and grand spaces of an era gone by. Capitol Hill is a very diverse urban neighborhood, and a great place to people-watch.
Volunteer Park
Located on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Washington, Volunteer Park is the crown jewel of the more than 300 parks in the city system. It was designed by the pioneering Olmsted landscape architecture firm of Central Park (NYC) fame, and highlights include the Conservatory, Seattle Asian Art Museum, and the historic Water Tower, where there is an exhibit on the Olmsted legacy in Seattle.
Dining Near Shafer Baillie Mansion
MONSOON
“Monsoon is beautifully decorated and tucked away in a quieter part of Capitol Hill on 19th. Good for groups, and date night too”
ALTURA
Award-winning restaurant: Expect to spend between two and three hours enjoying ten to fifteen courses of our most inspired dishes.
TOP POT
Perhaps the best doughnuts in Seattle– maybe anywhere?? We find if you walk there and back, it helps burn off both the calories and the guilt!
TERIYAKI & WOK
Teriyaki shops in Seattle are like taquerias in LA—on every corner. This is the one we usually wind up visiting.
JULIA'S ON BROADWAY
Dining and cocktail selections with Broadway theater themes. Live music, no cover.
POQUITOS
“It’s a fun, people-pleaser of a place: Noisy, loud, popular and ideal for groups.” — Seattle Magazine
GLO'S
Sadly, Glo has passed on, but this continues to be one of the most popular breakfast/lunch/brunch spots on the Hill.
ELYSIAN BREWING CO.
One of Seattle’s many fine brew pubs. Great beer selection and decent pub food to boot.
Coffee
OK, so everyone knows Seattle is Coffee Central. Yes, within a five-mile radius of Shafer Baillie Mansion there really are 99 Starbucks coffee houses, including the mammoth corporate world headquarters as well as the original Starbucks at the Pike Place Market. But coffee in Seattle is much more than Starbucks, and there’s no place better to discover that than Capitol Hill.
ESPRESSO VIVACE
David Schomer literally wrote the book on professional espresso preparation, and it’s the text the others follow. All three Vivace locations are within a short distance of the mansion, including the sidewalk bar that’s just a neighborhood stroll away.
CAFFE LADRO
About four blocks from the mansion, another of Seattle’s fine local coffee emporia, serving only fair trade organic shade-grown coffees.
CAFFE VITA
On the border between Capitol Hill and First Hill, this two-level shop is a popular hangout for students from Seattle University and Seattle Central Community College.
VICTROLA COFFEE AND ART
Coffee and art—two great tastes that taste great together! Get your fix, just a few blocks from the Mansion on 15th Avenue East.