Pioneer Square Afternoon

I work in downtown Seattle, and have for almost seven years now, so once in a while, I enjoy being a tourist/wanderer in my hometown.  

The day was bright and not too cold, so my feet carried me away from Pike Place Market, along first avenue and down underneath the freeway exit at Columbia st.

There were stairs, so naturally I had to go down to explore...

I ate lunch at the tiniest pizza place I've even encountered where the staff were charming and tragically out of pizza.  He recommended the meatball sandwich and I cannot complain.  With my tummy full of good food, I meandered along the alley and into Pioneer Square.

The square was once the center of the city of Seattle, after a brief attempt on Alki beach, the founding fathers moved inland a bit and built some of the first structures on what is now known as Pioneer Square.  Those buildings are now lost, having burned in the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, and were replaced with brick buildings during the 1890's.  Most of the buildings downtown date from the 1930's with their gorgeous Art Deco architecture now cheek-by-jowl with modern buildings that are finally (whew!) moving away from the 1980's cement box designs.

I found unexpected street art beneath the offramp.

The beautiful Federal Building always looks like it has icicles dripping down.

My personal favourite, the Pergola! 

One of my favourite things to do is to wander a city, peeking down it's alleys and finding the hidden places perhaps even the locals don't know about.  Pioneer Square is best visited in the day particularly if one is going to be wandering down laneways.  

This alley is one of my personal favourites, and this time it held some fun wheat paste art, seen below:

This time I wandered back to where I had visited Klondike Jenny's, a fun little shop where people can put on pioneer clothing and look like saloon girls, cowboys, or good honest folk and have pictures taken.  Tragically, it had closed a few months ago, so I poked my head into the cute vintage store next to it, since I hadn't ever been in!

Bon Voyage Vintage* is a charming little shop, racks full of fun vintage finds and the owners, Megan and Keith ready and willing to answer questions or help you try things on.

I perused the racks unwilling to believe I could find anything, (finding vintage clothing that fits my bust is incredibly difficult) however I was delightfully surprised when this wisp of a dress slipped over my head and caressed the floor like it was made for me.

Hailing from the 1930's it is a sheer black lace bodice with sheer, bias cut skirt and 100% delicious!  I haven't patched up the shoulders just yet, but she is itching for a proper photoshoot.

I didn't do anything more terribly exciting after finding that dress, save going to work, which is always interesting.  I hope you have enjoyed my little meander into Seattle!

xoxo,

Anna

*this post is not sponsored Bon Voyage Vintage, merely delighted with their store.