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Open Books
Open Books in Wallingford is devoted totally to poetry; call to ask about readings and events.
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Pacific Herb & Grocery
A good place to get a sense of Chinatown is along S Weller St. Apart from the many restaurants, there's Pacific Herb & Grocery, where the herbal-medicine specialists can tell you all about the uses of different roots, bones, flowers and teas. The shop next door is a great place to buy tofu at low prices - you can even watch them make it on the premises.
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Pacific Place
Seattle's newest boutique mall ranks at the top. Clothiers include J Crew (206-652-9788), Club Monaco (206-264-8001) and BCBG (206-447-3400). The large stores of Restoration Hardware (206-652-4545) and Williams-Sonoma (206-621-7405) are fun to look around in. Take a moment to gape in the window at Tiffany & Co (206-264-1400), or saunter inside for a special gift. The mall's top level features a movie theater, a pub and a couple of restaurants.
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Patagonia
The fashionable outdoor clothing at Patagonia may seem to be only for the very adventurous, but experience a sodden winter in Seattle and you'll understand why this is where the locals shop for rain gear and outdoor apparel.
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Patrick's Fly Shop
Located near Lake Union, this shop has been around as long as anyone can remember. It offers workshops on fly-fishing, sells equipment and gives advice.
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Peter Miller Architecture & Design Books
This store, whose window arrangements can make a bibliophile or a design fiend drool, specializes in luxurious architecture books.
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Pike & Western Wine Shop
A good selection of regional wine and friendly service make this shop at the northern end of Pike Place Market a great place to get introduced to the wines of the Northwest.
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Pioneer Square Antique Mall
This Antique Mall is a warren of little shops right across from the Pioneer Square pergola; it's actually part of the Seattle 'underground' and can be somewhat claustrophobic.
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Pitaya
This is a cute little clothing boutique with carefully selected dresses, hipster jeans and cool accessories.
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Queen Anne Books
This quiet little nook is a charming neighborhood bookstore, with special events and a nice selection of children's materials.
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Recycled Cycles
Recycled Cycles, at the bottom of the U District along Lake Union, sells used and consignment bikes. It also has a wide selection of parts including cranks, forks, pedals, tires and tubes. Staff members are candid with their advice and know what they're talking about. You can also rent: for 6hr/24hr US$20 / US$40 .
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Red Light
Red Light carries stylish, painstakingly selected vintage clothing, organized by decade. Red Light also has a store in the U District (206-545-4044; 4560 University Way NE).
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Rei
The state-of-the-art REI store is right by I-5 south of Lake Union. This outdoor recreation megastore has become a tourist destination: it has its own climbing wall, and you can check out the rain-proofing of various brands of gear by entering a special rainstorm shower, or road-test hiking boots on a simulated mountain trail. It has practically every kind of outdoor equipment and gear, from hiking boots to kayaks, pitons to bicycle tires.
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Seattle Cellars
A good source for regional wines, Seattle Cellars can help you find gifts to take back home. Ask about open tastings on Thursday nights and some Saturday afternoons.
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Seattle Mystery Bookshop
The name gives it away - Seattle Mystery Bookshop is a specialty store for page-turners and whodunits. Overcoat and magnifying glass not required for entry.
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Second Bounce
Second Bounce sells used outdoor gear, clothing, boots, backpacks and camping equipment. This is a good way to save some money if you've decided on an impromptu hiking trip but didn't pack any gear.
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Secret Garden Bookshop
The children's collection, especially the fiction selection, is excellent here, and the staff will be happy to order for you anything they don't have in-stock.
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Singles Going Steady
Singles Going Steady specializes in punk, hip-hop and ska, mostly in the form of 7-inch vinyl singles, as well as posters, patches and other accessories.
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The Souk
Supplies here include Middle Eastern and North African spices and foods. Named after the Arabic word for marketplace, the shop sells everything you'll need to get from cookbook to curry - including cookbooks and curries.
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Traditions & Beyond
Affordable and authentic Native American crafts are available from this store. Part of the proceeds are used to fund Native American programs and education.
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Twice Sold Tales
Twice Sold Tales' Capitol Hill location has shrunk to a cozy den full of used books; it stays open late most nights and 24 hours on Friday; be alert for steep discounts at midnight. A bunch of aloof cats roam the shop, actively ignoring everybody.
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University Bookstore
University Bookstore is vast and all-purpose, though lacking in the time-worn atmosphere of many of Seattle's other bookstores. It does have absolutely everything, though.
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Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters in the Broadway Market sells clothing geared toward young folks looking to score points on the hip scale. A national chain, past big sellers include mesh, trucker-style caps stating "Jesus is my homeboy."
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Uwajimaya
Dried squid? Check. Sheets of seaweed? Check. Dumpling steamers, teapots, chopsticks? Check, check, check. The enormous Uwajimaya, anchoring an eponymous shopping center, has everything needed to prepare Thai, Japanese, Chinese and other Asian foods. You'll find fresh and frozen meat and fish, canned and dried produce, and intriguingly labeled treats of all kinds, as well as cooking tools, spices, cookbooks, toiletries and gift items.
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Velo Stores
Velo Stores has a good selection of road and mountain bikes, along with a helpful staff. They recently began carrying Tommasini bikes, the carbon fiber frames of which are entirely hand-made in Italy.
