The beautiful campus of the University of Washington, one of the biggest public universities in the West, anchors this neighborhood, and its student body, hailing from all over the world, keeps the area busy and vibrant, both in terms of restaurants and entertainment.
The University District (best known as the U-District) centers on, as the name implies, the sprawling and stunning University of Washington campus. From there, the neighborhood spreads west and north along University Way (puzzlingly called “the Ave”), where businesses cater to student budgets and tastes, for the most part. To the northeast, it leans toward faculty and outsiders, leading to more upscale shops and businesses. The campus itself draws in visitors to see the Collegiate Gothic style Suzzallo Library and the Henry Art Gallery, Burke Museum, and the views, especially during cherry blossom season in early spring. Sports fans come to cheer on UW’s many championship teams, including at “The Greatest Setting in College Football,” Husky Stadium. The neighborhood is surrounded by water on two sides, creating the opportunity to rent canoes, kayaks, and rowboats to see the area from another angle. And the Burke-Gilman Trail traces those shorelines with its pedestrian and bike path.
About 15 minutes northeast of downtown by car, the University District is well-connected to the rest of the city by public transportation. The Link Light Rail, coming from the airport and downtown, stops twice in the neighborhood, once at Husky Stadium, where the official stop name is “University of Washington,” and once near the Ave, which is called the University District (or U-District) stop. Both are about the same distance from campus, but on opposite sides, which can be confusing. For most of the hotels, activities, and shops, the U-District stop will be the closest one.
Any time of the year, there is almost always some sort of Husky sports happening, and the school fields tons of championship-level squads. Most of the venues include amazing views, and you might see a future Olympian in action. Check the school’s website (gohuskies.com) and see if you can snag tickets for a soccer game or pop down to the crew regatta.
The current University of Washington (UW) campus took over the land and buildings on the corner of the lake from the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, before the Lake Washington Ship Canal created a hard southern border for it. Various parts of campus boast incredible views of Mt. Rainier, and the cherry blossoms explode from the thousands of trees each spring. The Drumheller Fountain, Red Square, and Suzzallo Library are the must-see stops on a walk around the campus, but leave time for the two major public museums. The Henry Art Gallery, which features contemporary art, and the Burke Museum, a natural history museum designed to let visitors understand the process behind collecting and curating artifacts.
The first sunny day of the year, I am racing down to the Waterfront Activities Center to get out on the lake.
Water surrounds the neighborhood on two sides, and the best way to see those sides is by boat. In summer, the University of Washington’s Waterfront Activities Center rents out rowboats and canoes from behind Husky Stadium, which people can paddle around the lake and through the lily pads and wetlands of the Arboretum. Agua Verde Paddle Club, just behind the restaurant of the same name, rents out kayaks, which can be paddled around the canal and the houseboats of Portage Bay and Lake Union.
offers an incredibly diverse array of cuisines, from the hand-pulled biang biang noodles at Xi’an Noodle to the Albanian pastry at Byrek and Baguette. Thai sweets and noodle shop Mark Thai Food draws in people looking for a quick meal, while the trendy Saint Bread mixes cultures along with dough at its waterfront bakery and sandwich shop.
More than a dozen bubble tea shops pepper the neighborhood, including Oh! Bear & Teahouse and Timeless Tea, and there’s a Vietnamese coffee shop, Sip House, but the bars in the area tend to cater to college audiences, meaning they aim for low prices over good vibes or flavors.
On Saturday mornings, one of the country’s best farmers’ markets sets up on the Ave, running north from 50th. This food-only market brings in producers and growers from around the state to sell local vegetables, fruit, meat, and seafood, along with prepared foods. It stays busy from the minute it opens at 9 am.
Along the Ave, used clothing stores like Crossroads and Lucky Dog cater to the student population, while the University Bookstore crosses over to all populations, with Husky gear and supplies, along with books. But the best shopping in the neighborhood sits just down the hill from campus in the upscale outdoor mall, University Village, which consists of 120 shops, including mega-brands like the North Face, medium-size shops like Aritzia, and local restaurants like Mr. West.
The Graduate Hotel sits just a few blocks from campus and embraces the college spirit, attracting anyone with business or family at the school. The art deco building now holds well-appointed rooms with fun, eclectic and UW-themed décor. A pair of hotels from the Stay Pineapple chain round out the offerings, the Watertown and the University Inn. Both are convenient, modern, and stylish, with practical amenities, including bikes for guests to take on the nearby Burke-Gilman Trail.
The U-District makes a good place to stay for anyone looking to be near the north half of the city, or who wants to be able to move around by more than one mode of transportation: public transport, car, bike, or walk. It’s further from the city’s major tourist attractions, but well connected by road and bus, but that also means that restaurants and services around it lean more affordable.
