Just three miles south of downtown Seattle, Georgetown is a neighborhood with a foot in both the past and present — and you can sometimes feel the lines blur as you walk the streets. The neighborhood proudly claims its place in history as the birthplace of King County, yet today it pulses with a decidedly modern creative energy. Whether you’re looking for graphic novels, vintage gifts, conversation-provoking art or soul-warming cuisine, Georgetown has got you.
The place rewards a bit of wandering, so there’s far more than we can fit in this guide, but think of this as Georgetown 101 — a curated tour of the neighborhood’s quirkiest, most memorable stops, from coffee and galleries to whimsical landmarks and hidden industrial treasures.
Pro tips:
🎨If possible, plan your Georgetown visit for the second Saturday of the month. That’s when the neighborhood bursts to life with Art Attack, a celebration of local creativity and culture. (The next one is Dec 13., 2025.)
Stroll through the eclectic streets and pop into a rotating mix of venues showcasing ink, paint, fabric, weaving, photography, forged and dimensional art and more. Highlights include Equinox Studios’ Very Open Studios, where artists throw open their doors for an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at their work, and the Georgetown Steam Plant open house, which joins the festivities with machinery tours and industrial‑chic vibes.
📸: Getty Images
1
Fuel up with coffee at All City
This longtime Georgetown favorite is laid-back yet on point — an art-speckled hangout that feels directly plugged into the neighborhood’s industrial heartbeat. (Try the pistachio mocha, which somehow sidesteps the too-sweet trap). If you’re looking for something a little more substantial, you can also pick up a breakfast sandwich, but save some room in your stomach for more treats later on, too.
If you like your coffee a little more experimental, another great first stop is Voi Cà Phê, which offers fantastic latte creations involving miso caramel, black garlic, jackfruit and more. But if black garlic isn’t what you’re looking for in your caffeine, never fear — they also have more standard Vietnamese coffee and much-lauded bánh mì sandwiches.
📸: Getty Images
2
Peruse Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
Are you a comics enthusiast, a zine hunter or just curious about Seattle’s alt-press roots? Then Fantagraphics is nonnegotiable. Step inside this legendary space — a hybrid bookstore, art gallery and underground archive — and you’ll find everything from bold contemporary graphic novels and reissued classics (including beloved titles from the famous publisher itself) to rare, out-of-print gems hiding in the back “Damaged Room.”
The space is always in motion, with rotating art shows, indie-zine spotlights and the occasional music or screening night. It’s a place that rewards wandering, rummaging and following your curiosity — a perfect complement to the neighborhood’s DIY creative streak.
📍 1201 S Vale St., Seattle
🕐 Monday-Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
📸: Getty Images
3
Shop for gifts (or yourself) at the Trailer Park Mall
If you like your shopping with a side of delightful weirdness, the Georgetown Trailer Park Mall is an essential stop on your Georgetown itinerary. (Presuming it’s the weekend, that is — this mall isn’t open on anything so quotidian as a weekday).
The open-air marketplace, built from vintage trailers (it’s not just a name), houses everything from sustainable, size-inclusive apparel at Boss Clothing & Goods to Pomme Pomme Bakery’s craveable cookies. Don’t miss the Royal Mansion Gallery, set inside a beautifully restored 1950 Spartan Royal Mansion trailer, where warm cedar walls frame an ever-changing lineup of work by some of Seattle’s freshest artists. Art prints, stickers, ceramics and stunning stained glass are also on offer.
The mall’s eccentric charm peaks at Shotgun Ceremonies, a tiny wedding chapel tucked into a shipping container where you can, yes, actually get married. Equal parts community hub and creative playground, the Trailer Park Mall is at the heart of Georgetown’s offbeat vibe.
📍5805 Airport Way S, Seattle
🕐 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
📸: Getty Images
4
See and smell art at Fogue Studios and Gallery
Home to 55 artists over 50 years old, Fogue is a two-floor, 9,000-square-foot gallery and studio space that proves many things just get better with age. Right now the gallery is hosting the Scent Lending Library in the front windows; it’s a charming installation by artist Donna Lipowitz, fresh off a run at Olfactory Art Keller in NYC.
Here, visitors can actually check out scents like books — free of charge. The reference section holds more than 100 fragrances, while the lending section offers 50 scents in triplicate, all available to borrow. (The “warm bulb” smell, redolent of burning dust and hot air, was one standout.)
Lipowitz herself often appears as the “Scent Librarian,” inviting guests into conversations about memory, perception and what scent means to them. It’s immersive, intimate and very Georgetown, but it’s also just one of the many pieces of fantastic art on display. (For more glorious shiny things, check out the antique store Susan Wheeler Home next door.)
By this point, you might be ready for a pit stop or a meal. There’s no shortage of delicious and diverse places to eat and drink along Airport Way S, whether it’s the vibrant and healthy Korean of BOPBOX or the lively Mexican of Fonda La Catrina; Ciudad, a little further afield, showcases “grilled meats from around the globe” and has one of the weirdest (read: best) murals in town. Drinking types will want to head to the richly atmospheric Jules Maes Saloon or 9lb Hammer, while cake types should head to Deep Sea Sugar & Salt.
📍 5519 Airport Way S, Seattle
🕐 Thursday-Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
📸: Getty Images
5
Oxbow Park
If the energy is still high, venture east for a breather and photo stop at Oxbow Park, home to one of Seattle’s most cheerfully surreal landmarks: Hat n’ Boots. Originally built in the 1950s as part of a cowboy-themed gas station, the structures were rescued and moved to Georgetown in the early 2000s, where they’ve become a beloved neighborhood mascot.
While you’re there, marvel (from a respectful distance) at the Gessner Mansion, one of the neighborhood’s most notable homes and one that’s reputed to be very haunted. Somewhat less haunted are the bagels nearby at Bloom Bistro & Grocery, in a delightful former roadhouse.
📍 6430 Carleton Ave. S, Seattle
🕐 Open daily, dawn to dusk
📸: Getty Images
6
Georgetown Steam Plant
If you’re looking for an evening event — or want a striking, industrial-history grand finale to your Georgetown stroll — the Steam Plant delivers. This hulking 1906 power station, once the backbone of Seattle’s early electricity grid and streetcar system, now stands as a National Historic Landmark and a beautifully preserved monument to the city’s industrial past.
But that’s not all: it’s also a growing cultural hub. The Steam Plant plays host to concerts, experimental art events, community science fairs, even immersive theater — all staged amid smoke-stack bones and massive steel machinery, giving those events a resonant, otherworldly gravitas. Open houses are the second Saturday of each month, but check out the schedule for one of the semi-frequent evening arts experiences.
📍 6605 13th Ave. S, Seattle (adjacent to Boeing Field/King County International Airport)
🕐 Typically second-Saturday open houses are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but check the schedule: special events happen often
