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Best Things To Do in Fremont, Seattle Which You Absolutely Can’t Miss

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2 months ago

There’s no denying that we love Seattle. Nestled on the shores of Puget Sound, set beneath the stunning backdrop of the Olympic and Cascade mountains, Washington’s state capital is the Pacific North West’s glistening gem. Small enough to explore in one day, big enough for a relaxing long weekend, it’s a cliché but Seattle is all things to all people.

Whether you’re passing through en-route to experience the charm of British Columbia or the wilds of Alaska or making an extended stay in Seattle, there’s one neighborhood which is begging to be explored every time. On the northern edge of Lake Union sits the self-proclaimed “center of the universe”.

It may not really be the center of the universe, but Fremont is, unequivocally, a center of counterculture. Wonderful, and frankly weird, sculptures and installations, edgy arts and an amazing food scene all make Fremont, Fremont.

How to get to Fremont

Conveniently located just north of Downtown Seattle, if you’ve rented a car, it’s just a few minutes’ drive across Fremont Bridge. If you’re traveling by public transport, several bus lines connect Downtown with all the things to do in Fremont. Buses run every few minutes late in to the night.

Travel tip: For seamless travel around Seattle, download the Transit GO Ticket app for Android or Apple before you go. You can purchase, download and show your ticket without the need to worry about cash and pieces of paper.

To reach Fremont from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), take the 1-line train to the Westlake Center in Downtown then transfer to a bus. If you have time, take a detour to the Space Needle. One of Seattle’s finest viewpoints, it’s on the way from Downtown to Fremont.

Staying in Fremont

No matter where you stay in Seattle, you won’t be far from all the great things to do in Fremont. That said, to really get underneath Fremont’s quirky subculture, it’s worth staying nearby. Luckily, there are a couple of hotels which are just as quirky as that subculture itself.

Hotel Hotel

In the heart of the action, Hotel Hotel sits right by several of the best things to do in Fremont. The Center of the Universe itself is but a minutes’ walk away, the curious statue of Lenin and the Fremont Troll couldn’t be closer.

The rooms are very much true to Fremont. Filled with antique furnishings, repurposed signage and a dark color scheme, this is the place to stay for the most authentic Fremont experience.

Marco Polo Motel

Take the all-American motel experience, plonk it in the “People’s Republic of Fremont” and Marco Polo Motel is what you end up with. Unfussy, unassuming and remarkably good value, Marco Polo has everything you expect from a motel. Plus some seriously vintage art and a mock pirate ship in the parking lot.

Best Things To Do in Fremont

Get a photo with the Fremont Troll

Tucked under a bridge just a minute away from the Center of the Universe, you have to see the Fremont Troll to believe it. Standing at 18-feet tall, the troll was the result of a 1990 competition to deter rough sleeping and fly tipping. A deterrent, it certainly is.

The Volkswagen Beetle clutched in the terrifying creature’s left hand is a real Beetle. Designed to look as if the troll has grabbed the car from the road above, it originally had a bust of Elvis Presley inside, although that’s since been stolen. Clearly the troll wasn’t enough to ward off The King’s greatest fans.

The Fremont Troll marks the entrance to Troll’s Knoll Park, a visit to which should be high on your list of the things to do in Fremont. A serene escape from the busy city streets, the park offers a fantastic vista of the Seattle skyline. Keep an eye out for tortoises (of both the stone and real life variety) as you stroll around.

Explore Fremont’s unusual statues

Lenin

There are so many things to do in Fremont but if you’re short on time, there’s one statue you really have to see. A 16ft-tall statue of Lenin. Once a common feature across the former USSR, there’s probably nowhere you’re less likely to stumble upon a statue of the first Chairman of the Soviet Union than in the U.S.

Following the collapse of the Union in the early 1990s, many statues of Lenin – along with Stalin and other Soviet leaders – were torn down as a mark of regained freedom. That’s exactly what happened to the statue you’ll find here in Fremont.

Discovered by an American scholar in a Czech scrapyard in 1993, he brought it home to Fremont. He had no plan as to what to do with it and, sadly, he died before he could come up with one. Ever since, it has stood on the corner of North 36th and Fremont Place North.

Appropriately right next to Lenin, if you fancy delving deeper into Russia, head to Tzar for lunch. Their menu is simple. They do pelmeni and they do them well.

The traditional pelmeni are some of the best you’ll find this side of Moscow, but the “classic” are our top recommendation. Served in a spicy broth of curry powder and chili sauce, they pack quite the punch.

Waiting for the Interurban

Like many U.S. cities, Seattle once had a comprehensive streetcar network. Few remain, although San Francisco stands out as an exception. Between 1910 and 1939, Fremont was served by Seattle-Everett Interurban, a streetcar line running between Downtown Seattle and Everett to the north.

The statue, sculpted by Richard Beyer in 1978, depicts six people and a dog waiting for that Interurban. But it would never come. The Interurban didn’t ever serve North 34th which the ‘passengers’ are standing on.

Shop for curios

Another of the unmissable things to do in Fremont is to lose yourself in the Aladdin’s cave that is Fremont Vintage Mall. Descend the stairs into the cavernous store and browse away. There’s no real order. Books are piled next to designer clothes, which in turn sit between vinyl records, crockery and black-and-white postcards.

This is the kind of store to which, if you’re anything like me, a visit can quickly become very dangerous. Here you’ll find anything and everything. Suddenly, you’ll need things you didn’t know existed. It is the sort of place that you could visit every day for a month and each time, discover something new. It is, to use their words, “the coolest vintage store in the center of the universe“.

A short walk from the Vintage Mall, Fremont also has a couple of fantastic bookstores. Ophelia’s Books stock new and used books from all genres. Feel free to browse as long as you wish or pull up a chair and read away in the company of their resident furry friends.

Just along the street, Charlie’s Books is the place to go for queer literature and some very unusual gifts. For one of the more unusual things to do in Fremont you won’t hear elsewhere, have a peek inside their bathroom. It’s the most outlandish and lavish you’ll find anytime soon.

Take a walk by the lake

Created by the Vashon Glacier over 12,000 years ago, the busy streets of Fremont slope down to Lake Union’s shores. Take the steps down from Fremont Bridge and walk east along the lakeside path, passing under the larger Aurora Bridge which carries the interstate high above Fremont.

Taking in the views of Seattle from Gas Works Park certainly deserves a mention as one of the best things to do in Fremont, as well as the most relaxing. On the site of a former gas works, the park is the ideal place to take in the city’s majestic skyline.

Unwind in the best Fremont coffee shops

Fremont Coffee Company

Just across the street from the statue of Lenin, Fremont Coffee Company is a local institution. Their coffee, artisan-roasted in house, is fair trade and organic. The coffee shop is full of rustic charm and always manages to be buzzing and relaxing at once.

Lighthouse Roasters

A few blocks north of the Center of the Universe, a visit to Lighthouse Roasters’ cute café is amongst the top things to do in Fremont. Roasting on site since 1993, their retro cast-iron roasters steal the show. With no less than 14 blends to choose from, you might just have to grab a bag or two to take home. Their Washington Wild is our top pick, plus every sale helps a local non-profit organization in their efforts to revitalize Washington’s natural environment.

Aroom Coffee

As stylish and trendy as Fremont itself, Aroom is a quirky Vietnamese coffee shop. Stopping by for one of their signature sesame lattes or avocado coffees is one of those things to do in Fremont you shouldn’t pass up. If you’re feeling adventurous, the egg coffee has a taste which has to be tried to be described.

For a more classic taste, their Saigonese coffees are the perfect way to be transported to Asia. The Saigon Black, a traditionally brewed Vietnamese blend with sugar, is the ultimate caffeine fix.

Coffee goes well with almost every meal, but there’s something to be said of the special relationship between coffee and ice cream. Hand Crafted Gelato, at the entrance to Fremont Bridge is an absolute must when you’re ticking off all the top things to do in Fremont. Their homemade Italian-style gelato is exquisite and you can sample as many flavours as you like before choosing.


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