Take a bunch of small-time businesses and sprinkle them liberally around a waterside strip amid crowds of old-school bohemians, new wave restaurateurs, tree-huggers, students, artists, buskers and tourists, and the result: Pike Place Market, a cavalcade of noise, smells, personalities, banter and urban theater. You'll find produce stalls, vintage shops, handmade crafts, souvenir kitsch and funky eateries. In operation since 1907, Pike Place is a wonderfully 'local' experience that highlights the city for what it really is: all-embracing, eclectic and proudly singular.
