Headquarters of the campy and avant-garde, Capitol Hill is best known as Seattle's subcultural mecca. Artsy, flamboyant, and undeniably cool, the retail strip along Broadway is home to bookstores, cafes, arthouse cinemas, offbeat specialty shops, and a myriad of affordable ethnic restaurants. Venture away from Broadway, though and this hipster paradise fades into quiet, tree-lined streets dotted with stately mansions.

Yet, there's more to Capitol Hill than meets the eye, including Seattle Central Community College (named Best Community College by Time Magazine), the renowned Cornish College for the Arts, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Volunteer Park, and the infamous Lake View Cemetery (home to a handful of pop-culture celebrities).

Located at a pleasant walking distance from Downtown, the quickest route from Capitol Hill to Downtown, along Pike and Pine Street, is filled with swanky bars and cool boutiques. On the way is First Hill, Seattle's first neighborhood, now a small enclave of expensive high-rise condos, and surrounded by the city's five main hospitals.