Page 140 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Pacific Northwest

138  SEA T TLE

1 Pike Place Market
Bounded by Pike & Virginia Sts, from
1st to Western Aves. Map 3 C1.
Tel (206) 682-7453. @ 15, 18.
Open 9am–6pm Mon–Sat,
11am–5pm Sun; may vary.
Closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving, Dec 25.
7 8 Market Heritage Tour:
Call for details: (206) 322-2219.
∑ pikeplacemarket.org

The heart of Pike Place Market
is the Main Arcade (1914) and
the adjacent North Arcade
(1922). Here, low metal-topped
counters display freshly picked A wide selection of fish on display at Pike Place Fish, in the Main Arcade
seasonal fruit, vegetables,
herbs, and flowers grown The Wet Row, with access to It is, however, certainly the best
by local farmers. Shoppers running water, was also closest known. Situated beneath the
at these low stalls get to “meet to the exposed arcade entrance market’s landmark clock, this
the producer,” as promised by and thus the damp weather. busy stall always draws a crowd,
the market’s signature green Today, craftspeople sell from thanks to the loud, lively banter
sign. Each morning, the Market the dry tables and farmers and high-spirited antics of its
Master, whose role at the from the wet tables, the run-off fishmongers, who are amazingly
market dates back to 1911, still being channeled along adept at tossing fish over the
does roll call, assigning stalls a trough. High stalls leased by heads of cheering spectators
to farmers and craftspeople commercial greengrocers on a to co-workers behind the shop’s
based on seniority. This often permanent basis are also to be counter. The repartee is as fresh
results in vendors selling their found in the Main Arcade. Both as the seafood, which ranges
wares from a different stall each imported and locally grown from wild king salmon and
day. Originally, the North Arcade produce are on offer here. Dungeness crab to rainbow
consisted of two “rows.” The Dry Pike Place Fish, located in the trout and live clams. Should
Row, along the west wall, had Main Arcade, is not Pike Place tourists care to buy, Pike Place
no access to running water. Market’s only seafood vendor. Fish will ship their seafood home.
To the south of the arcades
The History of Pike Place Market is the Economy Market,
a 1907 structure which was
Hungry for fresh produce and fair prices, Seattleites mobbed Pike incorporated into the market
Place Market when it opened on August 17, 1907, at Pike Street in 1916, and where, among
and 1st Avenue, as an effort by the city council to eliminate “greedy other things, day-old goods
middlemen” and allow farmers to sell directly to the public. Sensing were sold at a discount.
opportunity, local Frank Goodwin used his Klondike gold to build
permanent arcades. At its height in the 1930s, hundreds of farmers
sold their produce at the market. But by World War II, it had fallen on
hard times: Japanese-Americans made up about 80 percent of the
sellers at the wet tables; their internment (see p44) had a disastrous
effect. In the years that followed, the decline continued as suburbs
and super-markets became entrenched in the American way of life.
By the late 1960s,
developers were
lobbying to tear
it down. Rallied
by architect
Victor Steinbrueck,
Seattleites rebelled,
voting in 1971 to
make the market a
historic district. Today,
over 80 farmers from
across the state sell
at the market and
its four neighbor-
Local farmers selling their produce at Pike Place Market, hood markets in
May 1912 downtown Seattle. One of many stands displaying artwork
at the market
For hotels and restaurants see p288 and pp298–300

US_PNW_138-139_Catalog1.indd 138 04/07/16 12:34 pm