When you are in Seattle, one of the must-see sightseeing options is the Pike Place Market that is located in the heart of the city. There are a number of walking tours available in the city that takes you to this community market place for farmers.

Built in the year 1917, it is considered to be the oldest in the United States with a large number of shops and stalls selling farm fresh products, grocery items, specialty food, art and crafts, books, clothing and various gift items. The locality has over 60 restaurants.

The key attraction of this market is the Rachel, which is a bronze piggy bank. The idea of having Rachel is to collect donations from tourists to host various community services. It is also a beautiful structure where you can pose for photo sessions with your family and friends. The other important place in the area is the Pike Place Fish Market that has a large collection of fishes for sale.

The place gets crowded during weekends. You can visit the market any time of the day, but it is most active around mid-day. You should try to reach there early and get back before dusk - that when the market closes for the day, along with the restaurants and other attractions.

If you go by walk, you should take the First Street and you will find the crossing of the Pike marketplace. You can also take the waterfront route. It will not take you more than 2-3 hours to completely view the market, even if you shop, eat and walk.

Are you looking out for a nice Seattle WA travel option? If yes, then there is no better place to visit except the pike place market in Seattle. Let us check out the history of pike place market first.

What is the history of pike place market?

This market was established in the year 1907 for all those fisherman and farmers who wanted to sell their products directly to the consumers. This market is spread in an area of about nine acres. In the year 2007, this market celebrated its 100th anniversary.

http://www.seattletravel.com/pikesplacemarket.html

What are the special features of the restaurants in pike place market?

The main feature is that one can enjoy lots of dishes that are made of fish here. All the restaurants present in the pike place market area are well known for both their food and wine. For seafood lovers, the restaurants at pike place market are a real heaven.

How to find the best restaurant in pike place market?

Internet can be a good source of information if one wants to visit any restaurant of the pike place market. Another important source of information regarding the restaurants of pike place market can be word of mouth as tourists can ask the local people for references.

http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/Seattle-restaurants-Washington-United+States:59-nh-Pike+Place+Market

As any Seattle travel guide will be able to tell you - the downtown area of Seattle is one of the most happening to places to be at. There are a lot of places in the area that are famous all over the state and the country.

One of these places is the Pike Place market. Situated in the downtown area, this is a very famous place where every traveler should go to at least once when they come to Seattle. It is a collection of great places to eat and to shop.

http://travela.priceline.com/hotel/POI-Pike_Place_Market_Seattle_Washington_United_States-83700606.html

http://www.expedia.ca/PikePlaceMarket-Hotels.0-l502709-0.Travel-Guide-Filter-Hotels

The hotels near the Pike Place are all great places to stay at when you come to Seattle. They not only offer great service but they also have the price range to suit almost any traveler who is looking for a hotel in Seattle. Starting from the luxury to the economic, you will find the right hotel for you and your family quite easily.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocalMaps-g60878-d103584-Pike_Place_Market-Area.html

http://www.hotels-rates.com/hotels/locations/Seattle/WA/usa/288/

Here some of the standard features that you can expect from these hotels:

- Great Room service - This is common across almost all hotels and some hotels have it available 24×7.

- Comfortable beds - These hotels make it their business to make their guests as comfortable as possible.

- In-room facilities - These range from the minimum hair dryer and coffee maker to mini-refrigerators and microwaves.

- Swimming pool - Most hotels have a swimming pool but the size and facilities vary.

- Business facilities - Most economic hotels will have minimal or no business facilities but many have convention centers and meeting places. Business centers and in-room workstations are found in midrange hotels and above.

- Complimentary services - Many hotels offer complimentary breakfast. Some offer morning coffee and newspaper. Some also offer complimentary high-speed Internet access.

Online lists of hotels near Pike Place Market:

http://www.expedia.ca/PikePlaceMarket-Hotels.0-l502709-0.Travel-Guide-Filter-Hotels

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-191502031-nhood-pike+place+market-seattle_hotels-i

http://www.seattle.com/hotels/