A Local’s Guide to the Perfect Day in Capitol Hill, Seattle
The rainbow-painted crosswalks are the first indicate that you’ve arrived in Seattle’s gay neighborhood. The pride flags in the windows of nearly every business and the enormous, visible LGBT population produce it even more evident. Welcome to Capitol Hill!
Capitol Hill might be the most popular area of Seattle for dining and nightlife. The fact that it’s also a lgbtq+ epicenter, with a dozen gay bars, makes the neighborhood that much better.
Beyond the gay nightlife, there are so many things to do in Capitol Hill, including shopping for hidden treasures, attending shows at music and theater venues, and (of course) eating at some of the city’s best restaurants. The large neighborhood on a hill just east of downtown is straightforward to explore by foot, bus, streetcar, or brightness rail.
The Hill is one of the most entertainment gay neighborhoods in the country, and as a Seattle resident, I’m fortunate that I get to spend time here every week. If you acquire one day to encounter the best things to do in Capitol Hill, from nature to dining to nightlife, read on for a suggested itinerary, including some of my favorite insider spots.
Morning
Coffee & o
LGBTQ+ Seattle Guide: Mark Pride & Endorse Community Year-Round
Seattle has a long-standing history of being an LGBTQ+ friendly metropolis, with 2024 marking 50 years of Seattle Pride. With one of the largest LGBTQ+ communities in the state, there’s no shortage of fantastic queer-owned businesses, spaces, and events to experience.
Shop small at local businesses, attend a live performance, examine the vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood, appreciate Seattle’s many emerald spaces, and so much more. There’s something for art and music lovers, outdoorsy folks, and foodies alike, and many of these activities can be enjoyed year-round.
Whether you’re planning a call on for Pride Month in June or just looking for a weekend abscond, there’s so much to see and do in this welcoming city.
LGBTQ+ Seattle Guide
Explore Capitol Hill
If you’re new to Seattle, consider starting your visit in Capitol Hill. This diverse and inclusive neighborhood has extended been an epicenter for the Homosexual community in Seattle, with a number of bars, boutiques, live music venues, public parks, and activities to explore.
For breakfast, grab plant-based specialty donuts from Dough Joy
More recent LGBTQIA+ history is rooted in 1969’s Stonewall uprising which sparked a movement, but what’s known about Seattle’s queer history dates back to the late 1800s when downtown Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood – known also as “TheTenderloin,” “Skid Row,” and “Fairyville” – was more welcoming to the burgeoning gay community than the surrounding area, and it saw establishments catering to them flourish.
Here is a historical timeline of some essential LGBTQIA+ milestones in Seattle, as the march for identical rights continues.
NOTE: In several instances, the historical timeline includes verbiage from cause material reflecting the era and which may imply bias, rather than the more appropriate verbiage which used to today.
Jackie Starr, Hotcha Hinton, an unidentified man, and Tonya Del Raye sitting at a table at the Garden of Allah circa 1950s.
Photo courtesy of University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, SOC7421.
Early 1900s: “Fairyville” Flourishes in Pioneer Square
Gay bars flourish in Pioneer Square despite becoming victims to a police payoff system in which establishments owned by gay people and people of color are forced to pay mon
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