City: Seattle, WA

Category: Shopping

Telephone: (206) 624-6600

Address: 1521 10th Ave. (Central)

Description: A Seattle tradition, Elliott Bay consistently makes the lists of top bookstores around the country. For book lovers, the relocation of Elliott Bay Book Company from its longtime Pioneer Square location to Capitol Hill was traumatic. The family-owned store was founded in 1973 in the historic Globe Building, where it occupied two floors and, over the years, expanded to fill dozens of little nooks and crannies throughout the old building. However, after 36 years the owners made the difficult decision to relocate, in order to expand and afford better parking and access. The new location is another historic building, circa 1918, full of high wood ceilings, beams, and skylights. This is the sort of space where people feel at home and browse for hours. Elliott Bay is a true independent bookstore that fosters the literary community, with reading groups, author speaking series, book reviews, and other events.