Ballard
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
49 reviews
Excellent
22
Very good
24
Average
3
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omatraveldog
Omaha, NE267 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
This is a great little part of town to hang out in, there are all kinds of shops and restaurants to look at. Very walkable and interesting. If you’re in Seattle, you should make the trip. Only about 1 mile from the locks, you could make both in one day easily.
Written May 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gretchen S
Seattle, WA227 contributions
Sep 2017 • Friends
Ballard is darling just what you are looking for when you visit a new city:
Very walkable. Historic architecture. Locally owned businesses. Tons of restaurants and quirky shops.
Favorites on the main drag Market Street:
Boo Street Records HUGE HUGE vinyl record store. Across the street from another record store Sonic Boom. Both places have knowledgeable people who are really nice.
Secret Garden Books - great book store kids section with beautiful books from picture books to YA as well as trade paper backs, again knowledgeable people who are willing to track down a book or suggest one based on what you like.
PIE BAR. It's a bar that serves pies. Enough said.
Kick It clothing beautiful well priced clothing and bags.
Lots of cool cool places to eat and drink. Hattie's Hat old school bar with a kids menu! Ballard Smoke Shop - have the patty melt. Fancy meals at Stoneburner. Have the fancy pizza or the charcuterie. If you go to Bastille walk past the restrooms to the secret back bar.
You could spend a day shopping at the stores on Ballard Ave. on Sunday there is a big farmer's market that is great for people watching.
At the far end of Market St (through a bunch of construction) is the Ballard Locks -- beautiful big park and you can go under water and watch the salmon.
Very walkable. Historic architecture. Locally owned businesses. Tons of restaurants and quirky shops.
Favorites on the main drag Market Street:
Boo Street Records HUGE HUGE vinyl record store. Across the street from another record store Sonic Boom. Both places have knowledgeable people who are really nice.
Secret Garden Books - great book store kids section with beautiful books from picture books to YA as well as trade paper backs, again knowledgeable people who are willing to track down a book or suggest one based on what you like.
PIE BAR. It's a bar that serves pies. Enough said.
Kick It clothing beautiful well priced clothing and bags.
Lots of cool cool places to eat and drink. Hattie's Hat old school bar with a kids menu! Ballard Smoke Shop - have the patty melt. Fancy meals at Stoneburner. Have the fancy pizza or the charcuterie. If you go to Bastille walk past the restrooms to the secret back bar.
You could spend a day shopping at the stores on Ballard Ave. on Sunday there is a big farmer's market that is great for people watching.
At the far end of Market St (through a bunch of construction) is the Ballard Locks -- beautiful big park and you can go under water and watch the salmon.
Written September 27, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RhythmE
Ventura, CA36 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
Our fisrt time in Seattle was a pleasure and showed it to be a great visiting/walking destination city. In the main downtown area of Seattle, we enjoyed walking the streets in the Capitol Hill area - funky mix of restaurants, coffee shops (tone of these!) and hip shops, with an vibe of LGBTQ gentrification on most streets.
Across the canal in North Seattle, there are at least 2 shopping/walking districts of note: Fremont, where we stayed and enjoyed walking, and Ballard area. These two are just a short 10 min Uber ride from each other. We particularly liked the shops, tree-lined street and restaurants in Ballard. The 6 diagonal blocks or so of Ballard Ave leading to the intersection with Market St,, and Market itself, area wonderful day-long saunter-&-shop, with great eateries for both lunch & dinner, and ridiculously good ice-cream & molten-chocolate cakes at Hot Cakes on Ballard. I think any couple or family would enjoy spending a day in Ballard - we'll definitely return!
Across the canal in North Seattle, there are at least 2 shopping/walking districts of note: Fremont, where we stayed and enjoyed walking, and Ballard area. These two are just a short 10 min Uber ride from each other. We particularly liked the shops, tree-lined street and restaurants in Ballard. The 6 diagonal blocks or so of Ballard Ave leading to the intersection with Market St,, and Market itself, area wonderful day-long saunter-&-shop, with great eateries for both lunch & dinner, and ridiculously good ice-cream & molten-chocolate cakes at Hot Cakes on Ballard. I think any couple or family would enjoy spending a day in Ballard - we'll definitely return!
Written September 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DancingBearMD
DC Area133 contributions
Apr 2017 • Family
I'm just an out-of-town visitor so I don't know much about Ballard as a whole neighborhood, but am posting specifically about the strip of bars, restaurants and stores along Ballard Ave NW. It was a fun and funky area to walk around in, with antique and consignment stores, lots of bars and restaurants, boutiques and specialty shops. I enjoyed reading the numerous plaques memorializing the area's history of hardware stores, warehouses, bars and bawdy houses.
Written April 27, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Old Pro
Seattle, WA2,457 contributions
Dec 2020
Another victim of overpopulation. This little Burg used to be quite and cute. It had nice little shops and a few decent little restaurants and really friendly people. It used to be for dominantly residents of Norwegian descent. And the Norwegian influence really showed. These days the only influences from Starbucks. The place is just gone to hell and is a nightmare to drive in. All the quaint little shops are gone and have been taken over by high-ranked Condominiums and corporate boutique stores. Just lame
Written January 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ERFSU82
Wellington, FL2,004 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
A friend recommended we visit the Ballard neighborhood during our trip to Seattle, so we took a $25 Uber ride to get there (and $25 back to downtown). The Ballard Locks were closed the day we visited (Wednesday), so we strolled along Ballard Avenue, which is a quaint and quiet tree-lined street with some eclectic shops and cafes. We stopped for lunch at The Other Coast Cafe, which was delicious. We finished off our Ballard visit with a snack at Cupcake Royale. Although we enjoyed our time in Ballard, we didn’t feel it was worth making a special trip out of our way to visit. However, it’s a nice spot if you’re looking for a break from the crowds and noise downtown.
Written September 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jill G
Orondo, WA34 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
Ballard has changed a lot in the 50+ years I've lived in the PNW. Yes, there are plenty of new apartment building everywhere.People lament the old things that are no longer there, but I can tell you there is so much life in Ballard. It still holds a certain charm with a myriad of small businesses that line the streets of it's downtown core. Parking can be a challenge, but do yourself a favor and just pay to park in one of the many lots available and hit the pavement. The streets are buzzing with people, young and old, there is plenty to see and do. Restaurants, bakeries and bars that range from upscale to old-school dives. . Shoe stores, Clothing stores, Furniture, Boutique hotels, and the Ballard Locks. Cynical people might call Ballard a hipster haven. Since Ballard is just N of downtown Seattle a lot of young people and young families live here. Highlights from our short trip: Went for an early dinner, first popped into Kings Tavern for a drink, then decided on La Carta de Oaxaca for Mexican food, after we went to Hot Cakes for dessert to-go. Then we just wandered around popping into places that caught our eye. To me it's so great to see such a thriving vibrant place. Don't miss Cafe Besalu for the best pastry in the city. Go to the locks with your kids. Golden Gardens park is just down the road. Go and discover your favorite place.
Written January 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert S
Lawrence, KS2,660 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
Ballard began as a hard scrabble maritime community. It attracted a lot of Scandinavian immigrants. The neighborhood is proud of its blue collar heritage. Two attractions that underscore this heritage are the Nordic Museum and the Ballard Locks.
Ballard is a very vibrant neighborhood, with lots of restaurants and clubs and it stays busy late into the night.
Don't miss it!
Ballard is a very vibrant neighborhood, with lots of restaurants and clubs and it stays busy late into the night.
Don't miss it!
Written January 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad H
Royse City, TX222 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
The BALLARD area of Seattle is a mix of upbeat funk, laid back, atmosphere with a vibe like no other in Seattle. I love this place. Lots of eclectic restaurants, A nice selection of coffee shops that out number Starbucks, finally. Bakery's, Cool consignment shops, a theater and a couple of cool music/record stores. A climbing gym, the locks. Everyone seems to be friendly. Lots of dogs out walking the owners. Traffic is not too bad. check out the QFC on 24th for your grocery needs. It is near the Freemont district is which is even more eclectic in spirit.
Written August 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TomWall60
Rockville, MD597 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
Always a bit "funky". The neighborhood extends further than the main cross streets. Walk around and see many of the Craftsman style homes. In the nice weather many homes have lovely flower gardens. Get a feel for one of the interesting Seattle neighborhoods.
Written January 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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