Pioneer Square

by Baroque B.

Other than the unsavory characters loitering about, no real decent destinations, weird vibe, and the grim griminess of the area, it's kinda cool with the old brick buildings and brick pavement.

by Lyca F.

I just love it.  It looks old.  Nice book stores.  The wealthy, homeless, students, working class? (I dont like this term. my poor Engrish), anyway, I like the fact things are mixed up here.  A couple of white girls sang "me so horny, me love you long time..." to us when one Asian looking girl was sitting next to a white man and I was sitting next to my white male friend then in a bar.  I wish they could just have two way conversation, it might have been fun.  Well, it is all interesting.

by nari k.

pioneer square has good food for the most part, it's a super convenient place to be/live...you can get drunk, have a coffee, eat food, smoke hookah, dance, buy a kilt, clogs, toys, rent a video and even smoke crack all within a block or two. don't ask me, i for one will not smoke rock in public, but some people feel otherwise.p.s. never leave anything valuable in your car, and yes your window will get smashed for a pack of cigarettes.

by Andrea J.

Not all that pleasant guys and gals. It's full of transients and prostitutes. AND visited by 21 year old girls and 40 year old boys looking to...well you know. Not a good place to eat in sight, besides that Creole restaurant. The 2 star rating is only for the art and underground tour, those have heart.You won't me see me hanging in there, unless somehow I get addicted to meth, hook up with a pimp, and decide to screw anything for $5.

by Kristin N.

At first I wasn't sure what to think, you have some bums in the corner but then regular people walking right by as if nothing. The place has that unique old school look, a place that if you live in a city like Miami is like a fairy tale coming to life. The buildings, the weather that day, the coffee shops on every corner it was wonderful.It's a definite must see!!!

by Dan T.

Being one of the few residents of Pioneer Square (and of those one of the few who actually have a home) I feel that I'm qualified to give out these tips on surviving the armpit of Seattle: 1. Never ever step into a puddle in Pioneer Square.  It may look like water but most likely it's piss or vomit. Actually this last weekend I saw the aftermath of someone who must have been pissing on the sidewalk when he vomited. It wasn't a pretty sight. 2. Do not give the local homeless any money no matter how long they follow you. Their plan is to follow you for blocks to intimidate you to forking over some cash. As long as you don't walk into an alley you're be safe. This brings up to the next tip3. NEVER, EVER EVER go into one of the alleys. Yes it's a shortcut and there's dumpsters. But what you don't realize is that it's a cesspool of crap and urine as the alleys are the public restroom for the locals (with or without homes). And yes my loft overlooks one of the alleys. And no, I haven't seen people having sex behind the dumpster though the moaning does get annoying. 4. Don't even think about letting your meter go a minute over your meter. Everyday the Nazi meter maids roam the sidewalks. If your car meter is about to expire, they will wait by your car. At exactly 01 seconds after expiration your car windshield will come with a decoration called a citation. 5. Lastly, if someone tells you they live in Pioneer Square don't friend them. They probably are a douche (me), have strippers/escorts visit them during the day (my neighbor to the right), wanna be hipster (my other neighbor to the left) or homeless and live in the shelters in the area (all my other neighbors).

by Andrew C.

I'm a tourist! and I loves it!You really have to take the underground tour to truly appreciate it's goodness, because it truly comes with an understanding of the sqaure's history. I also found it too cute! Very San Francisco of Seattle, as well. While we were waiting around the pavillion, this transient started yelling "where's my shit?!" to a guy sitting on a bench. Of course, a ladycop was standing right behind the transient, and after two good screams, she takes that transient down. What's amusing is the time and delicacy this ladycop too to put on her leather gloves, so as not to make skin-to-skin contact as she forced the screaming hobo to the ground... and I did feel bad for the guy, but he totally wasn't cooperating. Lots of Seahawk fans around, which is cool, I guess. They weren't as obnoxious as Raider fans, which I appreciated. It was also kind of neat to know that a number of the locals were in the stadium and the streets were all MINE! :)I also had some GREAT Thai food in the basement of the building above. And it was right before the underground tour where I learned that the restaurant was actually once the street level of the building above. So NEAT!Oh, and lots of great photo ops!

by Marcelle H.

First to review Pioneer Square? Can it be? So, there's a lot to be said about this part of Seattle. This is the old core of the city, where skid row was birthed and some of the oldest buildings can be found. The architecture is fabulous - lots of red brick and terra cotta. Be sure to check out the Pioneer Building on 1st and James - gorgeous.There's a ton of good bars down here where you can hear great music. Back in the day I saw Mudhoney and Tad down on 1st street. But with the bars come the drunks, and Seattle has more than it's share of drunks. You can't walk half a block without stumbling over a passed out guy, or getting panhandled. You'll also find good shopping here, as well as great art galleries, antiques and restaurants. Don't scoff at the Underground Tour. In the 13 years I lived in Seattle I  went twice, and loved it.One thing I don't understand is why the place virtually shuts down on Sundays. I was there at 3pm last week and it was like a ghost town. This is how it's always been, but Saturdays the place is crawling with tourists. This time I returned as one of them, and like them took one look at the closed up shops and left for other parts. Hmmm...Oh yeah. Be sure to check out Smith Tower.

by Ian S.

Pioneer square.If you can go anywhere without having to step over, around, or be accosted by some crazy person, you have special skills or are hopping from rooftop to rooftop.I don't go here at all unless I have jury duty, I'm meeting someone who has taste that is questionable, or I've been abducted and am trying to free myself from my bonds in a trunk using the wheel jack.Sloppy lame bars, generally bad food, and people who haven't figured out there are better places to spend their time.  It's kind of like Myspace of Seattle in that I don't have to go there and they'll be just fine without me.