Friday, June 5, 2009

Best People Watching in Seattle

Due to visiting family and a west coast road trip, I haven't posted in awhile so I have some catching up to do to get current!

Wanna take a load off, grab a snack and do some "real people" watching? Look no further than the Golden Arches corner of 3rd and Pine across from Macy's.

This place is a veritable Cirque de Seattle so be prepared: downtown workers in "Seattle Suits"*, street kids with neon-colored hair and their dogs with neon-colored hair, non-street kids with neon-colored hair, old ladies with neon-colored hair, tourists with loaded shopping bags, locals with flower bouquets in hand coming from Pike Place Market, cross dressers, hipsters, homeless...

Try to get a seat by the window. This corner has major department stores, social service centers and bus stops so there's lots of pedestrian, loiterer, cyclist, bus & cab action/interaction.

People here are friendly. My counter guy was having the time of his life gossiping and joking with his female co-workers in Spanish. He had pink cheeks and lipstick, thick black eyeliner and mascara and he handed me my change with a dramatic flourish and a wink. I turned down a "free" hot fudge sundae being offered me by a homeless man sitting at the adjacent table. Even the dude with the dreads hanging to the floor talking to his imaginary friend was in pleasant conversation. On my way out, the street kid with blue hair asked for a dollar, I searched my pocket and realized I only had a twenty so I said sorry, no. He said that's OK, have a nice day!

Where else can you have all this fun for under $5?


*"Seattle Suit" is a term I coined for what most professionals wear in Seattle in Fall, Winter and early Spring. The outfit consists of slacks (Dockers or something similar in black or grey or jeans), a blouse or sport shirt and a North Face type jacket, preferably in black. Black shoes or boots. This is the same outfit for men and women. Anyone choosing to wear a "real suit" will be looked upon as an uptight freak.

McDonald's (Downtown) on Urbanspoon

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