A visitor's guide to Seattle

Wondering where to stay in Seattle? Try the Queen Anne section, which evokes old-school, bohemian Harvard Square minus the traffic. There are great restaurants such as Phuket and Racha (both serving Thai cuisine), the Melting Pot (cheese fondue), the Mercury (a fancy spot with lamb, steak and halibut), Pagliacci Pizza (a student hangout and you can’t beat their salads), and the diner-like Mecca and ever-funky Dick’s, both specializing in burgers. Culturally, the Uptown Moviehouse features the latest art films. And you’ll find terrific used-record stores such as Easy Street Records and Underdawg Records, both trumpeting the recent comeback of vinyl. The minimally named Used Books is a great bookstore. The club scene is well-represented with Peso’s (a wild ‘n’ crazy room late at night), Floyd’s Place (with 27 beers on tap), and Chopstix, a dueling piano bar. There’s also the 24-hour Metropolitan supermarket and 24-hour Bartell drugstore. This neighborhood caters to every need. And recommended lodging is at the MarQueen Hotel, a historic but inexpensive place with kitchens in the units.
Posted By Steve Morse, Globe Correspondent