Welcome to the U District!
Seattle’s University District is a lively destination with great shopping and dining choices. Browse our bookstores and quirky shops. Linger over artfully prepared coffee in a cafe or stroll down the Ave, our Main Street, while sipping a bubble tea. Choose from a diverse array of restaurants serving Korean, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Indian and American cuisine. Take a walk through the beautifully landscaped 600-acre University of Washington campus with views of Mt. Rainier. On Saturdays, shop at a year-round Farmers’ Market offering the freshest local fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and cheeses. In the evening select from live music, comedy, and theatre performances.
The neighborhood is adjacent to the University of Washington (UW), a world-class research institution that includes schools of Medicine, Public Health, Social Work, Public Affairs, Business and Law. UW brings visitors to the University District with its PAC-12 sports teams and cultural institutions including the Henry Art Gallery, the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, the Burke Museum, Meany Center for the Arts and Jones Playhouse. The University District also provides leading edge medical services through the University of Washington Medical Center and UW Physicians clinics.
The U District is a diverse and growing neighborhood with a mix of quirky businesses and new apartment towers. Many of the 43,000 students at the University of Washington shop, dine, and live in the neighborhood. With a new Light Rail station opening in 2021, residents and visitors will have faster access to and from downtown Seattle, Sea Tac airport, and Northgate. Developers have focused on this area as a desirable market and plan to build hundreds of new apartments. The U District has a Walk Score of 91.
Read about the U District Partnership’s annual events here.
Learn about the U District Art Walk here.
Read About Seattle’s University District
Seattle Times article about University Book Store’s 120th Anniversary
University of Washington Alumni Magazine Article “Coming Soon: The New U District”
Seattle Times article with highlights of 2019 U District StreetFair
KEXP article about the U District’s Independent Music Venues
Washington Post article about favorite destinations in the U District
Seattle Magazine Reader’s Choice for Best Thai Food: Thai Tom
Seattle TImes article on best rooftop bars in Seattle
The Stranger article on Arepa Venezuelan Kitchen