Seattle's Thriving Brewery District Hides In This Charming, Walkable Neighborhood With Trendy Vibes

Washington state is home to almost 250 craft breweries, with over half in the metropolitan hub of Seattle. Though Seattle may be known more as one of the best destinations in America for coffee lovers, the Emerald City is also a bustling hub for large commercial and craft breweries. In fact, iconic industry movers and shakers were born in Seattle, including Redhook, the oldest brewery in the state. The iconic Pike Place Market, known as the "Soul of Seattle," even houses the Microbrewery Museum, owned and curated by the eponymous Pike Brewing Company. In a city that the Seattle Times dubbed one of the "nation's beer-snob capitals," beer lovers cannot overlook Seattle's thriving brewery district that hides in plain sight in the charming, walkable, and incredibly trendy neighborhood of Ballard.

Ballard, a neighborhood located northwest of Lake Union from Seattle Central, is a foody hub and thriving enclave of independently owned boutiques and galleries. Tucked amongst the cool vintage shops and artisanal furniture stores on Market Street, the Ballard Brewery District's tap rooms are a siren's call to those drawn to the Yakima Valley's world-famous hops. In a compact, 1-mile radius, beer enthusiasts will find over a dozen breweries to visit, many of which offer indoor and outdoor seating, dog-friendly digs, restaurant services, food trucks, and non-alcoholic drink options.

Start your Ballard Brewery District beer crawl at Urban Family Brewery on Northwest 52nd Street, a spot that's strategically placed at the center of at least half a dozen other places. With a wide variety of light beers and IPAs (and a robust sour selection too), Urban Family is a dog- and kid-friendly spot, serving non-alcoholic options as well as gluten-free drinks. From here, you can roam however your taste buds like. Across the street, you'll see Obec Brewing and Stoup Brewing. Obec is an excellent choice for those who enjoy an Old World beer on tap — think pilsners, porters, and Belgian ales — while Stoup is an IPA lover's dream. 

From Northwest 52nd Street, you can choose your own adventure heading south to Ballard Way. For a fun atmosphere and creative brews, try Lucky Envelope Brewing on Northwest 50th Street to have a taste of their Dragon Fruit Mango Sour or Zumo West Coast IPA. If you're more of a traditionalist and enjoy New England-style brewing, visit Bale Breaker, just one street away from Lucky Envelope, or head to Lucky Isle, a brewery that definitely puts the "craft" in craft brewing, with its aesthetic PNW tap room and menu of curated beers.

Most breweries, if not all, are easily walkable — sometimes they're only a few hundred feet apart. Street parking is available around the Brewery District; just be sure to pay attention to signage regarding permits, limited parking times, and fees. A number of private garages are also available in the area, where you can pay to park and have a peace of mind on your bar crawl.

Ballard is a family-friendly, yet artsy neighborhood filled with many local businesses where you can find unique souvenirs and little treasures. The walkable area is extremely easy to navigate without a car, which is a plus if you're tackling the Brewery District. Here, you'll find locally owned and operated art studios and pottery shops, vintage stores, wine tasting rooms, and perfumeries all within a few streets of one another. The neighborhood truly feels like a small town within a big city, and even some of the breweries, like Obec, seek to center themselves around community and locality. Ballard also borders the fellow artsy Seattle neighborhood of Fremont, another area known for its unique eateries, shops, and attractions. On a nice summer's day, it's a fun pastime to hop between these neighborhoods and experience true Seattle living.

As an added bonus, beer and cider connoisseurs' fun doesn't have to stop in the Brewery District. For even more options, you can head to Downtown Ballard for a handful of other spots that are off the beaten path. Cider lovers in particular should check out Channel Marker Cider, another dog and kid-friendly spot which prides itself on locally sourced ingredients. If it wasn't already obvious, the Brewery District and surrounding areas in the Ballard neighborhood have something for everyone to enjoy.