There is something intangibly authentic about these cold, sloping streets—something LA lacks. Real life for ordinary people. A cup of coffee in the morning at a bakery on 1st Ave, then a free bus ride through Downtown, and you're at work.

University District.

A neighborhood where the famous University of Washington is located; the buildings are quite old and very beautiful. And students are everywhere. Students on bikes. Students on buses. Students on rollerblades. Students running. And others. The university campus is located a 30-minute drive from the city. The first thing that catches your eye is a completely different Seattle. During the two days I was in this city, the weather stayed around 13-15 degrees, generally quite cool; people were already dressing for autumn, some even for winter. The student district, however, was distinguished by lightly dressed people, a certain lightness and joy in everything. Seattle is a port city, so, as a rule, seafood dishes are at the top of the menu in all restaurants. When you buy one, you are served a first course (soup), tea, and a choice of several sauces. On average, lunch will cost you $25. Port cities have a kind of unique flavor that you can't confuse with anything else. The seagulls here are so well-fed and brazen that a walk along the waterfront with food might turn into a mugging on their part. However, life in Seattle changes significantly after sunset. Like in a fairy tale. And while in Downtown after 7 PM restaurants and cafes are still full of people, in, say, Uptown (where the famous observation deck is located), you might meet only one or two people along the entire long street, although sometimes it seems it would be better not to meet them at all. And an unpleasant chill creeps down your spine... Seattle is perhaps the "whitest" city in America I have seen (one-story America—small towns—doesn't count).