Belltown is closest to Pike Place Market and downtown, but it has problems with noise from clubs and bars, gang fights, etc.

Capitol Hill and Lower Queen Anne are long-established neighborhoods a mile or so from downtown. I prefer walking to downtown from Capitol Hill than from Queen Anne, which is on a path that goes through Belltown.

HTtY

Downtown
Belltown
Capitol Hill
Queen Anne

(in geographic order of convenience to downtown)

If you post addresses of places you're considering, we can help you more specifically.

suze, in seattle

The light rail goes only to downtown and, if you are up to it, the end of the line is within walking distance of Belltown (six blocks plus?). Capitol Hill and Queen Anne will require that you use our excellent bus system.

Capitol Hill and Queen Anne will require that you use our excellent bus system.

Living on Capitol Hill, I walk downtown. I sometimes take the bus back because I live on the very top of the hill. However, much of lower Capitol Hill is within a mile of the retail core and an easy walk whether going down or up the hill.

When I lived on Lower Queen Anne for ten years, I always walked to and from downtown.

I am much happier with the bus service we have on Capitol Hill to the bus service we had when we lived on Queen Anne.

HTtY

while I also walk to and from Capitol Hill on occasion, I'm assuming these folks will be arriving with luggage. So will need to etiher take Metro or a taxi from Westlake Station up the hill.

"Capitol Hill" covers a lot of ground. I wouldn't want to walk to downtown from the Volunteer Park area.

I live a couple blocks from Volunteer Park, and that is where I start my walks to downtown. It is a 2-mile, downhill walk to the retail core and an additional 1/2 mile to Pike Place Market.

Walking is good exercise, and there are several interesting paths one can follow from the park to downtown.

As I walk, I sometimes notice young people on treadmills in the windows of health clubs. If I take the bus, I am sometimes bewildered that community college students are sitting beneath signs stating the seats are reserved for the elderly and infirm.



HTtY

HTTY, hey I also live by Volunteer Park, we must be neighbors!

I'm all for walking, just stayin' when I am traveling, have a suitcase & carry-on coming in from the airport, I really don't want to walk 2 miles uphill!

Just a quick glance at the VRBO listings for Seattle shows that there are quite a few condos in the Pike market area that have views and/or balconies. Not sure what size or price point you want, but for example this one would be pretty decent from what I can see. Obviously the usual VRBO caveats apply.

http://www.vrbo.com/442058

The market/downtown area seems to be covered in the "Pike Pine" zone, although that actually means a slightly different area to locals.

suze, Hi neighbor! HTtY

I'd recommend Capitol Hill. Great restaurants, bars and shops. Some very good apartments to rent for a couple of days as well.

more tips here: http://goglobe.se/destinations/seattle.html

Sometime after April 24 2013 take a walk through King Street station even if you are not taking a train. http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/kingstreet.htm
It's starting to look better than when it opened in May 1906.