1st Pl South, North Hill

A seldom used street between 1st and 2nd avenues just south of the Pioneer Square district, Occidental Ave. South has access to quite a few cultural and outstanding restaurants, shops and art galleries. The street is lined with more trees than exist in most of downtown Seattle, making parts of the avenue a nice place to walk along and check out seldom-visited gems of the city. Occidental Park is a truly beautiful section carved out of the busy city, providing benches and leafy shade trees. However, it's also home to many homeless, and can be a bit scary at times. The art walk south of Main St. features several small galleries that feature contemporary and local artists. The area also provides some really fabulous restaurants for an evening of fine art and fine dining.