HotelTonight – International District Seattle Hotels Just for You
Seattle is a city that, no matter where you go, you're somewhere interesting. Every little nook and cranny in this enormous metropolis is worth seeing and experiencing. I know this because I've been coming here for a long time, both for professional and personal reasons. The problem was that, for the most part, I was always very busy and never had any time for myself. I wanted to change all of that so I could get a better feel for what it's like for the people who spend most of their lives there. I have done that recently by extending my work trips by 24 hours so that I have a day to explore one new part of the Emerald City every time I'm there. For my last business trip, I chose to spend a day in the International District. I had always wanted to see it and could not wait to dive into this interesting little community. I wasn't worried about lodging either, as I always travel with my favorite app, which is HotelTonight. I'd be able to book an International District Seattle hotel in seconds as soon as I was ready.
The Culture
This part of Seattle was once known as Chinatown, but eventually it became known as the International District because other Asian cultures took root and began to thrive there. These days, you'll see influences from Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and other places in that part of the world. What's nice is that every one of these cultures is embraced and welcomed. It's almost like its own melting pot, and you see the subtle differences between these influences even though everything seems to fit neatly into this local box. I walked around for a while and took it all in, marveling at how things had developed.
The Grocery Stores
One of the ways that cultures tend to plug themselves into a new land is by way of their food. That's definitely happening here in the International District. As I walked down just one or two streets, I saw little, family-owned markets from just about every country in Asia I could imagine. Once again, it was interesting to see how similar things were in certain respects--such as how each of them presented some of their meat offerings--and yet how some of those subtle differences played themselves out. Not to mention, there was an element of Americana present in every one of them.
The Festivals
On the day I was there, I saw a little gathering of people in a little park. I wasn't sure what it was as I didn't really have time to stop in, but the people there certainly were enjoying themselves. I found a community calendar when I stopped into a little grocery shop for a coffee, and I was amazed at how packed it was. It seems that there are festivals here constantly, and, as is the theme here, everyone is welcome and included.
HotelTonight – International District Seattle Hotels in Seconds
After all of this walking, talking, learning and tasting, I was ready to relax a bit. I opened the HotelTonight app on my phone and searched for International District Seattle hotels. Within seconds, I had found one, reviewed one and booked one. I looked forward to a welcome rest after a memorable day.