Residents of the Fremont neighborhood love their quirky part of town. Just north of Downtown, the bohemian flavor of Fremont is clear from the eclectic stores, vegetarian cafés and street artists you can find here. The main drags in this part of Seattle are Fremont Avenue and Aurora Avenue North. The Fremont Bridge connects this neighborhood to the Queen Anne Hill. The home of Red Hook and historic buildings like the old one that housed the now closed Red Hook Brewery, in Fremont, are never far.
Bookstores and coffeehouses invite you to spend an afternoon at a relaxed pace enjoying the area. These sorts of places were havens for the counterculture misfits who would take refuge in its dark and smoky places. Similar to the fate of most hip places, Fremont has become somewhat more gentrified over the years. Events like the Fremont Street Fair are lively expressions of the vibrant sprit of Fremont, which still lives on. Then there's the Summer Solstice Parade, which kicks off the Fremont Street Fair in a colorful fashion. The Fremont Street Fair, along with Troll-a-Ween is one of the annual events sponsored by the Fremont Art Council.
A landmark of Fremont is the statue of Lenin. This piece of art was rescued from Slovakia after it fell in 1989, ending its communist regime. Another new but memorable addition to the neighborhood is the Fremont Troll. It was been under the northern end of the Aurora Bridge. This 18 foot tall whimsical sculpture has been in this spot since 1990, and crushes an actual Volkswagen Beetle in his left hand.
Despite gentrification and rising real estate prices, many longtime residents stick around and have referred to their fine neighborhood as "The Center of the Universe" since the late 1990s. They don't care whether you call them Fremonters or Fremonsters, the folk that live here will smile either way. Get to know them at the happening El Camino Restaurant. This Fremont restaurant is seemingly always full, so this is a great place to meet a few locals and enjoy tasty Mexican food.
If you're a fan of Red Hook beer you might be interested to know that the original Red Hook Brewery was right here in Fremont until it closed in 1998. Even though production had stopped, the Red Hook brewery continued to serve fine ales until 2002. Hale's Ales brewery is still around, so you can pop in there for a fresh beer instead. Just don't ask for a Red Hook.
After you've worked up an appetite, try some delicious fresh Thai food at Kwanjai Thai. Locals swear by the low prices and authentic flavors of this popular Fremont restaurant. Take some time to wander into the shops and bookstores. Spend an evening in a Fremont restaurant. You will love the unique flavor that you can only find in the Seattle neighborhood of Fremont.
