Written by Michael Lis-Sette
A career at Seattle University need not be spent only within the confines of the campus. Located just blocks from the bohemian district of Capitol Hill and the vibrant life of the International District, Seattle University is well situated. It is possible to walk into a local coffee shop and see someone in a $400 business suit sitting near someone in a typically ‘punk’ outfit. While you probably ought to watch yourself in neighborhoods after dark, they are outnumbered by a vibrant shopping and dining scene that caters to people of all styles and culinary tastes.
Centers of Seattle culture are only a short distance away, as a quick walk will let you reach the Downtown corridor and the world famous Pike Place Market, while a bus ride just as brief will take you to the Seattle Center, the pride and joy of Seattle that includes the always fascinating Pacific Science Center, the quirky Experience Music Project, and the iconic Space Needle. If you’re looking for something a bit more informal there are a number of amazing independent coffee shops and bookstores to spend away the afternoon in and parks like Volunteer, Cal Anderson, and Discovery to walk through on a sunny (or not so sunny) day. Annual events like Bumbershoot, Northwest Folklife and SIFF are a great chance to go out and meet fellow appreciators of the arts. And if you want to go meet a friend at the University of Washington or Seattle Pacific University, you need only hop on the nearest bus.
Seattle U itself is something of an island, a quiet oasis set apart from much of the hustle and bustle of the surrounding neighborhood. There are several areas dedicated to landscaping that could be called “mini-parks,” all of which are open to members of the surrounding community (the Green is an especially popular place to take your pooch.) But Seattle U also has strong ties to the surrounding community, with students the frequent patrons of neighboring shops and bars. If you truly wish to have the “SU experience” while at Seattle U, you cannot isolate yourself from both facets of life, but neither will anyone be able to see everything Seattle has to offer.