The Best Seattle Gift Shops for In-Person Shopping
Image: Carlton Canary
Let’s address the white elephant in the room: When it comes to holiday gifting, the internet has it all. But if Pike Place seafood could be ordered only from a website, we’d never see a salmon fly. And if we only ever bought presents online—even if we shopped all our favorite entrepreneurs’ e-commerce storefronts—we’d miss opportunities to see local businesses at their best.
Seattle shops count on their in-person appeal, like advice on telescopes from
shopkeepers who studied astrophysics or personalized gift ideas from someone Nordstrom trusted to do its buying, to separate themselves from the dot-com behemoths. As Book Larder store manager Mira Courage puts it, local outfits “create an environment where people can come and feel known.”
Not even Saint Nick himself can ship that overnight.
Image: Carlton Canary
Re. Evolución
Rainier Beach
backstory she knows by heart.
Dusty Strings
Fremont
Even the most knowledgeable music-makers could learn from the music-maker-makers at Dusty Strings, responsible for building tens of thousands of harps and dulcimers since the 1970s. The Fremont music shop also offers mainstream gift items, like ukuleles and guitars, and a nonchalantly expert staff. Per their website: “There is no question too silly or insignificant to ask.”
Image: Carlton Canary
Image: Carlton Canary
Noir Lux Candle Bar
Belltown
Candles with names like Booked and Busy or Staycation make great gifts in their own right. But Colina Bruce’s vision for a creative, collaboration-driven business shines brightest through her Belltown candle bar, where groups can Matcha her Energy (a riff on another Noir Lux candle name) by crafting custom pours.
- Walk-ins welcome, but reservations recommended—especially on Saturdays.
- Festive fragrances include praline, cranberry, and
brown sugar fig.
Good Weather Bicycle and Cafe
Capitol Hill
Ride or die for the bicycle fanatic in the family by gifting them a custom-built steed complete with unique powder coat designs—or just swing by this full-service Capitol Hill bike shop for some friendly advice on complementary apparel and accessories worth buying. Mechanics provide expert service when it’s inevitably needed. The cafe has breakfast sandwiches, too.
Image: Carlton Canary
Image: Carlton Canary
Book Larder
Fremont
Lara Hamilton’s cookbook- and community-oriented Fremont shop helps customers narrow shelves full of titles down to that one perfect present—as much a melding of art and science as actual cooking. “Kind of counterintuitively,” says store manager Mira Courage, the first question she asks is “if the person they’re looking for likes cooking.” If the shopper says no, they have books for that, too.
- Thirty to 40 new cookbooks come out every week in the fall.
- Frequent book signings = lots of thoughtful, personalized gifts.
- This year in particular brings baking books by the dozen.
Valerie Madison Fine Jewelry
Madrona
The permanent jewelry trend has impressive staying power. Join the movement as far from a mall kiosk as possible with simple, solid gold Eternity Bracelets from this modern Madrona jeweler. A great experience gift for close duos, 20-minute appointment slots accommodate two.
Image: Carlton Canary
Image: Carlton Canary
Cloud Break Optics
Ballard
The telescope he received for Christmas as a teen launched Matt Dahl’s passion for astronomy well beyond the stratosphere. He and cofounder Stephanie Anderson bring decades of experience to their unique brick-and-mortar telescope shop, guiding gifters toward beginner-friendly options that, Dahl says, encourage stargazers “to go out and use it over and over and over again.”
- Beginner scopes should be simple but impressive, like the StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ, $470.
- Thumbnail images online obscure the massive scale of some setups.
Root Plants
Ballard
Some believe that houseplants have the power to boost moods and improve energy levels. Most believe the same of really great espresso. Snag the former for a loved one and the latter for yourself at this chic coffee bar combo in Ballard. (Host-gift bonus: the shop also sells natural wine.)
