Readers' Choice 2026
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Best Bookstore: Beguiled Books
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2026 issue of Seattle magazine.
This Pioneer Square darling is easy to spot: pink doors and candy-striped details mark its home near Occidental Square. Beguiled Books started in 2024 as a mobile bookstore, making its way from table to tent to trailer, and finally to its current brick-and-mortar space. Labelling itself as “Seattle’s Original Romance Bookstore,” Beguiled specializes in just that: tales of love, woe, heartbreak, and obsession. If you’re new to the genre, or just looking for a fresh read, Beguiled offers “Blind Date with a Book,” where customers choose a mystery title wrapped in pink paper with select descriptors and a quote from the text.
Runner Up: The Elliott Bay Book Company
About Readers' Choice 2026
Once a year, we turn the tables and ask our readers about their favorite local spots. The neighborhood café with the best coffee, the restaurant you book for every special occasion, and where you send out-of-town guests for top-tier cocktails. Seattleites have opinions, and they shared them with us. This year, we received more votes than ever before, with some familiar favorites returning and plenty of new names making the list.
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Best Art Gallery: Foster/White Gallery
A pillar in Pioneer Square’s arts ecosystem, Foster/White Gallery opened in 1966 (then called Richard White Gallery) as the first space of its kind in the neighborhood. It soon gained notoriety for showing preeminent Northwest artists such as Morris Graves, William Morris, George Tsutakawa, and Dale Chihuly. In the decades after founding the gallery, its…
Best Museum: Seattle Art Museum
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Studio Sessions: June T. Sanders
Part of the Rituals in Resistance show at Railspur, June T. Sanders reflects on the power of creating art, crafting things with her hands, and the moments that spark creativity.
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Where to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month Across the Pacific Northwest
Explore Indigenous art, food, and cultural events throughout November, with opportunities to support Native artists and businesses.
As we head into the thick of the holiday season, there’s another meaningful observance to keep in mind: Native American Heritage Month. While Indigenous history and culture deserve recognition year-round, November brings opportunities to engage with Native artists, businesses, and cultural traditions. Here are some ways to take part. Explore art galleries and exhibits Stop…