Skip to content

@seattlewalkreport Is the City’s Best Instagram Account

An anonymous Seattle artist tells the story of our city at ground level

By Gwendolyn Elliott July 2, 2018

1_8

This article originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the July 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.

Her followers know her as “Seattle Walk Report” (@seattlewalkreport), the name of the Instagram account this anonymous artist started last year to log her discoveries on long walks through neighborhoods in the city.

Averaging about two “reports” a week, the self-taught illustrator files hand-drawn accounts of her encounters on these urban treks—from the number of littered Starbucks cups, cute dogs and little free libraries she sees to the keenest of details, say, a squirrel eating a Kinder Surprise egg (spotted in the Central District), or notable umbrella motifs (garlic and blueberries, spied somewhere on a route between Belltown and West Seattle).

Meanwhile, she’s compiled a charming composite portrait of the city in the midst of a sea change. “I thought I had an idea of Seattle,” says the lifelong Seattleite. “But once I started walking everywhere, that totally changed that for me.”

#notawalkreport

A post shared by Seattle Walk Report (@seattlewalkreport) on

My 100th post!

A post shared by Seattle Walk Report (@seattlewalkreport) on

Follow Us

Barnes & Noble Is Coming Back to Downtown Seattle

Barnes & Noble Is Coming Back to Downtown Seattle

The bookseller will open a new flagship at 520 Pike, marking the largest retail lease in downtown Seattle since 2020.

Barnes & Noble is returning to downtown Seattle for the first time since early 2020. The national bookseller has signed a 10-year lease for a new flagship at 520 Pike Street, a 29-story tower, taking over 17,538 square feet on the corner of Pike and 6th Avenue. The store is expected to open in the…

Le Petit Chef Makes a Big Splash in Seattle 

Le Petit Chef Makes a Big Splash in Seattle 

The immersive, whimsical dining experience debuts at the Kimpton Palladian Hotel.

At a recent dinner, I sat across from a friend, smiling as a tiny orange-and-black butterfly landed on my empty plate. Just inches away, a small figure in chef whites and red boots strolled out of a greenhouse with a rake perched over his shoulder. He then proceeded to work a patch of dirt, plant…

A Citywide Toast to Sockeye

A Citywide Toast to Sockeye

40 Seattle-area restaurants are teaming up for the fourth annual Bristol Bay Salmon Week.

Seattle’s fishing culture is something to be proud of. Drive over the Ballard Bridge on any given day and you’ll see the fleet docked below. The weathered, working boats stacked with gear, waiting for their next trip north, are striking, aren’t they? It’s hard, dangerous work, and there’s something so compelling and fierce about the…

Restaurant Roundup: Halal Bagels and Mario Party

Restaurant Roundup: Halal Bagels and Mario Party

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

OK, we’ll say it—we love Seattle Restaurant Week, but it also gives us a little bit of anxiety and a lot of FOMO. There are just so many choices. Hundreds of restaurants, food carts, cafes, and bars can be a tad overwhelming, but 10? That’s a much more manageable number. Thankfully, Secret Seattle put together…