You’ve read about why the Fremont area is so appealing to startups and established tech companies, including the neighborhood’s eclectic public art. Now, here’s a roundup of Fremont business and civic leaders and tech employees on their enthusiastic and personal takes on why Fremont is a premier destination in Seattle for working, living, and playing.
There’s not a lot of neighborhoods that have such a strong tech corridor, and yet, you could walk out of your office, and you have choices of where you’re going to get your tattoo that afternoon.
Pete Hanning
Q: Fremont’s known for tech companies with intense work schedules. What are some of the things you like to do in Fremont to relax and have fun, to blow off a little steam and enjoy yourself?
“Milstead has great coffee, an awesome staff, and a calm, pleasant environment. A short walk, but Sea Wolf Bakers has delicious bread and pastries alongside a sunny patio. Next door, Old Salt Fish & Bagels make amazing bagels and sandwiches. Fremont Brewing has a giant outdoor space for all—well, most—seasons and great beer (if you like dark beer, Dark Star is excellent). El Camino has tasty Mexican food and margaritas, and a nice south-facing deck where groups can gather.” – Dave Simpson, user experience and graphic design lead at PATH
(Milstead & Co. coffee; Sea Wolf Bakers; Old Salt Fish & Bagels; Fremont Brewing; and El Camino restaurant)
“I love the new barbeque at Outsider BBQ! Those folks are so happy to be here. I also love to take friends to Fremont Social to taste Fremont Mischief beverages! Fremont is FUN!” – Suzie Burke, president of the Fremont Dock Company and board member of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce
(Outsider BBQ; Fremont Mischief)
“There’s something special happening on this side of Stone Way. We have the climbing gym The Bouldering Project, Snow Peak–the Japanese lifestyle store, Cripple Creek Bike and Backcountry, and all these runners! We are a hub for fitness and the outdoors!
Also, I love Stone Way Café on a sunny Saturday. It’s nothing but rock climbers and all the fittest people hanging out there.” – Mike Peck, VP of Creative at Brooks Running
(The Bouldering Project; Snow Peak; Cripple Creek Bike and Backcountry; Stone Way Café)
Q: What would you say are the Fremont’s neighborhood’s most notable vibes or characteristics?
“Funky (or quirky): A 50-foot-tall rocket decorating a building, a troll sculpture under a bridge, the Solstice parade. There’s something unexpected around every corner. Artistic: More public art than anywhere in the city and groups like the Fremont Arts Council connect the neighborhood through creativity. Community: The Sunday market, Solstice parade, and various other street festivals. Fremont puts an emphasis on getting people together.” – Dave Simpson
“The Fremont Chamber has been a great way to build genuine connections and partnerships with other local businesses. It’s where collaboration and creativity meet.” – Alan Alabastro, Alabastro Photography
“I always start with FUN – then friendly, funky, and feisty!” – Suzie Burke
Q: In your opinion, what’s something about Fremont that you find especially notable or unusual that sets it apart from other areas of Seattle?
· “This neighborhood doesn’t just shut down at 5pm… there [are] plenty of activities and cultural events happening all the time here on the weekends and in the evenings, so it really has some lively kind of energy to it.” – Pete Hanning, Executive Director of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and former co-owner Fremont’s beloved Red Door pub
“My workspace is literally two steps off the Burke-Gilman trail along the ship canal. Of course, I’ve been stopped when the Fremont Bridge is open—but I didn’t appreciate the volume of water traffic until working here. Rowers, paddle boarders, barges, research ships, floating hot tubs, even the occasional super yacht pass through my peripheral vision while I’m at my desk. It’s startling sometimes, but mostly it’s delightful!” – Dave Simpson
“You can’t do quirkier than Charlie’s Queer Books. [I] love their t-shirt: “Best Bookstore Bathroom in Seattle” (per the Seattle Times)! Love their quiet reading group that my grandson Sequoia told me about! And it’s in one of the turn-of-the-century millman’s houses along 36th [Street], which had been raised up to match the raised street to access the new Fremont Bridge (in 1917). Fun!” – Suzie Burke
Q: What’s your favorite public artwork in Fremont, and why?
“With so many incredible artworks in Fremont, one of my favorites is the Fremont Rocket. It’s such an iconic landmark and perfectly in line with Fremont’s ‘center-of-the-universe’ spirit. It embodies the neighborhood’s motto, De Libertas Quirkas—’The Right to be Peculiar’—and celebrates the creativity and eccentricity that make Fremont so funky and fabulous.” – Brandi Gaines, president of the Fremont Creative Arts District and former president of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce
Q: What’s something about Fremont that you think is unique or out of the ordinary that you appreciate?
“You can’t beat this location at all. We can watch the sea planes taking off. The Seattle Rowing Club is always out there [on the water], too. The access to the Burke-Gilman trail and outdoor recreation is unparalleled. The area is just beautiful—it’s not at all like a typical urban environment.” – Bryan Roth, CEO of Geocaching HQ
“I’ve been in Seattle a long time. Despite the radical change in Seattle over the years, Fremont has, somehow, managed to mostly retain the unique character that I encountered when I arrived here in the late 1980s.” – Dave Simpson
“[Fremont] is a place where quirky thrives and creativity breathes. Learning about what a massive feat the Fremont Troll was and all the details that went into creating such an incredible sculpture, you can’t help but be inspired to create big things yourself (metaphorically, or literally–if you can do things like that!). The ominous size of one of the largest bronze statues–Lenin—makes you think a bit beyond the controversy and see the art of it. Wave to the dinosaurs on your bike commute into the office and feel like a kid again. See the history in the tiles along the B.F. Day school and think about the kids painting them 60+ years ago, while walking to Fremont Library, a gift from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. In every direction of Fremont, from the canal to upper Fremont and beyond, is inspiration, creativity, and innovation.” – Brandi Gaines
Q: What’s up and coming in Fremont that you’re looking forward to?
“The huge growth along Stone Way has been really great to see. And when you come down on a Friday night, there’s a couple of thousand people walking around.” – Pete Hanning
“I’m looking forward to The Picklr opening–the first AI-connected pickleball [courts that provide] feedback for the players. Tech happens in Fremont naturally!” – Suzie Burke
Q: In conclusion, what makes Fremont such a compelling place for tech companies to call home?
Fremont has always had the spirit of innovation beginning early on with the timber industry, maritime, the interurban streetcar, the busiest bascule bridge, an iron foundry that gave us “Waiting for the Interurban”, and currently with top innovators like Brooks, Salesforce, Adobe, Nvidia, Path, Google, and Allen Institute. But it is the small businesses, culture, art, the neighborhood, and people that make Fremont such an appealing place for large companies to set roots here. – Brandi Gaines
· “We just have something that is different from other communities. There is an authenticity to us that I think certain neighborhoods strive for, but it doesn’t always come through. There’s not a lot of neighborhoods that have such a strong tech corridor, and yet, you could walk out your office, and you have choices of where you’re going to get your tattoo that afternoon.” – Pete Hanning (on the GeekWire Podcast, live recording at Fremont Brewing)
