2009 Not For Tourists Guide: Seattle Edition

Title: Not For Tourists 2009: Seattle
Author: Various (but all of 'em are local)
Publisher: Not For Tourists
Released: October 22, 2008

Usually, people buy guidebooks when they're going on vacation. But I tell you what: when I get done with this particular guidebook review, this little gem is going to live in my glovebox for the maps alone. I'm a relative Seattle newb, and though I've got a handle on a handful of neighborhoods in the city, I find myself getting lost enough to pull over and look at a map at least once every couple weeks. But no more will I be forced to wrestle with another huge city map!

See, the NFT guide works like this: open up to the neighborhood you're in (the neighborhood names are written at the top of the page in big letters for easy search-ability). On the left, there's a detailed street map complete with tiny little icons that indicate the existence of things like, say, banks. On the opposite page, a comprehensive key lists the names of the specific establishments and their respective addresses. Truly a brilliant idea. And they've got everything from farmers' markets to gas stations. Best of all, you won't find yourself stranded if you venture outside the city limits, because the book includes the San Juans, Vashon and the East Side.

I also like the brief restaurant and bar reviews in the very back of the book. There are duplicate entries for restaurants that have bars, which I appreciate. Some places are bar first, restaurant second, and it's nice to see a guidebook acknowledge these two separate spheres when assessing a establishment's quality. It's not 100% comprehensive, but it's pretty damn close. Even if you've been living in Seattle for ten years, you could probably find an as-yet-undiscovered local treasure with this book.