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Photo: Sunnyseattle, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A small tile-and-glass mosaic of a rat in a devotional pose, labeled with its namesake caption. It was illicitly installed on the side of a utility gatehouse in 2024. The city repeatedly tried to remove it, but community members swiftly striped away the paint covering it up amidst a swell of public appreciation for the art, so it was eventually allowed to stay.
Hot Rat Summer, also known as St. Rat, is the unofficial name given to a guerrilla mosaic public artwork installed in Cal Anderson Park in Capitol Hill, Seattle in 2024. It is located within one of the north-facing arcs of the historic Capitol Hill Gatehouse. The mosaic became the subject of local controversy after repeated removals by the city and subsequent grassroots restoration efforts. Widely interpreted as a symbol of queer and trans resilience, the mosaic gained cult status and sparked broader discussions around public art, graffiti policy, and civic engagement; eventually gaining the support of city council members Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Joy Hollingsworth, who participated in a community clean-up event to restore the mosaic.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
A very popular park on sunny days. It includes a signature fountain and pond, a basketball court, tennis and softball fields, and a playground. Great for peoplewatching, and you can often see groups of people doing activities varying from hackeysack to drum circles to freeze tag to bike polo to twirling around with colorful scarves.
A small urban women-only spa with an industrial/basement vibe. Great for a relaxing soak in the tub. Expect to be nude and quiet, and bring your own towels.
All-ages gaming bar with board games and pinball machines. The atmosphere is more like a dive bar: the beer, cider and wine are good, but the food is mediocre, and the TVs are usually playing B-movies (but sometimes have some good campy sci-fi like Doctor Who).
A hidden gem, this small campus chapel was described by architect Stephen Holl as "seven bottles of light in a stone box". It is probably the most notable religious building built in Seattle in the last fifty years.