It is not the Space Needle or Pike's Place Market. Instead, Fremont is an overlooked neighborhood in Seattle that is popular with the locals but not packed with tourists. Before it was annexed in 1891, Fremont was a separate city, and even today, with its countless alleys and staircases leading to hidden storefronts, it is a world apart.   

A pint or a bite

Fremont is lined with small, unique pubs and eateries, not to mention bakeries, high-end organic grocers and sweet shops that will make you swoon. Be certain to make time - and save an appetite - for Theo's Chocolate Factory (3400 Phinney Ave. North, (206) 632-5100) for samples and an educationally delicious tour; Brouwer's Café (400 N. 35th St., (206) 267-2437) for frites with curry ketchup and a pour from 64 taps; and Revel (403 N. 36th St., (206) 547-2040), which offers a brief Asian-fusion menu, brunch and substantial sake selection.

For those who love history (or just like a fun bar), stopping into the 9 Million in Unmarked Bills bar (3507 Fremont Pl. N., (206) 632-0880) is like a step back to prohibition, with reproductions of ransom notes used as décor. Visitors can delight in pages of whiskey choices and classics like Old Fashioneds, not to mention a full menu of upscale, bar food favorites. Note: Happy hour runs every day from 4 to 7 p.m., and the deals are a steal.

From thrift-er to designer

The saying "one man's junk is another's man treasure" could be the tagline for this neighborhood. The hunt for savings at multiple thrift stores can occupy a patient shopper for hours on end. In particular, Vintage (3419 Fremont Place N., (206) 548-9140), a two-level store featuring clothes, housewares, furniture and even that Snoopy phone you coveted as a child, is worth the drive north alone. Deluxe Junk (3518 Fremont Place N., (206) 634-2733) also boasts nuanced pieces of memorabilia and a vintage clothing rack covering the last six decades.

Bring the camera

Community cuteness aside, there are some infamous artworks in Fremont, which draw a crowd on any day and are worth a snapshot. The first, located under the north end of the Aurora Bridge, is the 18-foot tall, concrete Fremont Troll. The sculpture depicts a troll crushing a Volkswagen Beetle in its hand and was created in 1990.

Out of its popularity, the street running under the bridge was even renamed Troll Ave. N. in 2005.

More controversial, but just as accepted, is the 16-foot tall, bronze statue of Lenin (yes, as in the Russian communist leader Vladimir) that resides at the three-way intersection of Evanston Ave. N., N. 36th St., and Fremont Place. Despite the statue's communist creation in Slovakia in 1988, it is now just commonplace and is even decorated with Christmas lights for the holidays and dressed in drag during Gay Pride Week.

Cover your eyes

During Fremont's annual Solstice Parade in late June, multitudes of naked bikers regularly crash the festivities and pedal the streets, letting it ALL hang out.