Under the viaduct: Shop till it drops!

The outing: It's about a two-mile round trip, give or take, from the bottom of the stairs at the Pike Place Market, south under the viaduct, to Pioneer Square and then back north to the Market along Western Avenue.

Right up front, let's list the reasons some folks might not want to take this stroll on a Saturday, super or not. Half of it is under the viaduct, which, in an earthquake, might fall on you; it's really, really noisy; on cloudy days, it's really, really dark, all day especially in winter; you will be politely asked for all the spare change you have to finance a night at any one of a number of nearby shelters; there's no continuous sidewalk along the eastern edge; you play constant dodgeball with traffic; by the time you read this, the waterfront trolley will be in mothballs; in many cases, there is just nothing there.

So — we've cleared that up. Now, let's look at the reasons you might want to tackle this offbeat adventure. It's under the viaduct, which some day is destined to disappear, thus quite possibly opening up this entire, underdeveloped stretch of property to some visionary possibilities (read restaurants, bars, shops, condos) — to wit, see it for its historical value; there are some finds — from the back-door entrances to antique shops to very high-end furniture stores; there is the very easy ability to dart west to the waterfront should the aquarium, seafood take-out bars, Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe or a foot-ferry round-trip tempt you; perhaps more than any other of our walks featured today, this will be an adventure.

Dr. Marten shoes sit on the shelf of the Dr. Marten store on Western Avenue.

If nothing else, there is contrast here and that alone should be an enticement to this outing. Think of it, if you want, as a chance to stretch out and walk hard for a mile, have lunch and then stroll the rest of the way home through an array of shopping opportunities, from lux couches to tasty Spanish olives.

Think of it, too, as a stroll through a part of town we'd imagine most of you have never spent any significant ground time. Welcome, literally, to the underbelly of the waterfront.

Shopping op: Attention everyone who has something to celebrate about the year 1952 — there is (or was, as of this writing) a neon sign, in good working order, at Seattle Antique Market, just below the stairs up to the Pike Place Market, that reads "Welcome to 1952." Thoroughly captivated, but not having anything of significance come to mind to make its purchase worthwhile, we headed south under the viaduct — thin pocketbook in hand — to the back entrance to Snowboard Connection, where we picked up a trendy knit cap and a chance to hear the word "dude" a few times, all for $22.

To be sure, there is plenty of material temptation in this walk's route, especially along Western Avenue, home of countless furniture shops — from the ridiculous to the sublime (which might speak better to the price tags than anything else). Literally, there is something for everyone in this stretch, which could easily be labeled the city's Furniture Row. Weary of that, just wait until you finish — treats abound with spices and herbs at one outlet to all things Spanish at another.

Good eats: Halfway through the walk, there it is, Mitchelli's, once called Trattoria Mitchelli, or The Trat, a fixture in the western reaches of Pioneer Square since 1977. In its infancy, it was a hangout for the city's young, late-night set looking for something decent, anything decent, other than the approximately two restaurants in the city open late in those days. It's still open late — until 4 a.m. most nights. Still decent food. A plate of pasta with clams, tax, tip — oh, and a beer (fortification for the temptation of a solid mile of furniture ahead) — totaled about $17.

Cost: Parking abounds in the area, as does an array of costs — from a couple dollars on the street should you choose to go that route (note: Walk fast) to roughly $10 depending on the lot you choose and the time you spend.

Getting there: As we mentioned above, there are plenty of parking opportunities. With the now-planned temporary demise of the waterfront trolley, there is regular Metro bus service along Seattle's waterfront instead, connecting the waterfront, Pioneer Square and the Chinatown International District. The ride is free. You can also use any one of a plethora of Metro's buses that cruise Second and Third avenues and then walk the two or three blocks to Western Avenue and the viaduct.

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