Secret Seattle

by Susanna Ryan, Seattle Walk Report

Capturing the same charm and whimsy she brought to Seattle Walk Report, Instagram darling Susanna Ryan takes things a step further, revealing the forgotten history behind the people, places, and things that shaped Seattle.

Cartoonist and creator of Seattle Walk Report, Susanna Ryan strolls on with a quirky new illustrated guide celebrating Seattle's historical treasures and outdoor wonders. In Secret Seattle, Ryan explores the weird and wonderful hidden history behind some of the city's most overlooked places, architecture, and infrastructure, from coal chutes in Capitol Hill, to the last remainder of Seattle's original Chinatown in Pioneer Square, to the best places in town to find century-old sidewalks. Discover pocket parks, beautiful boulevards, and great public gardens while learning offbeat facts that will make you see the Emerald City in a whole new way. Perfect for both the local history buff who never leaves a favorite armchair to a walking enthusiast looking for offbeat and off-the-beaten-path scavenger hunts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, History, Travel, Comics

176 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2021

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas gift. I dipped into this a few pages a day to savor it. Such a great little graphic guide to fun things to look out for on the streets of Seattle - including coal chutes, standpipes, stamped bricks, terracotta decorations on buildings (I had no idea that Arctic Building’s walruses were made of terracotta). Lots of Seattle history too. I don’t often find myself in Seattle these days but I’m going to pass this book on to someone who is, who is also observant and curious.

[Danita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and I highly recommend reading if you live in Seattle and like nerdy trivia and/or history. Also a plus if you like urban walks and exploring.

[Hafidha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and interesting. I learned about some hidden gems and enjoyed the cartoons.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fellow urban hiker I just love, love the Seattle Walk Report books. Secret Seattle is adorably illustrated, and I learned a lot about Seattle's history through its less-commonly-observed architectural features, such as the coal chutes that I now need to go and track down in the neighborhood! And the brick stamps! The sidewalk prisms! And although I'm fairly familiar with even the smallest of parks in my immediate neighborhoods, there were a couple listed a little further out that I had never heard of, and can't wait to go meander in.

Secret Seattle is a wonderful little guide to any locals or tourists who want to have a slightly more offbeat experience in walking through the city and getting to know nooks and crannies up close.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really sweet & quaint book for anyone who loves the city of Seattle. Funny writing and good information!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't familiar with the Seattle Walk Report prior to reading this, but this book is so damn charming. I love a slim graphic book, especially one highlighting history (however minor!), and now I have a bunch of cute things to check out around town.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is cute! Definitely better to read as a physical book

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

La autora tiene una manera muy divertida de darte datos curiosos de la ciudad. Entre hechos históricos y curiosidades que dan ganas de ir a buscar en las calles.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! I learned so much ❤

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun facts and hidden gems in this fun book. I love Susanna Ryan’s quirky illustrations, and all of the interesting features she finds in Seattle’s parks, streets and sidewalks. Great historical information, too. Definitely a fun read, and an excellent accompaniment to her Instagram account (@seattlewalkreport).

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susanna Ryan is a Seattle treasure. Her knowledge and humor - with a love of silly puns - are a treat to anyone who either knows Seattle or would like to. I was lucky enough to hear her speak about this, her second book after Seattle Walk Report, and she’s as charming in real life as on the page.

Her deceptively simple black and white line drawings are the backbone of the book - it’d be just as informative without them but nowhere near as much fun. She has done hours and hours (and hours) of research at the Seattle Times, the Seattle Public Library, and numerous websites of historical archives. The research combined with her sharp eye offers obscure and entertaining info on such items as coal chutes, utility covers, rocks, cottages, and cast iron clocks.

This book and its predecessor would make perfect gifts for the Seattlite who needs nothing new. I’m thinking ahead to people in *my* Christmas list….

Very highly recommended!

[Kenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secret Seattle is an illustrated book about the history behind some hidden Seattle places, landmarks, and features written by Susanna Ryan, an avid walker who wrote The Seattle Walk Report, another illustrated book I read earlier this year.

This book differentiates itself from The Seattle Walk Report by diving more into particular places such as the Montlake spite house, an apartment at the top of Smith Tower, and how there was an artist in residence program to stay in some of Seattle's bridges, in addition to learning more about the history of Seattle features such as coal chutes, manhole covers, sidewalk cement branding, and bubble lamps.

At the end of the book, Susanna Ryan showcases some places folks can go to do their own research on Seattle area history, which were resources that she used to write the book! I definitely would recommend for anyone living in the Seattle area.

[Ashley Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved following Seattle Walk Report on IG, and finally got around to picking up her books that came out. This one tickled the history nerd bone for me. I love walking around this city and know it has a rich history. Susanna Ryan just went ahead and did the deep digging for us. It is full of the most random facts and is an ode to the many hidden gems of Seattle. Some stuff I knew, but there was a lot I didn’t (but I’m now an expert in coal chutes and forgotten bomb shelters?). I already checked out her other book from the library. Newcomers and long term residents alike would appreciate this one.

Rating: ☔️ ☔️☔️☔️☔️/5

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Seattle Walk Report, and I love discovering interesting tidbits about the city where I live. Every city has its secrets, and Susanna Ryan has a way of ferreting them out, mainly by taking long, contemplative rambles through every neighbourhood. In this volume, she tells stories about buildings, parks, streets, and features from architectural flourishes to standpipes. I'm nothing if not a fan of minutiae, and this book definitely satisfies that inclination. I hope I can find my way to some of these hidden gems, many of which can be found in my own neighbourhood!

[Lilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at the Seattle airport after spending a week there, and I loved it, I only regret not finding it at the beginning of my trip to look for some of the city's secrets that are mentioned in the book. Seattle is a very special city, and I think this is conveyed through the book. The author did this work with a lot of love and it shows in the pages of the book. I have nothing left but to make a second trip to continue exploring this wonderful city.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun little book. This is basically a graphic novel about historical things around Seattle – coal chutes, sidewalk bricks, hidden parks, etc. Even an old Seattleite like me can learn a few things from Ryan's careful observations, although I was pleased to realize how many of these things I'd noticed over the years. I had missed the coal chutes, though.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m an avid neighborhood walker and a resident of ~ 23 different homes all around the Greater Seattle area, and I love everything about the premise of this little book. Amusing cartoons and a love of history and place throughout. I originally snagged this at the library but I’m going to buy my own copy and use it as a checklist of places to visit.

[Rayner D’Souza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and fascinating book. It’s like taking a walking tour through history and quirkiness of the city. But you get to jump around a lot. I’ll look at Seattle and the neighborhood with a new lens. Only complaint is that some addresses are missing or not entirely accurate and that it’s not an exhaustive list (though this book with be 3-5 times as big if it was).

[Julie Klareskov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazingly cute little book with great illustrations and fun comments that vivify the nerdy facts. Loved to read it in the morning and then head out to see whatever hidden gem it had provided me with. - Among other things cute coal chutes, a dreamy house, lots of wonderful parks and viewpoints.
It’s perfect if you like exploring a city by walking around!

[Aisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars - absolutely phenomenal read about hidden gems, the history of the city's foundational materials/architecture, some of the city's notable people, and much more. Loved the first book and loved this one, too. :)

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Seattle Walk Report and I loved this even more! Susanna brings joy and great research to the history of Seattle, encouraging us to open our eyes every time we go for a walk. This would make a great book for a seasoned or new friend living in the city!

[Kaitlin Serai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!! Susanna's style of writing is so whimsical and fun; the most boring of facts came to life in such a cute way. I am actively using this to also explore different places I may not have otherwise thought about in Seattle. Love!!

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming book that brings us into the forgotten and overlooked nooks and crannies of Seattle. I love it! It's a slim volume that's easy to slip into a purse or backpack, so take it along as you go for a long walk. Pick a neighborhood and go strolling!

[Kristin-Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I was hoping it would be and then some: a lovely, charmingly-illustrated followup to Seattle Walk Report and a send-up of all of the niche categories-of-cool-thing one can spot on the street if they're paying attention in their home city.

[Sandra F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fix error on pg 6: the Chin Gee Hee building address is incorrect.

I tried searching for the building and I think the correct address is:
210 S. Washington St.

I’ll probably double-check anything else in here before using it now, but the book itself is great!!

[Stefanos Baziotis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It should have been named a field guide, because that's what it is! A great company when living in Seattle. Sprinkled throughout the text are small bits of interesting information, and it's so nice that the author didn't decide to write pages upon pages of text.

[JulieK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both entertaining and informative. Love her whimsy.

[Shelley Gingrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for those who love Seattle. Great illustrations, nicely organized and fun to read.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

You trade utility and ease of look-up for whimsical illustrations and quirky, sprawling stories about Seattle.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, fun and informative!