New App Gives GPS-Guided Walking Tours of Seattle Neighborhoods
The travel app Sidewalk taps locals for walking-tour recommendations.
By Danny Sullivan November 30, 2017
This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.
Imagine having insider recommendations for where to go as you stroll through unfamiliar neighborhoods in Seattle. Sidewalk (sidewalk.guide; free for iOS and Android), an app that allows any user to take guided walking tours designed by other users (or to design one of their own), provides just that.
It was launched by San Francisco-based creators Jason Donahue and Dave Hotchkiss, who found that traditional travel books and references lacked the intimate knowledge they desired. The tours offer easy point-to-point navigation with GPS, and users can search the theme-based walks based on their interests (like “city history” or “food”).
The app also serves New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles, but in Seattle, you can opt for walks such as “Pioneer Square: Lumberjacks, Gold Diggers, Gamblers, Hipsters and the Story of Seattle,” with stops at Occidental Square and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park; and “Open Eyed & Wide Awake: The Artisanal Coffee Crawl of Downtown Seattle,” which takes you to Monorail Espresso, Voxx Coffee and other much loved coffee destinations. There’s even an option to tip your guide, so don’t miss the chance to shine a spotlight on your favorite spot—and earn a little side cash—before someone else does.
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