Do you need to patronize one of the restaurants along the downtown waterfront to enjoy the spectacular view across Elliott Bay? No, you don’t. As Seattle Weekly has reported in the past, property owners on the piers are required to set aside space for the public. It’s locating those public areas that can be a problem, given the lack of signs that advertise them. Presumably that’s why you never have a problem finding an open picnic table at Pier 56, a spot that offers a panoramic view of the bay. This is the pier shared by Argosy Cruises and Elliott’s Oyster House, and you might think that’s all that’s there. But head straight back on the path that cuts between Elliott’s two outdoor seating areas and keep going—past the sign that says “No alcohol beyond this point,” beyond the juncture at which the pier tapers into just one row of Elliott’s diners. Eventually, the pier will open up again and you’ll see a row of picnic tables. Nothing makes you appreciate Seattle like eating lunch at that pier on a sunny day, watching the light glimmer off the water and the ferries head toward the Olympic Mountains.