Photo by Anna Erickson

Keyboardist and composer Wayne Horvitz is known around the country for his inventive, multi-genre music. Once a staple of New York’s avant-garde jazz scene, he and his wife, fellow musician Robin Holcomb, have long resided in Seattle’s South End, which is where he says he usually likes to hang out. It’s also where, in 2011, he opened The Royal Room, an all-ages restaurant and club in Columbia City, the neighborhood in which he starts his own personal Best of Seattle.

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Best NeighborhoodI love my neighborhood, where Mount Baker intersects with Columbia City. It’s close to downtown. We have great parks, really great people from all walks of life, some great architecture, cheap food, and bad traffic—but not as bad as everywhere else.

Best ParkWe have probably gone to Seward Park over 3,000 times since we moved here. For years we walked around it, but lately I’ve been enjoying the interior as well. It’s like going to the rain forest. And the park is five minutes from my house.

Best Place to Take Out-of-Town GuestsI’d say a hike to the Second Beach near La Push [on the Olympic Peninsula]. I use out-of-town guests as an excuse to get out of town. And you don’t need to go far to find some of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Best Restaurant to SplurgeFor family celebrations, we go to Maneki in the ID. It is good, casual, and has a “West Coast city in the ’40s” kind of feel that I love.

Best Music Venue (Other Than His Own)The Tractor has just been such a lovely place for so many years. [Owner] Dan Cowan has done a great job. [His close runner up: The Chapel at the Good Shepherd Center:] Anyone interested in new music of any sort knows how wonderful the space is, and the booking. Seattle would be sorely lacking without it.

Best Up-and-Coming Local MusicianWell, guitarist/songwriter Jeff Fielder may be not quite be up-and-coming—he has been busy lately—but he deserves to be a star. What a talent.

Best Musician Seattle Hasn’t Heard OfWell, I wish people had heard of saxophonist Ivan Arteaga, but most people probably haven’t. He is truly a unique voice, and I hope to work with him more in the days ahead.

Best School Music ProgramI am going to say Garfield, but of course Roosevelt is amazing too. They are strong on both the classical and jazz side of things, and although they are fairly traditional, a slew of very open-minded musicians are emerging from both programs. I am doing something next year with both orchestras, and I can’t wait.

Best Thing About Gigging Here Versus New YorkThe load-in/out. Playing in NYC is awesome, but even if you live there—actually, especially if you live there—getting to and from the gig with any kind of gear is a hassle. Half the reason we bought the house we live in today is because I could load stuff into my studio straight from the driveway.

Best Place to Relax After a ShowHome. If there isn’t a hang at the gig, I usually don’t make it somewhere else. One thing I really gave some thought to when creating The Royal Room was making it a social space, a place where people would hang out—musicians and audience alike. That’s what I loved about NYC in the ’80s: the music and the community.

Best Body of WaterLake Washington.Although I love the Sound and the rivers. I get very nervous if I am away from water, and if I can’t find a place to swim when it gets warm. It’s one of the main reasons I moved here to begin with—lots of water.

Read all of our picks for Arts & Culture, and explore the rest of this year’s edition of Best of Seattle.