I'm a New Yorker who went to Seattle for the first time. Here are 9 things that surprised me.

Business Insider's travel reporter took her first trip to Seattle, and it was full of surprises.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

• I visited Seattle for the first time in May 2025 after years of dreaming about it.
• The city in the Pacific Northwest surprised me as a New Yorker.
• I found a strange tourist attraction, a free banana stand, and a tech neighborhood full of nature.

When my train arrived at Seattle's King Street Station on a sunny morning, I didn't expect...