2 Best Sights in Fremont, Seattle

A menacing 18 feet tall, with only one eye and long, gnarly fingers clutching an actual old VW Beetle, as if recently plucked from the highway above, the Troll is a compelling and enticing piece of public art. Just a few blocks off each of the neighborhood's main drags, it makes a nice destination for a post-meal stroll and photo-op. Kids love to climb the stairs behind the statue and play on the beast itself, though parents should beware that the location means it is always covered in a mix of dry dust and highway soot. Built in 1991, it's one of the city's early and most prominent examples of art as hostile architecture, designed to prevent people experiencing houselessness from using the covered area as shelter.

If it weren't for a small sign on the sidewalk and the faint whiff of cocoa in the air, you'd never know that Fremont has its own artisanal chocolate factory with daily tours. Since it opened in 2005, Theo has become one of the Northwest's most familiar chocolate brands, and is sold in shops across the city. Theo uses only organic, fair-trade cocoa beans, usually in high percentages—yielding darker, less sweet, and more complex flavors than some of their competitors. Stop by the factory to buy exquisite "confection" truffles—made daily in small batches—with unusual flavors like basil-ganache, lemon, fig-fennel, and burnt sugar. The friendly staff is generous with samples. You can go behind the scenes as well, with informative, hour-long tours; reservations are highly recommended, especially on weekends and during peak tourist season.