Food & Drink

14 Seattle-Based Podcasts for Your Daily Commute

A roundup of local podcasts designed to ease commuting doldrums

By Kasee Bailey November 15, 2016

Podcasts

You’re now donning a cold weather scarf or shaking the just-out-of-storage dust from your winter wear; it’s time to gear up for more chilly commutes. Whether you’re taking planes, trains, automobiles, the eco-friendly bike option or catching that always-late bus to get to work, you need some new mental floss to supplement your daily journey. Thus, we present: Podcasts.

Much like restaurants in the city, there is a Seattle-based podcast for every taste, whether it be music, tech, or local news—or taste itself. Grab your earbuds and listen to this collection of our favorite local podcasts.

Spilled Milk: Seattle’s sweetheart (and our favorite author/blogger/pizza connoisseur) Molly Wizenberg teams up with writer Matthew Amster-Burton each week to discuss a different food-related topic (think: baked beans and pudding cups). It’s a local favorite that’s been making its mark on the airwaves for nearly seven years running. Foodies can also check out the similarly-themed Your Last Meal or Seattle Kitchen podcasts.

The Seattle Files: It seems that no one knows Seattle history better than Chris Allen. Each week, he shares a Seattle history lesson with local comedians, offering a little-seen look inside the city’s past, like the background of the 1962 World’s Fair or women’s suffrage in Washington.

Sound Effect: Described as a “tour of ideas, inspired by the place we live,” this weekly series hosted by KNKX’s Jennifer Wing features a mixed bag of interesting topics, like a 30-plus-year game of tag or an interview with a fluent Klingon speaker.

Rise Seattle: Two local real estate brokers who explore local topics, like coffee and homelessness.

Seattle Public Library: As if an offering of more than one million books, movies and music weren’t enough, the SPL offers comprehensive podcasts featuring audio recordings of in-library author readings and talks, debates, panel discussions, seminars, and award ceremonies.

GeekWire: For those with their finger on the pulse of Seattle’s tech trends, John Cook—who’s in our Hall of Fame—and Todd Bishop (and their featured guests) offer listeners a look at the city’s latest local tech news.

It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: For the fans of the four-legged, host Shawn Stewart dicusses cats and dogs on his weekly show, joining with expert guests and taking listener calls to address topics like behavior and health.

The Bittersweet Life: Discussions of the expat life and the experiences of living abroad from Seattleite Katy Sewall and friend Tiffany Parks; new episodes air every Monday. (Bonus: we chatted with Sewall for our November issue – see the convo here).

From the Margins: Bookworms will appreciate this Girl Friday Productions podcast that features host Devon Fredericksen’s look behind the scenes at the bookmaking industry, like gender norms in publishing and the difficulty of fact-based writing.

Dirtbag Diaries: Writer Fitz Cahall and his team help outdoor enthusiasts embrace the dirt as they presents stories about “dreamers, athletes and wanderers,” like expedition kayakers and a goat named LeeRoy.

Beyond This Point: Creative discussions with artists, business owners, leaders and designers, hosted by Gabriel Stromberg, the creative director of Seattle design company Civilization. Conversations focus on different ways of thinking, seeing, and making.

Still looking for more? Try KEXP’s Music That Matters for indie tunes, The Barbershop for sports talk, or Here Be Monsters for explanations of the unknown.

Follow Us

Seattle Launches Public Poetry Campaign

Seattle Launches Public Poetry Campaign

Short poems on sustainability will crop up across the city in April

Poetry installations will appear across Seattle starting April 1 as part of the city’s Public Poetry campaign...

Beauty and Diversity in Art

Beauty and Diversity in Art

Seattle's art scene is embracing more voices and viewpoints than ever

Seattle has become something of a hot spot for diversity in the arts...

The Power Of Quitting

The Power Of Quitting

Giving something up is never easy, especially because society rarely rewards such behavior

I’m not a quitter... llustration by Arthur Mount

Selling Seattle

Selling Seattle

New effort from Visit Seattle showcases the city’s stunning beauty

Visit Seattle’s new three-and-a-half-minute destination video is worth bragging about...