Ada's Technical Books in Seattle
Ada's Technical Books is now in a house built in 1922.
A visit to the new location of Ada's Technical Books in Seattle feels like spending time in a beautiful cathedral of science. The bookstore fully remodeled a 1922 house that sits on one of Capitol Hill's prime retail corridors, and it's a stunning vision tucked between restaurants, cafes and stores.
Now with its own cafe and airy, dedicated presentation room - plus a kids' play space - Ada's is no longer just a place to visit, but now a complete destination.
It's incredible. Bookshelves packed with tomes stretch luxuriously to the lofty ceiling, spines tempting the visitor for time to be lost in engineering, security, physics, math, geology, biology, programming (the romance languages!), hardware, comics, sci-fi, computer culture, futurism, the cosmos, engines and so much more.
Countertops offer toys and puzzles, inviting passers-by to go hands-on with everything within reach. For every kind of curious mind, Ada's offers an object to have and hold, something to push a passion just a little bit further. The coffee's pretty good, too.
Ada's Technical Books (seattletechnicalbooks.com) is located at 425 15th Ave East, Seattle, WA 98112. Store hours are 8am-10pm.
To read more about Ada's new location and the gorgeous renovation (with design images), check out New home for Ada’s Technical Books — and cafe — takes shape on Capitol Hill on the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.
Follow Ada's Technical Books on Twitter or Facebook.
Outside: offers of mushroom pot pie and lasers.
Books "for the cravings of the technical mind"
The entry greets us with a full-service cafe.
To the right, books; the left holds the cafe.
Over the cafe is a mobile (of book pages on computing).
Each cafe table has a theme under its glass.
We're encouraged to stay a while.
The parts wall.
Ada Lovelace, honored over the hearth.
The world needs more book clubs - and enigmas.
A warm glow - and the soft in-wall lights slowly change color.
Countertops with puzzles, projects and playthings.
Like a museum, where it's okay to touch the displays.
Antiques mingle with science.
The 'general engineering' section, and LAN Taps to go.
I wish there was an Ada's Technical Books in my hometown.