So, you've got one week to find the freaky side of Seattle. Here's a guide to get you started on the best in retail, restaurants, and recreation.

SUNDAY: Relax and get acquainted with the locals on Capitol Hill - you'll be spending most of your time in that neighborhood, home to a wide variety of clubs, shopping, and good food for the crayola-haired masses. Start your search on the sofa at Aurafice Internet Bar and Cafe. This locally owned hangout is a perfect place to start with a cup of Java and an Internet connection for all of your Mapquest searches. Pick up a copy of The Stranger , a weekly publication with the most comprehensive guide to Seattle shows and clubs, plus the usual fare in any city's weekly - personals, Free Will Astrology , and tons of flavorful commentary. You're going to get hungry, and you won't have to go far to find a variety of sustenance. Want a little sophistication? Across the street is 611 Supreme , a fantastic crepe restaurant. Too chic? Try Bimbo's Bitchin' Burrito Kitchen , one block down. All the best in chintzy velvet paintings, blacklight, loud music, and the best burritos your taste buds have ever met. When the sun goes down, it's time to go out, and it's fetish night at the The Vogue. DJ Eternal Darkness will spin you into a dark of dancing pleasure. It's a beer and wine sorta joint, so if you need a stiff drink, hop next door to the Bad Juju Lounge , where the music's just as loud, also a good place to grab a meal or an appetizer.

MONDAY: Hope you're well-rested from last night's foray. Today, you get to play tourist. Everyone should visit the attractions at the heart of Seattle at least once. The Seattle Center is the home of our trademark Space Needle , towering over the Experience Music Project , Paul Allen's infamous (and admittedly Seattle-based) rock museum. No, it's not all grunge - you'd be surprised at how many legends in music have called Seattle home. The Needle's neighbor to the other side is the Pacific Science Center . You will turn into a five-year-old again when you start playing with all of the interactive exhibits, not to mention the IMAX theatre and laser light shows set to Pink Floyd, Nine Inch Nails, and Depeche Mode. Plus, there's always a spectacular main exhibit, which has included, in the past, Dinosaurs, The Titanic Collection, and the Star Trek Experience. When your inner child starts screaming, you can hightail it up to Capitol Hill for some of the Seattle's most popular Asian cuisine. Vegetarians and vegans will love the Teapot Vegetarian Restaurant. Those of you in the mood for Thai should make your way to Angel's Thai Cuisine on Broadway. Get a window seat for a great people-watching opportunity.

TUESDAY is a good day to get back to Capitol Hill. Start the day with a stroll down Broadway . Looking for a body piercing or some ink to commemorate your visit to the Emerald City? The Alley Mall on Broadway features a highly recommended Laughing Buddha Tattoo , which, it should be mentioned, is next door to Blood and Bone Studios, which sells prints, statuary, candles, jewelry, and CDs by local talent. You can find some funky fashion in the stores along the main strip. The Metro (231 Broadway E - (206) 726-7978) , and the Crypt offer the latest goth, punk, and industrial fashions, and the Red Light is our favorite for fantastic vintage clothing. For more chic antiques, wander back to Pine Street and check out Le Frock , and when you've had all the retail therapy you can stand, make the trip down a block and try some more of Seattle's famous espresso at Bauhaus Books and Coffee . (Yes, coffee really is the fifth food group, here.) Find a table upstairs and relax with the view of the Needle, or do some people-watching from their outdoor seating. You should be caffeinated enough to skip up and over a block to Olive Way, where you'll find more fashion, tats, and food. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike will rave about the Green Cat Sandwich at The Green Cat Cafe . The next block up, you'll find Apocalypse Hardware - this isn't clothing for the timid - and Apocalypse Tattoo , another very highly recommended ink shop. You just can't get away from the coffee joints, can you? Coffee Messiah , the most blasphemous coffee around, neighbors Apocalypse. And on your way back up to Broadway, take note of B&O Espresso . Maybe you can't handle another shot, but if you're ever in the mood for a truly decadent dessert, this is the place to go. No sweet tooth? Their Twisted Tapas and weekend brunches are highly recommended. It's Tuesday night, a good night to Die. The Mercury at Machineworks hosts Die, with rotating DJ's Catherinna, Slowdive, and Gray, every week. It's a more conversational night, with strong drinks for good tippers, accompanied by swoopy goth and more experimental tunes. It is a private club, so you might want to introduce yourself to the locals on the Seagoth Forum , and if you're nice, someone will be happy to guest you in.

WEDNESDAY: Let's do some CD and book shopping. It's time to acquaint yourself with Musicwerks . Just off Broadway, next to the Vogue, this is your one-stop shopping for those hard to find gothic and industrial albums. If you're looking for used CDs and rock, Cellophane Square (130 Broadway E., Seattle (206)329-2202) on Broadway is your next stop. While you're in the area, hit Twice Sold Tales, a quirky used bookstore that has kittens roaming freely through the stacks to give it a little furry ambience, open late on weekends. The Elliot Bay Bookstore is another local favorite, and also features the Honey Bear Bakery downstairs, and live music and author readings. Once you've found some reading material, head to the Broadway New American Grill for a gourmet burger or Hawaiian ahi tuna dish. Their patio seating is perfect for people-watching, and the staff is always nice. In the evening, you'll find the local People In Black gathering back at the Aurafice for coffee and conversation. This is the best time for newcomers to introduce themselves and pick the brains of the people who know where to go. When the time comes, you can follow the great migration up to the Vogue for goth night with DJ Eternal Darkness. The music starts out swoopy and ambient, and works itself into more of a frenzy by midnight.

THURSDAY: You've been to the Center, now you must visit the pier, which most prominently features Pike Place Market . Street musicians will entertain, as you make your way through the shops and vendors. Watch the famous fish-throwers on the street level, get the season's freshest produce, explore the vintage curio and clothing stores downstairs (great Egyptian and Afghani goods), and make sure you hit Golden Age Collectibles - a must for any comic book/RPG/Anime fan! And take time to enjoy a view of Puget Sound. Walk down to the waterfront and eat lunch at Ivar's on the Pier, and make sure to hit Ye Olde Curiosity Shop , a curio shop and museum of the creepiest natural wonders the world has seen, from shrunken heads to mummified bodies. One of the most reputable attractions on the pier is the Seattle Aquarium , which features an underwater viewing dome where you can watch scuba divers feeding the fish in the early afternoon. You've probably worked up an appetite, and you need a good late-night greasy spoon. Back on Broadway, there's Charlie's (dark, booths, good burgers, and a bar in the back, decorated in flapper to Fifties era movie memorobilia); and Minnie's (also Hollywood-esque with delicious dishes named after the hottest stars of the Silver Screen. Slow service, but the tomato-basil soup is worth the wait!.)

SATURDAY: A change of scenery: Historic Pioneer Square. Seattle has an interesting history, and you can hear and see how it ended up the way it is on the Seattle Underground Tour . You actually go into tunnels under the sidewalks of the present day city to see the remains of old Seattle from the early 1900s. Some even say the passages are haunted. The guides are knowledgeable and often humorous. It's a spooky way to see a whole new side of Seattle. Be sure to wander around the Square, topside. Good Greek food, pizza, and Irish pubs to be found. It's a hot night back at the Mercury if you want to dance. DJ Hana Solo hosts "The Machineries of Joy," and that guarantees the best in EBM/Industrial music in Seattle. For a change of scenery, head back to Pioneer Square, where you can hear more goth-industrial goodness at the Catwalk , also a popular live show venue. If you're in a movie mood, make sure you check the marquee at the Egyptian Theatre on Pine. Every weekend they have a new midnight show - usually an old classic that you never imagined you'd see in the theatre again. They're also known for showing anime, Kung Fu movies, and other foreign films.