Seattle

Naturally pleasant, technically prime
It's habitually gloomy, rainy and heavily congested in its traffic. But that pretty much sums up the only drawbacks of Seattle. Built on six hills in the top left-hand corner of the continental United States, Washington's largest city is bookended by the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound to the west, and the Cascade Mountains and Lake Washington to the east. It's no wonder that, living in this paradise of stunning nature and urban/suburban perks, Seattle residents have a reputation for pleasant personalities.

Although branded a rainy city, Seattle actually sees less annual precipitation than Boston or New York. But Seattle's rainfall is more widely dispersed through frequent misting and sprinkling, causing typically overcast skies and high consumption of liquid sunshine (coffee). Despite all the gray days, municipal marketers have dubbed Seattle the "Emerald City." That's because the perpetual moisture, mild winters and cool summers keep the landscape evergreen, thanks to the ubiquitous Evergreen trees and city parks. Such a climate also permits year-round outdoor activities, such as boating, fishing, golf, watersports, hiking, biking, mountain climbing and skiing.

Another shade of green stems from the healthy economy of this metropolis -- which leads the nation in number of millionaires per capita. If computers and caffeine are America's top factors for job productivity, we owe a lot to Greater Seattle, where Microsoft and Starbucks house their corporate headquarters. The area also serves as home to Boeing, Costco, Safeco, Nordstrom, Airborne Freight, and Amazon.com's corporate offices. Considered the healthcare center of the Pacific Northwest, with 26 general-acute hospitals, the city counts biotechnology and medical technology among its major industries.

Companies here are famously laid-back in their dress codes, and Greater Seattle residents are just as laid-back in their attitudes. In addition, the population of 2.7 million tends to be politically progressive, and ethnically and socially diverse. Seattle has the nation's highest percentage of college-degreed residents and largest number of bicycle commuters. Locals thrive on the arts, supporting 190 art galleries, 27 performing arts centers, 14 museums and 13 professional theatrical companies. They also cheer their Mariners, Seahawks, Supersonics and Thunderbirds to victories.

Sophisticated, youthful and progressive, Seattle regularly ranks among America's most livable cities. Such fame has brought explosive population growth and traffic congestion to its diverse neighborhoods. And living here can be pricey: The city ranked ninth in 2001 for overall cost of living, which includes housing, groceries, transportation and healthcare. Yet Seattle dwellers are happy to pay for their quality of life because it's a lifestyle they can't find anywhere else.

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Seattle Transportation

Airports
Sea-Tac Airport

Ground Transportation
Metro Transit
Services King County with a network of buses, trolleys, and streetcars, and operates vast carpool and vanpool programs.

Ferries
Washington State Ferries
Not just for tourists, the country's largest ferry system also carries Puget Sound employees and students who commute. It serves eight Washington counties and Canada's British Columbia.

Victoria Clipper
For daytrip excursions.

Rail Services
Amtrak
Provides nationwide service.

Sound Transit
Offers light rail, commuter trains and express buses.

Seattle Center Monorail
The nation's first full-scale, commercial monorail system, servicing Seattle's main attractions and popular destinations.

Bicycling
City of Seattle Bicycling Program
Details on the city's bicycle trails and paths, striped bike lanes, and signed bike routes.

Metro Bike Information
Details on how Metro Transit buses and vanpools accommodate bicycles for bike commuters.

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Seattle Attractions

Cafes and coffeehouses can only take you so far in the pursuit of a diversion. Fortunately, like a salmon-filled river, Seattle teems with intriguing destinations. Make a date with Mother Nature in a forest, see the sea from a tour boat, take in a performance, explore a museum or browse through a bustling marketplace. From rock 'n' roll artifacts to vintage dolls, from driving a go-kart to riding a dinner train, Seattle caters to every taste for fun.

Argosy Cruises
Bellevue Art Museum
Blake Island State Park
Boeing Everett Tour Center
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Camp Long
Center for Wooden Boats
Champs Karting
Children's Museum, Seattle
Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
Experience Music Project
Frye Art Museum
Gas Works Park
Henry Art Gallery
Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
Log House Museum
Museum of Flight
Museum of Glass
Museum of History & Industry
Nordic Heritage Museum
Northwest Puppet Center
Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center
Olympic National Forest
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Pacific Science Center
Pike Place Market
Ride the Ducks of Seattle
Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art
Seattle Aquarium
Seattle Art Museum
Seattle Baroque Orchestra
Seattle Opera
Seattle Shakespeare Company
Seattle Symphony
Space Needle
Spirit of Washington Dinner Train
Tillicum Village
Underground Tour
Washington Park Aboretum
Washington State Ferries
Wild Waves & Enchanted Village
Wing Luke Asian Museum
Woodland Park Zoo

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Seattle Shopping

Seattle pleases traditional and adventurous shoppers alike with its variety. Millions annually visit Pike Place Market, renowned for its electric atmosphere and eclectic variety. Art galleries and antique stores are concentrated mostly in historic Pioneer Square. The corner of Pine Street and Fifth Avenue serves as the epicenter for the upscale shopping that's common throughout the city. Yet funky and mom-and-pop shops can still be found, especially in the Fremont and Capitol Hill areas.

Bellevue Square
Broadway Market
Chinatown/International District
City Centre
Crossroads Shopping Center
Factoria Mall
Gilman Village
Northgate Mall
Pacific Place
Pike Place Market
Rainier Square
The Commons at Federal Way
University Village
Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter
Westlake Center

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Seattle Nightlife

Pick your poison. Nightclubbing in Seattle means heading for the areas that suit your style -- or your desire. Seattle is tight enough to be able to hit a couple of neighborhoods in the same night, so hopping from one spot to another is extremely easy. Belltown offers classy and casual single professionals dining and drinking options in a pristine environment close to Queen Anne. Fremont is an artistic-turning-almost-yuppie community with a cool bar and pub scene, where you'll find plenty of locals. Pioneer Square has tons of pubs and some of the city's hippest clubs. You'll find a lot of out-of-towners here. And in Capitol Hill you'll unearth trendy and crazy, cross-dressers and spare-changers, plus the occasional scenester. Capitol Hill carters to a mostly young crowd -- many of which have tattoos, spiked hair and unconventional clothing. It's also home to Seattle's grunge and gay community with a few straight bars and restaurants in the mix.

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Seattle Healthcare Facilities

Seattle's hospitals are consistently ranked among the best in the nation for patient services, research and teaching. Providing comprehensive inpatient medical services and treatment, outpatient care, and specialty clinics, the healthcare facilities in Seattle include:

Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center
Eastside Hospital
Group Health Central Hospital
Harborview Medical Center
Northwest Hospital and Medical Center
Overlake Hospital Medical Center
Regional Hospital for Respiratory and Complex Care
Schick Shadel Hospital
St. Francis Hospital
Swedish Medical Center
University of Washington Medical Center
Valley Medical Center
Virginia Mason Medical Center

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Seattle Nursing Resources

Washington State Nurses Association
ARNPS United of Washington State
Washington State Department of Public Health
Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission

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Seattle Weather

Although Seattle has a reputation for being moist, the city's rainfall total comes to only 38 inches or so annually, falling mostly as brief showers and light mists between November and April. That's just enough to keep things damp and green.

Averaging 55 sunny days each year, Seattle skies usually wear a hat of gray clouds. Summer highs hover between 75 and 85 degrees. Winter temperatures reach up to 55 degrees and dip into the freezing zone on about 15 days of the year.

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