Seattle
General Information |
|
Cupped between the jagged Olympic Mountains to the west, and the volcanic peaks
of the Cascade Range to the east with snowcapped Mount Rainier standing the
tallest at 14,411 feet, Seattle is nestled on a narrow strip of land between
Puget Sound and eighteen mile long Lake Washington. Just to the north of
downtown, the city is split by a system of locks and ship canal that feed into
Lake Union and Lake Washington from Puget Sound. Seattle's mild winters and cool
summers work together to make the city lush and green, earning it the nickname,
"The Emerald City".
Seattle's moderate climate encourage a wealth of year round outdoor activities.
Sailing, kayaking, rowing, scuba diving, roller blading, jogging, bicycling, and
golf are all available within the city limits. If that's not enough, less than
an hour's drive will take you to whale watching, fishing, camping, hiking,
mountain biking, rock climbing, and skiing.
There are a lot of sights and places to visit in Seattle. On the Elliot Bay
waterfront, attractions abound with a variety of shops, restaurants, sightseeing
vessels, restored streetcars, and parks. Nearby the waterfront is Pike Place
Market, the nation's oldest continually operating farmer's market, which
features a maze of booths offering everything from fresh produce to fine art. A
few blocks south of Pike Place Market is Pioneer Square, the city's oldest
district, which features sidewalk cafes, art galleries, antique shops,
boutiques, nightclubs, restaurants, and parks. On the north end of the city is
Seattle Center, a 74-arce complex built for the 1962 World's Fair, which
features several attractions including Seattle's crowning landmark, the Space
Needle.
Still want to know more...
|
|
|
|
* Please contact for detail information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Please contact for detail information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
* Please contact for detail information.
|
|
|
Seattle was settled relatively late in the history of the US. In 1851 five
pioneer families from Illinois settled at Alki Point, but soon moved to the
more sheltered eastern side Elliott Bay, where downtown is today. The city
was incorporated in 1869. Twenty years later, in 1889, the city was
devastated in the Great Seattle Fire, in which the entire business district
burned to the ground in one day. Sanitary concerns were behind the building
of another better business district on top of the old, with the result that
a subterranean Seattle exists in the Pioneer Square district. This can be
explored on the Underground Tour - one of the city's most popular tours.
With the arrival of the Great Northern Railway in 1893, the city grew
rapidly as a main rail terminus. Its first economic boom came in the 1890s,
as the last US departure point for those chasing the Klondike Gold Rush. It
continued to prosper as a major Pacific port with the opening of the Panama
Canal in 1914. In 1962, Seattle hosted the World's Fair, for which the
futuristic Space Needle was built.
In the past few decades, Seattle has quietly grown from a far-flung port
city not registering on too many radar screens, to being nationally
recognized as one of the most livable cities in the US. This recognition is
based on criteria such as a critical mass of advanced technology, diverse
economic sectors such as agriculture, services, manufacturing and
international trade, superior educational and health care, (First Hill just
east of downtown has been nicknamed "Pill Hill" due to the number of medical
facilities crowded onto its slopes), public safety, a well-educated work
force, quality of life and the international outlook of its people. The
popularity of Seattle's natural and cultural amenities, that so epitomize
the attraction of the Northwest, see the city now faced with the challenge
of preserving its livability under the pressure of increasing residential
and tourist populations.
Perhaps because it is the largest city in Washington State, visitors
sometimes think it is also the capital, however the state's capital is
actually the nearby city of Olympia. Seattle is the seat of King County.
Seattle is a major port city for trans-Pacific and European trade. The Port
of Seattle is the fifth largest container port in the United States and the
25th largest in the world. You can see heavily laden container ships with
exotic ensigns making their way through Elliot Bay transporting some of the
$36 billion worth of products that cross the Port's docks each year. A drive
across the West Seattle Bridge places you above Elliott Bay's Harbor Island
for an aerial view of all this shipping and transportation activity. The
Southern approach to the city center via US Highway 99 passes through the
area and is so lined with shipping containers that the area appears to be
like some kind of anteroom for downtown’s commerce. The Port also owns and
operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; Fishermen's Terminal and
Marine Industrial Center; Shilshole Bay Marina and the Bell Street Pier. The
Bell Street Pier is an 11-acre complex on the western edge of downtown that
includes an international conference center, marina, cruise ship berths,
shops and restaurants. It is an attraction in itself.
Seattle has the cosmopolitan outlook of a port city with its strong civic,
cultural and personal relationships abroad. It is open to new influences and
perhaps first landing site for those seeking adventure, or starting a new
life. Seattle has a long established gay community, and boasts the nation’s
longest running gay bar, the oldest lesbian resource center, the oldest gay
counseling service, and the second richest foundation devoted to gay issues.
Despite a cosmopolitan outlook, Seattle remains unpretentious, and even
low-key. Folks who wear jeans to work, and prefer backpacks to briefcases
are also those who appreciate the finer things in life, and are open to new
influences in food and art.
|
The international fame of grunge bands Nirvana, Pearl Jam (and Soundgarden),
the location of the grave of Jimi Hendrix are perhaps the first aspects of
art and culture that come to mind. A fertile local music scene is enhanced
by regular appearances from acclaimed artists in rock, jazz and classical
music. Seattle boasts a large population of artists, supported in part by an
innovative public arts funding program. For example, since1973 it has been a
legal requirement that one percent of city capital improvement project funds
(such as building a skyscraper) be spent on artworks. Year-round you will
find something to sample from Seattle’s rich cultural scene from museums to
art galleries to the performing arts. Seattle has professional symphony,
ballet, opera companies and an active theatre community with 80 companies,
13 of which are professional.
Seattle has been ranked as one of the best U.S. cities in which to locate a
business. A number of high profile companies have helped place Seattle on
the map and no doubt also helped to attract people from diverse backgrounds
to the area. Headquartered in Seattle, Boeing, Microsoft, and Amazon.com
have shown that hi-tech mixes well with national forest. Boeing is the
largest aircraft manufacturer in the world and consistently one of the top
three exporters in the United States.
Microsoft is the world’s leading
personal computer software company, but is only one of 2,500 software
development firms in the state. Biotechnology also contributes to a healthy
economy, and large retail employers include Nordstroms and Costco. Compared
with other parts of the U.S., the cost of living is relatively high in
Seattle and visitors might notice this in the cost of accommodations and
restaurant meals. (Read more about the Pacific Northwest's economy...)
Another business which has become an icon of Seattle is Starbucks. With its
string of cafes across the nation, and on every second corner in Seattle,
Starbucks has fostered the ultimate in individualized consumerism within a
tasteful, if homogenized setting. Go there just to listen to its customers
place their orders as you ponder what percent fat to have in your milk, the
temperature of the water, the size of cup, how many slugs of caffeine…
Other Seattle Information:
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION - Carpooling, Traffic, Bus, Washington State Ferries,
Monorail, Waterfront Street Car, Airport Information, Shuttles, Train
Information, Taxis, Farwest Cabs, Limousine Services.
SEATTLE HOSPITALS /SEATTLE
SHOPPING CENTER
SEATTLE RECREATION / AMUSEMENT
Climate Information:
No, it does not rain all the time in Seattle. Many large cities on the USA east
coast (i.e., Atlanta, New York, Washington D.C.) receive more annual
precipitation than Seattle. However, when it stops raining in these east coast
cities, the sky clears. In Seattle, when it stops raining, the sky stays
overcast. The rain in Seattle is usually a light or fine misty rain. The normal
average annual precipitation total for Seattle is 37.19 inches.
Summers in Seattle are usually warm, dry, and sunny, with long days and cool
nights. The driest time of year in Seattle is the last half of July and the
first half of August. During this time period, Seattle will often go ten,
twenty, or thirty days without any measurable precipitation. The warm, mild
weather often continues into fall, with cooler temperatures at night --- the
rainy season in Seattle doesn't officially begin until October 1. Winter is the
wettest season in Seattle. Spring in Seattle is mild and green, but it can be
very wet at times.
Home |
Seattle Schools |
Apartment Search Tips |
Useful Phone Numbers |
Seattle Utilities |
Hunter's Check List
Apartment Rent Tips |
Apartment Moving Tips |
Apartment Packing Tips |
Apartment Moving Day
Seattle Restaurants |
Seattle Newspapers |
Seattle Guide
Resources |
Contact Us |
Site Map
© Copyright 2001 - 2013 All Rights Reserved.
We do business in accordance with Federal Fair Housing law. (Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988).Some of the content on on this website has been secured from outside sources. We believe it to be reliable, however, we make no representation or warranty, expressed or implied , as to the accurrent Rental information is subject to change with or without prior notification.
|
|