Imagine yourself sitting in a park on the Seattle waterfront, a double-tall latte and an almond croissant close at hand. The snowy peaks of the Olympic Mountains are shimmering on the far side of Puget Sound, and the ferryboats are coming and going across Elliott Bay. It's a summer day, and the sun is shining. (Hey, as long as we're dreaming, why not dream big?) It just doesn't get much better than this, unless of course you swap the latte for a microbrew and catch a 9:30 summer sunset. No wonder people love this town so much.
Okay, so the waterfront is as touristy as San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, but what a view! Seattle is a city of views, and the must-see vista is, of course, the panorama from the top of the Space Needle. With the 21st century in full swing, this image of the future looks decidedly mid-20th-century modern, but still, it's hard to resist an expensive elevator ride in any city. And you can even take a monorail straight out of The Jetsons to get there (and pass right through the Frank Gehry-designed Experience Music Project en route).
EMP, as the Experience Music Project has come to be known, is one of Seattle's latest architectural oddities. Its swooping, multicolored, metal-skinned bulk rises at the foot of the Space Needle, proof that real 21st-century architecture looks nothing like the vision of the future people dreamed of when the Space Needle was built for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. EMP is the brainchild of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, who built this rock 'n' roll cathedral to house his vast collection of Northwest rock memorabilia.
Paul Allen's money has also been hard at work changing the architectural face of the south end of downtown Seattle, where, in March 2000, the Kingdome stadium came crashing down, imploded to make way for the new, state-of-the-art Seahawks Stadium, which is home to Allen's Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. Together with the Seattle Mariners Safeco Field, the Seahawks Stadium has created a massive sports arena district at the south end of downtown Seattle.
Allen projects aside, Seattle has become one of the nation's most talked-about and popular cities, and life here has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. An influx of urban residents has brought a new vibrancy to the downtown area. As the city has grown wealthier and more sophisticated, it has built itself not just a new football stadium and a retractable-roof baseball stadium (Safeco Field), but also chic condominiums, a new symphony hall, glittering new hotels, and countless upscale restaurants and shops. Still in the works are a controversial light-rail system and an extension of Seattle's monorail -- although both projects have repeatedly stalled and may end up being sidetracked completely.
It's clear that Seattle has not grown complacent. Sure, it's become a congested city, with traffic problems rivaling those of L.A. And yes, the weather really is lousy for most of the year. But Seattleites manage to overcome these minor inconveniences, in large part by spilling out into the streets and parks whenever the sun shines. To visit Seattle in the summer is to witness an exodus; follow the lead of the locals and head for the great outdoors. Should you brave a visit in the rainy season, don't despair: There are compensations for such misfortune, including a roof on Pike Place Market and an espresso bar on every block.
Water, Water Everywhere...& Forests & Mountains, Too
Though the times may be a-changing for Seattle, one thing has stayed the same -- the beautiful and wild landscape that surrounds the city. The sparkling waters of Elliott Bay, Lake Union, and Lake Washington wrap around this city of shimmering skyscrapers, and forests of evergreens crowd the city limits. Everywhere you look, another breathtaking vista unfolds. With endless boating opportunities and beaches and mountains within a few hours' drive, Seattle is ideally situated for the outdoor pursuits that are so important to the fabric of life in the Northwest.
Few other cities in the United States are as immersed in the outdoor aesthetic as Seattle. The Cascade Range lies less than 50 miles to the east of downtown Seattle, and across Puget Sound stand the Olympic Mountains. In the spring, summer, and fall, the forests and mountains attract hikers, mountain bikers, anglers, and campers, and in winter the ski areas of Snoqualmie Pass and Stephens Pass draw snowboarders and skiers.
Though impressive mountains line both the city's eastern and western horizons, a glance to the southeast on a sunny day will reveal the city's most treasured sight -- Mount Rainier, a 14,410-foot-tall dormant volcano that looms large, so unexpected that it demands your attention. When "the Mountain is out," as they say here in Seattle, Seattleites head for the hills.
However, as important as "the Mountain" is to Seattle, it is water that truly defines the city's character. To the west lies Elliott Bay, an arm of Puget Sound; to the east is Lake Washington; and right in the middle of the city is Lake Union. With so much water all around, Seattle has become a city of boaters, who take to the water in everything from regally appointed yachts to slender sea kayaks. Consequently, the opening day of boating season has become one of Seattle's most popular annual festivals.
A City Driven by Caffeine
Despite Seattle's affinity for its nearby natural environment, this city is best known as the coffee capital of America. To understand Seattle's coffee addiction, it is necessary to study the city's geography and climate. Seattle lies at almost 50 degrees north latitude, which means that winter days are short. The sun comes up around 7:30am, goes down as early as 4:30pm, and is frequently hidden behind leaden skies. A strong stimulant is almost a necessity to get people out of bed through the gray days of winter. Seattleites love to argue over which espresso bar or cafe in town serves the best coffee (and the answer isn't always Starbucks, despite the famous coffee company's global expansion from its humble beginnings in Seattle's Pike Place Market).
Seattle's popularity and rapid growth, however, have not been entirely smooth. The streets and highways have been unable to handle the increased traffic load, and commuting has become almost as nightmarish as it is in California, whence so many of the city's recent transplants fled (ironically, partly due to the traffic congestion). With roads growing ever more crowded and the cost of living continuing to rise, Seattle may not be the Emerald City it once was, but it remains a metropolis in a singularly spectacular setting and a superb summertime vacation destination.
