When "the mountain is out," it is sure to be a spectacular day.
Seattle is well-known for its idyllic placement among the splendid vistas of the Pacific Northwest.
Situated on Puget Sound, the city lies between the Olympic Mountains and the Cascades, with the towering 14,410-foot Mt. Rainier to the southeast.
When "the mountain is out," as the locals refer to the clear magnificent views of Mt. Rainier, it is sure to be a spectacular day. And rain? Actually, Seattle has less rainfall per year than New York City, Houston, Boston or Philadelphia. The temperate climate makes Seattle ideal for outdoor life.
Get Outside
With many sites and activities woven into the city’s fabric, outdoor lovers unite. Whether you run, bike, blade or drive to get there, cooking out with friends on the beach while watching the sun set behind the snow-capped Olympics that overlook the Puget Sound is truly breathtaking.
Board a ferry and head to the San Juan Islands as the grandeur of the Olympic Peninsula consumes you. Get in the car or take the train and head three hours north to beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, or three hours south to Portland, Oregon.
East of the Cascade mountains, the topography of Washington changes dramatically and becomes desert with vast open spaces to explore.
Not that you have to go far to enjoy life outside. Grab a latté and walk the dog around Green Lake. Take respite from the city or your busy resident life by spending some quiet time in the acres of ornamental gardens and open spaces that display unique collections of plants and landscape features at the Washington Park Arboretum.
If carving turns in the powder is your thing, Washington is an outstanding place to be a skier or snowboarder. Slopes are less than an hour away in the Cascade Mountains and Whistler/Blackcomb is close by in British Columbia.
Amazing day hikes exist all over Western Washington–go camp and backpack around Rainier–or better yet, climb it! Kayak around Lake Union and stop and have a picnic lunch at Gas Works Park.
Even your commute can be fun. Many residents, faculty, and hospital staff choose to walk, run, or bike to Children’s via the Burke-Gilman Trail which is a 14-mile mixed use trail, free of auto traffic, that runs right by the hospital.
Feed Your Soul
In Seattle, music, art and theater are strongly supported.
Seattle’s music scene is, in a word, happening. There are more than 80 music clubs for all ages and tastes, while there are also beautiful outdoor concerts, such as the annual Bumbershoot outdoor festival, Summer Nights at the Pier, and Woodland Park Zoo concert series.
Music lovers can take advantage of the Benaroya Symphony Hall, home to the Seattle Symphony, the Seattle Opera Company, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Seattle has five art museums and 190 galleries. Popular exhibits include displays of fine art, modern art, and folk art from Asian-American and Native American cultures.
Art lovers of all types gather on the second Saturday of each month to stroll along the Ballard Art Walk and enjoy music and tasty treats while visiting the shops, watering holes, and galleries the neighborhood has to offer. Pioneer Square galleries have a “First Thursday” Art walk, as well, where Seattle’s urban center meets the world of fine art.
Eat Your Heart Out
Seattle is a foodie’s delight. From neighborhood haunts to acclaimed celebrity chefs, dining is an experience in sheer culinary artistry and one that is distinctly our own.
With the abundance of fresh local seasonal ingredients like halibut, salmon, Dungeness crab, Penn Cove mussels, Walla Walla sweet onions, mushrooms, apples, peaches, berries and asparagus, it may be hard to decide whether to eat out or spend the day at Pike Place Market or one of the many weekly neighborhood farmer’s markets procuring goodies for a feast at home.
Did you know that the climate in Seattle is similar to that of some of the finest wine making regions in France? More than 50 wineries are based in the Puget Sound appellation and more than twice that in the surrounding Oregon and Cascade regions.
While Seattle certainly lives up to the "coffee house on every corner" reputation, it is also home to the Red Hook and Pyramid breweries and more than 20 brewpubs.
Where to Live?
Seattle offers a multitude of neighborhood communities, each exuding its own personality.
The Central District was once a hotbed of the civil rights movement; today it has become a diverse residential neighborhood including family-owned businesses and historic houses designated as city landmarks.
Capitol Hill is a thriving urban center considered to be the center of Seattle’s gay community.
Belltown is where downtown urban highrise living meets upscale trendy nightclubs and restaurants – all with magnificent Puget Sound views.
Home to amazing restaurants and shopping, the International District is perhaps the only area in the United States where Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, African Americans, Vietnamese, Koreans and Cambodians settled together to build a single neighborhood.
Ballard has a Scandinavian flair and some of the best seafood and live music around.
Fremont, a popular neighborhood for residents, features an eclectic mix of shops, ethnic restaurants, and artist studios.
Queen Anne rises above the Space Needle on a hill with Victorian houses and a truly stunning view.
Put It All Together
Regardless of what you like to do in your free time, we believe that Seattle is a decidedly friendly place to live.
Residents can enjoy the feel of unique neighborhoods along with the excitement and opportunities of a large city. With many parks, an active job market, friendly neighborhoods, and the ongoing social events offered through the residency program, Seattle is a wonderful place to live and work.
Good luck to you during your residency search. We hope that you will choose to visit us and explore all that Seattle has to offer – at work and at play.