The Pike Place Market sign in Seattle, WA.
Image by Gabriele.

To start out the new year, let me take you on a virtual trip to Seattle the fastest growing (i.e. increasing in population) city in America. Maybe after reading this post you will want to be one of the next people to move to this city and help keep it growing!

Seattle is a city on the water in the American Pacific Northwest. It is located on an isthmus (isthmus = a narrow strip of land) in Puget Sound. Puget Sound is a bay that is part of the Pacific Ocean. Because there is so much water around Seattle, many people who live in Seattle travel to and from work each day by ferry (ferry = a boat used for transporting passengers and goods on a regular schedule). The ferries in Seattle are part of the public transportation system, just like buses or trains. Also, because Seattle is located on the water, it is a major shipping port for the United States; a lot of goods come through Seattle!

Seattle, of course, has a large fishing industry because of its watery location. You can see fishing boats docked (docked = parked) on its many piers and buy fresh fish everyday at the famous Pike Place Market. Seattle has more than just a water-based economy though, it is also a very important technological center in the United States. Major tech companies like Microsoft are based in Seattle, but also minor tech companies, called start-ups (start-up = a new business), are also found in Seattle. The famous online super-store Amazon is also based here.

Seattle is definitely known for its music scene. Many musicians have gotten their start in Seattle; famous artists like Ray Charles, Fleet Foxes, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc. One of my favorite artists, Brandi Carlile, also started her career in Seattle. There are always shows, small and large, to go to in this city.

Oh, and let’s not forget about coffee. Seattle is known for its coffee! The very first Starbucks Coffee Company shop was opened in Seattle in 1971. Here is a picture of it and the line of people waiting to get a cup of coffee from the “mother ship” (mother ship = a place known as the base or source). People who live in Seattle really do love their coffee! There are coffee shops everywhere in this city. In fact, there is a Starbucks on almost every street corner in downtown Seattle.

The first Starbucks Coffee shop, located in Seattle, WA.
Image by Gabriele.

Downtown Seattle is where you will find most of this city’s tourist attractions. Perhaps the most famous of these is Pike Place Market. Pike Place Market is a public market that was opened in 1907 and has been running continuously since then. This market is full of small businesses, which sell fresh fruit, flowers, small crafts and most famously fresh fish. The fish venders are known for tossing or throwing whole fish around while selling them.

Fish for sale in Pike Place Market.
Image by Gabriele.

Near Pike Place market, on the water, is the “Seattle Great Wheel” one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world (Ferris wheel = a giant revolving wheel with passenger cars for riding). Tour boats for whale watching trips, fishing trips, and cruises to Canada and Alaska leave from nearby piers. There are also countless museums in Seattle, but my number one recommendation is the Experience Music Project (EMP). The EMP is a museum about contemporary popular (“pop”) culture, and music, of course.

Last, but not least, I need to dispel a myth about Seattle. Seattle is known as a very rainy city. It is actually ranks 44^th among American cities for its annual rainfall – that means 44 other American cities get more rain each year than Seattle does, including places like New York City, Miami, and New Orleans! The reason people think Seattle is so rainy is because it has a lot of days with a small amount of rain. When it does rain in Seattle, it tends to be a very light drizzle, which isn’t bothersome. You should definitely bring your umbrella or raincoat with you to Seattle, but you probably will only feel a few sprinkles (sprinkles = scattered drops of rain) you won’t have to deal with a downpour (downpour = very heavy rain fall).

What do you think, are you a music loving, coffee drinking, person who likes to live by the water? If so than maybe the city of Seattle is just the place for you.