SEATTLE, WA
Seattle is the largest city by population in the U.S state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The encompassing Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan statistical area is the 15th largest in the United States. A port city, it is located the western part of the state between Puget Sound, an arm of the Pacific Ocean, and Lake Washington about 96 miles (154 km) south of the Canada – United States border. A major economic, cultural and educational center in the region, Seattle is the county seat of King County.
The Seattle area has been inhabited for at least 4,000 years, but European settlement began only in the mid-19th century. The first permanent white settlers—Arthur A. Denny and those subsequently known as the Denny Party—arrived November 13, 1851. Early settlements in the area were called "New York-Alki" ("Alki" meaning "by and by" in the local Chinook Jargon) and "Duwamps." In 1853, Doc Maynard suggested that the main settlement be renamed "Seattle," an anglicized rendition of the name of Sealth, the chief of the two local tribes.
The Space Needle, dating from the Century 21 Exposition (1962), is Seattle's most recognizable landmark, having been featured in the logo of the television show Frasier and the backgrounds of the television series Grey's Anatomy and iCarly, and films such as Sleepless in Seattle. The fairgrounds surrounding the Needle have been converted into Seattle Center, which remains the site of many local civic and cultural events, such as Bumbershoot, Folklife, and the Bite of Seattle. Seattle Center plays multiple roles in the city, ranging from a public fair ground to a civic center, though recent economic losses have called its viability and future into question. The Seattle Center Monorail was also constructed for Century 21 and still runs from Seattle Center to Westlake Center, a downtown shopping mall, a little over a mile to the southeast.
Pike Place Market, a popular destination for tourists and locals
The Smith Tower was the tallest building on the West Coast from its completion in 1914 until the Space Needle overtook it in 1962. The late 1980s saw the construction of Seattle's two tallest skyscrapers: the 76 story Columbia Center (completed 1985) is the tallest building in the Pacific Northwest and the fourth tallest building west of the Mississippi River; the Washington Mutual Tower (completed 1988) is Seattle's second tallest building. Other notable Seattle landmarks include Pike Place Market, the Fremont Troll, the Experience Music Project (at Seattle Center), and the Seattle Central Library.
Starbucks has been at Pike Place Market since the coffee company was founded there in 1971. The first store is still operating a block south of its original location. The National Register of Historic Places has over 150 Seattle listings. The city also designates its own landmarks.
Seattle's mild climate is usually classified as Marine west coast (Cfb).However, its wet-winter and dry-summer pattern shows some characteristics of a Mediterranean climate (Csb), and it is sometimes classified this way.Temperature extremes are moderated by adjacent Puget Sound, the greater Pacific Ocean, and Lake Washington. |
