Tucked into the northwestern corner of Seattle is the community of Ballard, once the first commercial district in the area, but now a neighborhood dotted with indie shops and boutiques, edgy restaurants, and craft breweries.
Bellevue, on the eastern shore of Lake Washington, is the second largest city area in the state, mirroring the skyline of Seattle to its west.
On the southeast corner of Lake Burien, just minutes away from downtown Seattle, lies a beautiful community in the process of renovating its infrastructure, sprucing up its curb appeal, and increasing its walkability.
Just east of Seattle’s downtown business district is a nexus of energy and individual expression.
Seventeen miles north of Seattle on the I-5 lies a veritable crossroads on Puget Sound. Accessible via bus, train, ferry and car, and infinitely walkable once you get here, Edmonds sits in the ideal spot to view the Cascades and Olympic Mountain ranges, and the views of the Sound can’t be beat.
Just north of Tacoma lies Federal Way, a town which has embraced both land and water. The major company Weyerhauser has directed some of its profits from lucrative logging lands to build beautiful Rhododendron and Bonsai Gardens and the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center, a state-of-the-art facility used for Olympic training and state and regional competitions.
Just north of downtown Seattle is Green Lake, a community built around a park much like New York’s Central Park district. At its heart, Green Lake’s gigantic water feature attracts swimmers, waders, and people-powered boats of all types, while circling the lake you will find joggers, skaters, and strollers on the wide path.
Fifteen miles southeast of Seattle is one of the best places to live in the country, according to Sunset and Outdoor magazines. Issaquah is a conglomeration of several neighborhoods, each with its own unique vibe.
As the crow flies, Kirkland, one of Money Magazine’s Top Ten Best Places to Live in the USA, is just eight miles northeast of Seattle on spectacular Lake Washington.
Five miles from downtown Seattle is a hilly peninsula and an active community. Magnolia is home of Discovery Park, 534 acres of meadows, hiking trails, sandy beaches dotted with tide pools, and all-year nature education.
Twenty-two miles southeast of busy downtown Seattle is a town Family Circle calls one of the top ten welcoming cities in the country, as well as one of the top ten safest places in Washington – Maple Valley.
Halfway between Seattle and Bellevue in the middle of Lake Washington lies Mercer Island, a quiet respite from those hectic big cities.
It takes only fifteen miles on the freeway to get to Redmond from downtown Seattle, but the two towns couldn’t be further apart in terms of atmosphere.
Downtown Seattle is the heart of the most eclectic, energetic city in the Pacific Northwest. There’s no downtime when you have the Seattle Art Museum by day and The Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall, and 5th Avenue and Paramount Theaters, among many others, by night.
Just north of the Seattle city limits and right on Puget Sound, Shoreline is a suburban wonderland.
South of the SeaTac airport and north of Olympia is a city undergoing a dramatic transformation to recapture and redefine its glory days. Tacoma has leashed the power of the creatives – the visionaries, artists, and writers – along with businesses both large and tiny, to preserve and display its storied past and leap into its hopeful future.
As you cross the Duwamish River west of Seattle, you come upon views that will take your breath away. The Olympic Mountains rise ahead of you, Puget Sound surrounds you, and at your back are the Cascades and the Seattle cityscape, with Elliot Bay shores beneath you.