Seattle, Washington
As the birthplace of grunge music and the Starbucks coffeehouse, the City of Seattle, Washington, has already secured its place in the annals of modern pop culture. For a long while it seemed every struggling garage band was moving to Seattle. Not long after, dot-com entrepreneurs and venture capitalists began moving to Seattle, as well. Sophisticated, savvy and cosmopolitan, Seattle welcomed its new residents with open arms—and a steaming cup of java. With its recession-proof economy, highly educated workforce, myriad recreational and cultural attractions and pleasant, laid-back ambience, Seattle has not seen the last of the newcomers.
Economy:
Seattle has a truly diversified economy that encompasses the agriculture, aerospace, high technology, services, health care, manufacturing and international trade sectors. Home to the fifth largest container port in the U.S., Seattle is a major port city for trans-Pacific and European trade. Aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co. and e-commerce behemoth Amazon.com are both headquartered in Seattle. The biotechnology and retail sectors also contribute significantly to the local economy, as do the smaller enterprises. Major goods produced in the region are food, textiles, construction materials, clothing, canned fish and fruit, and airplanes. Its extensive transportation infrastructure has helped Seattle become the principal trade, distribution, financial and services center for the Northwest. Seattle’s pool of well-educated, highly skilled workforce continues to grow as more professionals are moving to Seattle for better jobs and quality of life.
History:
In 1851, five pioneer families from Illinois landed at Alki Point on the western edge of Elliot Bay but soon migrated to the more sheltered eastern side where they established a small settlement that would become Seattle. Logging and timber trade became the primary source of growth in the area. In 1852, Henry Yesler started building the first steam-powered mill in the Pacific Northwest. A big fire broke out in 1889, reducing nearly the entire town in ashes. The massive rebuilding effort that followed stimulated the economy by providing thousands of new jobs and increasing demand for construction-related goods and services. The discovery of gold in the Klondike region of Canada in 1896 brought thousands of people moving to Seattle, whose temperate climate and location made it the ideal stop for those heading to the Klondike in search of fortune.
In 1916 Boeing was incorporated in Seattle by William E. Boeing as “Pacific Aero Products Co.” Settle hosted the 1962 World’s Fair, wherein the city unveiled many of its famous structures, including the Space Needle and the Monorail. In the wake of the 1970s oil crisis and the ensuing economic downturn, Seattle began to diversify its economic base to reduce its heavy reliance on Boeing. In the 1990s, Seattle became the nesting ground for dot-com enterprises and a formidable hub for information technology and research. In the closing decades of the twentieth century, Seattle gave birth to yet another global phenomenon: the coffeehouse culture, led by giant coffee chain Starbucks Coffee Co.
Tourism:
Anyone moving to Seattle should start getting used to the word “metronatural.” That’s the word coined by the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau to describe the city that seamlessly melds a vibrant, sophisticated metropolis and pristine natural surroundings. If you want to see the “metro,” enjoy breathtaking 360-degree views of the city from the observation deck of the iconic Space Needle, see what happens when music meets science fiction at the Experience Music Project Science Fiction Museum, or hop aboard the Seattle Center Monorail. If you wish to experience the “natural,” stroll through Seward Park’s 300 acres of glorious forest land, home to an old growth forest, native plant garden, amphitheater, art studio, a bike and walking path and miles of hiking trails. Or explore the 534-acre Discovery Park’s protected tidal beaches, open meadowlands, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves and active sand dunes. With all of these fun activities, it's no wonder why Seattle moving companies are so busy.
Colleges/Universities:
• University of Washington
• Seattle Pacific University
• Seattle University
Interesting Facts:
• Seattle’s historic Park Place Market, which opened in 1907, is the oldest continuously operating farmer’s market in the U.S.
• Contrary to popular belief, the Seattle Space Needle was the second, not the first, revolving restaurant in the U.S. The first was La Ronde restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• The first Starbucks opened in 1971 at the Pike Place Market in Seattle.
• Seattle was the birthplace of the 1990s grunge music scene.
Helpful Links:
• Seattle Real Estate
• Seattle Storage Facility
• Seattle Insurance
• Seattle Dental Offices
• Seattle Moving Guide