Top 10 Reasons to Love Seattle

From major employers like Microsoft and Amazon to the amazing outdoor adventures, don’t let Seattle’s casual style fool you. Seattle is full of intellectuals who appreciate the weather, take their dogs to wineries, and like to watch funky bands play in artisan coffee houses. Here are our top ten reasons why we think Seattle is amazing:

1. Job Availability
2. Casual Style
3. The Great Outdoors
4. The Weather
5. Music Scene
6. Smart People
7. Eclectic Neighborhoods
8. 12th Man
9. Dogs Are People
10. Coffee

Job Availability: In 2014, Seattle was #1 out of 150 most populated cities for Wallet Hub’s top “Best and Worst Cities to Find Jobs”. Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft, Group Health & Weyerhaeuser are just a few among the top employers in and around the city of Seattle. The $15/hour minimum wage doesn’t hurt either, even with all of its controversy.

Casual Style: To go with those amazing job opportunities, Seattle is known for its hip and casual style. Whether you trace it back to the logging history or to the recent pioneer in be-comfy-work-longer-hours started by Microsoft in the late ’80s, the city definitely has it’s own unique dress code standards. If by chance you forget your own North Face or REI jacket, no worries….in Seattle, they are as easy to find as donning your flip flops in October.

The Great Outdoors: Rightfully dubbed as an “outdoor mecca”, in Seattle you can actually make a day trip out of traversing the snowy peaks or kayaking the San Juan Islands. Nearly every direction you look has a majestic mountain range in sight. You’ll find everything from National Parks and volcanoes to Japanese gardens and nature rich beaches. The Mother Nature Network has even classified Seattle as one of the top 15 U.S. Cities for outdoor enthusiasts.

Weather: We know, we know, you think it rains all the time in Seattle. Did you know that Seattle gets less rainfall than pretty much every major city along the eastern seaboard? Seattle is actually ranked #44 in the “Major U.S. Cities Average Annual Rainfall”. The rainfall occurs over larger periods of time creating less of a downpour so Seattleites rarely carry umbrellas. Seattle summers? Well, they’re actually nothing short of STUNNING; think along the lines of 75 degrees and 0% humidity. There might be a little more gray between October and May than you are used to but it’s never enough to stop the locals from taking year-round advantage of all the outdoors has to offer.

Music Scene: Aside from Jimi Hendrix’s well known Seattle roots, early grunge bands like Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and even Alice in Chains were hitting the top of national charts in the late ’80s to early ’90s. Queensryche started the heavy metal persuasion and Sir Mix-a-Lot was front and center when the Hip-Hop scene started to heat up. Seattle’s more recent claim to fame is the production of Macklemore, an avid Seattle sports fan and American rapper most noted for his recent award-winning song, “Thrift Shop”. Music will always be a huge part of Seattle’s culture and their top-notch venues have been touted as some of the best in the nation.

Smart People: According to Fast Company, Seattle was ranked #1 in “The 10 Smartest Cities in North America”. Many believe this is due to the cities ability to attract and retain entrepreneurial talent. Others feel that it’s the city’s predisposition towards sustainability giving them a naturally elevated civic intelligence score. Whether it’s the brainiacs at Microsoft or the influx of entrepreneurs, Seattle’s outdoorsy, coffee drinking, fleece-clad residents are topping the IQ lists for sure.

Eclectic Neighborhoods: Seattle has some of the most culturally influenced yet stylishly diverse neighborhoods around. From Lower Queen Anne with it’s young artistic vibe; to Ballard where young families create a unique sense of community; to the hip and trendy First Hill. Other notable neighborhoods are Fremont (otherwise known as “The Peoples Republic of Fremont”), West Seattle and of course… across Lake Washington to the Eastside where true suburban cities are countless and flourishing.

12th Man: Although the 12th Man phrase didn’t originate in Seattle with the Seahawks, it certainly has some strong roots there. Seattleites are known as the most loyal fans in the NFL. You virtually can’t go anywhere in Seattle without seeing a 12th Man flag…or T-shirt…or license plate…or window sticker…or earrings…or tattoo; you get the idea. With a Guinness World Record of 137.6 decibels, the Seahawk fans are officially a mere 12.4 decibels away from pure unadulterated eardrum rupture. Want to make friends fast when moving to Seattle? Become a true “12” and bleed Blue.

Dogs Are People: It’s true. There are more canines than children living within Seattle City limits. People in Seattle love their dogs. As one of the top 20 U.S destinations for those wanting to travel with their 4 legged friends, you’ll not only find a plethora of leash-free dog parks but a large collection of dog-friendly restaurants, ice cream shops, wineries and much, much more. You are even likely to find small breeds in backpacks, strollers, and grocery carts at the non-dog-friendly establishments…most of them with a cute little shirt on or some shiny rain boots in the event of inclement weather. Let me repeat, people in Seattle love their dogs.

Coffee: Coffee in Seattle is not a drink. It’s an artisan hand-crafted experience. There are nearly twice as many coffee shops in Seattle as in other U.S. cities comparable in size and Starbucks is only a part of that picture. There is actually a huge selection of independent roasters and unique sip-stations densely scattered throughout the city. It’s not about a shot coming out of a machine. It’s about temperature, crema, extraction time, grind, pre-infusion, pressure, ristretto, steam, tamping and then….the first sip. Be sure you assault your personal social media channels if you are lucky enough to come across the coveted “God Shot”.

In conclusion, while Seattle isn’t for everyone, it’s proving to be a major thriving metropolis, oozing with high IQ’s, high minimum wages, extensive job opportunities, eclectic music scenes and an award-winning collection of dog lovers. Not to mention your Grande, Iced, Sugar-Free, Vanilla Latte With Soy Milk served in your amazingly sustainable coffee cup.