Nationally recognized as one of the most livable cities in the
US, Seattle lies in the heart of several surrounding cities with over 200 miles of shoreline. To the East, enjoy the view from one of the two floating bridges. From the south, enter the city via Highway 99 or Interstate 5 and to the West, travel over our industrious Port and take a peak at Seattle’s beautifully contained city skyline. The diverse lay of the land in Seattle calls to many types of people and once here, you will find the general populace is unpretentious and relaxed. 

Seattle’s ever changing environment was incorporated in 1869 by our forefathers and due Seattle’s Great Fire just 20 years later, her entire business district burned to the ground in just one day. To much debate, a new city was then built on top of the old rubble, leaving an interesting underground city that can still be viewed in the Pioneer District's Underground Tour. During the Klondike Gold Rush, there was a rush of newcomers since Seattle was the last stop on The Great Northern Railway. Where else could they go? Various families and groups settled across the land and formed communities. 

Small pocket communities are still forming today, like Belltown. Once one of Seattle’s tallest hills, Belltown was flattened by the city and a few years ago was once again revamped, changing it from an unpleasant section of Seattle into high rises and artists lofts. To the north is the established Magnolia and cosmopolitan Queen Anne, once the wealthiest place in Seattle, now it houses many young urban professionals. Just beyond these two giants are Fremont, and Ballard. Both historic towns start at the waterfront and have been recognized for their artsy shops and festivals.

Also to the north is the University of Washington, a major public research university, it is the largest in the Pacific Northwest, with an annual research budget of one billion dollars. Many of the programs are ranked in the top ten by the U.S. News and World Report college rankings. To see a close-up short film of the U District, Click Here

The East Side 

Outside the sprawling city of Seattle and just 14 miles away, take the Interstate 90 bridge through gorgeous Mercer Island to get to the growing cities of the Eastside. To the far east is Issaquah, gateway to the Cascade foothills and a growing community. Further north, take the 520 bridge to upscale and technological Bellevue. Just north of Bellevue is Bothell and Redmond, home to the corporate offices of Microsoft, bringing vast amounts of technology and jobs to the area. Just south on the East Side is Renton, home of corporate Boeing. Renton is one of the last best places in that it is relatively close to downtown Seattle and affordable.

Business innovation

To kick-start your own career, click on the highlighted links for job opportunities in these Seattle companies...

Seattle continues today as a major contender in world business with old timers like Nordstrom and Boeing and the newer Real Networks, Expedia, Costco and HP. During World War II, The Boeing Company went from small airplane to a heavy bomber manufacturer in World War II. Boeing built the 707, America’s first passenger jet, and the Saturn V booster for the Apollo program. A major employer of King County residents, at one time supplied nearly half the jobs for the entire county. Microsoft, birthed in the late 70’s began from a couple hobbyists turned entrepreneurs and now leading the world in the development of computer software. They are the region’s second largest private sector employer, employing approximately 23,000 workers locally. In the last half of the 1990’s, internet related companies grew rapidly. Firms such as F5Networks, Amazon.com, Real Networks and many more expanded rapidly, fueling demand for thousands of workers in the Seattle region. Another world renowned giant, Starbucks started their first location in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Currently they’ve grown to over 5,715 outlets in 30 countries, according to a recent Starbucks fact sheet. Starbucks started a revolution in street corner coffee shops and continues to be ranked among Forbes’s 100 best employers to work for. As for Pike Place Market, what began on 1st and Pike in 1907, is all grown up and famous. Click Here to watch a streaming video of life at Pike Place.