Nestled between the mountains, the ocean, and the homebase of tech titans like Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing, Seattle is full of contradictions. While busy workers often stress their brains more than their biceps, easy access to the great outdoors encourages all those engineers and programmers to paddle, hike, and climb in their free time. A year of temperate weather—never blazing hot, hardly ever freezing—means there’s no down season. Seattle is relatively young, with its highest concentration of residents between ages 25 and 34, but all ages like to get out and play, even on those Northwest rainy days.
Gyms are scattered throughout the city, but just as often residents take to the water on Lake Union, Lake Washington, and in the Puget Sounds to row, sail, and paddleboard. Nearby mountains and trails are havens for hikers and trail runners, and the paved BurkeGilman Trail, which travels from Ballard all the way east to the wineries of Woodinville, is often crowded with runners, walkers, and bikers.
Local is the watchword in Seattle, where the city’s great access to seafood and produce makes for healthy farmers markets and thoughtful chefs. Though Pike Place Market, the city’s famous hub, sells its share of fresh foods, locals flock to the weekly Ballard Farmers Market to fill their pantries with crisp veggies from local farms and prepared foods. The city hosts a number of groceries and co-ops that focus on fresh, healthy food including Metropolitan Market, PCC Natural Markets, and Portland’s newly-introduced New Seasons. When eating out, Seattle diners can find all-local cuisine at Local 360 (the majority of ingredients come from within 360 miles), the fine-dining Sitka & Spruce, or longtime vegetarian spot Cafe Flora.
