Your Guide to Buying a Home in Seattle, WA

Buying a Home in Seattle, Washington

(The Space Needle)

Seattle is located in King County

Seattle's natural beauty inspires even the most committed couch potatoes. Add the inherent heartiness of the natives, and it's obvious why REI and Eddie Bauer found their niche here. After all, this is home to the likes of twin brothers Jim and Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountain climbers of the 20th century, who stroll up and down Mount Rainier about as often as most of us go out for a latte. The best in urban recreation is at your toes and at your fingertips around Seattle--spectacularly scenic golf, kayaking and canoeing, fishing and clamming, hiking, urban parks including Discovery Park (Magnolia neighborhood), Seward Park (Lake Washington) and Woodland Park Zoo and Rose Gardens. A short drive out of the city leads to skiing, snowboarding, river rafting, hiking and some of the most scenic parks around: Mt. Rainier National Park, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park and Rainforest, and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Seattle does NOT lead U.S. cities in annual rainfall--that's just a rumor perpetuated by wily residents. At 37 inches per year, it's less than Miami (56 inches), New York (42), Atlanta (51) and Boston (41), to mention only a few. Not that we're defensive ... 

Seattle has more two-wheeled commuters than any other American city. Could be due to 30 miles of bike-pedestrian trails, 90 miles of signed bike routes, and 16 miles of bike lanes on city streets.

Practice a few toeholds on the climbing wall at REI's flagship store just east of downtown. Get more gear here, and also at Eddie Bauer, Patagonia and The North Face--all downtown.

Seattle is the #2 Fittest City in the U.S., according to Men's Fitness Magazine (2003).

The world's first hydroplane racing boat was built in Seattle, and hydroplane racing continues to be big news here. Especially during the annual summer Seafair Celebration (races in early August).

With more than 300 courses in the state, golf continues to attract. Seattle hosted the PGA Golf Championships (1998) and the World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational (2002). You'll find a winning course out there, too.

"People always ask me why I came to Seattle, and they expect the usual response — that I came for the outdoors or the lifestyle. That's all very nice, but I came for the art," said Seattle Symphony maestro Gerard Schwarz in a recent Travel & Leisure interview about his move here. A trip to Seattle offers more opportunities to experience arts and culture than you can probably fit in, but you'll have fun trying. Seattle's cultural scene continues to flourish with nationally respected opera, ballet, art galleries, museums, festivals, and theater. In fact, Seattle boasts more theaters than any comparably sized US city, and the number of total performances ranks second only to New York. Seattle is one of only six American cities with resident major symphony, opera and ballet companies. Music ranges from a lively club scene to a vital jazz community to the internationally acclaimed Seattle Symphony. Experience Music Project celebrates popular music with a one-of-a-kind mix of interactive exhibits, unique artifacts, and live performance, all in a mind-blowing building designed by Frank Gehry. Whether your interests run to contemporary or traditional art, aviation, Asian art, Nordic cultures, native cultures or history, Seattle's many museums offer something for everyone. Seattle's International Film Festival, held annually mid-May to mid-June, is the largest film festival in the country. In Seattle, art is lifestyle. Sculpture, murals and paintings are visible in museums and galleries as well as on manhole covers (Westlake Park), embedded in sidewalks (Broadway), in bus tunnel stations and outdoor plazas. Many past and present artists have been nurtured by the rich Seattle environment: world-renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly; wildlife photographer Art Wolfe; jazz singers Ernestine Anderson and Diane Schuur; choreographers Pat Graney and Mark Morris; painters and sculptors George Tsutakawa, Mark Tobey, Jacob Lawrence and Morris Graves; writers Rebecca Wells, Tom Robbins, David Guterson, August Wilson, Ann Rule, Charles Cross and Sherman Alexie, to name just a few.

ON VIEW: Artists put the "see" in Seattle, where visitors encounter innovative and approachable public art, often in unexpected places. Some 190 galleries and 14 museums offer feasts for the senses, and gallery walks thrive in almost every neighborhood.

ON STAGE: From world-renowned Seattle Opera to legendary rock 'n' roll — and all that jazz in between — the stage is always set for live concerts. Seattle's vibrant theatre scene launches Broadway productions and exciting alternative work on the fringe. If pirouettes are more your groove, our dancers know the moves. Audiences are adventurous, embracing classics and bold contemporary works. And casual dress is OK.

ON FIRE: It's our volcanic nature! How else can we explain our fascination with the fire arts? Seattle is a world center for contemporary glass — but you'll also find exquisite jewelry, ceramics and metal art born of the earth and fire. Art so hot it's cool!

ON THE TABLE: Round out the fine art of living, Seattle-style with distinguished culinary artistry and our liquid assets of strong coffee, award-winning wines and serious microbrews. Great art and great dining go hand to mouth in Seattle.