Seattle in 400 Words

I'm not a native of the area. But I know most people are hip to the Pacific Northwest propaganda. Green, green, green. Yeah, it's green. Yeah, it's lovely. Yeah, it rains a lot -- a real lot. It's consistently ranked among the top 10 rainiest cities in the United States. If you like rain, if you think it's romantic, the Emerald City is going to be your kind of town.

The area was inhabited for about 4,000 years before the Seahawks and Mariners and Sounders set up shop. It used to be the home of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. In 1853 all that changed when the Europeans came to visit.

Predictably, by the end of the 20th Century, the area was home to a few thousand Europeans. The natives? Well, they were relocated or burned out of their homes. You know, the typical tactics. By'97, Seattle became a hub for the Yukon Gold craze that was sweeping the nation.

Seattle, ever the chameleon, managed to recast itself as a shipbuilding and shipping hub when the gold ore dried up. It was an industrial city, home to the largest west coast shipyard in the country. The builders and tradesmen were so plentiful Seattle would host the first general strike in US history. In fact, all the labor disputes and attempts to break the burgeoning unions meant a good deal of shipbuilding contracts were moved to Los Angeles.

Thanks to some shrewd tax incentives, Seattle manage to lure the aircraft industry right around the end of World War II. The big boy on the block, Boeing was headquartered in Seattle until 2001, when it moved to Chicago. Still, the Emerald City is home to a hefty Boeing presence. That, and Starbucks, Nike, and Hewlett-Packard. Somehow, people manage to stay productive with 226 days a year of cloud cover and rain.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

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If you're in town for a protracted visit or on business, you might want to reconsider your average hotel, especially if you're going to be here for more than a month. You can find sumptuous accommodations at any of the Bellevue hotels or corporate housing facilities.

by: Myer Thompson

Total views: 4 Word Count: 312 Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 Time: 3:40 PM - 0 comments

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