Set apart from Downtown by the waters of Elliott Bay, yet connected by a 10-minute water taxi, West Seattle is a study in micro-neighborhoods, each with its own character and views. Fancy a view of the Downtown Skyline? The Olympic Mountains, the ferries crossing the Puget Sound to Vashon and Bainbridge Islands? Or perhaps a more up-close-and-personal view is in order? West Seattleites have a myriad of daily choices with lush old-growth parks, driftwood-strewn sandy beaches, and the shops and restaurants of the community’s three separate, walkable urban villages.

Tacoma bookends the South Seattle suburbs with its own urban experience. Originally a lumber town, Tacoma takes pride in a laid-back attitude, historic homes and buildings and its own University of Washington campus, among other universities. Moving north from Tacoma, the communities that stretch from T-Town to Lake Washington each offer a different living experience, with everything from a regional mall to a re-energized and walkable town center to towns that connect via light rail to Downtown Seattle.

Southeast Seattle is a cultural mosaic. In fact, it boasts the most diverse population in Washington State and one of its zip codes ranks among the most diverse in the United States. In Southeast Seattle, every day, a new discovery awaits. Neighborhoods offer everything from Lake Washington parks and beaches to the region’s best Ethiopian food to a renowned Japanese Garden to LGBTQIA+ owned small businesses to town centers with grit and character.

Equal parts green lawns and beaches, Puget Sound sunset views and town center family-owned restaurants, Southwest Seattle is a quiet retreat that hosts a robust Northwest lifestyle. From a large marina to hiking trails to extensive playfields and recreational centers, to a glacier-created, hidden kettle lake, in Southwest Seattle communities, neighbors still know one another’s names.

One of Seattle’s original seven hills, Queen Anne was spared the wrath of R.H. Thomson, a self-proclaimed Hill Hater who became the city’s engineer in 1892. Denny Hill? Not so fortunate. Where would we have been without Queen Anne’s top-of-the-hill views in the long-running TV series, Frasier? The lower part of the hill is equally famous, however, as it hosts the cultural hub of the Seattle Center and Seattle’s most recognizable spire, the Space Needle.

Known for their tight-knit communities and excellent schools influenced by their proximity to the University of Washington and its affiliated medical centers, the suburbs north of Seattle offer elbow room, living rooms and options! Split commuters can easily find their way north to Boeing and Everett, east to Bellevue’s busy downtown or south to Seattle. Historically streetcar suburbs of Seattle, north Seattle will soon be on the rails once more with the northern extension and expansion of Sound Transit’s light rail.

Set just north of the University of Washington, Northeast Seattle is likely where the moniker, Evergreen State came from. Spacious homesites, wandering lush parks and immense fir and pine trees combine for a relaxed, northwest, outdoor lifestyle. Lake Washington is Northeast Seattle’s playground, juxtaposed by retail and restaurants that support a decision to never leave.

Begin at the 534-wild-acres of Discovery Park that greet the Puget Sound. Visit the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, an urban base for Native Americans in the Seattle area, and enjoy the annual SeaFair Indian Days Powwow. Continue through the park’s gates and wander the crisp tree-lined streets of Magnolia’s neighborhoods until you reach the eclectic mix of density, golf, breweries and destination retail in the Interbay area. Catch Seattle’s fishing fleet and the famed Deadliest Catch boats leaving port, engage with fishermen/women as they tend their nets at Fishermen’s Terminal or watch Expedia’s high-tech workforce meet in a pavilion along the Elliott Bay Trail. You’ll find that Magnolia is a compelling mix of contrasts offering a tight-knit neighborhood with distinct Northwest character.

Sleepless in Seattle likely made Lake Union more famous than it already was here in the Northwest. This is a neighborhood that is all about floating after all. Floating homes line the lake, float planes land on the lake, and the rowing shells of the University of Washington’s Boys (and Women) in the Boat do more than float – they race across the water. Laid-back and friendly communities surround the water, and the Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop offers its outdoorsy residents a trail to bike, run, hike or wander on.

Island time is real. And even though the isles of the Salish Sea are connected by land, bridges or boats, time does slow down when you step off of your ferry. Each community celebrates its own independent character. Imagine: a town known as Little Norway; a member of the San Juan archipelago that annually elects a local animal as its symbolic mayor; and a hilly island that gave birth to K2 skis.

Renowned for exceptional schools, Seattle’s eastside suburbs have become a cultural crossroads in recent years. Employers such as Microsoft and Amazon recruit around the globe, bringing people from all corners of the world to the eastern edge of Lake Washington. With acres of open space, lakes and parks contrasting destination retail, cuisine from a multitude of countries and a mix of estate homes and suburban family-oriented masterplans, the eastside is a suburb that is far from sleepy.

Historic terra cotta structures mix with sleek glass towers, Olmstead parks decorate the city with a verdant jewel necklace, and carefully preserved mansions pay homage to Seattle’s founding families. Children and adults alike pose for photos with Rachel the Pig, families gather for Dim Sum and the Flagship Nordstrom welcomes shoppers from around the globe. Downtown is alive with energy, a mash-up of new and old, green and glass, culture and history.

Home to the Chittenden Locks, a giant troll and strolling retail streets bursting with hyper-local shops and restaurants, Ballard is equal parts Scandinavian heritage, charming bungalow and maritime spirit. Ballard’s residential neighborhoods offer mountain and Sound vistas, wandering natural areas and immediate access to recreation, both on and off the water.

Green Lake, the body of water that the neighborhood is named for, is a recreation magnet. On any given day, joggers, bikers and dog walkers circumnavigate the lake, while rowers, paddlers, and swimmers entertain the resident duck population in and on the water. Tennis, pickleball, softball and soccer add to the energy of North Seattle’s central park. Surrounded by slow streets offering a mix of Northwest Modern, Mid-Century and carefully maintained Craftsman homes, Green Lake is an outdoor-living destination.

The Seattle Asian Art Museum, street after street of exceptional, hip and local restaurants, rainbow-painted crosswalks, stunning natural parks, historic stately homes and edgy modern condo buildings. This neighborhood has it all. From the Jimmy Hendrix statue that is often accompanied by a live guitarist, to the dahlia garden at Volunteer Park to the quiet hiking trails of Interlaken Park, Capitol Hill lives life out loud.

Rooted in its history as a center of Seattle’s Black community, Central Seattle is equal parts jazz and blues, Lake Washington views, soul food, Victorian architecture and new, modern multi-story loft homes. A neighborhood that has experienced significant change in the past decade, Central Seattle is a place where residents are actively shaping its destiny.