Tacoma is just over 30 miles from Seattle--about a 35-minute drive if there's no traffic. Many people commute from Seattle apartments to Tacoma.

Thankfully, Seattle is one of the most walkable cities in the country. If you're looking for an apartment near downtown Seattle, check out Pioneer, Square, the International District, Belltown, and Lower Queen Anne, as these are all highly walkable neighborhoods.

There are lots of pre-schools in downtown Seattle, including some highly-regarded Montessori schools. Check out apartments in any of the downtown neighborhoods, like Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill, Central District, or First Hill.

Fremont is one of the Seattle's liveliest neighborhoods. It is called “the Center of the Universe." Located north of the Ship Canal that connects Lake Union to Puget Sound, this neighborhood is famous for its artsy air and lively mix of bistros, bookstores, boutiques and coffee shops.

Seattle is affectionately referred to by it's mayor as a city of neighborhoods. This is mostly in virtue of the fact that Seattle proper has expanded to include neighboring towns. The Seattle metro area is a pretty compact areal; for example, Bellevue, a rapidly growing town is only 5 miles away, though it can be classified as suburban in regards to housing type and neighborhood feel. Mercer Island, east of Seattle as well, is also a suburb from which many people commute to downtown Seattle.

A lot of families end up living outside Seattle, since suburbs like Bellevue and Mercer Island are very close to downtown Seattle, but if you would like a more downtown experience, we recommend either Fremont or Green Lake, located North of Downtown, or Queen Anne Hill, located south of Downtown and Lake Union. If you want to be a bit further from downtown, check out the Fauntleroy district.

Queen Anne is a great Seattle neighborhood with a low crime rate and several amenities nearby, including grocery stores, cafes, bars, and restaurants. Ballard is another safe Seattle neighborhood, but housing prices tend to be a little bit higher in this area. Some other safe neighborhoods in Seattle include the pedestrian-friendly Greenlake, Greenwood, Capital Hill, and Fremont.

As the birthplace of Starbucks and many independently-owned joints, coffee shop culture prevails in Seattle. Pike Place Market, an open-air shopping haven and Seattle institution, is a must-see and a great place to pick up fresh fish. Also the nexus of the nineties grunge scene, Seattle continues to be home to excellent musicians as well as host to visiting artists. Every Labor Day weekend the Bumbershoot music and arts festival occurs in the Scity center, featuring dozens of local and world-class musical acts. To take advantage of the great green outdoors in these parts, cycling, hiking, boating, and camping are all popular pastimes in the King County area.

Yes. Seattle has three major professional sports teams: The National Football League's Seattle Seahawks, Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners, and Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders FC. The Seahawks and the Sounders both play at Qwest Field while the Mariners play at Safeco Field. Seattle is also home to the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association, who play at the KeyArena. And, given its location on the Puget Sound, Seattle plays host to various regattas throughout the year.

Most people in Seattle don't rely on public transportation, but many do. In fact, close to 20 percent uses mass transit to commute to work on a daily basis. Although this might not seem like a lot, this number is 637 percent greater than the Washington average and 851 percent greater than the national average, indicating that Seattle's public transit system is very well developed. There are three public transit systems that serve the city: King County Metro, which provides local bus service; Sound Transit, which provides express bus service, as well as two Sounder commuter rail lines and a Central Link light rail line; and Washington State Ferries.