Seattle is evolving into a world-class walkable city. SoundTransit’s light rail line connects the city to the airport and express bus lines mean that the neighborhoods are increasingly attractive for those working downtown or in Bellevue and Redmond.

Seattle’s bigger employers are tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, but the region is also home to coffee giant Starbucks, dozens of smaller forward thinking interactive design shops, and a handful of companies who make top notch outdoor gear. It’s not all tech and coffee, there are offices in Seattle for retailers like Nordstrom and Brooks running shoes.

Seattle has been called the Jet City – it’s the birthplace of Boeing, The Emerald City – it’s green, alright, and The Rain City because, yes, it does rain. That doesn’t keep Seattle residents from getting outside. The Olympic Range sits across Puget Sound to the West and the Cascades, where there’s winter skiing, are on the sunrise side to the east. There’s water everywhere, from park lined Puget Sound to the two city lakes, Lake Washington and smaller Lake Union in the heart of the city.

This is a hilly city, but it supports a community of committed cyclists who have strong legs and own rain gear. There’s a continually expanding network of bike trails. Seattle is betting on bikes by adding the Puget Sound Bike Share program in 2014 and by stocking the program with 7 gear cycles rather than the 3 gear bikes that flatter cities provide. Metro buses have bike racks, though you may find it’s easier to leave the bike locked up at the bus stop during the summer on popular routes than it is to wait for a bus with an empty slot. This is especially true at the Montlake commuter stop across the 520 bridge where the express buses stop before heading to Microsoft.

Car sharing is popular in this walkable city too, there’s ZipCar and Getaround. Because Seattle has so many transportation options, a car-free life in Seattle is very possible, though lots of Seattleites choose to own a vehicle to get access to the great natural playground and national parks that make the Pacific Northwest such an attractive place to live.

Seattle’s neighborhoods all have distinctive character. Downtown is increasingly livable with the construction of new highrise apartment blocks. Resident have historically done their shopping at the world famous Pike Place Market, but there’s now a regular supermarket and a Target, addressing the practical needs of those who choose the heart of the city as their home. At one end, Pioneer Square has cool lofts in restored brick buildings and at the other end, there’s Belltown and the Waterfront where there’s the latest in luxury apartments with fitness centers and roof gardens and fitness facilities for the residents.

Jackson Street used to draw a line between Seattle’s Chinese and Japanese neighborhoods; now the whole area is referred to as the International District. When the line is completed, the First Hill Streetcar will run right down the middle of Jackson, bordered by Asian supermarkets and restaurants that include Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, and more. Keep going east to the Central District, and the menu shifts to Ethiopian and Soul food.

Ballard, north and to the west of downtown, is evolving into Seattle’s new super hip neighborhood. Some Ballard commuters leave their cars at the Park and Ride lots near the freeway and use Metro to get to the East side – it’s an easy ride on the bus into downtown, though. Ballard has new townhomes and larger apartment blocks with supermarkets at the ground level, and it’s also home to some very nice parks – the Ballard Locks and Golden Gardens, where the beach is crowded when the weather is good.

Queen Anne is almost two neighborhoods. In Upper Queen Anne (made up of West, East, and North), there are boutique shops and cute cafes and while there are some great apartments, there are also grand old single family homes here with Victorian and Craftsman detailing. Lower Queen Anne wraps around Seattle Center, home to Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Experience Music Project, the Children’s Museum, and Seattle’s big music festivals, Bumbershoot and Folklife. There are lots of lower brick apartment blocks here, several supermarkets including one for more gourmet focused shoppers, and restaurants that range from pricy to pub. The Gates Foundation has its headquarters in lower Queen Anne, right across the street from Seattle’s iconic Space Needle.

West Seattle is its own small town in the city. The Elliot Bay Water Taxi runs from downtown to Alki Beach. An amusement park stood here nearly a century ago, now the waterfront strip has restaurants, cafes, and spectacular views of the downtown skyline. West Seattle’s small business districts receive loyal support from neighborhood locals and living close to an express bus line makes for a very short commute into the city.

Find Seattle apartments with views of the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound and Lake Union. Find a Queen Anne studio apartment with a view of the Space Needle, walk downtown Seattle from your one bedroom condo on Capitol Hill, or share a college home rental in the University District near the University of Washington. Families will love family friendly Seattle neighborhoods such as Ballard and Magnolia, and Seattle's east side in Bellevue.

45% of Seattle residents rent their homes in the Emerald City. Search Walk Score for Seattle apartments for rent by commute time, access to Seattle Metro Transit and proximity to the nearest Seattle Starbucks Coffee.