Rain is common in Seattle, though it is often a drizzle, and summers are dry and lovely. The city sits between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, with water views and, on clear days, mountains in nearly every direction. About 785,000 people live in the city and more than four million in the region, and the tech industry shapes the economy. Visitors go to Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass and the Museum of Pop Culture, and take a ferry to Bainbridge Island. Ballard, Fremont and Capitol Hill are the neighborhoods for eating and wandering.
Costs are high, with rents and home prices well above the national norm, though the market is cooling slightly. Safety needs some thought. Property crime is very high, and car break-ins at trailheads and downtown lots are common. Parts of downtown, Belltown, Pioneer Square after dark and stretches of Aurora Avenue have visible drug use and homelessness. Earthquake awareness and late summer wildfire smoke are also part of living here.
