Seattle - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 129

Seattle Highlights
Wandering the maze of shops and restaurants in historic Pike Place Market
( Click here ) .
Soaking up the old-town atmosphere in Pioneer Square ( Click here ) , then explor-
ing the tunnels below.
Riding the monorail to a rock-and-roll adventure at the EMP Museum ( Click
here ) , where you can kneel at the altar of Hendrix and Cobain.
Joining the line for a cheap, take-out pastry at Pike Place Market phenomenon
Piroshky Piroshky ( Click here ).
Seeing how nine suspended cars can become spectacular modern art at Seattle
Art Museum ( Click here ).
Enjoying a damned fine cup of coffee at Zeitgeist ( Click here ).
Pondering the shimmering art that sprang from the creative mind of Dale Chihuly
in Chihuly Garden & Glass ( Click here ) .
History
Seattle was named for Chief Sealth, leader of the Duwamish tribe of Native Americans
that inhabited the Lake Washington area when David Denny led the first group of
European settlers here in 1851. The railway came through in 1893, linking Seattle with
the rest of the country. For a decade, prospectors headed for the Yukon gold territory
would stop in Seattle to stock up on provisions.
The boom continued through WWI, when Northwest lumber was in great demand and
the Puget Sound area prospered as a shipbuilding center. In 1916 William Boeing foun-
ded the aircraft-manufacturing business that would become one of the largest employers
in Seattle, attracting tens of thousands of newcomers to the region during WWII.
The city has spawned some major business success stories and international brands -
Microsoft and Starbucks are loved and loathed in equal measure. Boeing has relocated its
headquarters to Chicago, though it's still a major presence in Seattle.
The city is about to be reshaped yet again. The Alaskan Way Viaduct - which takes
Hwy 99 along the waterfront and is generally considered to be structurally unsound as
well as an eyesore - is being replaced with a bored-out tunnel alternative. Meanwhile,
light-rail and streetcar transit have expanded to serve the airport as well as a hub of bi-
otech companies and residences in South Lake Union. Seattle anticipates a 40% popula-
tion growth in the next two decades.