Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the largest city and the metropolitan center of the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, 100 miles (174 km) south of the U.S.–Canadian border in King County, of which it is the county seat.
Seattle was first settled by Europeans November 13, 1851, by Arthur A. Denny and his crew, known as the Denny party. Its first name was New York, then Duwamps, then finally it was named after Chief Noah Sealth who was chief of the two tribes living in the area ("Seattle" is an anglicized rendition of his last name). As of 2009, the city had a population of 600,000 and a metropolitan population of 3.9 million. Its official nickname is the Emerald City, the name alludes to the lush evergreen trees in the surrounding area. It is also referred to as the Gateway to Alaska, Queen City, and Jet City, due to the local influence of Boeing. Seattle residents are known as Seattleites.

Seattle is often regarded as the birthplace of grunge music, and has a reputation for heavy coffee consumption; coffee companies founded in Seattle include Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, and Tully's, as well as many successful independent artisanal espresso roasters and cafes. Seattle was the site of the 1999 meeting of the World Trade Organization, and the attendant demonstrations by anti-globalization activists, which were in keeping with Seattle's left-leaning history and reputation. Researchers at Central Connecticut State University ranked Seattle the most literate city in America in 2005. Moreover, a United States Census Bureau survey showed that Seattle has the highest percentage of college graduates of any major U.S. city as well as one of the United States' largest gay populations. Based on per capita income, Seattle ranks 36th of 522 studied areas in the state of Washington.