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*************************************************************************** Monday October 21 1:37 PM EDT 1996 Seattle Tops Fortune's U.S. List Of Best Cities For Work And Family NEW YORK, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Seattle, which serves up a lot more than computer software and designer coffee, is No. 1 on FORTUNE's 1996 list of Best Cities for Work and Family in the United States... For the first time, FORTUNE has gone beyond its traditional evaluation of cities according to business criteria to determine which cities stand out not only as great places to work, but great places to live. By these new measures, Seattle comes out way on top -- and not just because it's home to Microsoft and Starbucks: it's got clean air, an educated population and a cost of living that's considerably lower than other major cities... Although it rains a lot in Seattle, the climatological condition that really matters to local residents is "days of unhealthy air," Seattle had zero last year. The median household income is almost $47,000, trailing only Washington, DC, and San Francisco. On the other hand, Seattle's cost-of- living index is well below not just that of Washington and San Francisco, but also New York, Boston, Log Angeles, and Chicago. Seattle's people are safe and well-educated: the city scores low in national surveys of violent and property crimes, and high in the percentage of people with bachelor's degrees (33.9%). If you want to do business in Seattle, the area gets high marks for its skilled labor, its accessibility, its business infrastructure, and its growth potential. Business space is still reasonably affordable, and the only place where Seattle's scores are average is the commute to work. *************************************************************************** * More people now live in the suburbs in King County than in the city of Seattle. The King County Annual Growth Report says 35 percent of the county population lives in suburbs, 33 percent in the city and 32 percent in unincorporated King County. * Where's the most honest place in the land? It may be right here in Seattle, if an experiment conducted by the Readers Digest is to be believed. To test people's honesty, the Digest intentionally lost 120 wallets, each containing $50 in cash, in 12 different areas of the country, from big cities to small towns. Seattle turned out to be the most honest place, with nine out of 10 wallets here returned with no cash taken. Across the nation, 67 percent of the wallets were returned.
* City Index a comprehensive listing of its accommodations, services and attractions * Map Index An imagemap of the state which allows you to navigate to a geographical area, and view a list of the cities or areas located within that grid; you will be linked to an extensive listing of accommodations, services, and attractions in that city * Photo Gallery of Scenic Washington and photos and text depicting many of the recreational opportunities available in Washington * Postcards Washington residents and former travelers to the state share with you their unforgettable experiences and fondest memories * Travel Planner Weather; By Land - a state highway map, current road conditions, and pass reports; By Water - listings of charter and tour operators, and state and private ferries, including the current Washington State Ferries schedule and route map; By Air - a listing of charter and tour operators, and major airports; By Rail - a link to Amtrak that includes their Northwest corridor schedule; Washington's Top Attractions - Brief descriptions of "Must See's" around the state... and more * Outdoor Fun This section contains comprehensive lists and links to recreational resources throughout Washington * Distinctly Washington -Washington's Wineries and Wine Country -Native American Heritage and Casinos - a listing of Washington -Washington Craft Breweries - statewide list by city of brewpubs, microbreweries, and the larger craft breweries -Special Events - a seasonal special events calendar for the entire state with links to the hosting cities -State and County Fairs - a list of dates and locations for Washington's many colorful district and county fairs.
QUINTESSENTIAL SEATTLE: WHAT WE'RE KNOWN
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* Fast-growing Starbucks is about to grow at its administrative headquarters at the Sodo Center south of the Kingdome. The specialty coffee company has nearly 700 stores and plans to add 275 in the next year.
* Microsoft Corporation Chairman Bill Gates tops the Forbes magazine's list of richest Americans for the second year in a row. According to the magazine's October 16th issue, released yesterday, Gates has a net worth of about 14.8 billion dollars.
Echoing trends in other major cities, Seattle's quality of life improved in many areas during the 1980s, according to a report released this week. The end of the '80s found Seattle better off than in the beginning of the decade according to indicators such as infant mortality, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and unemployment. But other barometers of social health, such as poverty and violent crime, rose during a decade in which Seattle's population grew by 22,000. But as some indicators improved, others got worse. * In 1980, 13.3 percent of children in Seattle lived in poverty. By 1990, the number jumped to 15.7 percent. * Violent crime also increased between 1980 and 1990, but by 1993, had taken an overall downward turn (the study included crime figures for 1993). The murder rate dropped from 12.8 in 1980 to 10.2 per 100,000 people in 1990. But by 1993, the rate had jumped back to 12.6.
* Seattle is ranked sixth in the country on a Forbes magazine list rating the best cities for information age businesses. Portland ranks fifth and Salt Lake City topped the list.
* Seattle is tied with Riverside, California, for the seventh-worst traffic in the nation, according to a study by Texas A-and-M. Using congestion information from 1991 (the most recent available) the study says Los Angeles has the worst traffic congestion in the nation.