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Seattle

Naturally pleasant, technically prime.

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It's habitually gloomy, rainy, and heavily congested in its traffic. But that pretty much sums up the only drawbacks of Seattle, built on six hills in the top left-hand corner of the continental United States. Washington's largest city is bookended by the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound to the west, and the Cascade Mountains and Lake Washington to the east. It's no wonder that, living in this paradise of stunning nature and urban/suburban perks, residents have a reputation for pleasant personalities.

Although branded a rainy city, Seattle actually sees less annual precipitation than Boston or New York. But Seattle's rainfall is more widely dispersed through frequent misting and sprinkling, causing typically overcast skies and high consumption of liquid sunshine (coffee). Despite all the gray days, municipal marketers have dubbed Seattle the "Emerald City." That's because the perpetual moisture, mild winters, and cool summers keep the landscape ever green, thanks to ubiquitous evergreen trees and city parks. Such a climate also permits year-round outdoor activities, such as boating, fishing, golf, watersports, hiking, biking, mountain climbing, and skiing.

Another shade of green stems from the healthy economy of this metropolis, which leads the nation in number of millionaires per capita. If computers and caffeine are America's top factors for job productivity, we owe a lot to Greater Seattle, where Microsoft and Starbucks have their homes. The area also serves as the headquarters for Boeing, Costco, Safeco, Nordstrom, Airborne Freight, and Amazon.com. Considered the healthcare center of the Pacific Northwest, with 26 general-acute hospitals, the city counts biotechnology and medical technology among its major industries.

Companies here are famously laid-back in their dress codes, and Greater Seattle residents are just as laid-back in their attitudes. In addition, the population of 2.7 million tends to be politically progressive, and ethnically and socially diverse. Seattle has the nation's highest percentage of college-degreed residents and largest number of bicycle commuters. Locals thrive on the arts, supporting 190 art galleries, 27 performing arts centers, 14 museums, and 13 professional theatrical companies. They also cheer their Mariners, Seahawks, Supersonics, and Thunderbirds to victories.

Sophisticated, youthful, and progressive, Seattle regularly ranks among America's most livable cities. Such fame has brought explosive population growth and traffic congestion to its diverse neighborhoods. And living here can be pricey: The city ranked ninth in 2001 for overall cost of living, which includes housing, groceries, transportation, and healthcare. Yet Seattle dwellers are happy to pay for their quality of life because it's a lifestyle they can't find anywhere else.