Transportation
Seattle has pretty fantastic public transportation (for the West coast – New Yorkers, you’ve been warned), and if you’re planning on staying within the core area, you won’t need a rental car.  It costs about $2 to get from the airport to downtown Seattle on the sparkling new Light Rail.  Within town, King County Metro runs frequent and extensive bus service for about $2.50 a ride.  Here’s some indispensable resources:

• One Bus Away: Developed by a student at the University of Washington, this app is a must-have if you plan on riding the bus.
• Uber: Personalized car service at the tap of your phone.  More convenient that taxis (see below), we love Uber.
• Car2Go: a new micro-car rental service, Car2Go’s entire fleet is made up of SmartCars (limit 2 passengers).  The genius part is that you can pick up any car that’s nearby, and leave the car in any valid City parking spot.  After a one-time membership fee, you pay about $0.40 per minute of use, which means that within Seattle’s small area, a Car2Go can be a highly convenient and inexpensive way to get around.  You’ll need to sign up in advance to receive your membership card.

Taxis
Seattle yellow cabs are, to be frank, a pain. Unless you’re in the CBD, it’s next to impossible to hail one from the street. The cabs don’t use a codified lighting system, so you never know if a car is available until it’s speeding by offering you a view of the back seat.  If you call and order one, the cabbie might end up picking someone else up (which has happened many times).  We recommend Uber or the bus, but if you are in a pinch, call Yellow Cab at 206-282-8222.

Seattle Neighborhoods
Seattle is a city made up of small neighborhoods, each with a slightly different feel and population.  It’s also a city of hills (Seattleites even infamously removed one when it got in the way of progress) and if you plan on doing a lot of walking (which we highly recommend), be forewarned that you might get a quad/calf workout.  Here’s a high-level overview of the city’s neighborhoods:

• Fremont – Known for being quirky and alternative, this is where we live.  Situated about two miles north of downtown along the Ship Canal, Fremont has a unique blend of offerings including a Troll, Lenin, and a bunch of our favorite restaurants and bars.
• Ballard – Like Fremont, this area used to be its own city until Seattle expanded its northern borders.  Ballard’s history is tied to the fishing industry, beginning with Norwegian and Swedish immigrants up through today (many of the Alaskan fishing boats like those you see on the Deadliest Catch winter in Ballard). The core of Old Ballard is full of places to eat, drink, and shop. It also hosts a not-to-be-missed Farmers Market every Sunday.
• Wallingford – In addition to being the location of the famous TubaPlex, Wallingford is a quiet residential neighborhood with family oriented bars and restaurants. It’s also the home of Gasworks Park.
• Pioneer Square – Pioneer Square is the original downtown of Seattle. It’s full of old historic buildings that, in many cases, date back to the founding of the city. Take a tour under the sidewalks if you want to learn more about Seattle’s history.
• International District – Seattle can be more left of left, and where even San Francisco has a Chinatown, we have the more inclusively-named “International District,” or the “ID.” This densely packed but small area has many Asian restaurants and businesses. Uwajimaya, Seattle’s largest Asian grocery store is located right next to the International District light-rail station. Right above the station is the original building Courtney and I worked in when we moved to Seattle.
• Downtown – Also referred to as the central business district, this section of town is where you’ll find Pike Place Market and Seattle’s main shopping area.
• Belltown – Just north of downtown, this area is where John made his first home in Seattle. Some fantastic restaurants and a lot of bars that cater to the dance club set can be found on and around 1st and 2nd Ave in Belltown.
• Capitol Hill – This is the biggest and most dense neighborhood in Seattle. Known for being a hub of nightlife and culture, you’ll find many bars, restaurants, and concert venues in the southern part of Cap Hill.  In the northern end, stately homes on tree-lined streets offer a window into how the elite lived a century ago.
• South Lake Union – For better or worse, SLU is now defined by being the home of Amazon’s campus.  Up until 3-4 years ago, the neighborhood was comprised of run-down warehouses – Amazon’s many LEED-certified buildings have created a starkly different environment. SLU park and MOHAI are interesting for visitors, but largely the rest of the neighborhood is office buildings.
• Lower Queen Anne – Just north of Seattle Center and the Space Needle, this neighborhood is home to many of our Seattle friends as well as a lively nightlife scene.
• Queen Anne – Perched atop one of the highest hills in Seattle, QA is known as a quiet residential area with beautiful homes and Leave-it-to-Beaver worthy streets.  Kerry Park merits a visit for beautiful views of downtown.
• University District – Known as the U-District and named for the University of Washington (or U-Dub as locals call it), this large neighborhood is chock full of bars and restaurants that cater to students and student budgets. Enter at your own risk. At the other end of the spectrum, if you’re looking for shopping, University Village is an outdoor shopping center shiny enough to put joy in any yuppie’s heart.
• West Seattle – About a 20-minute drive from downtown, West Seattle feels like an entirely different city. The key attraction is Alki Beach Park, which gives the area a Santa Cruz feel (albeit in extreme miniature).  The magnificent views of the Seattle skyline and the Olympics make the trek worthwhile, but expect traffic and crowds on hot days.

Seattle Street People
One final word of caution/advice: Seattle is known for a having a large population of “street people” – homeless who, for one reason or another, permanently live on the streets.  While generally harmless, you will encounter high concentrations of street people in the CBD near Westlake Center, in some parts of Pioneer Square and Belltown, and on the buses.  Never feel pressured to give cash to street people, but if you see someone selling a paper called “Real Change,” feel free to buy a copy ($1) – this is a legitimate effort to help raise money for the homeless.  Or give to one of the many local charities like Northwest Harvest or the United Way of King County.