Seattle is one of the most popular US locations for many high tech conferences. High-profile events related to SIGCOMM that have been held in Seattle over the past several years include OSDI, MobiCom, NANOG, MobiSys, SIGIR, UbiComp and ACM Multimedia.
Seattle contrasts the sophistication of a vibrant, bustling urban city set against some of the most beautiful country to be found anywhere. Seattle is a feast for the mind, eyes, and soul. Rich with a multi-cultured population, Seattle boasts restaurants to woo the most discriminating - or adventurous - palette. It also offers a range of things to do, from superb visual arts, theater, and other cultural activities to serene breaks in the outdoors, as close as a 30-minute ferry ride from downtown.
Seattle is big enough to keep visitors busy with weeks of explorations, and even residents who have spent years here still have not ventured into all its nooks and crannies. Places to visit include Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Aquarium, Space Needle, Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum, Pacific Science Center, Ballard Locks, Woodland Park Zoo, Burke Museum, and the Museum of Flight. For even more fun, add in the ever-popular Underground Tour in Pioneer Square, a stroll around Green Lake or through the arboretum in Volunteer Park, or a visit to one of the city's funky and delightful neighborhoods. Check out the New York Times Travel Guide to Seattle or the United Three Perfect Days in Seattle for more ideas on what to do and see.
Fun Facts About Seattle
- Seattle is one of the fittest cities in the United States.
- Seattle has one of the highest percentage of college graduates among its residents among all US cities.
- Seattle has the highest per-capita music and dance attendance in the country, with 80 live music clubs and 15 symphony orchestras.
- Seattle has 29 professional theatres, 56 fringe theatre companies and seven theatre schools.
- More than 75% of Seattle residents have Internet access at home and it was named as the best US city for wireless Internet access.
- Seattle was the first American city to put police on bicycles.
- The world's first espresso cart was established below the Seattle Monorail terminal at Westlake Center in 1980.
- The world's first soft-serve ice cream machine was located here.
- "The Wave" was invented by a UW cheerleader Rob Wellerin Oct. 31, 1981 when UW played Stanford and beat them 42-3.
- Seattle sells more sunglasses per capita than any other major city in the world.
- Seattle is one of top two kid-friendly cities in the US.
- Seattle is home to Bumbershoot, one of the largest entertainment festivals in the world.
We get around 8.73 million overnight visitors annually who spend US$3.97 billion here. Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix and Ernestine Anderson all lived in Seattle. Jimi Hendrix was born here.