Barnes & NobleSeattle, Washington - A Photographic Portrait by Joseph Calev

Seattle has transformed into a truly cosmopolitan city with award-winning "green" building designs, abundant culture and performing arts, world-class medical facilities, and an ever-expanding technology sector. With its beautiful natural setting, mild maritime climate, and progressive mindset, the Emerald City has become a mecca for entrepreneurs, artists, and imaginative thinkers. The 1% for Art ordinance in 1973 helped advance Seattle's reputation as a cultural center for innovation and creativity. There are now more than 400 permanently placed pieces of art in parks, libraries, community centers, on roadways and bridges, and other public venues throughout the city that both enrich the lives of residents while giving a voice to artists. With museums galore, Town Hall lectures, Seattle Symphony concerts, and Broadway-class theatre productions, there is much to see and do in Seattle. For those who love nature, Seattle Parks and Recreation manages more than 450 parks contained in roughly 6,200 acres or 11% of Seattle's total land area. Come experience Seattle's joyful double-rainbows, mysterious "sun rain," intoxicating smells of salt air and seafood, and the city's coffee-infused sense of fun and humor. A 48-foot-tall Hammering Man sculpture dwarfs pedestrians below. Whimsical murals and surprise street art can be spotted throughout this love-life city.