City Smarts: With a spectacular natural setting, thriving urban centers, vibrant neighborhoods, and a globally-competitive economy, Seattle is an outstanding place to live, visit and to do business. Some of the world’s most recognizable and successful businesses are located in Seattle and the surrounding four-county Puget Sound region:  Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon.com, Costco, Paccar, Weyerhaeuser, WaMU and Nordstrom.

An entrepreneurial, innovative and international culture fuels the economy. One in three jobs is tied to international trade and the Seattle-Tacoma port region constitutes the third largest shipping hub in North America. Greater Seattle is also a hotbed for research and development. The University of Washington, which has its main campus in the center of Seattle, is the nation’s top public university in terms of research funding. Global health and life sciences research is an especially important sector: about 30 percent of the United States’ funding for HIV research comes to the Seattle area.

Seattle’s robust economy and high quality of life serves as a magnet for new residents and businesses. The region’s population topped 3.5 million in 2007 and is expected to reach 5 million by 2040. Residents are highly educated and the region consistently ranks at the top in national polls for college degrees per capita.

Jetsetter: Donald King Architects (DKA) has been in business since 1985, for 24 years. DKA is based in Seattle, but its repertoire of projects spans throughout the Pacific Northwest and the Western United States including Alaska, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

                                                     

Founder, president and CEO, Donald King advises that Seattle can be a difficult town to become established in due to the “native culture” of people who were born in and grew up in Seattle. “You have to learn the social networks when you relocate here, as you do in any major city”, he recommends. King is a member of many organizations, including black business organizations such as The Breakfast Group, Tador 100, and is a member of the board of African American Partners for Prosperity. He’s also a member of the board of trustees for the Greater Settle Chamber of Commerce. “There’s such a small percentage of African- Americans here, its 10-12 percent.” he says. “The good side is the percentage of ethnic groups mirror the rest of the country. Seattle is very diverse and progressive, and there’s lots of opportunity for non-whites.” Some of the top political leaders in the city and state have been non-white. The former mayor, the fire chief and superintendent of schools and some city council members are African-American. For more information on DKA, call 206-443-9939 or visit www.dkarch.com   

Getting’ Around: Seattle’s compact downtown makes it easy for travelers to get around by foot. Not in the mood? Hop on a metro transit bus in the downtown ride free zone during peak hours. If you’re traveling out of downtown, the fare is rather inexpensive. Ride the Seattle Streetcar, Seattle’s newest addition to public transportation, which takes you from downtown to the South Lake Union neighborhood. For more information, visit www.seattlestreetcar.org. 

Survival Kit: As one of the country’s best cities for walking, make sure to bring comfortable walking shoes. If you’re traveling in the summer, bring a light-weight sweater for the cool night temperature. Oh, and of course an umbrella, though you may not need it since Seattle is not the rainiest U.S. city as most think. Seattle’s receives 38” of rainfall annually.   

Catching ZZZ’s: Alexis Hotel Seattle, 1007 First Ave., is the perfect place to crash while on business in Seattle. The four-diamond luxury boutique is located in the heart of downtown Seattle complete with complementary wireless internet service throughout the hotel and hard-wired high-speed Internet access in 60 of its guest rooms and suites. The hotel also features a newly renovated 24-hour business center. For small to mid-sized companies, check out Kimpton’s Global Business Program for additional savings. For more information o the Alexis Hotel Seattle, call 206. 624-4844 or visit www.alexishotel.com. 

The Power Lunch: Treat clients and colleagues to the ultimate steakhouse treat. The Metropolitan Grill, 820 Second Ave., located the heart of Seattle’s financial district downtown, is Seattle’s only steakhouse to serve corn-feed USDA prime from Nebraska, American waguy and true 100 percent Japanese wagyu. Not in the mood for steak? Try their Alaskan king crab crusted halibut or the mesquite grilled wild Alaskan king salmon. For more information, call 206-624-3287 or visit www.themetropolitangrill.com. 

Cultural Chow: Believe it or not, Oprah Winfrey’s favorite fried chicken happens to be located in Seattle; an autographed photo hangs on the wall as proof. Ezell’s Famous Chicken, 501 23rd Ave.,  is a family owned and operated business started over 20 years ago and continues to be a local favorite. For more information, call 206-324-4141 or visit www.ezellschicken.com.

Cyber Spot: Cherry Street Coffee House, 103 Cherry St., offers free WiFi and great Seattle coffeehouse experience at any time of day. For more information, call 206-621-9372 or visit www.cherrystreetcoffeehouse.com.

Networkin’: Make connections with more than 20,000 business people at a Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce event. It’s the largest business association in the Seattle metro area and offers great opportunities to meet potential clients while improving professional development skills. Check their event calendar for upcoming public events. For more information, call 206-389-7200 or visit www.seattlechamber.com.

Voted the best multicultural job search web site by Seattle Magazine, colorsnw.com  is a 7-year-old diversity-based multimedia publishing and diversity training consulting company located in Seattle. ColorsNW's mission is to be the premier resource in providing multicultural services to communities and businesses. ColorsNW helps illuminate issues relevant to communities of color, provides solutions to improve our communities and fosters communication to empower people to act and make a difference. For more information call 206-444-9251 or visit colorsnw.com.  

To De-Stress: Relax your mind, body and soul at Ummelina International Day Spa, 1525 Fourth Ave. Blending new and old spa rituals with natural products from around the world you’ll find yourself rejuvenated and peaceful after experiencing an Ummelina journey. For more information, call 206-684.1370 or visit www.ummelina.com.

Footloose & Fancy-free: Seattle native and famed musician, Jimi Hendrix and his legacy, live on in Seattle today. Check out Experience Music Project Science Fiction Museum's Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound exhibit, 325 Fifth Ave. North, to learn how he influenced music as we know it. The museum is home to more than 8,000 Jimi Hendrix artifacts and is one of the argest collections in the world. For more information, call 206-770-2700 or visit www.empsfm.org.

Flight Time: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, 17801 International Blvd. (Pacific Highway So.), is located 13 miles outside of downtown Seattle. For more information, call 206-433-5388 or visit www.portseattle.org/seatac.

AirTran Airways offers daily, non-stop flights to Seattle and flights to more than 50 major U.S. cities. For more information, call 1-800-AIR-TRAN or visit www.airtran.com.

Someone Helpful: Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau can be reached at 206-461-5800 or by visiting www.visitseattle.org. Thanks to our friends at Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and other tourist venues for providing us with facts, figures and fun information for this article. 

Editor’s note: Doing Biz In features continuously updated coverage of a full spectrum of top cities where readers conduct business. Publicist and travel writer Regina Lynch-Hudson has penned destination catalogs and articles for companies such as Vacation Express, AirTran Airways and North American Airlines. She also organizes cultural press trips, and handles destination marketing for resorts, bed and breakfasts, and tourism boards. More information on The Write Publicist & Co. can be found at www.thewritepublicist.com.