Ravenna, Seattle (and environs)

Recently, JetBlue was kind enough to offer me a trip to Seattle! All I had to do was pay them hundreds of dollars. I'm no fool. I didn't let this chance pass me by.

Prior to this trip, I'd been on the west coast a grand total of once. As a travel-blogger and all-around guru, this sort of thing damages your credibility... really, there was no choice. I'm pleased to report that not only is Seattle a Place That Doesn't Suck, but that I was able to Illustrate it.

Seattle is wonderful, first off, strange and empty and mild and beautiful. Especially by comparison to certain East Coast cities. Does the photo to the right, taken on a typical residential street in Ravenna, blow your mind? If not, I know at least one thing about you: You have not been living in New York for the past five years.

I went to a lot of neighborhoods in Seattle, but I'm singling out Ravenna as the new west coast love of my life. Reasons: (1) bizarrely quiet, (2) rose gardens, you can ride your bike (3) everywhere, because there is no traffic, and (4) trees. Oh my lord, the trees. The air. It's possible that breathing here was the most pleasant experience of my life to date. Don't get me wrong: Go everywhere (at least in Northeast, I can't vouch for all the other compass regions as confidently) -- but take a quick stroll here and remind yourself that urban life doesn't have to be oppressive.