The combination of water, hills and lush greenery, set against a backdrop of far-off mountains, makes Seattle one of the most beautiful urban areas in the U.S. The city is easily accessible and user-friendly, too, with fine restaurants, interesting museums and a vigorous arts scene in the downtown area.

At times, Seattle endures a bad rap regarding rainy weather. It actually rains less than in Chicago or Miami. The rainy season occurs from October to April, with occasional showers in the summer and early fall.

Sights -- The spectacular variety of Pike Place Market ; the view from the Space Needle ; the view of Puget Sound from the decks of a state ferry; the Volkswagen-eating troll and other public art in Fremont; the historic buildings and galleries of Pioneer Square; a tour of Boeing's plant in Everett.

Museums -- The interactive music exhibits at the Experience Music Project ; Native American and African art at the Seattle Art Museum; the impressive holdings of the Seattle Asian Art Museum; aviation and aerospace artifacts at the Museum of Flight .

Memorable Meals -- The freshest of fresh Northwest seafood cuisine at Chinook's at Salmon Bay; Asian-infused seafood at Etta's; creative cuisine at Dahlia Lounge ; fragrant duck at the Wild Ginger ; espresso everywhere.

Late Night -- Dessert at Dilettante Chocolates on Capitol Hill; jazz at Dimitriou's; the best bands in town at Crocodile Cafe ; viewing city lights from Salty's in West Seattle; hanging out at the Hurricane; late-night breakfast at Thirteen Coins Restaurant.

Walks -- Along Elliott Bay and through Myrtle Edwards Park; panoramic views from Discovery Park; the Washington Park Arboretum and its Japanese Garden; Broadway on Capitol Hill to watch urban wildlife; Alki Beach for more of a hike; walking, biking or skating on the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Seattle is proof that the phrase "good weather" is a matter of perspective. If you're hearty and don't mind getting a little wet, the city is a good place for outdoor activities all year long. Summers are cool and usually dry. Though high temperatures then average in the mid 70s F/24 C, occasional August days reach near 90 F/32 C. Nights can be cool, so take a sweater or jacket. Winters are drizzly and overcast, but mild. January temperatures run 35-45 F/3-8 C. Any snow that falls does not last. Although it may occasionally rain hard in Seattle November-February, a steady drizzle is more common. (It's usually accompanied by thick clouds that can hide the spectacular mountain scenery for days and, sometimes, weeks at a time.) No matter when you visit, rain gear -- a raincoat or an umbrella -- is a good idea. The best months to see Seattle are June-August -- but that's also when the city is most crowded with other visitors.

Like most large U.S. cities, Seattle suffers from traffic congestion; however the public transportation system in Seattle and the surrounding area is user-friendly and many of the important downtown sites are accessible on foot. If you stay at a downtown hotel, you'll be within a 20-minute walk of Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square and the waterfront, and you can use the Monorail to get to and from Seattle Center. The trolley is convenient for traveling along the waterfront or to Pioneer Square and the International District, but not much else. You'll need to go by bus or taxi to reach more distant sights.

Be sure to cross at designated crosswalks and obey the signals. The police do give tickets for jaywalking (3,500 per year), particularly in the downtown area.

If you have time, the most interesting way to travel in the Seattle area is on one of the Washington State Ferries. Not only are ferries a lifeline for people who commute from area islands across Puget Sound; they're also a great sightseeing experience. If you plan to take a vehicle on the ferry, arrive in plenty of time (one hour) prior to launch, especially on weekends and in the summertime.

For information about all transport options in Seattle and King County, visit www.metrokc.gov/tran.htm, which lists bus, ferry and rail schedules.

Seattle, like Rome, is built on seven hills. As a visitor, you're likely to spend much of your time on only two of them (Capitol Hill and Queen Anne Hill), but the seven knobs are indeed the most definitive elements of the city's landscape. The hills are lofty, privileged perches from which residents are constantly reminded of the beauty of the forests, mountains, and water lying just beyond the city.

To know Seattle is to know its distinctive neighborhoods. Because of the hills, comfortable walking shoes are a must. Ballard, home to Seattle's fishing industry and fun-to-tour locks, is at the mouth of Salmon Bay, northwest of downtown. Capitol Hill, northeast of downtown on Pine Street, east of Interstate 5 (I-5), is the center of youth culture in this very young city.

Downtown is bounded on the west by Elliott Bay, on the south by Pioneer Square (the city's oldest neighborhood) and the International District, on the north by the attractive residences lining the slopes of Queen Anne Hill and by I-5 to the east. You can reach most points of interest by foot, bus, trolley, or the monorail that runs between the Seattle and Westlake centers.

Fremont, Seattle's eccentric and artsy hamlet, is north of Lake Union and the Lake Washington Ship Canal, east of Ballard. University District, the area around the University of Washington, is north of Capitol Hill and Union Bay.

The high-tech revolution turned Seattle from a quiet city, noted for its natural beauty and slow pace, to a bustling and innovative metropolis whose sights and sounds continue to reflect the information sector's fast pace. From chic waterfront lounges to after-hours dance clubs, Seattle's range of nightlife choices includes it all. The grunge rock legacy of Nirvana and Pearl Jam is still felt in the city's music venues, which showcase up-and-coming pop, punk, and heavy metal bands. Dance clubs on Capitol Hill and the Pike-Pine corridor reverberate with the thumping rhythms of disco and house music. For lovers of country, jazz, and blues the choices are fewer, but the venues are authentic and friendly.

Rock music is king in Seattle, mainly due to the Northwest's rock and roll heritage extending from the early '60s garage rock of The Kingsmen (who hit the big time with "Louie, Louie") to the legendary Jimi Hendrix and the grunge phenomenon of Pearl Jam and Nirvana. A thriving Drum and Bass-DJ scene proves that Seattle is still evolving and won't be resting on its rock and roll laurels any time soon. Folk and Celtic music is also popular with the microbrew set, and pubs regularly feature acoustic performances. Cover charges range from $5 for local acts to $20 for touring bands and concerts. For $10 you can purchase the Pioneer Square joint cover charge, which will admit you to up to 10 area clubs with blues, jazz, and rock. Tickets can be ordered by phone from Ticketmaster.

The Stranger and Seattle Weekly (distributed city-wide on Thursday) give detailed music, art, and nightlife listings, as well as hot tips and suggestions for the week's events. Friday editions of The Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer include pullout weekend sections detailing upcoming arts and entertainment events. Shows usually begin at 9 PM, although weekend shows often run later. Covers range from $5 (for local acts and weeknight club admission) to $20 (for touring acts). Bars and clubs stay open until 2 AM, with the rare exception of alcohol-free after-hours events. On-street parking is usually plentiful, but crowded Capitol Hill and bustling Downtown also have parking lots and garages. Cabs and public transportation are also options. Most neighborhoods are served by late-night buses, and bartenders can always phone for a cab.

Prices are per person for a main course at dinner.

Seattle has become one of the nation's foremost restaurant cities. It started with Chinese, Japanese, and French chefs who were inspired by the quality of local produce and seafood and able to cater to an upwardly mobile clientele spawned by the region's software industry. Young American chefs soon moved in and, applying lessons learned from their foreign-born mentors, raised the quality of local cookery even higher. Seattle's culinary revolution seems never-ending. Even long-established restaurants that once depended largely on exquisite views and expense-account clients, have adjusted their menus to serve the increasingly sophisticated tastes of Seattle diners.

The best restaurants in Seattle are spread throughout the city. In fact, many of the city's finest (and most expensive) dining rooms are far from the madding downtown crowd, near Green Lake, on Phinney Ridge, in Madison Valley, and in the urban renewal zone of Belltown. Several nationally famous restaurants share waterfront locations -- and splendid views -- with fast-food eateries on downtown piers, the shores of Lake Union, the Ship Canal, and Shilshole Bay. First-rate Asian restaurants have followed their clientele to the northern and eastern suburbs. Small but excellent noodle shops, and taquerias, which sell tacos and other light fare, are sprouting up in the Rainier Valley's ethnic neighborhoods as well as in south and west Seattle. Even good barbecue can be found here and there.

In general, downtown, Pike Place Market, and Pioneer Square are the places to have lunch. Restaurants here also serve dinner, but much of the evening action downtown centers around hotel restaurants and a handful of places popular with the "in" crowd. Pioneer Square, on the other hand, comes alive at night with music, comedy acts, and other entertainment. Restaurants, neighborhood cafes, and shops on Capitol Hill and in Belltown also come alive in the evening. On warm nights, the sidewalk tables of Belltown and the decks of waterfront restaurants are packed. Wherever you happen to be, you'll often find a restaurant within walking distance.

Seattle has personality -- in fact, it has several of them, each with its own shopping preference. Downtown is suit-central, while Belltown and Capitol Hill hum with urban cool. Pike Place Market is earthy with local crafts and farm-fresh produce, while arts and antiques repose amid the Victorian charm of Pioneer Square. The International District is an immersion into a world of exotic languages and cultures, while Fremont revels in tongue-in-cheek, counterculture chic. The University District is alive with collegiate youth, while Queen Anne and the Eastside (Bellevue, Redmond, and others) are enclaves of relaxed gentility.

Built compactly to suit hills and waterways, much of Seattle is accessible on foot, but you'll need transportation to hilltop and outlying regions. Seattle's Metro bus system offers free rides in the Downtown area, including Pioneer Square and most of Belltown, and can take you almost anywhere else you'd care to shop, including Bellevue and Kirkland on Lake Washington's east side. Pick up a free copy of Browse By Bus, a useful guide to getting around Seattle, available at hotels and visitor information kiosks.

The following pages give an overview of some of Seattle's more popular shopping districts. Many stores are open daily, though some specialty shops keep shorter evening and Sunday hours. Mall hours are generally 9:30 AM-9 PM except on Sunday, when stores are usually open from 11 to 6. If you arrive too early, just hang out in a cafe and practice ordering lattes like a local.