( CNN ) -- There are few cities in the world blessed with a more beautiful setting than Seattle . It is surrounded by rugged green wilderness ; to the west the Olympic Mountains , to the east the volcanoes and glaciers of the Cascade Range , and all around the brisk waters of the Northwest . The Space Needle dominates the Seattle skyline . Over the years , Seattle has inspired a number of nicknames . It 's not hard to understand why some refer to it as `` Rain City , '' but visit when the sun is shining , when lakes Union and Washington are sparkling under a blue sky and majestic Mount Rainier is visible in the distance , and you 'll realize that `` Emerald City '' is the most appropriate of its monikers . Seattle started out as a logging town , grew as a stop-off point for gold prospectors at the end of the 19th century , and earned another nickname , `` Jet City '' , when plane manufacturer Boeing rose to prominence in the 1950s and 60s . At the height of its powers , Boeing employed some 100,000 locals and the Jet City remained a solidly working-class town until the 80s , when local startup Microsoft started making a name for itself . As Microsoft grew into the behemoth it is today , other tech firms such as Amazon.com and Nintendo were drawn to the city , bringing with them a wave of young , educated and affluent workers . Seattle began to shake off its blue-collar roots and in recent years its cultural credentials have been boosted by the addition of the Olympic Sculpture Park and a showpiece public library , while the acclaimed Seattle Symphony , Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet have all moved into impressive new buildings in the last decade . Some resent Seattle 's gentrification , bemoaning the near-gridlocked traffic and arguing that the city 's most interesting neighborhoods have lost their individuality to the property developers . But if you spend some time in neighborhoods like Capitol Hill or Fremont , the self-proclaimed `` Center of the Universe , '' you 'll find there 's still plenty of the native free spirit in evidence . It was that free spirit that gave birth to Grunge , the post-punk guitar noise that came out of the city in the early 90s , when local bands Soundgarden , Pearl Jam and Nirvana became international stars . Now Grunge is just a memory , but in popular culture it remains as much of a symbol of the city as the Space Needle , the persistent drizzle and the excellent , ubiquitous , coffee shops . Despite its rapid growth , Seattle has kept its trees and parks and many areas maintain an almost suburban feel . The city and its residents are laidback and liberal , and that famous free spirit is as at home in the great outdoors as in Seattle 's boho neighborhoods . As a modern , civilized outpost among outstanding natural spectacle , the place once known as the `` Queen City of the Northwest '' still reigns supreme .
Seattle has been known as `` Jet City , '' `` Rain City , '' and `` The Emerald City '' It has a great location , surrounded by mountains , lakes and fantastic scenery . The city boasts a symphony orchestra , and ballet and opera companies .