Seattle: A local's view

(CNN) -- Scott grew up in Texas and has lived in Seattle for 11 years. He runs the Central District News blog, which keeps tabs on the news in Quincy Jones's old neighborhood. Here he gives CNN the lowdown on life in Seattle.

"One thing you might have heard about Seattle is the weather, often described as a pervasively wet, gray, dreariness. It's mostly a lie. Or it's at least a half-truth that has been told over the years to keep people like me from moving here permanently.

"The deception is not malicious -- just an attempt to keep things from getting too crowded on the roads, in the hipster bars and on the hiking trails. But people who ignore the weather warnings and travel to Seattle will invariably remark on how lovely the weather was during their stay, and how that must have been an unusual stroke of good luck.

"The best thing Seattle has going for it is the verdant topography of the Pacific Northwest. It's a city of hills that were carved by glaciers from Canada thousands of years ago. Those hills are surrounded by mountains and dormant volcanoes, vast bodies of water, and giant trees on every side. If at any point you find yourself not enjoying a scenic view, you can walk uphill a couple of blocks and you'll have something new to gaze at.

"The city is so close to the mountains that we can leave our downtown software jobs at five o'clock, hop in the car, and an hour later be hiking through the forest in the summer or skiing down the slopes in the winter.

"The more nautically minded of us can go kayaking on Lake Union, water skiing on Lake Washington, or sailing on Elliot Bay. And since we have no concept of a dress code (another plus for unfashionable me), we can drop by a restaurant for a nice dinner in our outdoor gear when we get back into town.

"It's that combination of accessible nature and urban life that makes Seattle such a draw. We've got one of the few American downtown areas that never died. There's big business buildings, a recent proliferation of slender condo towers, and a lot of mall-less shopping options.

"Amid all of that you'll find small locally owned restaurants like Zoe, with Asian-inspired northwest cuisine, or a cozy bar that offers our own local microbrews and an endless list of fancy cocktails.

"Seattle's also a city made up of diverse neighborhoods, each with their own unique flavors and thriving little business districts. Ballard was settled by Scandinavian immigrants and is now mixing that old fishing culture with a new influx of young couples that want to live an easy distance from their downtown jobs.

"On Capitol Hill you can go discover a great local band at Neumos, enjoy small theater performances, or a cruise through a genuine gay bar (if you're into that kind of thing).

"My own neighborhood is the Central District. It lies halfway between downtown and Lake Washington, and in less enlightened times it was the only place in the city where African Americans were allowed to purchase or rent a home. But that closed environment fostered a strong sense of community and culture. It was the boyhood home of Jimi Hendrix, and Quincy Jones grew up just a few blocks from where I now live.

"A good way to tour the neighborhood is to load up your iPod with Sir Mix-A-Lot's 'Posse on Broadway' and follow the streets as they're called out in the song. And don't forget to grab a box of delicious Ezell's Fried Chicken -- they say Oprah loves it!

"But, going back to the weather, if you're a diehard fan of drizzle or afraid of the damaging effect of the sun's rays, there's a chance we can still help you out. Some seasons are wetter than others around here. To guarantee a damp experience, your best bet would be to plan your travels for sometime in the narrow window between late October and the 4th of July."

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