Living in South Lake Union, Seattle

Amazon's campus of glass office towers fills much of South Lake Union's grid, its most distinctive structures the Spheres, three domed conservatories holding thousands of plants under glass near Sixth Avenue and Lenora Street. Lake Union Park stretches along the water's edge with a lawn, a boat launch, and the Museum of History and Industry housed in a former naval training armory. The Center for Wooden Boats keeps a working fleet of historic vessels docked next door, some available to rent for an afternoon on the lake. Seaplanes bound for the San Juan Islands lift off from the Kenmore Air terminal on Westlake Avenue along the lake's south shore, a regular sight for anyone walking the water's edge. Restaurants and coffee shops fill the ground floors of apartment buildings throughout the neighborhood, built up gradually into a dense grid of mid-rise and high-rise housing a short walk from downtown.

The neighborhood's office-heavy blocks empty out once the workday ends, and restaurants that pack a lunchtime crowd can sit noticeably quiet by evening, especially on weekends.

A stroll through Lake Union Park, a look at the Spheres' glass domes from the street, and dinner in the neighborhood's restaurant row put most of a resident's daily errands within easy walking distance.