1. The first Starbucks opened in 1971 at Pike Place Market in Seattle. The "original store" still has its original floors, fixtures, and counters, making it drip (get it?) with nostalgia.
2. The Seattle Space Needle was first designed… on a cocktail napkin. In 1961 Edward E Carlson sketched the Space Needle as an inspiration for the 1962 World’s Fair.
3. Pike Place Market, dating back to 1907, is the nation's oldest continuously operating farmer’s market, born to combat pricey onions.
4. Seattle's got a sticky side – a wall covered in used gum! The "Gum Wall" draws tourists with its rainbow of chewed creations, boasting an impressive 172,000 pieces and counting. Yum!
5. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam were all Seattle-based bands that were founders of Grunge music or "Seattle sound" (as its sometimes called), a style of rock music that has elements of punk rock and heavy metal.
6. Seattle has more houseboats than in any other city in the world. The city is also home to the famous floating home from the movie “Sleepless in Seattle”, which rests on the banks of Lake Union.
7. UFO enthusiasts, Seattle's your hotspot! With 78.2 sightings per 100,000 people, it outshines UFO meccas like Roswell, New Mexico, Area 51, and the "UFO Highway."
8. Seattle's Evergreen Point Floating Bridge is the world’s longest floating bridge, stretching 7,708.5 feet across Lake Washington.
9. Pet parents unite! There are more cats and dogs living in Seattle than human children. Cat households exceed kid households by a whopping 50%, which is 17% more than dogs. Meow.
10. During an iconic Marshawn Lynch touchdown run in the 2011 NFL playoffs, Seattle Seahawks fans generated enough noise that it was equivalent to an earthquake (known as “Beast Quake”).
