How many other places in the world let you go boating, skiing, to an NHL game and a to world-class opera all in the same weekend? In Seattle, enjoy urban living, a thriving arts scene, and access to almost any outdoor recreation imaginable. In or near Seattle, enjoy camping, hiking, kayaking, white water rafting, rock climbing, skiing and snowboarding. In the city, enjoy shopping at Pike Place Market, listen to next year’s breakthrough band at one of the city’s many historic venues, or catch one of the city's five professional sports teams in action.
Great alpine and cross-country skiing is easily accessible from Seattle. Crystal Mountain has over 3,000 vertical feet of skiing with amazing views of Mount Rainier. Whistler/ Blackcomb in British Columbia is only four hours from Seattle, and offers some of the best skiing in North America.
Mount Rainier National Park and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument are a short distance from Seattle. The Olympic National Park is only a short ferry ride from Seattle across the Puget Sound, and contains protected alpine, rain forest, and coasts along the Pacific Ocean.
The City of Seattle's eclectic neighborhoods each have their own unique flavor and atmosphere, and offer endless options for dining, shopping, artistic, and cultural experiences. In downtown Seattle, the world famous Pike Place Market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, seafood, crafts, and many other products. Along the waterfront, the Seattle Aquarium features an amazing variety of fish, birds and mammals native to Puget Sound.
At the northern end of downtown is the Seattle Center, home to the 1962 World's Fair, and the annual Bumbershoot music and arts festival. Here you can take a trip up the glass elevators of the Space Needle to see some of the best views of the city. Near the Needle, find McGraw Hall, home to both the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet, as well as the Seattle Rep, a nationally renowned regional theatre.
Further to the north, past Fremont, Seattle's own "Center of the Universe", the Woodland Park Zoo is an award-winning zoo hailed for its naturalistic habitats that house nearly 300 animal species. It sits next to beautiful Green Lake Park, and its running, biking, and boating amenities.
In addition to our own University of Washington Huskies, Seattle is home to numerous professional sports teams, including the Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders, Reign, Storm, and Kraken. Lumen Field, home to the Seahawks and Sounders, and T-Mobile Park, home to the Mariners, are both located downtown and offer breathtaking views of downtown Seattle and the Puget Sound, while the Storm and the Kraken both play at Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center.
Life at the University of Washington
Diversity is a key focus of our department. Resources and information about diversity at UW and in the department are available from our Rehabilitation Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) Council.
The University of Washington and the UW School of Medicine provide extensive resources that support student academics and well-being.
UW Resources
- Disabilities Services Office
- Office of Graduate Student Equity & Excellence (GSEE)
- Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity
- Office of the University Registrar
- Safe Campus
- Student Fiscal Services
- UW Libraries
- UW Career Center
- UW Odegaard Writing Center
UW Medicine Resources
- Bias Incident Reporting Tool
- Health Sciences Center Minority Student Program
- School of Medicine Counseling and Wellness Services
- UW Medicine Graduate Medical Education
- UW Department of Medicine Diversity Resources
- UW Medicine Office of Healthcare Equity
- UW-NURF: University of Washington Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows