Picture: Cheryl Steffen is one of 6 members that will be riding this year!

Also representing the Real Living team is Keoki McCarthy, Mike McCarthy, Corey Peterson, Chad Sessions and Staci Davis! GO TEAM!

 Check out our Facebook Fan Page below

http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/224278931000096/

Click on image above to be directed to Group Health’s Webpage

The Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, or STP, is an annual one- and two-day supported bicycle ride from Seattle, Washington to Portland, Oregon in the United States. The STP “is considered one of the 10 biggest recreational bicycle rides in the country, drawing riders from across the nation and from other nations”, and has been operating since 1979. The ride is organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club. It is approximately 202 miles (325 km) in length. Most riders complete the distance in two days; however, about 15% complete the ride in one day.

About

The ride takes place on the second or third weekend in July mostly on country roads, avoiding the direct freeway (U.S. Interstate 5) route between the cities. The Cascade Bicycle Club describes the 2006 route as “pretty flat with the “Big Hill” coming at the 45-mile mark. It’s a mile long with about a 7 percent grade…. The majority of the ride is on beautiful, rolling rural roads”. In 2005 approximately 30 miles (48 km) of the 202 miles (325 km) were considered uphill with a combined ascent of approximately 2,000 feet (600 m).

The halfway point is near the towns of Centralia and Chehalis in Washington. For two-day riders, the hotels and guesthouses in the area cannot accommodate the thousands of cyclists, so schools, churches and other charitable organizations provide indoor spaces for riders to sleep, and food for a fee. Some riders also arrange to camp in parks or fields near the halfway point.

See full article and more information on Wikipedia

1. Forecasts anticipate that Bothell will grow with an additional 12,000 residences (Puget Sound Regional Council)

2. As of December 2010, Bothell’s apartment communities are already occupied to the 2013 predictions with a vacancy rate of just 3.6%.  This is a very low vacancy rate and it proves the demand for additional units (Dupre + Scott – The Apartment Advisor, December 2010)

3. The shared campus of the University of Washington and Cascadia Community College has doubled since 2006 and is anticiapted to add 4,000 more students by 2015

4. The outlook for the Puget Sound area shows housing starts increasing 18.4% in 2012 and 30% in 2013 (Puget Sound Economic Forecaster Dec 2011)

5. Bothell is a regional employment hub with copanies representing the biomedical device, high-tech and telecommunications sectors.  Even during the economic recession, this industry grew at an annual rate of 3% in Bothell. (Washington Research Council)

-An insiders guide to Seattle’s top neighborhoods now and in the future

By: Matthew Halverson, Seattle Met

Photo: Thomas Northcut

Click here to read more about these great Seattle neighborhoods and the ones that are up and coming!

APA’s flagship program celebrates places of exemplary character, quality, and planning. Places are selected annually and represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow.  APA Great Places offer better choices for where and how people work and live. They are enjoyable, safe, and desirable. They are places where people want to be — not only to visit, but to live and work every day. America’s truly great streets, neighborhoods and public spaces are defined by many criteria, including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement.   Here is what they had to say about Point Defiance Park:

“Described by one Tacoma resident as having “the beauty and adventure of a national park within minutes from home,” Point Defiance juxtaposes urbanity with wilderness, and scenic views with volunteerism. Authors of the park’s original 1911 master plan noted that the area’s vistas were “as beautiful as views over land and water as can be seen in this or foreign lands” and found the mountainscape “toward the great Olympic range with its snow-capped peaks glistening in the sunshine … to be equal to view[s] in Italy and the Mediterranean.”

Read full article and see what other places made the list at http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/index.htm

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/summertravel/the-10-best-cities-for-families-2498408/

The Seattle International Film Festival is the largest and most highly-attended event of its kind in the United States. This year marks the festival’s 37th year and it will run May 19th through June 12th.  It will feature 441 films with screenings in Seattle, Renton, Everett and Kirkland.  Tickets will go on sale tomorrow, May 5th, and they will be announcing their full line-up as well.  Check out the official webpage for all the details! http://www.siff.net/

http://www.seattle.gov/economicdevelopment/thrives/Thrives01.htm

The Seattle Center’s April calendar is packed full of events, concerts and activites including Whirligig which starts tomorrow!  Not to mention the Center’s International Fountain resumed April 1st - worth the trip alone!  Check out the Seattle Center’s website at http://www.seattlecenter.com/

www.TheFair.com

Check out the official website for all the details  http://www.tulipfestival.org/