Emerald City, Jet City or Rain City

Chicago is known as the Windy City, New York is the Big Apple, St Louis is the Gateway to the West and LA is the city of Angels. Seattle is known as the Emerald, Rain or Jet City.
When I first visited here about 10 years ago I couldn't help but to agree with the Emerald City nickname. I visited here from MIinnesota in Febuary and I couldn't believe how green it was. The trees and other foliage in Minnesota in the winter is a dull shade of brown.
Having lived here now more than 5 years I completely agree with the Rain City moniker. It may not always rain very heavily, but rain, especially in the winter, is a very common event. We may not get as much rain as some cities in the states, but what we get comes usually steadily and over long durations. A few years ago it rained everyday for over two months straight. Unlike the midwest, where I grew up, the rain does not usually come down in a few hour thunderstorm then blow away, it just keeps coming down at a rate similar to a steady light drizzle. Back in November 2006 it was a different story, we got a real doozy of a storm that dumped over 18 inches of rain in 36 hours at Mt Rainier, only 70 miles away from my home. Other parts of the state including the greater Seattle area got a very healthy dose of rain too. Urban flooding was common and many people on lower levels of aprtment building found themselves partially under water.
Now to the last nickname, Jet City. Boeing first opened it's doors many years ago as the world started to see air travel as a faster way to move about the world. With assembly plants on the north and south ends of the Seattle Metro, jobs were plentiful and the pay was good. The 737 was assembled not to far from where I currently live, and knowing a Boeing employee was as common then as a Microsoft employee today. Recently Boeing's new "Dreamliner" rolled out and would be assembled on the north end, in Everett. The original model name was the 7E7, named for the city of Everett. With Japan making the first large order, the model name was changed to the 787 since 8 is considered lucky by the Japanese.
So for those who live in the greater Seattle area, any of these nicknames means something to them. Many local businesses use on of the nicknames in the operating name, Emerald City Smoothie, Rain City Video or Jet City Pizza.
Next time you visit the area don't be surprised by all the nicknames, Seattle is a very diverse region with many different cultures and historical events that shape this beautiful part of the country.