North Auburn - Auburn, WA

Originally named Slaughter, after Lt. William Slaughter, settlers first arrived in Auburn in the mid-1850s. In the early days, farming was the mainstay of the economy, but after an aphid plague in 1890, dairy and berry farms survived. The influx of more settlers and the establishment of the railroad connecting Auburn to other areas around Seattle changed the local economy. Today, the largest employers are Boeing and the Muckleshoot Casino.

Home to several art organizations, Auburn has a diverse art community. Locals consider Auburn to be the center for the arts in South King County. Residents and visitors can visit the City Hall Gallery for free to see local artists' renderings or view the exhibits at the Helen S. Smith Art Gallery for mixed artistic expressions, including photography, ceramics and sculptures.

The White River Valley Museum and the Mary Olson Farm showcase farm life during the late 19th century. Visit the museum's recreation of a 1924 Northern Pacific depot and an exhibit showing what downtown Auburn looked like during the 1920s.

Fans of the symphony enjoy attending concerts by the Auburn Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1996. Theatergoers enjoy the performances at the Auburn Avenue Theater, which routinely has sell-out shows. Close to nearby dining establishments, attending either the symphony or the theater makes for a perfect night out in Auburn.

In August, the city hosts Auburn Days near City Hall. The all-school reunion takes place during the festival, and attendees feast in the streets with a community barbecue. Fun activities during the festival include a 5K run, a parade and an antique car show, as well as a street dance and local vendors to tempt you with their tasty menu choices.

Known as a haven for foodies, the Seattle area features a wide variety of cuisines for locals and visitors alike. With reasonable prices and large portions, Las Margaritas on A Street Northeast combines flavors beautifully in its Mexican-inspired offerings. Start your meal with clams a la diabla, a dish of sautéed clams in butter with garlic, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and wine in a spicy diablo sauce. For an authentic dish, try the nopalitos con camarones, which consists of cactus leaves grilled with prawns that have been braised in a red sauce of tomatoes, onions and cilantro.

Whether you dine in or prefer take-out, Sunny Teriyaki has the perfect Japanese and Chinese dishes. The Mongolian beef and kung pao shrimp have huge portions and great taste. If you’re starving for good teriyaki, the locals highly recommend the beef and gyoza combination or the chicken teriyaki.

You can get fantastic Turkish and Mediterranean food at D’Lara Mediterranean Grill three locations around Auburn, including the 312th Street location and the location in the food court at the Tacoma Mall. If you order the gyro with the tzatziki sauce, ask to have it jazzed up with the spicy Lara sauce, a house specialty, which turns a really good sandwich into an awesome one. The menu may be limited, but the staff prepares the fresh ingredients right in front of you, making anything you order a real treat.

A great date-night restaurant, Don Giovanni Ristorante has the ambiance and top-quality food you expect to find in a high-quality restaurant. Serving only authentic Italian food, a house speciality is the pasta di Don Giovanni, with your choice of either lamb or rabbit ragu. For the secondi piatti, the pollo Marsala comes perfectly prepared, with delectable chicken in a Marsala wine sauce.

Don't let the outside façade fool you when you pull up to the Brickyard Pub. A true local dive bar, this place has some of the best pub food around. On Friday nights, it serves a tasty prime rib dinner; if you go on Saturday, hand-cut ribeye steaks make your mouth water. From Wednesday through Saturday, join in with the regulars for karaoke while you enjoy a reasonably priced beverage.

Most residents rely on cars or public transit to travel throughout the Auburn area. The neighborhood does contain a number of bike trails, but bicycling for travel alone in North Auburn is not recommended.

Metro Transit, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit all coordinate with the city of Auburn to provide public transportation options to the residents of Auburn. King County Metro Transit offers bus services at the downtown Auburn Transit Center, running 10 different routes. The company also provides vanpool services for employees and commuters who work in proximate destinations in the city, making it easy to get to and from work. Sound Transit provides residents rail services to and from Seattle and Tacoma during weekday peak transit times.

Under state law, any employer who has 100 employees or more must have a commuter trip reduction program to reduce single-occupancy vehicles traveling during the peak commute hours. Some of these commuter perks include bicycle lockers, transit subsidies and preferred parking for carpools. Several taxi companies serve the city of Auburn, as well as Uber.

The Auburn Environmental Park features a variety of outdoor activities for the whole family. Bring along your bike to ride the trails, or hike them instead. See the wetland restoration area and the fish and wildlife enhancement area within this 120-acre park. Visitors can also see the various wildlife and bird habitats from the viewing tower.

For a great picnic location, Sunset Park has all the amenities you need. Plan a family reunion here by renting a picnic shelter, and then schedule a softball game on one of the park’s ball diamonds. Kids enjoy the large playground area as well as the basketball court and skate park.

One of the more popular parks in Auburn, Brannan Park features soccer and baseball fields, and several youth leagues have their games here. You can find a paved trail within the park as well as lots of picnic tables and grills for that perfect picnic.

A park for the entire family, including Fido, Roegner Park has an off-leash area for dogs as well as a trail system that is horse-friendly. This park sits adjacent to the White River, and public art pieces can be found throughout the park.

The average rental price comes in at $950 per month. Monthly utilities average $130 for electricity, or 20.1 percent less than the rest of the country. Groceries cost approximately 6 percent more in Auburn than the rest of the country. When housing and other factors combine, the cost of living in Auburn hovers 16.2 percent higher than the rest of the United States.

For a taste from across the ocean, stop by Proper British Bacon on Auburn Way South to try some British speciality meats. While it does have traditional American-style bacon, here you can find British sage and onion sausage, Scottish Lorne sausage and even haggis. Proper British Bacon also makes several flavors of link sausages, known as bangers, and you can also purchase an old-fashioned, skin-on cured and smoked ham.

Bananas Antiques, located in downtown Auburn, has shop hours Tuesday through Saturday during the week and by chance the rest of the time. Shoppers can find antiques, collectibles and gently used items in this eclectic store.

You can find the Auburn International Farmers Market at the Auburn Sound Transit Plaza on Sundays from June through September. Over 35 vendors sell fresh, local produce, and buyers can hear live performances while browsing the different stands. For months when the Farmers Market closes, Sunshine Grocery provides quality food products and other daily essentials.

The Auburn Wine and Caviar Company hosts daily wine tastings at 5 p.m. Find old favorites and quite possibly several new ones. Located on A Street Southeast, it also features tap beer, soups and desserts that pair perfectly with any wine selection.

For gently used, stylish men's and women's clothing, check out Main Street Thrift. The staff prescreens all items, so you know the merchandise is of high great quality. Along with clothing, the store also has a variety of accessories and furniture on display.

There are several supermarkets in the area, such as Safeway, Haggen Food & Pharmacy, and Main Street Market, making grocery shopping easy.