Brier
Brier wants to be what it's always been: a basic, spacious and semirural wooded community.
The town is full of single-family homes, most of which were built during the 1980s.
Crime in Brier -- where nearly 6,300 people live -- is extremely rare, and parks are abundant.
Nearly half of all households in Brier have a child in the home younger than 18, and less than 1 percent of all families fall below the poverty line, as reported by the 2000 U.S. Census.
And, even today, a resident will occasionally parade down the street on horseback.
But parading in Brier has nothing to do with upper-class or extreme elegance, just homespun traditions.
Brier doesn't even have any high-fashion retail stores or fancy restaurants.
The city's most popular annual event may turn out to be the Brier SeaScare and Porchlight Parade, which replaced the highly popular Brierfest about two years ago.
Five parks are scattered around the city, and some of its annual events include jazz at the park, Trolley Days Band in Brier Park and National Trails Day, a day of picnicking in the woods.
The most popular shop is the Brier Grocery, which was voted best mom and pop grocery store in Western Washington in 2001.
Not very exciting for those seeking high times, but a lovely place for families.
The city, which was incorporated in 1965, is conveniently located.
Mountlake Terrace is to the west. Lynnwood is just north. And Seattle is less than a half-hour away -- without rush-hour traffic, that is.