Why Choose Burien?

With a thriving downtown core, easy access to Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport, miles of Puget Sound waterfront, and lively events and entertainment, Burien is one of the Puget Sound’s hottest up-and-coming communities.

“If cities had coming-of-age parties, this would be Burien's.” – Marc Stiles, Puget Sound Business Journal

Burien’s walkable downtown is noted for its authentic ‘main street’ feel, with boutique retail and a foodie paradise of diverse restaurants serving a large segment of the population in South King County and West Seattle. The affordable real estate options, creative spirit, and entrepreneurial energy has created a downtown with what Sunset Magazine calls a ‘decidedly Brooklyn bent’.

Main Street Appeal

With the third highest Walk Score in Washington state, thriving independent businesses, and a mid-century modern aesthetic, Burien’s downtown exudes a main-street charm that has turned visitors into residents, and business owners into “Burien believers.” The community has made major investments in the downtown as it evolves into multi-modal urban core, including: wider sidewalks, multimodal amenities, and the recently completed $193 million Burien Town Square development.

Creativity and Creators

Community events fill the calendar with live theater productions at the Burien Actors Theatre, musical performances by The Northwest Symphony Orchestra, weekly Farmers Markets, art exhibitions, and seasonal festivals generating year-round activity and excitement. Arts-A-Glow, Día de los Muertos, and the longest running Independence Day parade in the region (since 1921!) showcase the creative energy and can-do spirit that run deep in the community. Keep an eye out for new masterpieces from internationally acclaimed artists in Burien’s Art Alley, exciting new restaurant concepts opening monthly, monthly art walks and pop up art galleries, and innovative events like SeaCompression born out of this relentlessly imaginative community of creators.

Burien Art Alley

Natural Beauty

The crown jewel of Puget Sound’s urban area beaches, Seahurst Park offers 182 acres of spectacular beauty, nearly a mile of saltwater beaches, and recreational facilities for families and friends to gather.  Bring your camera to snap photos of eagles, herons, seals, whales, and sunsets over the Olympic Mountains. Take a moonlight beach walk with the Environmental Science Center and explore marine life in a whole new light. Or hike up in the miles of park trails and experience the thick canopy of trees that Burien’s neighborhoods enjoy.

Orcas off the edge of Three Tree Point

Neighborly Spirit

Burien is a welcoming and friendly community, loyal and supportive of its local businesses and organizations, humble yet proud, and boasting an authentic small-town feel that supports neighbor-to-neighbor connections. Businesses support each other, regardless of their competitive nature. The community connection makes it easier for entrepreneurs to achieve their ambition. You can create, build, and be something in Burien.

Foodie (& Startup) Paradise

Burien’s affordable real estate allows businesses to get more space for their dollar, while still getting all the benefits of a location that is a regional hub location with a walkable urban core. This rare opportunity has created a fertile ground for entrepreneurs and locals starting up their first business. It has also been noticed by Seattle businesses relocating to Burien who wanted to increase their footprint or experiment with fresh ideas and concepts. The mix of new entrepreneurs and established businesses has created a collaborative environment and a burgeoning “foodie paradise.” In the last two years, 13 diverse and exciting restaurants opened, representing a long term investment in Burien’s small town charm and big city opportunity.
Plate of food on a blue and white tablecloth