SOUTH NEIGHBORHOODS - 1

 Renton

 Tukwila

 Seatac

 Burien

RENTON

Before it was settled, Renton was home to the Duwamish people. But in 1855, the tribe ceded the land along with several other regions, including parts of Burien, Seattle and Tukwila.

In 1873, Erasmus Smithers developed the Renton Coal Co., drawing workers and residents quickly to the town, which was founded in 1901. Capt. William Renton, a lumber trader and wealthy businessman, helped Smithers with the finances to open the mining company. Consequently, the town was named Renton.

But mining wasn't the only industry making money then. Brick-making and logging were also popular throughout the Depression era. Over the decades backwoods Renton has turned into a technology abode.

Today, the city's big employers include Zones Inc., Wizards of the Coast, Classmates.com., The Boeing Co. and IKEA. Renton is sometimes called the "Jet Capital of the World" because of Boeing's economic influence. A liberal movement was also born out of the lakefront city.

Over the years, though, Renton, like other communities south of Seattle, had been the brunt of jokes. To help polish its image, it began running radio spots touting its virtues.

Renton is known for its Spirit of Washington Dinner Train, which attracts nearly 1 million people each year, the annual Renton River Days festival, its holiday crafts bazaar and Clam Lights event, and its community theatres.

TUKWILA

With Tukwila's dining, golf courses and shopping center, no one would suspect that it all came to be because of hazelnuts.

The Duwamish people -- who lived in the region along the Black and Duwamish rivers -- dubbed the area Tukwila, which means "land where the hazelnuts grow."

Settlers began arriving in the 1850s, including Illinois brothers Joseph and Stephen Foster, and the Duwamish moved out.

In 1858, Joseph Foster became a territorial legislator and established the Territorial University in Seattle (now the University of Washington).

Settlers were attracted by the region's rich soil and salmon-filled rivers. A commuter train, the Seattle-Tacoma Interurban Railway, was built in 1902 and brought even more people to the area.

The city's name was unofficial in the early days. So in 1908, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer held a contest called "Name The New Town." "Tukwila" won, and the town was incorporated under that name the same year.

Located just east of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and between Western Washington's two largest cities -- Seattle to the north and Tacoma to the south-- Tukwila is full of shopping, theaters and family-fun venues.

Some of the big draws are Southcenter Mall, Parkway Super Center, the Family Fun Center, casinos and movie theaters.

SEATAC

No wonder SeaTac calls itself "The Hospitality City." Home to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, it's full of shuttle parking lots, hotels and rental cars. Unfortunately, with hospitality comes the constant buzz of airplanes overhead.

Originally a logging settlement, SeaTac is a community that grew up around its airport. In the 1930s, aviators Dean Spencer and George Wolff opened an airstrip so they could fly their aircraft and teach flying. They named it Bow Lake Airport.

During World War II, the Port of Seattle bought the airport as a supplement for Boeing Field. The port opened the airport's passenger terminal in July 1949.

Before the city was incorporated in 1990, it was known around the country as a prime hunting ground for the so-called Green River killer, who killed nearly 50 women between 1982 and 1984. Most of the victims were prostitutes known to frequent the area near the airport.

Today, SeaTac prides itself on cultural activities. Its annual midyear International Festival entertains visitors with wacky shows, cultural performances and ethnic foods. Its Theatre in the Park and Music in the Park events, Tree Lighting Ceremony and Halloween Carnival are also big seasonal draws

BURIEN

In 1873, the Burien area was called "Sunnydale," after settler Mike Kelly stumbled upon the land and later built a home there for his wife and child. Kelly, an Iowan, named it as such because when he stepped out of the thick forest onto an open range, he likened the area to a "sunny dale."

Three years later, German-born Gottlieb Van Boorian arrived in Sunnydale and built a cabin on the southeastern edge of Lake Burien. He later founded the town of Burien, named after himself. In 1993, the city was incorporated.

Today, the Northwest Symphony Orchestra's home is in Burien, and the city's 305-acre Seahurst Park draws visitors from throughout the region.

Surrounding the city are wide views of Puget Sound and long walking and jogging trails tucked among residential neighborhoods.

With its Christmas Cabaret, fall pottery sale, annual Strawberry Festival and Concerts in the Park, Burien tries to offer a full calendar of events for residents and visitors. The city recently has focused energy on expanding and improving parks and adding recreational and cultural events.

SOUTH NEIGHBORHOODS - 1