Tacoma (http://cityoftacoma.org/) in Washington, is the state's second-largest city, with just under 200,000 residents. It is served by Sea-Tac airport (http://portseattle.org/seatac/), which serves Seattle, Tacoma, and the greater Seattle area. Tacoma often gets a negative description that is similar to the one given to Oakland, California but in the same way, this comes from those who have never lived in or even visited the city. While it has neither the tourist amenities of its neighbor Seattle to the north nor the suburban safety of Olympia to the south, one can certainly spend a few pleasant days in Tacoma and see the city's dynamic art scene as well as its great ballet.
