Seattle St. Patrick's Day Among Best In U.S., Report Says

SEATTLE, WA - Some of the best St. Patrick's Day parties in the U.S. take place in cities with big populations of people claiming Irish heritage - New York City, Boston, and Chicago with its annual green-dying of the Chicago River.

So you might be surprised to learn that Seattle, a city better known for its Scandinavian heritage, apparently is one of the best places in the U.S. to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

That's according to the personal finance site WalletHub, which evaluated the top 200 largest cities in the U.S. based on factors like March weather, lodging costs, safety, and access to bars.

Seattle came out at No. 15 - the only West Coast city to crack the top 40.

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Seattle did not score well in categories assessing DUI safety, weather, and lodging costs. But Seattle did do well in a category WalletHub calls "St. Patrick's Day Traditions." That category includes items like the number of bars, local Irish-heritage population, and St. Patrick's Day parades.

The Seattle Irish Heritage Club hosts the annual parade in downtown Seattle, plus the month-long Irish Week.

Other local cities that made WalletHub's St. Paddy's Day list: Spokane (No. 28), Vancouver (No. 85), Tacoma (No. 140), and Bellevue (No. 191).

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