If you're reading this right now (and I know you are!) you have ties to Redmond, Washington. That's right, this sleepy town of 45,000 in the western parts of the State has global reach. You see, Microsoft's headquarters are based here. They make computers around the world work (or so the sales pitch goes) faster and more efficiently.

Redmond is also home to some other big names in America and around the world. Nintendo of America, the local counterpart to Japanese video-game maker Nintendo of Japan, has its headquarters here as well. In addition, AT&T Wireless and Eddie Bauer have their corporate home offices in Redmond. That's a lot of clout for a city that's also known as the "Bicycle capital of the Northwest".

The city was originally settled as part of a land grant given to Luke McRedmond in 1870. It received incorporation in 1912, and currently resides on the edge of the Seattle metropolitan area. Though urban amenities are few and far between the many sprawling corporate office parks, its close proximity to Seattle means you don't have to go very far for a good time!

For a city with so many parks, there weren't many retail stores available leading up to the 1990's. For a long time, it was known as "The town where you can't buy underwear". Luckily, with Microsoft's success in the 90's, and Nintendo's continued success in the $10 billion video game industry, the city transformed in the 1990's into a commercial power.