Okay, so I decided to actually figure out what the deal was with biotech companies in Bothell. I kept hearing about this “hub” north of Seattle, and honestly, I was just plain curious. Living somewhat nearby, you hear names thrown around, but I wanted to get a real sense of it myself, you know?
My first step was pretty basic. I didn’t just want a list from the internet; I wanted to see the places. So, I hopped in my car one afternoon. My plan? Drive around the areas where I suspected these companies might be clustered. Canyon Park seemed like the obvious starting point – everyone talks about it.
Driving through Canyon Park was interesting. It’s not like downtown Seattle at all. Lots of relatively new-looking buildings, business parks mostly. Some were really big and had familiar names out front – you definitely see signs for Seagen, they’re kinda hard to miss. But there were loads of other buildings too, some smaller, some just with generic “Life Science Center” type names. It felt pretty spread out, but concentrated in that specific area.
What I Noticed On the Ground
Here’s what struck me during my little exploration:
- Modern Buildings: Lots of glass and steel. Looks quite different from older industrial areas.
- Quiet Zones: It wasn’t bustling with street activity. Mostly cars going in and out of parking lots. Felt very… focused.
- Tucked Away: Many companies weren’t right on the main roads. You had to turn into business parks or specific complexes to see them.
- Variety: You could tell there was a mix. Some buildings looked like massive research labs, others perhaps smaller startups or supporting businesses. It wasn’t just one giant company, but a whole ecosystem.
I spent a good hour or two just cruising around, looking at signage, getting a feel for the layout. It wasn’t super exciting, like finding a hidden gem of a restaurant, but it was informative. You see the scale of it. It’s not just one or two companies; it’s a significant presence. You see names you recognize from the news and others you’ve never heard of.
After the drive, I did do a quick online search just to cross-reference what I saw and maybe catch names I missed. That helped fill in some gaps. Seeing the buildings first, though, made the online lists feel more real.
So yeah, that was my afternoon playing detective in Bothell’s biotech scene. It’s definitely a real thing, a major cluster of companies doing complex science stuff, hidden in plain sight up there in the suburbs. Pretty cool to see it firsthand rather than just reading about it.
