Of all the fads to sweep over the early 21st century, perhaps none have been so pervasive as the resurgence of zombie-related media. Movies, books, video games and drunken conversations from the past decade have all been regular platforms for discussion of everything and anything related to brain-eating monsters made out of former friends and relatives. Maybe it's a metaphor for a perceived social breakdown, maybe an extreme fantasy of survival in a cruel, paranoid world. Whatever the source, zombie stories are a cross-generational favorite. In a geek-friendly city like Seattle, it's not hard to find a variety of survival plans for zombie-related What If scenarios. Some of the strongest I've heard so far have come out in favor of the Greenlake neighborhood on the city's north side. Here's a quick breakdown of the prospect.

1. Density

If the monster is other people, highly populated areas are too dangerous. Then again, living out in the sticks is a real gamble. You may never get found, but you may also run out of resources before too long. Farming is hard, so the idea of living off a tomato patch isn't as smart as it may seem to anyone with a less-than-green thumb. The Greenlake area has enough civilization to provide shelter and other necessary resources, but not so many people that the zombie horde would be effectively limitless.

2. Fresh Water

While you wait for enough rain to fill up your basins after the plumbing system fails, a few buckets of boiled water from Green Lake itself should tide you over. Remember, the average human can go more than a week without food, but 72 hours without water is practically a guaranteed grave.

3. Ideal Intersections

Consider the businesses at the intersection of Aurora and Winona Avenue. Within just a few blocks there is a lawnmower shop, a motorcycle dealer and an automobile parts and repair shop, as well as several used car dealers. It's a transport and maintenance hub of the city. Not two doors down from the motorcycle dealer is Butch's Guns, a well-stocked source of weapons and ammo for keeping the horde thin. There is also a nearby PCC Organic Grocery, not ideal considering all the quickly perishable items there but enough to stock up for a long haul. For less nutritious but more durable consumables, there's a 711 just a stone's throw away.

4. Short Roof Tops

When zombies are the enemy, street-level is a death trap. It wouldn't take long to create a system of walkways and bridges across the two-storey roof tops that make up the majority of the homes and businesses of Greenlake. Zombies, being less than agile and coordinated, would have a hard time navigating narrow paths above high falls.

5. Beth's Cafe

Forget churches, military bases and hospitals. If one place in the entire city of Seattle is going to defy the apocalypse, it's the famous greasy spoon on Aurora. Not even the most voracious zombie would have room for the brains of the living after one of Beth's twelve-egg omelets.

These are just a few of the many reasons why Seattle's cozy, convenient Greenlake district is ideal for survival after the living dead take over the world. Stay safe, stay hydrated, stay alive, Seattle.