Views of the mountains and Lake Washington Ship Canal combined with accessibility to the commercial downtown Seattle area make the Ballard center an appealing business base. The center occupies a building with a contemporary look and feel, both externally (thanks to a connecting stairwell shaped like a ship's prow) and internally (from its fresh modern reception to light office space). The building is located in the increasingly trendy north Seattle neighborhood of Ballard/Fremont, which combines maritime industries such as commercial fishing, recreational yachting and support services like boatbuilding, with a focus on the arts. Ballard also has a growing brewing industry. The center is close to all amenities, including local bus routes and the I-5, which is about a 15-minute drive away. The closest airport is Boeing Field, which serves small commercial passenger airlines, private jets and helicopters and is home to 150 tenant businesses.