Downtown Seattle

Downtown Seattle, from the top of the Space Needle (looking south). Beyond Downtown is the Industrial District.

Map of Downtown Seattle and other central neighborhoods; typically, only the portion west of Interstate 5 (the dark gray band) would be considered "Downtown".

Bus ride through Downtown Seattle (time-lapse)

Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land that was once tidal flats. It is bounded on the north by Denny Way, beyond which are Lower Queen Anne (sometimes known as "Uptown"), Seattle Center, and South Lake Union; on the east by Interstate 5, beyond which are Capitol Hill and First Hill; on the south by Yesler Way, beyond which is the International District and part of Pioneer Square; and on the west by Central Waterfront and Elliott Bay. Belltown, the Denny Regrade, and the rest of Pioneer Square are sub-neighborhoods of Downtown. Near the center of Downtown is the Metropolitan Tract, owned by the University of Washington, the location of the university's pre-1895 campus. Downtown is Seattle's main financial district, waterfront, and shopping area (surrounding Westlake Center and connected to Seattle Center by way of a monorail), which make up the bulk of Downtown. It is also home to the landmark Pike Place Market.

Downtown Seattle's Columbia Center has a greater number of floors than any other building west of the Mississippi River, at seventy-six, though there are taller buildings in Texas and California by height. (Smith Tower, in the older section of Downtown near the waterfront, once held the title of tallest American building west of the Mississippi.) Other notable buildings are the Washington Mutual Tower, Two Union Square, Nordstrom’s flagship store, Benaroya Hall, the new Seattle Central Library designed by Rem Koolhaas, and the main building of the Seattle Art Museum (built 1991, expanded 2007), the main facade of which was designed by Robert Venturi.

Downtown parks include Westlake Park, Freeway Park, and Victor Steinbrueck Park. The Olympic Sculpture Park was completed on the Belltown waterfront in January 2007.

Expansion

Downtown Seattle's population is growing, with a number of high and mid-rise condominium towers being constructed. Most of the new units are priced for the top end of the region's housing market.

In 1989, building heights in Downtown and adjoining Seattle suburbs were tightly restricted following a voter initiative. These restrictions were dramatically loosened in 2006, leading to the increase in Downtown high-rise construction. This policy change has divided commentators between those who support the increased density^[1] and those who criticize it as "Manhattanization."^[2]

Economy

RealNetworks headquarters

RealNetworks has its headquarters in Downtown Seattle.^[3][4] Picnik has its headquarters in Downtown Seattle.^[5]

Aeroflot has offices in Downtown Seattle.^[6]

Government and Infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Seattle Main Post Office (also known as the Midtown Post Office^[7]) at 301 Union Street at Third Street.^[8][9] Seattle City Hall is located at 600 4th Ave,^[10] adjacent from the King County Courthouse. Downtown is serviced by the Transit Tunnel, in which the Link Light Rail runs through. The terminus for both the Light Rail and the Seattle Center Monorail is located at Westlake Center. A large number of bus lines also run through, with the ones operated by Metro being free of charge while in the Ride Free Area.

References

1. ^ http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002880895_downtown21m.html seattletimes.nwsource.com
2. ^ http://seattleweekly.com/2005-05-18/news/the-manhattan-project.php seattleweekly.com
3. ^ "Contact Us." RealNetworks. Retrieved on May 26, 2011. "Corporate Headquarters RealNetworks, Inc. 2601 Elliott Avenue Seattle, WA 98121"
4. ^ "Cantwell's company pulls welcome mat out from under Gorton." The News Tribune. November 1, 2000. Retrieved on May 26, 2011. "[...] in front of RealNetworks' downtown Seattle office after the hour-long tour."
5. ^ "About Us." Picnik. Retrieved on March 5, 2010.
6. ^ "Contact Us USA." Aeroflot. Retrieved on May 12, 2009.
7. ^ "Post Office Location - MIDTOWN." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.
8. ^ Davila, Florangela. "Clock Is Ticking On Filing Tax Returns." The Seattle Times. Wednesday April 15, 1998. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.
9. ^ "Appeal of CARL A. CURRIER, JAMES KERNS, DAVID BAR - P.S. Docket No. POB 00-209, P.S. Docket No. POB 00-271, P.S. Docket No. POB 00-272." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.
10. ^ http://www.cityofseattle.net/html/citymap.htm

External links

• Downtown skyline from the Smith Tower
• Downtown Seattle is at coordinates 47°36′29″N 122°20′10″W / 47.608°N 122.336°W / 47.608; -122.336 (Downtown Seattle)Coordinates: 47°36′29″N 122°20′10″W / 47.608°N 122.336°W / 47.608; -122.336 (Downtown Seattle)