DOWNTOWN SEATTLE

Most people think of Downtown Seattle as the business, tourist and retail hub of the city. The downtown section is one of many things: It is the headquarters for international giants such as Weyerhaeuser, Vulcan and Russell Investments, is home to tourist magnets including the first Starbucks store and Pike Place Market, and hosts major retailers including Seattle’s own Nordstrom.

The city is evolving with cloud-piercing high-rises, a growing number of dedicated bike lanes and an expanding public transportation service.

Downtown is bordered by Belltown to the north, South Lake Union to the northeast, I-5 and First Hill to the east, SoDo (South of Downtown) to the south and Elliott Bay to the west. The downtown section also tends to include Denny Triangle to the northeast, as well as Pioneer Square and parts of the International District north and east of the stadiums. 

Pioneer Square was at the center of the original Seattle and is still home to some of the oldest – and earthquake-prone – structures. The area burned to the ground in 1889, with some of the city’s first brick buildings on display in Seattle’s Underground Tour.

The city’s population growth continues, while not at the same pace as a few years ago. The U.S. Census estimates the city’s population at about 740,000, with a majority (26%) aged 25-34. The median income inside the city’s limits hovers around $111,000.

Downtown Seattle is densely populated with several mid- and high-rise condominiums, including:

• 98 Union, a 13-story luxury condo overlooking Elliott Bay from 1st Avenue, at 98 Union Street
• The Emerald, one of the city’s newer high-rise condos, at 40 stories with expansive views of the city and Elliott Bay, at 121 Stewart Street
• Escala, the luxury condo with links to the novel “Fifty Shades of Grey,” Corinthian stylings, personal elevator entries and indoor pools, at 1920 4th Avenue
• Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue, a classic, 39-story, high-end condo, at 1521 2nd Avenue
• Olive 8, a Hyatt Hotel in the first 17 stories, 21 floors of private residences above and one floor of shared amenities in between, at 737 Olive Way

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LOCAL RESOURCES

Downtown Seattle
 

• Top area restaurants (Yelp.com)
• Top area drinking establishments (Yelp.com)
• Top destinations (Tripadvisor.com)
• Keeping in the know: The Evergrey, Nextdoor, Patch
• Schools: Seattle Public Schools and School Address Lookup Tool (2019-20 school year), Greatschools.org, Schooldigger.com)
• Public Schools for downtown Seattle: Lowell Elementary, Meany Middle, Garfield High
• Public Transportation: Seattle/King County Metro, Link light rail and Sounder train, Seattle Streetcar, Sound Transit
• Hospitals: Harborview Medical Center (the only Level 1 trauma center in Washington State), Seattle Children’s, Swedish Medical Center – Ballard, Swedish Medical Center – First Hill, Swedish – Cherry Hill, University of Washington Medical Center, Veterans Administration Puget Sound Health Care
• Pharmacies (Yelp.com)
• Dry Cleaners (Yelp.com)
• Tailor/Alterations (Yelp.com)
• Barbers (Yelp.com)
• Hair Stylists (Yelp.com)
• Spa/Massage (Yelp.com)
• Veterinarians (Yelp.com)
• Doggie Day Care (Yelp.com)

DOWNTOWN SEATTLE CONDO/HOME SALES AND SOLD, LAST 5 YEARS