Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the center of the city's gay and counterculture communities, and is one of the city's most prominent nightlife and entertainment districts.
Geography
Capitol Hill is situated on a steep hill just east of the city's central business district.
Cascade, Seattle, Washington
Cascade is a small neighborhood abutting Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA; it constitutes the eastern portion of what has come to be known as South Lake Union...
, and Eastlake
Eastlake, Seattle, Washington
Eastlake is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, so named because of its location on the eastern shore of Lake Union. Its main thoroughfare is Eastlake Avenue E., which runs from Howell Street at the northeast corner of Downtown north over the University Bridge to the University District, where...
; to the north by State Route 520 and Interlaken Park, beyond which is Montlake
Montlake, Seattle, Washington
Montlake is an affluent residential neighborhood in central Seattle. It is bounded to the north by Portage Bay and the Montlake Cut section of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, to the east by the Washington Park Arboretum, and to the south and west by Interlaken Park. Capitol Hill is on its south and...
; to the south by E. Pike and E. Madison Streets, beyond which are First Hill
First Hill, Seattle, Washington
First Hill is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, named for the hill on which it is located. The hill, in turn, is so named for being the first hill one encounters traveling east from downtown Seattle toward Lake Washington....
and the Central District
Central District, Seattle, Washington
The Central District is a mostly residential district in Seattle located east of Cherry Hill, west of Madrona and Leschi, south of Capitol Hill, and north of Rainier Valley...
; and to the east by 23rd and 24th Avenues E., beyond which is Madison Valley
Madison Valley, Seattle, Washington
Madison Valley is a neighborhood in Seattle located east of Capitol Hill; west of Washington Park; south of Montlake; and north of the Central District.The valley is centered on the corner of E. Madison Street and Martin Luther King Jr...
.
Capitol Hill's main thoroughfare is Broadway, which forms the commercial heart of the district. Other significant streets are 10th, 12th, 15th, and 19th Avenues, all running north-south, and E. Pine, E. Pike, E. John, E. Thomas, and E. Aloha Streets and E. Olive Way, running east-west. Of these streets, large portions of E. Pike Street, E. Pine Street, Broadway, 15th Avenue and, to a slightly lesser extent, E. Olive Way, are lined almost continuously with streetfront businesses.
The highest point on Capitol Hill, at 444.5 feet (135.5 m) above sea level, is in Volunteer Park
Volunteer Park (Seattle)
Volunteer Park is a 48.3 acre park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, USA.-History:Volunteer Park was acquired by the city of Seattle for $2,000 in 1876 from J.M. Colman...
, adjacent to the water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
. Capitol Hill is also responsible for half of Seattle's 12 steepest street grades: 21% on E. Roy Street between 25th and 26th Avenues E. (eastern slope), 19% on E. Boston Street between Harvard Avenue E. and Broadway E. (western slope) and on E. Ward Street between 25th and 26th Avenues E. (eastern slope), and 18% on E. Highland Drive between 24th and 25th Avenues E. (eastern slope), on E. Lee Street between 24th and 25th Avenues E. (eastern slope), and on E. Roy Street between Melrose and Bellevue Avenues E. (western slope).
History
Prior to 1901, Capitol Hill was known as 'Broadway Hill' after the neighborhood's main thoroughfare. The origin of the neighborhood's current name is disputed. According to one story, James A. Moore, the real estateReal estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
developer who plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted much of the area, named it thus in the hope that the Washington government
Washington State Capitol
The Washington State Capitol or Legislative Building in Olympia is the home of the government of the state of Washington. It contains chambers for the Washington State Legislature and offices for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and treasurer and is part of a campus consisting...
would move to Seattle from Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
. According to another, Moore named it after the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, his wife's hometown. It is thought by the editors of HistoryLink
HistoryLink
HistoryLink is a website that is an encyclopedia of Washington State history. The site has more than 4,500 stories. There are 500 biographies and more than 14,000 images....
that the true story is a combination of the two.
Due to its one-time large Roman Catholic population, Capitol Hill was frequently referred to as Catholic Hill up until the 1980s.
Fred Anhalt
Fred Anhalt was an architect who constructed many distinguished apartment buildings in Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington in the 1920s and early 1930s. In 1993, the Seattle Chapter of the American Institute of Architects awarded Anhalt an honorary membership.After a career as a salesman, Anhalt...
, as well as a few surviving Classical Revival complexes such as the Blackstone Apartments
Blackstone Apartments
The Blackstone Apartments are located at 222 Summit Ave East in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA. The apartment complex was designed and owned by J.S. Long and built by the Long Building Company in 1927...
. However, the neighborhood's architecture did not fare so well in the decades immediately after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Architect Victor Steinbrueck
Victor Steinbrueck
Victor Steinbrueck was a Seattle architect, and University of Washington faculty member, and best known for his efforts to preserve the city's Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market.-Biography:...
wrote in 1962 of the "tremendous growth of less-than-luxury apartments" that at first "appear to be consistent with the clean, direct approach associated with contemporary architecture" but whose "open outdoor corridors" totally defeat their "large 'view' windows" by giving occupants no privacy if they leave their blinds open to enjoy the view. "Most tenants close their blinds and look for another apartment when their lease runs out."
Since 1997, Capitol Hill has hosted the Capitol Hill Block Party
Capitol Hill Block Party
The Capitol Hill Block Party is an annual three-day music festival held each July in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. In the past, the festival has included various famous acts including Macklemore, Atmosphere, MGMT, Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, The Presidents of the United States of America, Blue...
annually in late July.
Ambience
It also has a reputation as a bastion of musical culture in Seattle and is the neighborhood most closely associated with the grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
scene from the early 1990s, although most of the best-known music venues of that era were actually located slightly outside the neighborhood. The music scene has transformed since those days and now a variety of genres (electronica, rock, punk, folk, salsa, hip hop and trance) is represented in the people and venues.
Most of the Hill's major thoroughfares are dotted with coffeehouse
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
s, tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
s and bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
s, and residences cover the gamut from modest motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
-like studio apartment buildings to some of the city's grandest and most venerable mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s, with the two extremes sometimes shoulder-to-shoulder.
The neighborhood figures prominently in nightlife and entertainment, with many bars hosting live music and with numerous fringe theatre
Fringe theatre
Fringe theatre is theatre that is not of the mainstream. The term comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which name comes from Robert Kemp, who described the unofficial companies performing at the same time as the second Edinburgh International Festival as a ‘fringe’, writing: ‘Round the fringe...
s. At night enthusiastic (and at times eccentric) people fill the streets enjoying the diverse entertainment and the culture of openness and acceptance. Spontaneous street parties have been known to break out with music playing and people dancing in the streets like on Election Day 2008 and the freak snow storm in December 2008 (snow is very unusual in Seattle and can stifle transit). In these instances, police officers observe but will usually let the revelling continue. When clubs do shut down at around 2 AM, people can now flock to the plethora of new street vendors opening up as well as the late-closing restaurants serving quick and tasty food.
Capitol Hill is also home to two of the city's best-known movie theaters, both of which are part of the Landmark Theatres
Landmark Theatres
Landmark Theatres is the largest art house movie theater chain in the United States. It is owned by Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner through their 2929 Entertainment. The chain shows mostly first run independent, foreign film, and restored classics though some Landmark theaters also show more mainstream...
chain. Both theaters are architectural conversions of private meeting halls: the Harvard Exit, in the former home of the Women's Century Club (converted in the early 1970s) and the Egyptian Theatre, in a former Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
lodge (converted in the mid-1980s). There is also Seattle's only cinematheque, the Northwest Film Forum, which in addition to screening films, teaches classes on filmmaking and produces film alongside Seattle's burgeoning filmmaking community. The Broadway Performance Hall, located on the campus of Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College is a community college located in Seattle, Washington, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. It is one of the three colleges which make up the Seattle Community College District...
(SCCC), also hosts a variety of lectures, performances, and films. These quaint theaters respectively host showings for the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival every year. Both festivals are notably remarkable in their own right.
With a rich and diverse history, Capitol Hill has been a bastion of arts and culture. Boutiques dot the commercial streets, specifically in the Southern Pike/Pine area. The neighborhood boasts a number of small performing arts theaters, including The Erickson Theater, the Balagan Theater, and the Annex Theater. There are also a number of dance studios, most prominently Velocity Dance on 12th. Not far away the Richard Hugo house hosts a number of literary artists-in-residence as well as putting on a number of public performing arts events throughout the year. Public art, government-sponsored or not, can also be seen throughout the neighborhood.
Landmarks and institutions
Cornish College of the Arts
-Library:The library at Cornish College specializes in art, dance, design, music, performance production, and theatre. As of 2011 it holds 4700 CDs, 40,000 books, has 2,200 videos, and subscribes to 154 periodicals...
; Temple De Hirsch Sinai
Temple De Hirsch Sinai
Temple De Hirsch Sinai is a Reform Jewish congregation with campuses in Seattle and nearby Bellevue, Washington, USA. It was formed as a 1971 merger between the earlier Temple De Hirsch and Temple Sinai and is the largest Reform congregation in the Pacific Northwest.The old Temple De Hirsch...
http://www.tdhs-nw.org/about_us/facilities.php3 (but the historic Temple De Hirsch was largely demolished in 1992: only a few columns and the front entrance remain); Volunteer Park, in which are the Seattle Asian Art Museum
Seattle Asian Art Museum
The Seattle Asian Art Museum is a museum of Asian art located inside Volunteer Park on Seattle, Washington USA's Capitol Hill. Part of the Seattle Art Museum, SAAM occupies the 1933 Art Moderne building which was originally home to the Seattle Art Museum's main collection...
and Volunteer Park Conservatory
Volunteer Park Conservatory
The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a botanical garden and conservatory located in Seattle, Washington, at the north end of Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill....
; and The Northwest School
Northwest School
The Northwest School is a private middle and high school located on Seattle, Washington's First Hill. Founded in 1980, it is located in the 1905 Summit School building, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979...
.
In addition to Volunteer Park, parks on the Hill include the exquisite fountain and lawn themed Cal Anderson Park
Cal Anderson Park
Cal Anderson Park is a public park on Seattle, Washington's Capitol Hill that includes Lincoln Reservoir and Bobby Morris Playfield.-Features:...
, Louisa Boren Park
Louisa Boren Park
Louisa Boren Park is a park in Seattle, Washington. A heavily wooded hillside and lookout with views to the northeast of the city, Lake Washington, and the Eastside, it is located at the north end of Capitol Hill just south of Interlaken Park, out of which it was created in 1913...
, Interlaken Park
Interlaken Park (Seattle)
Interlaken Park is a park in Seattle, Washington. A heavily wooded hillside and ravine, it forms the division between Capitol Hill to the south and Montlake to the north. Interlaken Drive E. runs through the park north to south, and E. Interlaken Boulevard, part of which is now closed to traffic,...
, Roanoke Park
Roanoke Park (Seattle)
Roanoke Park is a 2.2 acre park on north Capitol Hill in Seattle, Washington. It occupies the block bounded by E. Edgar and Roanoke Streets on the north and south and 10th Avenue E. and Broadway E. on the east and west, just northeast of the junction of State Route 520 and Interstate 5.The park...
, and Thomas Street Park. Lake View Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery (Seattle)
Lake View Cemetery is a cemetery located on Seattle, Washington, Capitol Hill just north of Volunteer Park. It is named for its view of Lake Washington to the east. It was founded in 1873 as the Seattle Masonic Cemetery.-Notable interments:...
, containing the graves of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
and his son Brandon Lee
Brandon Lee
Brandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
, lies directly north of Volunteer Park, and the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery
Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery (Seattle)
The Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery on Seattle, Washington's Capitol Hill is a cemetery situated just north of Lake View Cemetery on the hill's northern slope, on E...
north of it in turn.
Also on the Hill are the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences
Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences
Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences, Seattle Academy, or SAAS is a coed independent middle and high school located on Seattle, Washington's urban Capitol Hill. The school was founded in 1983....
, The Northwest School, Hamlin Robinson School
Hamlin Robinson School
The Hamlin Robinson School is an independent school in Seattle offering a specialized program specifically for students with dyslexia and related language difficulties. The school was founded in 1983.-Background:...
, St. Joseph School, Holy Names Academy
Holy Names Academy
Holy Names Academy is a Catholic private all-girls college-preparatory high school located on the east slope of Seattle's Capitol Hill at 21st Avenue East between E. Aloha and E. Roy Streets. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, the school has been named a Blue Ribbon School by...
, Seattle Hebrew Academy, Seattle Preparatory School
Seattle Preparatory School
Seattle Preparatory School, popularly known as Seattle Prep is a private Jesuit high school located on Capitol Hill, in Seattle. It was founded in 1891 and has maintained a long history of academic excellence. The school regularly sends many of its students to Ivy League and 'highly selective'...
, Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
, Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College is a community college located in Seattle, Washington, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. It is one of the three colleges which make up the Seattle Community College District...
, and St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral
St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral (Seattle)
St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., is the seat of the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. St. Mark's was founded as a mission church of Trinity Episcopal Parish Church ....
.
Bars and clubs
Red Robin
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers is a chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1969 in Seattle, Washington, and now headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.-History:...
from a single tavern at the southern end of the University Bridge into a restaurant chain.) Lion O'Reilly's had a last hurrah as "Lion O's Rock Hard Cafe", which resulted in legal action by the Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...
chain. Surviving from that era, with a rougher-hewn version of the same style, is Canterbury Ales and Eats on 15th Avenue E.
With a similar look, but far more emblematic of what was to come was Brass Connection which was a bar and disco with a predominantly gay male crowd and occasional drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
shows. It played a key role in moving the heart of Seattle's gay nightlife scene from relative hidey-holes, mainly in the Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington
Pioneer Square is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at Alki Point on the far side of Elliott Bay. The early structures in the neighborhood...
and Belltown
Belltown, Seattle, Washington
Belltown is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, United States, in the 98121 Zip Code, located on the city's downtown waterfront, on land that was artificially flattened as part of a regrading project...
neighborhoods, to higher-profile venues, mainly on Capitol Hill and especially in the Pike-Pine Corridor.
In the late 1980s, another gay bar, Tugs Belltown, moved up to the Hill (corner of Pine and Belmont) and became Tugs Belmont where underwear parties were held. In this new venue, it played a key role in Seattle's burgeoning and sexy fringe theater scene. Possibly the first bar in Seattle since before the Prohibition era to host regular theater performances, in the early 1990s it was the primary home of the Greek Active Theater, founded by sex columnist and Capitol Hill resident Dan Savage
Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
(working pseudonymously as Keenan Hollohan).
The scene along the Pike-Pine corridor was never exclusively gay. In the 1990s Moe's, on Pike just east of Broadway (now named Neumo's), transformed a former Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
facility into a combination bar, restaurant, and performance venue, with local and national acts as well as dance nights, and became for several years one of Seattle's most prominent musical performance venues. Now Neumo's and nearby Chop Suey continue that live music tradition and dozens of trendy (and friendly-but-divey) bars and clubs cater to gay- and straight-themed nightlife.
In late 2007, the 500 block of East Pine was demolished for a condominium/street-level businesses project that as of 2009 has not come to fruition due to design objections and shortage of money. Currently, the entire block is empty. The 500 block housed the Manray gay bar as well as gay-friendly Cha Cha Lounge, Bus Stop, Kincora and the raunchy Pony (which was supposed to be only a temporary venue before its demolishing). The block has been described as a "hub for Seattle music, nightlife, art, fashion, and small business". Though most of the bars and clubs on this block have relocated (including Pony), the lower Pike-Pine corridor has a distinctly different feel.
Coffeehouses
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, Seattle's Best Coffee
Seattle's Best Coffee
Seattle's Best Coffee, a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks, is a specialty coffee retailer and wholesaler based in Seattle, Washington.Seattle's Best Coffee has retail stores and grocery sub-stores in 20 states and provinces and the District of Columbia. Sub-stores can also be found within many...
(now owned by Starbucks), and Tully's Coffee
Tully's Coffee
Tully's Coffee is a specialty coffee retailer and wholesaler based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Its stores serve specialty coffees, espresso, baked goods, pastries, and coffee-related supplies. It also has overseas licensing agreements in Japan and South Korea where its brand name is used...
—Capitol Hill has been home to some of the city's most prominent locally owned coffeehouses. The neighborhood is considered a test market for coffee houses by Starbucks Corporation. The company has opened three unique versions of the chain at different locations on the hill. The testing being done included unique decor, differentiated food and drink menus (e.g. specialty teas) and the sales of alcohol. These three locations are: Roy Street Coffee & Tea, 15th Ave. and most prominently at E. Olive Way.
The now-defunct Cause Celebre coffeehouse and ice cream parlor on 15th Ave. E. started life as a worker-owned collective, but was eventually bought out by one of its founding members. From about 1978 until the mid-1980s, it declared itself to be "Capitol Hill's living room."
B&O Espresso (at the corner of Belmont Ave. E. and Olive Way, hence B&O: Belmont and Olive), founded 1976, could be considered one of Seattle's oldest surviving coffeehouses, except that it has transformed over the years into more of a restaurant. One of B&O's claims to fame is that the band Pearl Jam conceived of their name while at this coffeehouse.
The minuscule Coffee Messiah (early 1990s – 2006), decorated in religious kitsch, serving little but coffee and vegan pastries, was also an all-ages performance venue for several years. The crowd frequently spilled out onto the pavement. Acts ranged from punk rock to drag cabaret, including a cross between the two known as Pho Bang (which later continued at other venues).
Caffé Vita Coffee Roasting Company
Caffé Vita Coffee Roasting Company, commonly known as Caffé Vita, is a coffee roasting company in Seattle, Washington. Part of the third wave coffee movement, Caffé Vita has been named one of the top ten places "to get the best coffee in America." They source their coffee directly from farmers in...
(two locations), and Top Pot Doughnuts
Top Pot Doughnuts
Top Pot Doughnuts is a chain of coffee and doughnut cafes started in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.Top Pot begun in February 2002 and was started by co-founders Mark and Michael Klebeck, who are brothers.-Locations:...
, as well as bauhaus books + coffee
Bauhaus books + coffee
bauhaus books + coffee is a coffeehouse in Capitol Hill in Seattle.-History:Bauhaus was founded in 1993 and is notable for an unusual coffeehouse space design, which founder Joel Radin later applied to the design of Top Pot Doughnuts when he co-founded that company with others.-Reviews:Bauhaus...
, TnT Espresso, Cafe Dharwin, Espresso Vivace Sidewalk Bar, Faire, Fuel Coffee, Insomniax (two locations), Joe Bar, Kaladi Brothers, Uncle Elizabeth's Internet Café, Stumptown Coffee (two locations), People's Republic of Koffee, Victrola Coffee Roasters
Victrola Coffee Roasters
Victrola Coffee Roasters is a coffee roaster and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle.-History:Victrola was founded in 2000. Early in the company's history they began sourcing roasting the coffee they prepared....
(two locations) and new arrivals Porchlight and the locally renowned Cupcake Royale (with other locations throughout Seattle).
Espresso Vivace's primary location on 901 E. Denny Way/1512 11th Ave just a block off Broadway was closed in mid-2008 due to University Link
University Link
University Link is a future light rail extension of Sound Transit's Link light rail system in Seattle, Washington, USA. The line will connect downtown Seattle with the University of Washington via Capitol Hill. The line was approved by the Federal Transit Administration in November 2006...
construction, but a new location is now open in the Brix condos building further north on Broadway E. The Espresso Vivace sidewalk bar on Broadway, and Espresso Vivace Alley 24' South Lake Union location are also open for business.
Several Capitol Hill coffeehouses use mezzanines
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
or similar architectural devices to add more seating to their relatively small spaces; some take significant advantage of nearby sidewalks for additional seating. Espresso Vivace's Broadway location has only sidewalk seating sharing a part of the lot with the bank next to it. Bauhaus takes advantage of its high ceiling not only for a massive wall of books (mostly encyclopedias and other reference books), but also to place additional seating over the food prep and serving area; it also spills out onto the sidewalk onto E. Pine Street and around the corner to Melrose, with sidewalk seats providing a higher northwestern view of downtown, including the Space Needle.
Book Stores
Book stores, popular in the city, also find an anchor in the neighborhood. There are six book stores: Elliot Bay Book Company, Half Price Book, Bauhaus Books & Coffee, Twice Sold Tales, Horizon Books, Pilot Books and Spine and Crown Books. The most recent edition was Elliot Bay Book Company, which moved from its historic Pioneer Square location.Churches
A few of the original churches include St. Joseph's on 19th Avenue E., which anchored a large Roman Catholic population on the east slope. The imposing edifice of St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral overlooks I-5 on the west side of the hill and is home to a large Episcopal congregation and the seat of the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, also known as the Episcopal Church in Western Washington, is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in Washington state west of the Cascade Range. It is one of 17 dioceses and an area mission that make up Province 8. The diocese started as a missionary district in 1853...
. All Pilgrims Christian Church combines the former congregation of Seattle First Christian Church with that of Pilgrim Congregational Church. The Nisqually earthquake
Nisqually earthquake
The Nisqually earthquake was an intraslab earthquake, occurring at 10:54 a.m. PST . on February 28, 2001, and was one of the largest recorded earthquakes in Washington state history. The quake measured 6.8 on the MMS and lasted approximately 45 seconds. The epicenter of the earthquake was Anderson...
permanently damaged First's sanctuary across the street from SCCC (then the only other church on the Broadway strip, now demolished).
The oldest black church in Seattle is located on 14th Avenue, between E. Pike and E. Pine streets. The First African Methodist Episcopal Church was originally incorporated in 1891 as the Jones Street Church (when 14th Avenue was called Jones Street). The church was constructed in 1912, replacing the large house where congregations were previously held on the same site. The facility has been remodeled and expanded to accommodate the growing membership. It was designated as a Seattle landmark in 1984.
There are a number of other Christian congregations on Capitol Hill without church buildings of their own. Grace Seattle, Presbyterian Church of America, meets at Volunteer Park Seventh Day Adventist Church on 13th and Aloha. Church on the Hill was started by the First Advent Christian Church, which used to be on 13th and Olive; Church on the Hill meets at the Balagan Theatre on Pike and 12th. Sanctuary, Southern Baptist, meets at Piecora Pizza, and Church of the Undignified (Nazarene) meets at Central Cinema.
One recently founded church does have a building: Capitol Hill Presbyterian (PCUSA), located on Harvard behind Seattle Central Community College, was formed on Easter 2006 when Westminster Presbyterian Church merged with Church at the Center. Capitol Hill Presbyterian has liturgical music that draws on indie rock and a strong arts influence.
A number of immigrant populations worship throughout the neighborhood as the population diversifies, including Russian Orthodox, Ethiopian and Vietnamese. There is also a longstanding Greek Orthodox Church, the Church of the Assumption, which separated from St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (Seattle)
Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church is a church in Seattle, Washington. It is part of the Greek Orthodox metropolis or diocese of San Francisco, within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. It is Seattle's oldest Greek Orthodox congregation....
in the 1930s.
Two landmark church buildings near Group Health
Group Health Cooperative
Group Health Cooperative, more commonly known as Group Health, is a Seattle, Washington based nonprofit healthcare organization. Established in 1947, it today provides coverage and care for about 700,000 people in Washington and Idaho and is one of the largest private employers in Washington...
Hospital no longer hold congregations. The First Methodist Protestant Church of Seattle, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, was remodeled and is now occupied by an interactive design and marketing firm. As of 2007, the former First Church of Christ Scientist is being remodeled into condominium apartments.
There are no remaining Jewish synagogues on Capitol Hill as such; Reform Jewish
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
Temple De Hirsch Sinai, whose Alhadeff Sanctuary was designed by B. Marcus Priteca
B. Marcus Priteca
Benjamin Marcus Priteca was born in Glasgow, Scotland. A theater architect, he is best-known for his work for Alexander Pantages. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1907 and later attended the Royal College of Art...
, among others, is just south of Madison, and therefore technically on First Hill.
WTO Protests in 1999
On the first day of the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999
The WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 was a meeting of the World Trade Organization, convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington, USA, over the course of three days, beginning November 30, 1999. A week before the meeting, delegates admitted failure to agree...
, protesters
WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 protest activity
Protest activity surrounding the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which was to be the launch of a new millennial round of trade negotiations, occurred on November 30, 1999 , when the World Trade Organization convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington,...
were driven out of Downtown Seattle and up Capitol Hill by police using tear gas, concussion grenades, rubber bullet
Rubber bullet
Rubber bullets are rubber or rubber-coated projectiles that can be fired from either standard firearms or dedicated riot guns. They are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to metal projectiles...
s, and armored personnel carriers. Following the creation of a 46-block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
protective zone around the Washington State Convention and Trade Center
Washington State Convention and Trade Center
The Washington State Convention Center is a convention center located next to and over Interstate 5 in downtown Seattle, Washington, adjacent to Freeway Park. Planning for its construction began in 1982; construction began in 1985, and the center opened on June 18, 1988. An expansion that doubled...
on the second day, Capitol Hill became the focal point for protests as WTO protesters and residents protested the WTO and police used force to disperse the crowds.
External links
- Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington is at coordinates 47.622942°N 122.316456°W
- The Capitol Hill Block Party, which features local bands every summer.
- Heather MacIntosh, Preservation in Capitol Hill, Preservation Seattle (online publication of Historic SeattleHistoric SeattleHistoric Seattle is a Seattle, Washington public development authority focused on preserving Seattle's architectural heritage. They issue a monthly online magazine, Preservation Seattle and are involved in advocacy and education....
), February 2004