Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill Public Library

The hill, as it is known by the locals, originally got its name from early settlers when it was still the planned site for the Washington state capitol. It was the epicenter for the grunge rock revolution of the late 80's and early 90's. Man thoroughfares include, Pine, Pike and Broadway.

Located northeast of Downtown, north of the Central District and First Hill, and west of Madison Valley, Capitol Hill encompases quite a large area bounded roughly by I-5 to the West, Madison to the South and East, and Boyer to the North. It is home to what's probably Seattle's largest gay community and also a significant homeless population. To many Seattlites Capitol Hill is synonymous with the commercial strip along Broadway, also home to Seattle Central Community College and two popular Landmark art house movie theaters (the Egyptian and the Harvard Exit). The Pike Pine corridor and 15th Avenue North of Denny are also important business and activity centers.

There are several parks in Capitol Hill, including Volunteer Park, where you can climb the water tower and get a beautiful view of the surrounding area, including the old mansions around the park.

History

Capitol Hill's development dates back to the last decade of the 19th century, and increased in pace during the first two decades of the 20th century. It's likely that the often repeated explanation that Capitol Hill was so named by the expectation that it would house the state capitol is false. This was apparently true of Denny Hill (which was destroyed by a regrade project). Capitol Hill was probably named by the developper of Millionaires' Row along 14th Ave. which he named Capitol Hill after a similar development he had undertaken in Denver.

The focal point of early Capitol Hill was Volunteer Park. In 1901 City Park was renamed Volunteer Park in honor of the veterans of the Spanish American War. In 1903 the park was incorporated into Seattle's new parks system designed by John Charles Olmsted. In 1907 the water tower was built in the park.

The development of volunteer park reflects the development happening in its near vicinity. The earliest neighborhoods of Capitol Hill were developped nearby. The Stevens Neighborhood (bounded by 15th, Galer, Aloha, and 22nd. ave), Millionaires Row (the original Capitol Hill) along the ridge that runs along 14th ave from the park South, and the Harvard Belmont area (bounded roughly by St. Marks Cathedral, 10th ave, I-5, and Roy). These neighborhoods are home to some of Seattles oldest and most sylish mansions.

South Capitol Hill was developped around the same time, with Broadway High School built in 1902 at Pine and Broadway. It was razed to build Seattle Central Community College, but it's auditorium was retained and converted into the Broadway Performance Hall.

Several Fraternal orders also called the Pine and Broadway intersection home. Two of these buildings remain. One is the Odfellows Hall which now houses the Velocity Dance Company, the Century Ballroom, and a number of other arts organization venues and offices. Another old fraternal hall is now the Egyptian Theater.

By the depression the millionaires had been joined by numerous appartment dwellers, with many whimsical tudor styled apartment bulidings designed by Frederick Anhalt. You can't miss these with their tudor stucco facades and turret stairways.

The depression was responsible for some of Capitol Hill's notable modernist architecture. The stark lines of the original Seattle Art Muesum (now the Asian Museum) are a result of scaling back the original design because of the depression. The same is true of the austere architecture of St. Mark's Cathedral, and the structural concrete romanesque St Joseph's Church at 18th and Aloha.

In the early 60's I-5 was built to the West of Capitol Hill, cutting much of the hill off from the City. As a consequence the area went into a period of decline from which it recovered in the late 70s and early 80s with the development of the hill as bohemian, gay, and yuppie community.

Night life

The South side of Capitol Hill is known for its vibrant and young community. Very few traditional families call the South side of Capitol Hill home. As a result, there are multiple venues in which to play pool, listen to great music or have (a) drink(s) with friends. Popular destinations include Linda's, Cha Cha's, Chop Suey and Neumos.

Lesbian, Gay, and Transgendered Community

Capitol Hill is also the center of the city's gay nightlife. Venues include Wildrose Tavern, Neighbors, The Cuff, Seattle Eagle, and C C Attle's.

In the 1950's and 1960's the center of the LGBT community was located in Pioneer Square. Starting in the mid-70s, as Boeings slashed jobs, families moved to the suburbs, and rents plummeted on Capitol Hill, the LGBT community gradually relocated to Capitol Hill.

Capitol Hill had been the location of Seattle's Pride Parade since the early 1980's, but the venue has been changed to Seattle Center in order to facilitate the incorporation of more commercial and political interests in the event.

The Capitol Hill gay community has changed a lot over the early years of the 21st century, with the closure of Seattle's LGBT bookstore (Beyond the Closet), the closure of the hills only gay pride shop, and the closure of a couple of gay clubs (Spintron, Timberline, ARO.Space, and the short lived Blu). Seattle's Gay community has become more decentralized too, with more members of the community living in places like West Seattle, Wallingford, and Bainbridge Island.