Misplaced Pages

Central District, Seattle: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 00:49, 13 February 2008 edit72.200.92.186 (talk) →Demographics← Previous edit Latest revision as of 07:07, 18 December 2024 edit undoSounderBruce (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Page movers, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers112,363 edits →Transportation: add more transit details, updated sources 
(311 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox settlement
{{Unreferenced|date=September 2007}}{{Copyedit|date=November 2007}}
] | name = Central District, Seattle
| native_name =
]. The building is on the ].]]
| native_name_lang = <!-- ISO 639-1 code e.g. "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} instead -->
]]]
| settlement_type = ]
The '''Central District''' is a mostly ] district in ] located east of ], west of ] and ], south of ], and north of ]. Historically, it predominantly was an ] neighborhood, though it has become more diverse in recent years.
| image_skyline = CAMP Firehouse 07.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Firehouse Mini Park and the Cherry Hill Community Center: the former Firehouse No. 23, headquarters of the Central Area Motivation Program. The building is on the ].
| image_flag =
| flag_alt =
| image_seal =
| seal_alt =
| image_shield =
| shield_alt =
| etymology =
| nicknames = Central Area, CD
| motto =
| image_map = Seattle Map - Central District.png
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Central District Highlighted in Pink
| pushpin_map =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| pushpin_label_position =
| coordinates = {{coord|47|36|31|N|122|17|46|W|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint =
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = ]
| subdivision_name1 = ]
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = ]
| subdivision_type3 = City
| subdivision_name3 = ]
| established_title =
| established_date =
| founder =
| government_footnotes =
| government_type =
| governing_body =
| leader_party =
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =
| leader_title2 =
| leader_name2 =
| leader_title3 =
| leader_name3 =
| leader_title4 =
| leader_name4 =
| unit_pref = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->| area_footnotes =
| area_urban_footnotes = <!-- <ref> </ref> -->
| area_rural_footnotes = <!-- <ref> </ref> -->
| area_metro_footnotes = <!-- <ref> </ref> -->
| area_note =
| area_water_percent =
| area_rank =
| area_blank1_title =
| area_blank2_title = <!-- square kilometers -->
| area_total_km2 =
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_urban_km2 =
| area_rural_km2 =
| area_metro_km2 =
| area_blank1_km2 =
| area_blank2_km2 = <!-- hectares -->
| area_total_ha =
| area_land_ha =
| area_water_ha =
| area_urban_ha =
| area_rural_ha =
| area_metro_ha =
| area_blank1_ha =
| area_blank2_ha =
| length_km =
| width_km =
| dimensions_footnotes =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_footnotes =
| population_as_of =
| population_total =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_note =
| population_demonym =
| timezone1 =
| utc_offset1 =
| timezone1_DST =
| utc_offset1_DST =
| postal_code_type = ]
| postal_code = 98122
| area_code_type = ]
| area_code = ]
| iso_code =
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| module =
| footnotes =
}}


The '''Central Area''' (commonly called the '''Central District''' or '''The CD'''<ref name="HLthumbnail">Mary T. Henry, , HistoryLink, March 10, 2001. Accessed online 2009-10-19.</ref>) is a mostly ] ] in ] located east of ] and ] (12th Avenue and Rainier Avenue); west of ], ] and Mt. Baker; south of ], and north of ]. Historically, the Central District has been one of Seattle's most racially and ethnically diverse neighborhoods,<ref>{{Cite web|last=McGee|first=Henry|date=2007-08-19|title=Gentrification, Integration or Displacement?: The Seattle Story •|url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/gentrification-integration-or-displacement-seattle-story/|access-date=2021-05-02|language=en-US}}</ref> and was once the center of Seattle's black community and a major hub of ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blackseattle.net/ |title=Black Seattle News |access-date=2008-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712043719/http://blackseattle.net/ |archive-date=2009-07-12 }}</ref>
==Demographics==


==History and demographics==
The neighborhood's population is 22,200. 42.6% of residents are White or Caucasian, 36.4% are Black or African American, 7.8% Asian, 1.2% Native American, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 6.9% Hispanic, and 5.3% mixed race. 15.6% of families and 19.6% of the population are below poverty line.
The culture and demographics of the Central District have changed repeatedly throughout many years. In 1882, ] purchased 12 acres of land in what was known as Madison Valley from ].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Raftery |first=Isolde |date=2021-02-05 |title=This pioneer worked the Underground Railroad – and founded Seattle's Black Central District |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/this-seattle-pioneer-worked-the-underground-railroad-and-settled-the-central-district |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=www.kuow.org |language=en}}</ref> Grose was already an established businessman in Seattle at the time, and his development of the area helped to establish the Central District as an African-American community. He sold parcels of the land to other Black families while running his own modest farm on the land,<ref>{{Cite web |title=William Grose home, Seattle, ca. 1975 |url=https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsblackhs/id/91/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu |language=en}}</ref> on which he grew produce and raised animals for use in his hotel downtown.<ref name=":0" /> The area was thickly wooded at the time and slowly developed by Grose and others.


In 1889 the Madison Street Cable Car began service up the hill into the area, and more Black families moved in.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Carder |first=Justin |date=September 12, 2022 |title=William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation and Enterprise, Africatown's center for 'economic empowerment and community-driven development,' opens in the Central District |url=https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2022/09/william-grose-center-for-cultural-innovation-and-enterprise-africatowns-center-for-economic-empowerment-and-community-driven-development-opens-in-the-central-district/ |access-date=August 4, 2023 |website=Capitol Hill Seattle Blog}}</ref> Some have described a subsequent ] that followed the migration of more Black people to the area.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Banel |first=Feliks |date=2020-06-19 |title=All Over The Map: The story of William Grose, one of Seattle's earliest black entrepreneurs |url=https://mynorthwest.com/1965450/all-over-the-map-william-gross-seattle-black-entrepreneur/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=MyNorthwest.com |language=en}}</ref>
Two ] trends are changing the population of the Central District. First, the low-income segment of the African American population is moving southward toward Rainier Valley. Second, upper-middle-class, mostly white bitches, who might otherwise have purchased homes on ] or ] or in ], are moving into the Central District as ] and rental property become more expensive in those neighborhoods.


In 1927, white homeowners began a concerted effort to ] the area.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Carder |first=Justin |date=December 17, 2014 |title=#blacklivesmatter: A look at the covenants on Capitol Hill |url=https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2014/12/blacklivesmatter-a-look-at-the-covenants-on-capitol-hill/ |access-date=August 4, 2023 |website=Capitol Hill Seattle Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Racial Restrictive Covenants: Enforcing Neighborhood Segregation in Seattle - Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project |url=http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/covenants_report.htm |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=depts.washington.edu}}</ref> Unlike other redlining efforts in the United States, the neighborhood was already established as a home to African-American, Jewish, and Asian families because of the distribution of land by Grose. So this area was more boxed in so that certain people would not be able to buy or rent land elsewhere.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" />
Due to this market pressure, ] in the Central District is mixed, with some homes on the verge of ], and others having recently undergone extensive renovation. Many condemned houses are being replaced by multi-unit ]s and ]s. Easy access to ] and ], as well as ample street ], also make the Central District attractive.


In the early 20th century, the Central District also established itself as a largely ] neighborhood.<ref>, Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project. Accessed online 2009-10-19.</ref> Jewish residents built Temple De Hirsch on Union Street in 1907;<ref name="HLthumbnail" /> ] on the opposite corner of the same block is a successor to that congregation; the original Temple De Hirsch is largely demolished, though some fragments remain. Other former ]s in the neighborhood are the former ] synagogue (now Tolliver Temple), Herzl Congregation synagogue (later Odessa Brown Clinic, as of 2023 home to two private schools), and ] (now Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center).
The African American population of the Central District has also shifted toward the more affluent end of the spectrum in recent years as home values have increased. Some older residents are moving southward into more affordable, but less convenient or more rundown neighborhoods further southeast of the city center.


A few decades later, the Central District became a home to ] in Seattle. The blocks between 14th and 18th Avenues and Yesler Way and Jackson Street still retain a strong Japanese presence—Faith Bible Church, the ] Church, Seattle Koyasan Church, Konko, Wisteria Park, Japanese Congregational Church, Keiro Nursing Home, and the Kawabe Memorial House. During ], presidential ] made possible the removal of American citizens of Japanese descent from the West Coast. All Japanese residents were immediately taken out of their homes and sent to internment camps.
Despite the gentrification, many locals still refer to the Central District as a predominantly African-American area. One possible reason for this is that despite the decline in the African-American population, blacks still have a large presence in the neighborhood. The neighborhood has the highest concentration of blacks in the state of Washington and is still home to a variety of African-American culture including several gospel churches. The neighborhood has also had a significant ] population in recent years. Some residents jokingly refer to parts of the Central District as "Little ]" (after the capital of Ethiopia) due to the preponderance of Ethiopian restaurants in the area.


This and many race-restricted covenants to the north and south paved the way for more ] to find a new home in the Central District as part of the ] to the city in search of employment opportunities in the munitions plants during the war as well as taking advantage of the post-war economic expansion.<ref>, Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project. Accessed online 2009-10-19.</ref> By the 1970s, Central District was a largely an ] and the center of the civil rights movement in Seattle. In 1970, Black people made up nearly 80 percent of the neighborhood's population.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tu |first1=Janet I. |last2=Mayo |first2=Justin |date=March 6, 2011 |title=Census: Racial makeup of Central Area, landmark church diverge |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2014421589_censusimmaculate07m.html |work=The Seattle Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204021959/http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2014421589_censusimmaculate07m.html |archive-date=February 4, 2015 |accessdate=May 3, 2023}}</ref> However, the neighborhood declined with increased rates of poverty and crime over the following two decades.
During the early 1960s, the neighborhood was a hotbed for the Seattle civil rights movement. In 1963, ] protesters took to the streets and protested against racial discrimination. Later, they participated in a sit-in in ]. At the same time, the ] used the neighborhood as a staging area for their movement.


In the early 21st century, several ] trends are changing the population of the Central District again. Low-income segments of the population are moving southward toward the Rainier Valley, while more affluent residents, who might otherwise have purchased homes on ], ], Leschi, or Mt. Baker are moving into the Central District as ] and rental property become more expensive in the former neighborhoods and commuting times and costs make suburban areas less attractive.<ref>Sonia Krishnan, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223141946/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008383111_pacificpcdfams16.html |date=December 23, 2008 }}, ''Seattle Times'' Pacific NW Cover Story, November 16, 2008. Accessed online 2009-10-19.</ref>
==Crime==


Due to this market pressure, ] in the Central District is mixed, with some homes on the verge of ], and others having recently undergone extensive renovation. Many condemned houses are being replaced by multi-unit ]s and ]s. Easy access to ], ], and ], as well as ample street ], also make the Central District an attractive and convenient place to live.
The Central District has long been known to have a high crime rate. In the 1980s and 90s, the neighborhood struggled with gang violence, most noticeably with the infamous West Coast ] and ] in a similar way to ]'s ]. This has declined significantly in recent years, but the Central District remains one of the most crime-ridden residential neighborhoods in Seattle.


Despite the demographic shifts since the early 1970s, many locals still think of the Central District as a predominantly African-American area. One reason for this is that despite the decline in the African-American population,<ref> May 26, 2016</ref> there is black history in the neighborhood. It is home to the ], The Liberty Bank Building, the historic site of the first black-owned bank in Seattle,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pien|first=Diane|date=2018-07-02|title=Liberty Bank Seattle Washington (1968-1988) and Liberty Bank Building •|url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/liberty-bank-seattle-washington-1968-1988-and-liberty-bank-building/|access-date=2021-05-02|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-07-23|title=Building upon the legacy of the Central District's Liberty Bank|url=https://seattleglobalist.com/2019/07/23/building-upon-the-legacy-of-the-central-districts-liberty-bank/86917|access-date=2021-05-02|website=The Seattle Globalist|language=en-US}}</ref> ] Pool, and the Second Headquarters of the ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=HistoryLink Tours — Second Headquarters of the Seattle Black Panther Party and The People's Wall|url=https://historylink.tours/stop/second-headquarters-of-the-seattle-black-panther-party-and-the-peoples-wall/|access-date=2021-05-02|website=historylink.tours|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2022, the William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation and Enterprise was opened by a non-profit organization, Africatown Community Land Trust.<ref name=":1" /> The center is built in the repurposed Fire Station 6, home to Seattle's first Black firefighters,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stiffler |first=Lisa |date=September 15, 2022 |title=New Seattle innovation center in a historically Black neighborhood will support entrepreneurs, arts, tech |url=https://www.geekwire.com/2022/new-innovation-center-in-seattle-located-in-a-historically-black-neighborhood-will-support-entrepreneurship-and-tech-training/ |access-date=August 4, 2023 |website=GeekWire}}</ref> building that had long sat vacant until the city of Seattle leased the building to Africatown Community Land Trust for 99 years in 2020.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
==Famous former residents==


{{wide image|File:Seattle - The People's Wall - merged.jpg|800px|], painted in 1970 by Dion Henderson, is the last remnant of the Second Headquarters of the Seattle Black Panther Party. Photographed 2023.}}
Famous residents of the neighborhood include ], ], and ], the widow of ]. All three previously attended ], possibly Seattle's most well known school. Garfield High School is also where Emery and Lee met for the first time. ] also hails from the Central District and has a number of songs that acknowledge street names and important areas.


During the early 1960s, the neighborhood was a hotbed for the Seattle civil rights movement. In 1963, ] protesters took to the streets and protested against racial discrimination. Later, they participated in a sit-in in ]. At the same time, the ] used the neighborhood as a staging area for their movement.
==Thoroughfares==


As of 2010 the total population of the Central Area is 29,868 with a population that is 59.6% White or Caucasian, 21.4% Black or African-American, 9.1% Asian, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 3.2% from other races and 6.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race consisted of 7.3% of the population.
The Central District's main thoroughfares are Martin Luther King Jr. Way (formerly Empire Way; the street was renamed in late 1983 after a nearly three-year battle) and 23rd Avenue (north- and southbound) and E. Union, E. Cherry, and E. Jefferson Streets and E. Yesler Way (east- and westbound).


==Notable residents==
== Landmarks and Institutions ==
] (second from left) in 1970, looking at the plans for the park named after him on the east side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (then Empire Way) between E. Alder and E. Jefferson Streets.]]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]<ref name=stimes>{{cite news|first=Lynn|last=Thompson|title=Former state legislator Kip Tokuda dies while fishing |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021400598_tokudaobitxml.html |work=] |date=2013-07-15 |access-date=2013-07-16}}</ref>
*]
*]
*]


==Transportation==
{{commonscat}}


The Central District's main thoroughfares includes its east boundary along Martin Luther King Jr. Way ("MLK"), its west boundaries along 12th Avenue and Rainier Avenue, and its 'main street' 23rd Avenue (north and southbound). Major east–west streets in the neighborhood include E. Union, E. Cherry, E. Jefferson, E. Yesler Way, and S. Jackson.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

===Public transit===

] operates several bus routes in the Central District that connect the neighborhood to ], ], ], and the ].<ref>{{cite map |date=September 2024 |title=Metro Transit System: Central Area |url=https://kingcounty.gov/en/-/media/king-county/depts/metro/maps/system/09142024/metro-system-map-central |publisher=] |accessdate=December 17, 2024}}</ref> The ], a limited-stop ] route, launched in September 2024 and serves the north end of the neighborhood on ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=September 13, 2024 |title=Seattle neighborhoods get 6-minute bus service with RapidRide G Line |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattle-neighborhoods-get-6-minute-bus-service-with-rapidride-g-line/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 17, 2024}}</ref> The Central District's primary north–south bus corridor, Route 48 on 23rd Avenue, is planned to be converted into a ] by 2026 following the completion of electrical wiring over the street.<ref>{{cite news |last=Turnbull |first=Elizabeth |date=April 18, 2022 |title=Here's why Route 48 across the Central District and Capitol Hill won't be electric for Earth Day 2022 |url=https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2022/04/heres-why-route-48-across-the-central-district-and-capitol-hill-wont-be-electric-for-earth-day-2022/ |work=Capitol Hill Seattle Blog |accessdate=December 17, 2024}}</ref> It is also a candidate for future conversion into a RapidRide route by 2050.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 2021 |title=Metro Connects: King County Metro Long-Range Plan |page=27 |url=https://kingcountymetro.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/King-County-Metro-Long-Range-Plan-Metro-Connects-July-2021.pdf |publisher=King County Metro |accessdate=December 17, 2024}}</ref>

The ], a ] line operated by ], is planned to extend into Seattle in late 2025 with a station at ] in the southern Central District.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=October 30, 2024 |title=Light rail gets a slow-ride test on Mercer Island |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/light-rail-gets-a-slow-ride-test-on-mercer-island/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 17, 2024}}</ref> The station is located within the ] of ] between Rainier Avenue to the west and 23rd Avenue to the east.<ref>{{cite news |last=Metzger |first=Katie |date=January 19, 2023 |title=Fresh pics: New art installed at Judkins Park Station in Seattle |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/blog/platform/fresh-pics-new-art-installed-judkins-park-station-seattle |work=The Platform |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 17, 2024}}</ref>

== Public parks and greenspaces ==
{{Unsourced section|date=October 2023}}
The Central District is home to at least 18 ], and community green spaces. Notable parks include: T.T. Minor Playground, Firehouse Mini Park, Garfield Playfield, Pratt Park, Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park, Judkins Park and Playfield, Judkins Skatepark, ], William Grose Park, and ]. The Central District is home to 4 ] ]: Immaculate P-Patch at E Columbia Street and 18th Avenue, Squire Park at 14th Avenue and E Fir Street, Climbing Water at 800 Hiawatha Pl S, and Judkins at 24th Avenue S and S Norman Street.

==Landmarks and institutions==
'''Landmarks and institutions'''

* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

'''Schools'''

* ]

'''Restaurants, Bars & Shops'''

* ]
* ]'s Beauty Salon
* ]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikivoyage|Seattle/Capitol Hill-Central District}}
*
* , outgrowth of a 2009 ]/Hollow Earth Radio documentary project. See also , KUOW News, August 26, 2009.
* - University of Washington Digital Collection

{{Central District, Seattle}}
{{Seattle neighborhoods}} {{Seattle neighborhoods}}

]
]
]

Latest revision as of 07:07, 18 December 2024

Seattle Neighborhood in King, Washington, United States
Central District, Seattle
Seattle Neighborhood
Firehouse Mini Park and the Cherry Hill Community Center: the former Firehouse No. 23, headquarters of the Central Area Motivation Program. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.Firehouse Mini Park and the Cherry Hill Community Center: the former Firehouse No. 23, headquarters of the Central Area Motivation Program. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Nicknames: Central Area, CD
Central District Highlighted in PinkCentral District Highlighted in Pink
Coordinates: 47°36′31″N 122°17′46″W / 47.60861°N 122.29611°W / 47.60861; -122.29611
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyKing
CitySeattle
Zip Code98122
Area Code206

The Central Area (commonly called the Central District or The CD) is a mostly residential neighborhood in Seattle located east of downtown and First Hill (12th Avenue and Rainier Avenue); west of Madrona, Leschi and Mt. Baker; south of Capitol Hill, and north of Rainier Valley. Historically, the Central District has been one of Seattle's most racially and ethnically diverse neighborhoods, and was once the center of Seattle's black community and a major hub of African-American businesses.

History and demographics

The culture and demographics of the Central District have changed repeatedly throughout many years. In 1882, William Grose purchased 12 acres of land in what was known as Madison Valley from Henry Yesler. Grose was already an established businessman in Seattle at the time, and his development of the area helped to establish the Central District as an African-American community. He sold parcels of the land to other Black families while running his own modest farm on the land, on which he grew produce and raised animals for use in his hotel downtown. The area was thickly wooded at the time and slowly developed by Grose and others.

In 1889 the Madison Street Cable Car began service up the hill into the area, and more Black families moved in. Some have described a subsequent White flight that followed the migration of more Black people to the area.

In 1927, white homeowners began a concerted effort to redline the area. Unlike other redlining efforts in the United States, the neighborhood was already established as a home to African-American, Jewish, and Asian families because of the distribution of land by Grose. So this area was more boxed in so that certain people would not be able to buy or rent land elsewhere.

In the early 20th century, the Central District also established itself as a largely Jewish neighborhood. Jewish residents built Temple De Hirsch on Union Street in 1907; Temple De Hirsch Sinai on the opposite corner of the same block is a successor to that congregation; the original Temple De Hirsch is largely demolished, though some fragments remain. Other former synagogues in the neighborhood are the former Sephardic Bikur Holim synagogue (now Tolliver Temple), Herzl Congregation synagogue (later Odessa Brown Clinic, as of 2023 home to two private schools), and Chevra Bikur Cholim (now Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center).

A few decades later, the Central District became a home to Japanese-Americans in Seattle. The blocks between 14th and 18th Avenues and Yesler Way and Jackson Street still retain a strong Japanese presence—Faith Bible Church, the Buddhist Church, Seattle Koyasan Church, Konko, Wisteria Park, Japanese Congregational Church, Keiro Nursing Home, and the Kawabe Memorial House. During World War II, presidential Executive Order 9066 made possible the removal of American citizens of Japanese descent from the West Coast. All Japanese residents were immediately taken out of their homes and sent to internment camps.

This and many race-restricted covenants to the north and south paved the way for more African Americans to find a new home in the Central District as part of the Second Great Migration to the city in search of employment opportunities in the munitions plants during the war as well as taking advantage of the post-war economic expansion. By the 1970s, Central District was a largely an African-American neighborhood and the center of the civil rights movement in Seattle. In 1970, Black people made up nearly 80 percent of the neighborhood's population. However, the neighborhood declined with increased rates of poverty and crime over the following two decades.

In the early 21st century, several demographic trends are changing the population of the Central District again. Low-income segments of the population are moving southward toward the Rainier Valley, while more affluent residents, who might otherwise have purchased homes on Capitol Hill, Madrona, Leschi, or Mt. Baker are moving into the Central District as real estate and rental property become more expensive in the former neighborhoods and commuting times and costs make suburban areas less attractive.

Due to this market pressure, housing in the Central District is mixed, with some homes on the verge of condemnation, and others having recently undergone extensive renovation. Many condemned houses are being replaced by multi-unit townhouses and condominiums. Easy access to Interstate 5, Interstate 90, and Downtown, as well as ample street parking, also make the Central District an attractive and convenient place to live.

Despite the demographic shifts since the early 1970s, many locals still think of the Central District as a predominantly African-American area. One reason for this is that despite the decline in the African-American population, there is black history in the neighborhood. It is home to the Northwest African American Museum, The Liberty Bank Building, the historic site of the first black-owned bank in Seattle, Medgar Evers Pool, and the Second Headquarters of the Seattle Black Panther Party and The People's Wall. In 2022, the William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation and Enterprise was opened by a non-profit organization, Africatown Community Land Trust. The center is built in the repurposed Fire Station 6, home to Seattle's first Black firefighters, building that had long sat vacant until the city of Seattle leased the building to Africatown Community Land Trust for 99 years in 2020.

The People's Wall, painted in 1970 by Dion Henderson, is the last remnant of the Second Headquarters of the Seattle Black Panther Party. Photographed 2023.

During the early 1960s, the neighborhood was a hotbed for the Seattle civil rights movement. In 1963, civil rights protesters took to the streets and protested against racial discrimination. Later, they participated in a sit-in in downtown Seattle. At the same time, the Black Panther Party used the neighborhood as a staging area for their movement.

As of 2010 the total population of the Central Area is 29,868 with a population that is 59.6% White or Caucasian, 21.4% Black or African-American, 9.1% Asian, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 3.2% from other races and 6.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race consisted of 7.3% of the population.

Notable residents

Athlete, musician, and community activist Powell Barnett (second from left) in 1970, looking at the plans for the park named after him on the east side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (then Empire Way) between E. Alder and E. Jefferson Streets.

Transportation

The Central District's main thoroughfares includes its east boundary along Martin Luther King Jr. Way ("MLK"), its west boundaries along 12th Avenue and Rainier Avenue, and its 'main street' 23rd Avenue (north and southbound). Major east–west streets in the neighborhood include E. Union, E. Cherry, E. Jefferson, E. Yesler Way, and S. Jackson.

Public transit

King County Metro operates several bus routes in the Central District that connect the neighborhood to Downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, Mount Baker, and the University District. The RapidRide G Line, a limited-stop bus rapid transit route, launched in September 2024 and serves the north end of the neighborhood on Madison Street. The Central District's primary north–south bus corridor, Route 48 on 23rd Avenue, is planned to be converted into a electric trolleybus route by 2026 following the completion of electrical wiring over the street. It is also a candidate for future conversion into a RapidRide route by 2050.

The 2 Line, a Link light rail line operated by Sound Transit, is planned to extend into Seattle in late 2025 with a station at Judkins Park in the southern Central District. The station is located within the median of Interstate 90 between Rainier Avenue to the west and 23rd Avenue to the east.

Public parks and greenspaces

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Central District is home to at least 18 public parks, and community green spaces. Notable parks include: T.T. Minor Playground, Firehouse Mini Park, Garfield Playfield, Pratt Park, Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park, Judkins Park and Playfield, Judkins Skatepark, Jimi Hendrix Park, William Grose Park, and Sam Smith Park. The Central District is home to 4 P-Patch Community Gardens: Immaculate P-Patch at E Columbia Street and 18th Avenue, Squire Park at 14th Avenue and E Fir Street, Climbing Water at 800 Hiawatha Pl S, and Judkins at 24th Avenue S and S Norman Street.

Landmarks and institutions

Landmarks and institutions

Schools

Restaurants, Bars & Shops

References

  1. ^ Mary T. Henry, Seattle Neighborhoods: Central Area -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink, March 10, 2001. Accessed online 2009-10-19.
  2. McGee, Henry (2007-08-19). "Gentrification, Integration or Displacement?: The Seattle Story •". Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  3. "Black Seattle News". Archived from the original on 2009-07-12. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  4. ^ Raftery, Isolde (2021-02-05). "This pioneer worked the Underground Railroad – and founded Seattle's Black Central District". www.kuow.org. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  5. "William Grose home, Seattle, ca. 1975". digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  6. ^ Carder, Justin (September 12, 2022). "William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation and Enterprise, Africatown's center for 'economic empowerment and community-driven development,' opens in the Central District". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Banel, Feliks (2020-06-19). "All Over The Map: The story of William Grose, one of Seattle's earliest black entrepreneurs". MyNorthwest.com. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  8. ^ Carder, Justin (December 17, 2014). "#blacklivesmatter: A look at the covenants on Capitol Hill". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  9. "Racial Restrictive Covenants: Enforcing Neighborhood Segregation in Seattle - Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project". depts.washington.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  10. Seattle Segregation Maps 1920-2000, Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project. Accessed online 2009-10-19.
  11. Racial Restrictive Covenants, Seattle Civil Rights & Labor History Project. Accessed online 2009-10-19.
  12. Tu, Janet I.; Mayo, Justin (March 6, 2011). "Census: Racial makeup of Central Area, landmark church diverge". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  13. Sonia Krishnan, City Centered in Seattle Archived December 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Seattle Times Pacific NW Cover Story, November 16, 2008. Accessed online 2009-10-19.
  14. Seattle Times: "Seattle’s vanishing black community" By Tyrone Beason May 26, 2016
  15. Pien, Diane (2018-07-02). "Liberty Bank Seattle Washington (1968-1988) and Liberty Bank Building •". Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  16. "Building upon the legacy of the Central District's Liberty Bank". The Seattle Globalist. 2019-07-23. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  17. "HistoryLink Tours — Second Headquarters of the Seattle Black Panther Party and The People's Wall". historylink.tours. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  18. Stiffler, Lisa (September 15, 2022). "New Seattle innovation center in a historically Black neighborhood will support entrepreneurs, arts, tech". GeekWire. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  19. Thompson, Lynn (2013-07-15). "Former state legislator Kip Tokuda dies while fishing". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  20. Metro Transit System: Central Area (Map). King County Metro. September 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  21. Deshais, Nicholas (September 13, 2024). "Seattle neighborhoods get 6-minute bus service with RapidRide G Line". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  22. Turnbull, Elizabeth (April 18, 2022). "Here's why Route 48 across the Central District and Capitol Hill won't be electric for Earth Day 2022". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  23. "Metro Connects: King County Metro Long-Range Plan" (PDF). King County Metro. July 2021. p. 27. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  24. Lindblom, Mike (October 30, 2024). "Light rail gets a slow-ride test on Mercer Island". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  25. Metzger, Katie (January 19, 2023). "Fresh pics: New art installed at Judkins Park Station in Seattle". The Platform. Sound Transit. Retrieved December 17, 2024.

External links

Central District, Seattle
Buildings
Business
Geography
Public art
Neighborhoods in Seattle
Categories: