Downtown, Midtown, Belltown, Queen Anne, Capitol Hill                                            

Seattle’s Downtown is the historic heart of the city, financial center of a diverse economy, and—increasingly—a viable option for living.  The streets rise sharply from the Puget Sound waterfront and encompass both the city’s tallest skyscrapers and many of Seattle’s premier tourist attractions.  Today, Belltown is booming. High-rise condos, trendy restaurants, hip ad agencies all mark the new face of Belltown—the neighborhood that hugs the water northwest of Downtown.  In the 70s, artists started to move in, making the neighborhood a Seattle version of Greenwich Village. And like that formerly bohemian part of New York, the hip reputation has made Belltown desirable to the young, successful professionals that continue to flock to Seattle.   Queen Anne is the largest of Seattle’s hills (though not its highest point) and the most varied. The hill is so large it forms two fairly distinct neighborhoods Lower Queen Anne and—you guessed it—Upper Queen Anne. Upper Queen Anne is largely residential and upscale, while its northern slope includes Seattle Pacific University and the more affordable houses and apartments associated with college proximity. It also has a small shopping district and some great cafes. While Capitol Hill is often thought of as Seattle’s gay neighborhood, it has always had a broader cultural identity (unlike The Castro in San Francisco), serving as the heart of the early 90s grunge movement, home to the city’s most vibrant nightlife, and center of Seattle’s famous coffee culture. From cult movies at midnight at The Egyptian to salsa dancing at the Century Ballroom to carousing at any one of a hundred bars, Capitol Hill has something for everyone. The Hill is also home to an ascendant performance arts movement, as seen in the Northwest Film Forum, the Northwest Actors Studio, and dozens of independent recording studios.