Northwest

Capitol Hill

Map (large file)

The Capitol Hill Neighborhood

of Seattle, WA

and the attractions located there.

Capitol Hill is an eclectic neighborhood with a wide variety entertainment, shopping and restaurants, a diverse population and a hopping nightlife. It is located east of Interstate-5, Seattle Center, and Downtown Seattle.

City of Seattle

City Page

Neighborhood information

& attraction pages

North

Central / Downtown

South / West

Seattle Metro

Restaurants

Lodging

City Pages

Neighborhoods

of Seattle’s Central Region

West of Interstate-5

North to south

The map shown at the left is of the downtown area of Seattle. The First Hill district is in yellow, at the top right of the map

Capitol Hill Map Click on the “larger map” link to go to our Montlake and Capitol Hill neighborhood map. The file is over 100K so it will load slow if you have dial-up.

Downtown Seattle Map – This is also a large file.

Geography

The Capitol Hill neighborhood is bounded by I-5 and the Westlake Neighborhood on the west, E. Aloha Street and the Montlake Neighborhood to the north, 24^th Avenue and the Madrona Park Neighborhood to the east and E Union Street and the First Hill Neighborhood to the south.

International District

East of Interstate-5

North to South

Capital Hill

History

Originally known as Broadway Hill, Capitol Hill was renamed in 1901 by James A. Moore who originally platted the land. Historians have differing opinions over the origin if the name Capitol Hill. Some say Moore named the area after a similar site in Denver, Colorado his wife’s hometown. Others believe the name came from a proposal to move the State Capitol to Seattle. No matter where the name came from, the neighborhood has remained as one of the most popular districts in Seattle for nearly a hundred years.

Capitol Hill also has a reputation as one of the more hip areas of Seattle. Originally home to the wealthy and up and coming in the early 1900’s, Capitol Hill was a fashionable district. In the 1960’s Broadway, the main drag of Capitol Hill was known as “decorator’s row” for the stores that lined the street. In the 1970’s it became “restaurant row” and also became a popular place for nightlife. Later when the grunge scene became popular it was home to some of the most popular music venues.

Culture

Capitol Hill has always attracted a large diversity of people. This eclectic neighborhood offers a wide range of shopping with everything from vintage clothing to trendy galleries, a wide variety of music stores, radical shops and tattoo parlors. There is also cuisine for every taste at reasonable prices with a variety of chain restaurants and international eateries.

Since the 1980’s Capitol Hill has been considered the center of the gay community in Seattle. Annual Gay Pride week celebrations have been held here for years.

Capitol Hill is often populated by students with Seattle Central Community College and Cornish College of the Arts both located on Capitol Hill. Seattle University is located on nearby First Hill, and many of its students live or work on Capitol Hill.

Attractions

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Located inside Volunteer Park, this museum was home of the Seattle Art Museum from 1933-1991. This beautiful building now houses an extensive Asian art collection with exhibits frequently changing. Art pieces can be seen from China, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.

Visit their website: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/

Volunteer Park

This park features an outstanding conservatory, an old water tower which you can climb for beautiful views of Seattle, a children’s play area, wading pool, tennis courts and picnic area.

More information about Volunteer Park and the Seattle Asian Art Museum can be found on our Montlake Neighborhood Page.

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