| Downtown, Seattle, Washington |
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Information AboutDowntown, Seattle, Washington |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT DOWNTOWN SEATTLE | |
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Downtown is the s, on the west by Elliott Bay , and on the south by Reclaimed Land that was once Tidal Flats . It is bounded on the north by Denny Way, beyond which are Uptown , Seattle Center , and South Lake Union ; on the east by Interstate 5 , beyond which are Capitol Hill and First Hill ; on the south by Yesler Way, beyond which is the International District and part of Pioneer Square ; and on the west by Elliott Bay . Belltown , the Denny Regrade , and the rest of Pioneer Square are sub-neighborhoods of Downtown. Seattle's main financial district, waterfront, and shopping area (surrounding Westlake Center and connected to Seattle Center by way of a Monorail ) make up the bulk of Downtown. It is also home to the landmark Pike Place Market . Downtown Seattle's Columbia Tower has a greater number of floors than any other building west of the Mississippi River , at seventy-six, though there are taller buildings in Texas and California by height. ( Smith Tower , in the older section of Downtown near the waterfront, once held the title of tallest American building west of the Mississippi.) Other notable buildings are the Washington Mutual Tower , Two Union Square , Nordstrom ’s flagship store, Benaroya Hall , the new Seattle Central Library designed by Rem Koolhaas, and an expanded art museum, the main facade of which was designed by Robert Venturi. Downtown parks include Westlake Park , Freeway Park , and Victor Steinbrueck Park . The Olympic Sculpture Park was completed on the Belltown waterfront in January 2007. Because Downtown is the actual name of a neighborhood, not merely a Toponym for a city's central business district or southernmost section (as it is in other places), and because of Downtown's growing residential population, it is grammatically correct for Seattleites to describe a location as "''in'' Downtown." (For example, "I work in Downtown," instead of "I work downtown.") EXPANSION Downtown Seattle's population is growing, with a number of high and mid-rise condominium towers being constructed taking on a more Vancouver -like approach to urban living. Most of the new units are priced for the top end of the region's housing market. In 1989 , building heights in Downtown and adjoining Seattle suburbs were tightly restricted following a voter initiative. These restrictions were dramatically loosened in 2006 , leading to the increase in Downtown high-rise construction. This policy change has divided commentators between those who support the increased density and those who criticize it as "Manhattanization."[http://seattleweekly.com/2005-05-18/news/the-manhattan-project.php On March 7 2007 , it was confirmed by the Seattle Times that the Trump Organization is interested in finding a site in Downtown Seattle for a hotel and residential condo tower. It would be the second of the Trump towers on the West Coast and the first in the Pacific Northwest . If everything goes to plan it would be completed by the end of 2009 . EXTERNAL LINKS
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