Misplaced Pages

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57-561: West Seattle is the oldest neighborhood in the city and considered the birthplace of Seattle proper. The Southwest Seattle Historical Society maintains the Log House Museum at Alki Point . High Point is a neighborhood in the Delridge district. It is so named because it contains the highest point in the city of Seattle: the intersection of 35th Avenue SW and SW Myrtle Street, which is 520 feet (160 m) above sea level . The neighborhood

114-801: A Wurlitzer theater organ . The Historic Admiral Theater also presents live performances on occasion. Bungalows are nestled between condominiums along Harbor Avenue . These historic homes, such as the Hanson-Olsen Home , originally built in the 1860s, provide a glimpse into the Arts and Crafts movement which flourished in the cities of the American West in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Many of these bungalows are today in poor condition, and residents have been increasingly forced to renovate or move them to another destination, or risk demolition. Hamilton Viewpoint Park, founded in 1954, provides

171-505: A continuous ring along the north shore of the peninsula and have a parallel multi-use trail. West Seattle is served by bus service from King County Metro , the county's public transit system, with connections to Downtown Seattle and other nearby destinations. These routes include the RapidRide C Line on California Avenue and Fauntleroy Way and RapidRide H Line on Delridge Way; both lines have bus rapid transit features and continue across

228-502: A mixed-income community. The redevelopment removed all existing housing, roads, and utilities. In their place, new roads, underground infrastructure, about 1,600 new housing units, and community facilities were built. The redevelopment embraced many sustainable development principles. The site and rental housing are certified at the highest BuiltGreen levels; most housing is Energy Star rated . The site makes extensive use of permeable paving , including porous sidewalks, parking areas, and

285-507: A picturesque view of Elliott Bay . This park is located above Alki Beach on California Avenue SW. There are benches and lawn suitable for picnics and resting. Within the Alki neighborhood is Schmitz Park , the only old-growth forest in Seattle. Other parks in the Alki neighborhood: Me-Kwa-Mooks, Constellation Park and Marine Reserve, Whale Tail Park, Alki Playground, Bar-S Baseball Field. Alki Beach

342-511: A plan for an "early action" or hotspot cleanup proposed to dredge contaminated sediment and dump the resulting sludge in Tacoma's Commencement Bay , 26 miles (42 km) to the southwest. Opposition to this plan in both Seattle and Tacoma forced the sludge to be shipped to Klickitat County in south central Washington instead of disposal in Puget Sound. EPA has identified responsible parties for

399-577: A shortened version of the original name, " New York Alki." The name "New York" may have been chosen because it was the state of origin of several of the settlers. In the Lushootseed language, the name of the point is sbaqʷabqs , meaning "prairie point." Other names in English for the point include Battery Point, Me-Kwah-Mooks Point, and Roberts Point. Prior to American settlement, the Duwamish people used

456-431: Is a neighborhood in western Seattle , Washington . It is a point jutting into Puget Sound , the westernmost landform in the city's West Seattle district. Alki is the peninsular neighborhood on Alki Point. Alki was the original settlement in what was to become the city of Seattle. It was part of the city of West Seattle from 1902 until that city's annexation by Seattle in 1907. The Alki neighborhood extends along

513-671: Is a swing bridge that opened in 1991 and also carries a multi-use trail across Harbor Island. To the southeast is the First Avenue South Bridge , a pair of movable bridges on State Route 99 . The peninsula's major north–south streets include California Avenue, which runs from Hamilton Viewpoint to Thistle Strete; Fauntleroy Way, which connects the Fauntleroy ferry terminal to the West Seattle Bridge; 35th Avenue Southwest; and Delridge Way. Alki Avenue and Harbor Avenue form

570-464: Is a historic landmark built in 1913 that still functions today. Though the property is not open to the public, the tower is available for touring on summer weekend afternoons when the lens can be viewed. Despite its normal inaccessibility, it provides the tourist with the feeling of an authentic beach town and contributes to the overall picturesque . A scale replica of the Statue of Liberty at Alki Beach

627-520: Is also a city park. Duwamish River The Duwamish River ( Lushootseed : dxʷdəw ) is the name of the lower 12 miles (19 km) of Washington state's Green River . Its industrialized estuary is known as the Duwamish Waterway . Although heavily polluted, it is an important habitat for the wildlife. Important to the Duwamish people , the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center

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684-459: Is also home to the most popular beach in the Seattle area. Fittingly named Alki Beach, it features a long strip of sandy beach full of driftwood, seashells, and fire pits. Low tides offer West Seattleites an opportunity to explore marine life in tidepools. Alki also hosts a flat bike and running trail from which visitors can view the Seattle skyline, Puget Sound, and the Olympic mountains. The Junction

741-546: Is located on the east side of 35th Ave SW, with approximate north and south boundaries at SW Juneau Street and SW Myrtle Street. The hill is dominated by two large water towers ; it is also the location of Our Lady of Guadalupe School and Parish, on the peak of the highest hill in West Seattle. It is also known for the High Point Projects which were torn down in 2005 to make way for new mixed-income housing . High Point

798-553: Is now divided into two channels, the East and West Waterways. In 1895, Eugene Semple , who had earlier served as Governor of Washington Territory , outlined a plan for a series of major public works projects in the Seattle area, including the straightening and dredging of the Duwamish River, both to open up the area to commercial use and to alleviate flooding. In 1909 the City of Seattle formed

855-528: Is on the west bank of the river and several parks have indigenous Lushootseed names . In the Lushootseed language, the name of the Duwamish River (and of the Cedar River) is dxʷdəw , meaning "inside." The Lushootseed name for the Duwamish people, who lived along the river and its tributaries, is dxʷdəwʔabš , meaning "people of the inside." For thousands of years, the Duwamish people have lived along

912-496: Is one of Seattle's most diverse neighborhoods, with a substantial immigrant population from Southeast Asia and East Africa . The neighborhood was originally developed during World War II to provide government housing, and it remained a district of predominantly low-income housing through the 1990s. In 2003, the Seattle Housing Authority began work on the first phase of a six-year project to redevelop High Point into

969-406: Is petroleum. Other common contamination occurs from farms, surface runoff , or failing septic tanks. With the spread of ecological concerns in the 1970s, various environmental, tribal, and community organizations became interested in the severely polluted Duwamish River and Waterway. Kellogg Island, the last remnant of the original river, was declared a wildlife preserve, and nearby terminal T-107

1026-539: Is the name used for the commercial district that centers on the intersection of California Avenue S.W. and S.W. Alaska Street. It is sometimes called "West Seattle Junction" or "Alaska Junction" by residents. West Seattle also has two other intersections of note: the Admiral Junction in the northern part of the peninsula where California Avenue S.W. and S.W. Admiral Way meet, and the Morgan Street Junction at

1083-586: Is traditionally credited as the point where the Denny Party founded Seattle before moving across Elliott Bay to what is now Downtown . A similar landing at Alki has been reenacted annually since 1950 as part of the week-long Seafair celebration of Seattle's marine and boating heritage. Seafair coincides with West Seattle festivities including Hi-Yu and the West Seattle Summer Fest street festival held each July. Along with its historical significance, Alki

1140-472: The 3 Line and is scheduled to open in 2032 with three stations in West Seattle, a new bridge over the Duwamish River, and a temporary terminus at SODO station . The remainder of the 3 Line to Snohomish County would open later in the decade after the completion of the Ballard Link Extension . The three stations in West Seattle are expected to be an underground station at Alaska Junction on

1197-546: The Admiral District with water taxi runs from Seacrest Park. Sound Transit , the regional public transit agency of the Seattle metropolitan area , plans to build a Link light rail extension between Downtown Seattle and West Seattle. The project was approved in the 2016 Sound Transit 3 ballot measure as one of two in-city corridors and is estimated to cost at least $ 6.7 billion to construct. The extension will be part of

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1254-488: The Duwamish River valley. It constitutes a piece of the 23-million-year-old sedimentary Blakeley Formation . It is believed to have once formed a sea stack , though it is possible that it was always connected to the mainland by a tombolo . Alki Beach is the principal tourist attraction at Alki Point. It features sand, saltwater, bungalows, and local restaurants. It is generally not a popular swimming beach, owing to

1311-462: The Kitsap Peninsula . Well into the 20th century, Alki was reachable from most of Seattle only by boat. Alki today is reminiscent of a Pacific Northwest beach town, with a mix of mid-century bungalows, medium-rise waterfront apartment houses, waterfront businesses, a thin beach, and a road with a bike/foot trail running several miles along the water. This section of West Seattle is bounded on

1368-441: The Seattle area in 1851, the Duwamish lived in more than 90 longhouses, in at least 17 villages. Native villages on the Duwamish were eventually supplanted by white settlements and commercial uses, and there was evidence of deliberate burning of Indian longhouses in 1893. Duwamish people continued to work and fish in the area, using man-made "Ballast Island" on the Seattle waterfront as a canoe haul-out and informal market, but by

1425-518: The Statue of Liberty , the iconic Alki Point Lighthouse and the Birthplace of Seattle monument which also includes a tribute to the Indigenous Duwamish people without whom the first settlers would not have thrived. The main commercial strip in West Seattle, uphill from Alki Beach, California Ave SW provides five-and-dime shops and diners that recall earlier decades. Alki Point Lighthouse

1482-537: The Black River dried up. From that time forward, the point of the name change from Green to Duwamish is no longer the confluence of the Green and Black Rivers, though it has not changed location. The last year-round Duwamish residents on the river – an old man named Seetoowathl, and his wife – died of starvation in their float-house on Kellogg Island in the winter of 1920. In 2009, the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center

1539-402: The Duwamish River and its tributaries. The earliest archaeological evidence of human habitation along the Duwamish River dates back to the 6th century CE. The Duwamish traditionally used the river to hunt ducks and geese, fish for salmon, cod, and halibut, harvest clams, and gather berries, camas, and other plants for food and medicinal purposes. When the first American settlers came to what is now

1596-647: The Duwamish Waterway Commission to sell bonds and oversee the re-channelling of the river. Work began in October 1913, and the oxbows gradually disappeared, with a few recesses in the channel left to accommodate high water flows and turning ships. Parts of the Georgetown and South Park neighborhoods once on quiet riverbank found themselves inland; the Georgetown Steam Plant was now almost a mile from

1653-536: The Duwamish river, it remains an important habitat for the wildlife in the area. Thousands of salmon and trout that visit the marshes and estuaries each year to spawn. The Duwamish supports chinook, coho, chum and steelhead, as well as the more rare sockeye, sea-run cutthroat trout and bull trout. Pink salmon run in the millions every odd-numbered years in recent history. Canada geese, great blue herons, starlings, cormorants, pigeons, buffleheads, Caspian terns, warblers, hawks, ospreys, bald eagles, and numerous waterfowl call

1710-480: The Lower Duwamish River might be exposed to such high levels of PCBs that the growth or survival of their offspring may be reduced. The Port of Seattle owns several properties along the Duwamish River and industrial channels. In 2020, a set of six parks were renamed to use Indigenous Lushootseed names following consultation with local tribes. The Duwamish Waterway is spanned by four major, public bridges:

1767-1703: The SouthWest Teen Life Center. There is a historic bath house on Alki Beach as well as the Dakota Place Park with its restored light station. Among West Seattle's current and former notable residents are Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder ; Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament ; actress Dyan Cannon ; actor Steven Hill ; nature photographer Art Wolfe ; writer and journalist Amanda Knox ; actress and burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee ; restaurateur, folk singer, and former Seattle City Council member Ivar Haglund ; fantasy author Terry Brooks ; mountain climbers Jim Whittaker and Lou Whittaker ; author Tobias Wolff ; astronaut Gregory C. Johnson ; Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell ; The Flying Karamazov Brothers member Sam Williams ; author, journalist, and screenwriter Jeff Jensen ; former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels ; mountain climber and guide Scott Fischer ; science fiction and fantasy author Cat Rambo ; actress Frances Farmer ; actress Meg Tilly ; musician Bill Rieflin ; artist Francesca Sundsten ; former Pittsburgh Pirates player Ed Bahr ; NFL and Canadian Football League player Byron Bailey ; author Nicholas Johnson; singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile ; U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal ; theatre director Douglas Hughes ; TV & Radio talent/writer Cindi Rinehart. 47°33′40″N 122°23′12″W  /  47.56111°N 122.38667°W  / 47.56111; -122.38667 Alki Point Alki Point ( / ˈ æ l k aɪ / , Lushootseed : sbaqʷabqs , lit.   'prairie point')

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1824-486: The West Seattle Bridge to Downtown Seattle. Washington State Ferries operates automobile ferries from the Fauntleroy terminal to Vashon Island and Southworth on the Kitsap Peninsula . The passenger-only King County Water Taxi also runs between Seacrest Park and Downtown Seattle; it was upgraded to year-round all-day service in 2022. King County Metro operates shuttle buses that connect West Seattle Junction, Alki, and

1881-409: The area for cultivating and gathering at nearby prairies. They were maintained through seasonal burning . The Denny Party landed at Alki Point November 13, 1851, and platted a settlement of six blocks of eight lots, calling the settlement "New York Alki". However, the next April, Arthur A. Denny abandoned the site at Alki for a better-situated site on the east shore of Elliott Bay , just north of

1938-493: The base, "New York Alki (By and By)", the name first given the settlement. The fourth side says "Erected by the Washington University State Historical Society, 13 November 1905", and on the base, "Presented by Lenora Denny." Just inland from the point is a small hill of about 75 feet (23 m). This hill is one of the Seattle area's few bedrock outcroppings, and possibly the only one outside of

1995-591: The beach plays host to the Seattle Music Fest every August, a three-day music festival that plays host to emerging Northwest artists and selected national and international headliners. The Birthplace of Seattle Monument is located at Alki Beach. It has the names of the first Seattle colony listed on it. The third side of the monument gives the names of the adults composing the first Seattle Colony: "Arthur A. Denny and his Wife. John N. Low and Wife. Carson D. Boren and Wife. David D. Denny. Charles C. Terry", and on

2052-461: The cold waters of Puget Sound. It overlooks the Olympic Mountains and downtown Seattle from all points. There is access for wheelchair users and roller-skaters. In the summer months, Alki Beach becomes crowded, especially on weekends. Alki Beach is also famed for its biking and walking trail, which provides a picturesque view of nearby Blake Island . Tourist attractions include the miniature of

2109-613: The early 20th Century, most remnants of traditional life along the river had disappeared. Until 1906, the White and Green Rivers combined at Auburn , and joined the Black River at Tukwila to form the Duwamish. In 1906, however, the White River changed course following a major flood and emptied into the Puyallup River as it does today. The lower portion of the historic White River—from

2166-708: The historic confluence of the White and Green Rivers to the confluence with the Black River—is now considered part of the Green River. Later, in 1911 the Cedar River was diverted to empty into Lake Washington instead of into the Black River; at that time, the lake itself still emptied into the Black River. Then, with the opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal in 1916, the lake's level dropped nearly nine feet and

2223-460: The northwest by Elliott Bay ; on the southwest by Puget Sound ; and on the east by the West Seattle hill. Its main thoroughfares are Alki Avenue S.W. (northeast- and southwest-bound); Beach Drive S.W. (northwest- and southeast-bound); and S.W. Admiral Way (east- and westbound). There have been summer concerts at Alki Beach since the early 1900s; the original streetcars to West Seattle were established in order to bring people to these events. Today,

2280-454: The old neighborhood is it unclear whether the northern part of the area should still be referred to as part of the White Center neighborhood. West Seattle also includes suburban neighborhoods in the southwest end, including Gatewood, Fauntleroy, Arbor Heights, and Arroyo Heights in the southernmost section of West Seattle. West Seattle has three bridges over the Duwamish River that connect

2337-421: The only porous pavement street in the state of Washington. Some houses were built to reduce symptoms for people with asthma . The neighborhood redevelopment plan has been recognized with some of the most prestigious land use and development awards, among them the 2007 ULI Global Award of Excellence , the 2007 EPA National Award for Smart Growth, and the 2007 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence . Alki Point

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2394-463: The peninsula to SODO and Downtown Seattle . The high-level West Seattle Bridge , opened in 1984 and carries seven lanes of traffic on a short freeway that continues towards Interstate 5 on the Spokane Street Viaduct . The bridge was closed from 2020 to 2022 for extensive repairs after the rapid growth of cracks in the concrete was discovered. The parallel, low-level Spokane Street Bridge

2451-542: The plat of David Swinson "Doc" Maynard . This site is now known as Pioneer Square . Charles C. Terry, who owned the land, and some others held on at Alki for a while, but most eventually joined the others in Pioneer Square. Terry gave his claim to Maynard in 1857 in exchange for his Pioneer Square holdings; Maynard farmed the land for 11 years and sold it to Hans Martin Hanson and Knud Olson in 1868, Hanson taking possession of

2508-479: The point itself. The Stockade Hotel was photographed by early Seattle photographers Asahel Curtis and Theodore Peiser . The Alki Point Lighthouse dates from 1913, replacing the United States Lighthouse Service 's post light from 1887 and Hanson's lantern-on-a-post from the mid-1870s. From 1925 to 1936, a ferry route across Puget Sound connected Alki Point with Manchester, Washington on

2565-512: The pollution and in 2014 it published a final cleanup plan. By late 2015, 50 percent of the PCB-contaminated sediment had been removed. As of 2022, cleanup and restoration efforts are ongoing. The Duwamish River faces other types of pollution such as fecal coliform bacteria, caused by combined sewer overflows . If these overflows were to be cleaned up, the overall quality of the water would not improve much. The river's most common pollutant

2622-496: The river home and can be seen feeding in and around its waters. Many of the animal species found in or around the river contain an unhealthy amount of contaminants. For example, other than salmon, any type of fish or shellfish found in the river is unfit for human consumption. It was found that PCB levels in fish and crab that live in the waterway most of their lives are 35 to 110 times higher than in Puget Sound salmon. The Ecological Risk Assessment also found that river otters from

2679-733: The river, and special water pumping facilities had to be installed. By 1920, 4½ miles of the Duwamish Waterway had been dredged to a depth of 50 feet, with 20 million cubic feet of mud and sand going into the expansion of Harbor Island. The shallow, meandering, nine-mile-long river became a five-mile engineered waterway capable of handling ocean-going vessels. The Duwamish basin soon became Seattle's industrial and commercial core area. Activities included cargo handling and storage, marine construction, ship and boat manufacturing, concrete manufacturing, paper and metals fabrication, food processing, and countless other industrial operations. Boeing Plant 1

2736-401: The shore from the point, both southeast and northeast. To the northeast it continues past Alki Beach roughly to Duwamish Head , the northernmost point of West Seattle. Alki Point also marks the southern extent of Elliott Bay ; a line drawn northwest to West Point marks the division between bay and sound. The name "Alki" is a Chinook Jargon word meaning "by and by" or "eventually". It is

2793-647: The site of the Jefferson Square shopping center; a retained cut station at Avalon Way; and an elevated station at Delridge Way near Andover Street. The community is served by the West Seattle Herald , which published a weekly newspaper until 2021 and was later replaced by Westside Seattle after a merger with the Ballard News-Tribune . A hyperlocal blog website named the West Seattle Blog

2850-409: The south end of West Seattle, has undergone several makeovers and now provides a mall-like shopping experience, including a Target and a Marshall's. However, it is unlikely that a movie theater will be allowed here because of restricted parking. Before the annexation of West Seattle, the neighborhood of White Center radiated north and south of Roxbury, but now with the city line going down the middle of

2907-638: The southern end where Fauntleroy Way S.W., S.W. Morgan Street, and California Avenue S.W. intersect. The West Seattle Summer Fest, a multi-day street festival at the Junction, is hosted annually in July. It includes live music , shopping, art galleries, and other events in the neighborhood. The festival was established in 1982 and was cancelled for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The Westwood Village shopping center, between S.W. Trenton and S.W. Barton Streets in

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2964-529: The waterfront, including Lincoln Park and the Emma Schmitz Overlook to Jack Block Park facing the port. The West Seattle Golf Course, West Seattle Stadium, and Camp Long Outdoor Learning Center are found in the middle of the peninsula with unique opportunities to recreate outdoors including overnight camping in rustic cabins. In addition, Seattle Parks and Recreation maintains Community Centers (Alki, Delridge, and Hiawatha), Coleman Pool, SouthWest Pool, and

3021-587: Was converted into a park, creating a substantial natural area near the mouth of the river. In 2001, the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (DRCC) was established as a community advisory group in response to the EPA declaring the Duwamish a Superfund site. As of 2023, the DRCC continues to organize cleanup events, provide community education, and campaign for environmental justice. Despite the industrialization of

3078-693: Was donated by Reginald H. Parsons and the Seattle Area Council of The Boy Scouts of America in 1952. The statue may allude to "New York-Alki", the name of the 1851 settlement at Alki (see above). Many tourists mourned the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center at the site. Alki Beach has been a venue for summer concerts every August since the early 20th century. The local music scene draws tourists and locals alike. Live music can also be found at Kenyon Hall which features

3135-789: Was established in December 2005 and has remained independently owned and operated. West Seattle is home to South Seattle College , West Seattle High School , Chief Sealth International High School , Seattle Lutheran High School , Gatewood Elementary School, Madison Middle School, Denny International Middle School , Roxhill Elementary School, K-5 STEM at Boren, Alki Elementary School, Lafayette Elementary School, Highland Park Elementary School, Sanislo Elementary School, Pathfinder K-8, Holy Family School Seattle, Holy Rosary West Seattle, Genesee Hill Elementary School, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Hope Lutheran School, Arbor Heights Elementary School, and Fairmount Park Elementary School. West Seattle has many parks along

3192-495: Was established on the Lower Duwamish in 1916, and Boeing Plant 2 , further upriver, in 1936. Due to 20th century industrial contamination , the lower 5 miles (8.0 km) of the Duwamish Waterway was declared a Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2001. The contaminants include PCBs , PAHs , arsenic , mercury , and phthalates , discharged from multiple industries. The cleanup included

3249-531: Was opened on the west bank of the river as part of the Duwamish Tribal Organization's reassertion of its historic rights in the area and its continuing struggle for federal recognition as the Duwamish Tribe. As of the present day, the Duwamish Waterway empties into Elliott Bay in Seattle . The waterway was completed after the completion of the man-made Harbor Island in 1909. The waterway

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