Central District, Seattle, Washington
Encyclopedia
Cherry Hill, Seattle, Washington
Cherry Hill is a predominantly residential neighborhood in Seattle, Washington located south of Capitol Hill, west of the Central District, north of the International District, and east of First Hill. One of the Seven hills of Seattle, Cherry Hill is bound by 12th Avenue, 23rd Avenue, Madison...
, west of Madrona
Madrona, Seattle, Washington
Madrona is a mostly residential neighborhood in east central Seattle, Washington. It is bounded on the east by Lake Washington; on the south by E. Cherry Street, beyond which is Leschi; on the west by Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, beyond which is the Central District; and on the north by E. Howell...
and Leschi
Leschi, Seattle, Washington
Leschi is a neighborhood located within the city of Seattle, Washington, USA. The neighborhood is named after Chief Leschi of the Nisqually tribe.- Location :...
, south of Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington
Capitol Hill is the most densely populated residential district in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the center of the city's gay and counterculture communities, and is one of the city's most prominent nightlife and entertainment districts....
, and north of Rainier Valley
Rainier Valley, Seattle, Washington
The Rainier Valley neighborhood in Seattle, is located east of Beacon Hill; west of Mount Baker, Seward Park, and Leschi; south of the Central District and First Hill; and north of the city line...
. Historically, the Central District has been one of Seattle's most racially and ethnically diverse neighborhoods, and is the center of Seattle's black community.
Demographics
The culture and demographics of the Central District have changed repeatedly throughout many years. It started out as a predominantly JewishJews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
neighborhood. Jewish residents built Temple De Hirsch on Union Street in 1907; Temple De Hirsch Sinai
Temple De Hirsch Sinai
Temple De Hirsch Sinai is a Reform Jewish congregation with campuses in Seattle and nearby Bellevue, Washington, USA. It was formed as a 1971 merger between the earlier Temple De Hirsch and Temple Sinai and is the largest Reform congregation in the Pacific Northwest.The old Temple De Hirsch...
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
Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation
Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation is a Sephardic congregation with a synagogue in the Seward Park neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The name Bikur Holim means visiting or comforting the sick, an important mitzvah...
synagogue (now Tolliver Temple), Herzl Congregation synagogue (now Odessa Brown Clinic), and Chevra Bikur Cholim
Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath
Congregation Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath is a synagogue in the Seward Park neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It is the oldest synagogue in Washington state.The rabbi is Moshe Kletenik.-History:...
(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—the Buddhist Church, Seattle Koyasan Church, Konko, Wisteria Park, Japanese Congregational Church, Keiro Nursing Home, and the Kawabe Memorial House. During the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, presidential Executive Order 9066
Executive Order 9066
United States Executive Order 9066 was a United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942 authorizing the Secretary of War to prescribe certain areas as military zones...
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 many African Americans to find a new home in the Central District. By the 1970s Central District became largely an African-American neighborhood and the center of the civil rights movement in Seattle. However, it also marked the neighborhood's decline into poverty and crime for another 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
Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington
Capitol Hill is the most densely populated residential district in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the center of the city's gay and counterculture communities, and is one of the city's most prominent nightlife and entertainment districts....
, or Madrona
Madrona, Seattle, Washington
Madrona is a mostly residential neighborhood in east central Seattle, Washington. It is bounded on the east by Lake Washington; on the south by E. Cherry Street, beyond which is Leschi; on the west by Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, beyond which is the Central District; and on the north by E. Howell...
, are moving into the Central District as real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
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
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
in the Central District is mixed, with some homes on the verge of condemnation
Condemnation
Condemnation or condemned may refer to:*a strongly worded rebuke* Damnation, the antithesis of salvationIn other contexts, it may also refer to:-Historical:...
, and others having recently undergone extensive renovation. Many condemned houses are being replaced by multi-unit townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
s and condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s. Easy access to Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
, Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
, and Downtown, as well as ample street parking
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied for more than a brief time. Parking on one or both sides of a road is commonly permitted, though often with restrictions...
, also make the Central District an attractive and convenient place to live.
Despite these demographic shifts, 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 have a large presence in the neighborhood. The neighborhood still has a high concentration of black or African-American residents for the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. It is currently home to the Northwest African American Museum
Northwest African American Museum
The Northwest African American Museum in Seattle, Washington, USA opened March 8, 2008. Intended to "document and exhibit the unique historical and cultural experiences of African Americans in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest", the museum is part of the new Urban League Village at the former...
and the northern part of the neighborhood is coextensive with King County census tract 88 which is the only census tract in the Pacific Northwest with a majority black or African-American population.
During the early 1960s, the neighborhood was a hotbed for the Seattle civil rights movement. In 1963, civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
protesters took to the streets and protested against racial discrimination. Later, they participated in a sit-in in downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land that was once...
. At the same time, the Black Panthers used the neighborhood as a staging area for their movement.
As of 2000 the total population of the Central Area is 30,397, of which 53.1% are White, 31.4% are African-American, 5.9% Asian, 5.5% Multiracial, 3.1% Other Races, 0.8% Native American, and 0.3% Pacific Islander.
Notable residents
- Linda Emery
- Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
- Quincy JonesQuincy JonesQuincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
- Bruce LeeBruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
- Rose McGowanRose McGowanRose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
- Brandon RoyBrandon RoyBrandon Dawayne Roy is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. He was selected sixth in the 2006 NBA Draft, having completed four years playing for the Washington Huskies. In 2009, he served as the team's co-captain, along...
- Isaiah StanbackIsaiah StanbackIsaiah Stanback is an American football quarterback and wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
- Sir Mix-a-LotSir Mix-a-LotAnthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
- No Clue - Rapper
- Lil Bud Light
- Charles Humphrie - Hooper
Thoroughfares
The Central District's main thoroughfares are Martin Luther King Jr. Way ("MLK" or "MiLK") and 23rd Avenue (north- and southbound) and E. Union, E. Cherry, and E. Jefferson Streets and E. Yesler Way (east- and westbound).Landmarks and institutions
- Ezell's ChickenEzell's ChickenEzell's Famous Chicken is a Seattle fast food restaurant. The first restaurant was opened on February 3, 1984 in Seattle, Washington's Central District neighborhood, which is still open today. The restaurant chain has 6 other locations in Skyway, North Seattle, Renton, Lynnwood, Woodinville, and...
- Garfield High School
- Medgar EversMedgar EversMedgar Wiley Evers was an African American civil rights activist from Mississippi involved in efforts to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi...
Community Center - The Nova ProjectThe Nova ProjectThe Nova Project, also known as Nova, is located at 300 21st Avenue Ein Seattle, Washington. It is a small alternative high school in the Seattle Public School District.-About:...
- Hamlin Robinson SchoolHamlin Robinson SchoolThe Hamlin Robinson School is an independent school in Seattle offering a specialized program specifically for students with dyslexia and related language difficulties. The school was founded in 1983.-Background:...
- Washington HallWashington Hall (Seattle, Washington)Washington Hall is a historic building and a registered city landmark in Seattle, Washington. It was originally built as a community center by the Danish Brotherhood in America, a fraternal organization, with meeting halls and one-room apartments for new immigrants...
- Cappy's Boxing Gym and ClubCappy's Boxing Gym and ClubCappy's Boxing Gym was opened by Cappy Kotz in 1999 in the Central District of Seattle, Washington, and operates with the philosophy of learning to “engage physically, mentally and emotionally in every aspect of life,” and that anyone can learn to box. The gym is home to Cappy’s Boxing Club, which...
- Philly's Best
External links
- Central District News
- 23rdandunion.org, outgrowth of a 2009 KUOW-FMKUOW-FMKUOW-FM 94.9 is a National Public Radio affiliate radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is a top-ranked radio station in the Seattle/Tacoma media market...
/Hollow Earth Radio documentary project. See also The Corner: 23rd and Union, The Hub, KUOW News, August 26, 2009.