Beacon Hill, Seattle

Beacon Hill is a hill and a neighborhood in southeastern Seattle, Washington. It is in the city's South End. Interstate 5 is to the west, and Interstate 90 is to the north. Rainier Avenue South, Cheasty Boulevard South, and Martin Luther King Junior Way South are to the east. The Seattle city boundary is to the south.

This area is important to Seattle. It is known for its special character and friendly community. Beacon Hill has homes, parks, and local businesses. This makes it a nice place to live and visit.

Overview

Beacon Hill is a neighborhood in southeastern Seattle, Washington. Many Asian Americans and African Americans live there, making it one of Seattle’s most racially diverse areas. The area was once home to the world headquarters of Amazon at the Pacific Tower. Today, it houses the Seattle Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Puget Sound Health Care System.

Geography

Beacon Hill is a neighborhood in southeastern Seattle. From there, you can see downtown Seattle, the Industrial District, Elliott Bay, First Hill, Rainier Valley, and on clear days, Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains. The area is bordered by Interstate 5 to the west, Interstate 90 to the north, Rainier Avenue South, Cheasty Boulevard South, and Martin Luther King Junior Way South to the east, and the Seattle city boundary to the south. It is part of Seattle's South End.

The city divides Beacon Hill into North Beacon Hill, Mid-Beacon Hill, Holly Park, and South Beacon Hill, but most people just call the whole area "Beacon Hill." The older homes in North Beacon Hill were built in the early 1900s and include many Craftsman bungalows and Seattle box houses.

Nearby neighborhoods

• Columbia City
• Georgetown
• Industrial District (see also SoDo)
• International District/Chinatown
• Judkins Park
• Mount Baker
• Rainier Valley
• Rainier Beach
• SoDo

History and demographics

The Duwamish people called the hill "Greenish-Yellow Spine" (Lushootseed), because of the colorful trees there long ago. Early settlers named it after two men, John Holgate and Edward Hanford. You can still see their names in South Holgate and Hanford Streets.

Later, someone named M. Harwood Young chose the name Beacon Hill to match a place in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. The main road, Beacon Avenue, was built with a wide center strip that hid pipes carrying water from the Cedar River. In the 1970s and 1980s, the city made the avenue more beautiful by turning the center strip into a walking trail.

In the 1950s and 1960s, many people in Beacon Hill worked at the nearby Boeing factory. Later, many Asian immigrants moved into the area. Today, Beacon Hill has many Asian shops along Beacon Avenue South. The neighborhood is also very diverse, with people from many different backgrounds.

Landmarks and institutions

Beacon Hill has many special places and buildings. Pacific Tower, once a marine hospital, was used by Amazon for ten years. Jefferson Park offers golf, lawn bowling, a skate park, and a playground. The Beacon Food Forest on the west side of Jefferson Park is one of the largest food forests in the country.

Other notable spots include Comet Lodge Cemetery, Dr. Jose Rizal Park with beautiful views, and El Centro de la Raza, a community service organization. There is also a historic Beacon Hill First Baptist Church, the Frank D. Black property with unique river rock structures, and the Beacon Hill Station for Sound Transit Light Rail. The area also has a branch of the Seattle Public Library and Beacon Hill International Elementary School.

Culture

The Beacon Arts Guild helps artists in Beacon Hill. They organize cultural events and offer affordable spaces for artists to live and work. In the 2010s, another group started a summer music festival called "Beacon Rocks" with monthly performances on Roberto Maestas Festival Street.

Beacon Hill is also home to the Beacon Food Forest, a special garden on 7 acres next to Jefferson Park. Created in 2012, it is part of the city's P-Patch network of community farms. Volunteers care for it year-round, growing walnuts, chestnuts, berry shrubs, and vegetables. It is an urban food forest where people can grow and share food.

Accolades

In 2012, the American Planning Association picked Beacon Hill as one of the best places in America. This means many people think Beacon Hill is a great spot.