Downtown Seattle | Will Springer

Most people think of Downtown Seattle as the business, tourist and retail hub of the city. The downtown section is one of many things: It is the headquarters for international giants such as Weyerhaeuser, Vulcan and Russell Investments, is home to tourist magnets including the first Starbucks store and Pike Place Market, and hosts major retailers Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Gap, Banana Republic, Uniqlo and many others.

The city is evolving with cloud-piercing high-rises, a growing number of dedicated bike lanes and an expanding public transportation service [before the pandemic halted growth].

Downtown is bordered by Belltown to the north, South Lake Union to the northeast, I-5 and First Hill to the east, SoDo (South of Downtown) to the south and Elliott Bay to the west. The downtown section also tends to include Denny Triangle to the northeast, as well as Pioneer Square and parts of the International District just north and east of the stadiums.

Pioneer Square was at the center of the original Seattle and is still home to some of the oldest – and earthquake-prone – structures. The area burned to the ground in 1889, with some of the city’s first brick buildings on display in Seattle’s Underground Tour.

The city’s population growth continues, while not at the same pace as a few years ago. The U.S. Census estimates the city’s population at about 740,000, with a majority (26%) aged 25-34. The median income inside the city’s limits hovers around $100,000.

Downtown Seattle is densely populated with several mid- and high-rise condominium buildings, including:

98 Union, a 13-story luxury condo overlooking Elliott Bay from 1^st Avenue, at 98 Union Street
The Emerald, one of the city’s newer high-rise condos, at 40 stories with towering views of the city and Elliott Bay, at 121 Stewart Street
Escala, the luxury condo with links to the novel “Fifty Shades of Grey,” Corinthian stylings, personal elevator entries and indoor pools, at 1920 4^th Avenue
Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue, a classic, 39-story, high-end condo, at 1521 2^nd Avenue
Four Seasons Residences, consider the top luxury condo, with four units selling for at least $9 million since 2019, at 99 Union Street
Olive 8, a Hyatt Hotel in the first 17 stories, 21 floors of private residences above and one floor of shared amenities in between, at 737 Olive Way