History
First homesteaded by M.D. Woodin in 1863, [5] Hillman City as a community originated in the 1890s, with a stop on the new Rainier Valley Electric Railway as its nucleus. The neighborhood was named after Clarence Dayton "C.D." Hillman, who platted the area and built himself a house there just off of Rainier. Hillman was a real estate developer, and his business practices ranging into the fraudulent eventually landed him in a federal penitentiary. [3] [6] [7] Hillman City resident Mikala Woodward, director of the Rainier Valley Historical Society, acknowledged at the time of the centennial of the neighborhood's annexation by Seattle, "We were named after a sleazy charlatan." [6] [8] Seattle pioneer Birdsey Wetmore resided in Hillman City until his death in 1909.
While never a serious challenger to Columbia City as the region's main business district, Hillman City did boast a real estate office, grocery, butcher, hardware store, bakery, tile factory, movie theater, and for a time an opera house and a circular fountain at the intersection of Rainier and Orcas. Like most of the Rainier Valley, Hillman City declined after the mid-20th century; in the 1980s its perhaps best-known institution was the former grocery and butcher shop, which had become Hillman City Boxing Gym (the building is, as of 2011, Lee’s Martial Arts Academy, offering instruction in karate and taekwondo). [3] In 1999, a Department of Neighborhoods study wrote that "Historic Hillman City... is commonly described by residents as deteriorating and depressed. However, with a near continuous facade of streetfront buildings and a modest pedestrian scale, Hillman City has the opportunity, many believe, to become an attractive neighborhood center." [9]
Recent history
By 2007, the neighborhood was showing some signs of recovery, though still a mixed picture. [6] The Hillman City Business Association worked to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood, by organizing community events, patrols, and litter cleanups.
In June 2013, a congregation and an arts collective leased a building on the northwest corner of Rainier and Orcas and an adjacent vacant lot, gutted the space, and, several months later, opened the Hillman City Collaboratory, a non-profit community center and co-working space. [10] The Collaboratory closed in 2021.
In August 2013, the Seattle Weekly named Hillman City the "Best Up-and-Coming Neighborhood" in Seattle. Some worry, however, that the neighborhood may lose its identity as it changes. [11]
In 2015, a group called Vision Hillman City held a series of roundtable discussions open to all neighbors and designed to identify neighborhood priorities, create plans for future action, and cultivate a shared neighborhood identity. [12]
By 2022, Hillman City continued its existence as one of Seattle's more obscure neighborhoods.
Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Seattle metro area. There is also a much larger population with Woodinville mailing addresses in adjacent unincorporated areas of King and Snohomish (Maltby) counties. Woodinville has waterfront parks on the Sammamish River, sweeping winery and brewery grounds, and densely wooded areas.
The Chinatown–International District is a neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It is the center of the city's Asian American community. Within the district are the three neighborhoods known as Chinatown, Japantown and Little Saigon, named for the concentration of businesses owned by people of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese descent, respectively. The geographic area also once included Manilatown.
Columbia City is a neighborhood in southeastern Seattle, Washington, within the city's Rainier Valley district. It has a landmark-protected historic business district and is one of the few Seattle neighborhoods with a long history of ethnic and income diversity.
Seward Park is a neighborhood in southeastern Seattle, Washington, just west of Seward Park. It is part of Seattle's South End. The park occupies all of Bailey Peninsula.
The Burke–Gilman Trail is a rail trail in King County, Washington. The 20-mile (32 km) multi-use recreational trail is part of the King County Regional Trail System and occupies an abandoned Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway (SLS&E) corridor.
Beacon Hill is a hill and neighborhood in southeastern Seattle, Washington. It is roughly bounded on the west by Interstate 5, on the north by Interstate 90, on the east by Rainier Avenue South, Cheasty Boulevard South, and Martin Luther King Junior Way South, and on the south by the Seattle city boundary. It is part of Seattle's South End.
Georgetown is a neighborhood in southern Seattle, Washington, United States. It is bounded on the north by the mainlines of the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, beyond which is the Industrial District; on the west by the Duwamish River, across which is South Park; on the east by Interstate 5, beyond which is Beacon Hill; and on the south by Boeing Field.
Mount Baker is a neighborhood in southeastern Seattle, Washington. The neighborhood's name comes from the view of Mount Baker in Whatcom County, that is seen by looking north over Lake Washington. It is bounded by Lake Washington to the east, Interstate 90 and then Leschi to the north, Rainier Valley to the west, and Columbia City to the south. The neighborhood has a community club and a rowing team. It hosts Seattle's annual Seafair, which includes an airshow featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, hydroplane races, a fireworks show, and other festivities. Franklin High School and Garfield High School serve this area. It is part of Seattle's South End.
The Rainier Valley is a neighborhood in southeastern Seattle, Washington. It is located east of Beacon Hill; west of Mount Baker, Seward Park, and Leschi; south of the Central District and north of Rainier Beach. It is part of Seattle's South End.
The 1 Line, formerly Central Link, is a light rail line in Seattle, Washington, United States, and part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system. It serves 23 stations in King and Snohomish counties, traveling 33 miles (53 km) between Lynnwood City Center and Angle Lake stations. The line connects Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, the University District, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. The 1 Line carried over 26 million total passengers in 2023, with an average of nearly 80,000 daily passengers on weekdays. It runs for 20 hours per day on weekdays and Saturdays, with headways as low as six minutes during peak hours, and reduced 18-hour service on Sundays and holidays.
Rainier Beach is a set of neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington that are mostly residential. Also called Atlantic City, Rainier Beach can include Dunlap, Pritchard Island, and Rainier View neighborhoods.
Clearview is a small unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,324 at the 2010 census. Clearview is located on the west side of State Route 9, where it intersects 180th Street SE in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located between Snohomish and Woodinville and the top of the Clearview Hill.
Kennydale is a neighborhood in Renton, Washington, in the United States. As of 2008, it had an estimated population of 4,840. It lies along the southeastern shore of Lake Washington and straddles Interstate 405 which runs north-south between Renton and Bellevue, and borders the Newport Shores neighborhood of Bellevue. The part of the neighborhood on the lake (west) side of I-405 is referred to as "Lower Kennydale", and on the east side "Upper Kennydale".
Clarence Dayton Hillman (1870–1935) was a prominent businessman and real estate developer in Seattle, Washington at the beginning of the 20th century.
Brighton is a primarily residential neighborhood in southern Seattle, Washington, part of the greater Rainier Valley district and centered about a mile and a half south of the Columbia City neighborhood.
Lakeridge is a hillside neighborhood near Lake Washington located mostly in unincorporated Skyway/West Hill in King County, Washington, and partially in the City of Seattle. Its boundaries extend from Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood on the north, to Lake Washington on the east, to unincorporated Bryn Mawr on the southeast and unincorporated Skyway on the southwest.
The South End is a group of neighborhoods in southeastern Seattle, Washington. The definition is a bit fluid, but has traditionally included the area south of the Central District, and east of Interstate 5: Rainier Valley, Columbia City, Rainier Beach, Seward Park, Mount Baker, and Beacon Hill. Sometimes its definition is extended to Skyway and Bryn Mawr in unincorporated King County, though these are not technically in the city. Other definitions have included northern parts of Renton and Tukwila, though most Seattleites, especially those from the South End, would consider this usage incorrect. Often the term "South End" is used colloquially to include neighboring portions of South King County, by people living in those areas, due to that area's location in reference to Seattle proper.
Othello station is a light rail station located in Seattle, Washington. It is situated between the Rainier Beach and Columbia City stations on the 1 Line, which runs from Angle Lake through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Downtown Seattle and the University of Washington as part of the Link light rail system. The station consists of two at-grade side platforms between South Othello Street and South Myrtle Street in the median of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South in the NewHolly neighborhood, part of Seattle's Rainier Valley.
Columbia City station is a light rail station located in Seattle, Washington. It is situated between the Othello and Mount Baker stations on the 1 Line, which runs from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to Downtown Seattle and the University of Washington as part of the Link light rail system. The station consists of two at-grade side platforms between South Alaska Street and South Edmunds Street in the median of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South in the Columbia City neighborhood, part of Seattle's Rainier Valley.
