South Seattle: Georgetown is Swell

Georgetown is a singularity among the ranks of Seattle’s thriving urban village culture. This small cluster of residential houses and shops, bordered by the Duwamish, I-90, and assorted industry, was much larger prior to the industrial boom around 1945. What survived the spread of concrete has become a home for a wide variety of community features, including great shops, parks, eateries, and artist workspaces.

It also seems to be the home of the hardest working residents in the Seattle area. Every time I read the newspaper, there is another article about community members standing up to politicians and big business, simply to keep their neighborhood viable and intact. It does seem that the South End has the dubious honor of being the first pick for all sorts of innovative city policies, with Georgetown as the primary focus. Residents refused to back down to the threats of Southwest Airlines moving to Boeing Field, a strip club zone, and a new garbage transfer station in the heart of their business district.

The good news is that civic coordination has been successful and Georgetown keeps chugging along. All of us here in the South End are holding our breath to see how the Mayor’s viaduct puppet show will unfold, so it’s especially good to know that Georgetown is watching carefully.