What is happening to my neighborhood? Capitol Hill condo watch: Part I

What is happening to my neighborhood? Capitol Hill condo watch: Part I

Before: The 500 block of Pine St. before demolition.

The 500 block of East Pine Street on Capitol Hill is one big pile of rubble. What was once a bustling bar street with Pony, The Cha Cha, Bimbo's B*tchin Burrito Kitchen, Kincora and Manray is now a closed-off construction site that will soon be a block of condominiums.

After: Pine St. after demolition of the 500 block.

All over the Hill, changes are evident. I've lived in this neighborhood for four years and have never seen anything quite like it - all the quirky qualities of the area are being replaced with clean, new condos that take away the essential nature of life on the Hill. Hole-in-the-wall restaurants with serious attention to detail are being relocated or shut down and bars that have served the community for over 20 years are being told to ship out to make way for new residences.

And it's not just the local businesses being replaced with upscale housing, but gentrification of the population is happening at an alarming rate.

A friend of mine, a full-time student at the University of Washington who works 40 hours a week, supports herself in a one-bedroom off Howell St. She was told three weeks ago she would have to vacate her apartment by the end of the month. It's being renovated into... you guessed it!

Condos.

All of these newcomers are changing our neighborhoods bit by bit, stripping one of the most unique places in Seattle of it's personality. You want to live in a bustling metropolis with a vibrant art and culture scene? Want to feel a part of the city community?

Then don't replace it with expensive, high-rise condos no one who lives there can afford.

This homeless man sits outside the QFC on Pike and Broadway, doing his thing. Next to him is a sign for a condo open house. Ironic? Maybe. Above that is an example of the grafitti covering Pony before it was destroyed earlier this week.

The people who have lived and worked in this neighborhood appreciate it for what it is. Sure, homeless people wander the streets and ask you for change every five minutes. You might see a few drag queens on a Saturday night or a food fight at 2 a.m. in front of Dick's, but hey, that's life in the city, right?

Go back to Bellevue.

The Hill has been a haven for the different and unique, the outrageous and strange. If these new residents are not comfortable living above a raunchy bar, then don't move there! Appreciate the culture here, or move somewhere else.

Posted by at March 25, 2008 8:51 a.m.
Category: Capitol Hill Neighborhood

Comments

#111309

Posted by unregistered user at 3/25/08 10:44 a.m.

As a Capitol Hill Condo Owner I am incredibly frustrated and mildly offended by your post.

I have never lived in Bellevue and never will. In fact I hate the Bellevue tourists who come to gawk at the Capitol Hill natives every bit as much as you. I too am mourning the loss of the restaurants and bars that made Capitol Hill the neighborhood I chose to become a permanent member of. Businesses like B&O, Vivace, Piroshki on Broadway, Twice Sold Tales were among the reasons why I chose to live in this neighborhood.

But I believe increasing population density is an absolute necessity. I believe that urban sprawl and the amount of fossil fuels consumed by sub-urbanites on their daily commutes are environmental costs that we can no longer afford to pay. And I believe that the only way to reduce urban sprawl and reduce that fossil fuel consumption is to make more housing available in the core of the city.

Your friend has my sympathy. I'm sorry she is being forced out of her apartment. I wish they would make more of these buildings apartments rather than condos (I'm not entirely confident that the housing market can continue to support all of this new development). But to condemn ALL Capitol Hill Condo Owners is beyond the pale. This is our community too, and we feel the loss every bit as much as Capitol Hill Renters do.

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#111375

Posted by unregistered user at 3/25/08 1:53 p.m.

Lauren, I agree with you. I lived on Capitol Hill for almost 10 years, and I was finally forced out by my apartment being turned into condos. While looking for a new place, I had to move to the Eastside because rent in the city is so high. I miss the neighborhood.
To the poster above, the thing you are neglecting to address is the outrageous cost of these condos. What will change the neighborhood more than the closing of restaurants and bars is the fact that these new condos are out of the range of a signifigant portion of Capitol Hill residents. The people that populate these naighborhoods are being priced out. The new people to come in and buy a place are in an entirely different economic class. That is what will make Capitol Hill look more and more like Bellevue in the years to come.

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