Westlake Center
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Westlake Center is a four-story shopping center in downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. The southern terminus of the Seattle Center Monorail, it is located across Pine Street from Westlake Park, between 4th and 5th Avenues. It is named for Westlake Avenue, which now terminates north of the mall but once ran two blocks farther south to Pike Street. Westlake Park is considered Seattle's "town square" [1] and celebrities and political figures often make appearances or give speeches from the building's balcony [2],[3].
Surrounding the mall and park, Seattle's main shopping district draws scores of both locals and visitors (the Washington State Convention and Trade Center is located in this district). Anchored by Macy's (previously the flagship store and corporate headquarters for the Bon Marché) and Nordstrom's flagship store and corporate headquarters (previously the flagship store of Frederick & Nelson), retailers Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic (in the remodeled Coliseum Theater), Barneys New York, Benetton, Betsey Johnson, Brooks Brothers, Cartier, Club Monaco, Coach, David Lawrence, Diesel, Eddie Bauer, Escada, GAP, Gymboree, Hot Topic, J.Crew, Kenneth Cole, Louis Vuitton, Men's Wearhouse, Nine West, The North Face, Nike Town, Old Navy, Original Levi's Store, Pottery Barn, Quiksilver, Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters, Sunglass Hut, and Tiffany & Company are located near Westlake. Also, many upscale restaurants including Cheesecake Factory and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, as well as the first GameWorks, are nearby.
Seattle's version of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is located in this area. Also, many stores were vandalized during the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, during which massive protests occurred in downtown Seattle.
