Central District, Seattle, Washington
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The Central District is a mostly residential neighborhood in Seattle located east of First Hill, west of Madrona and Leschi, south of Capitol Hill, and north of Rainier Valley. Historically, it has been a predominantly African American neighborhood, though it has become more diverse in recent years.
Two demographic trends are changing the population of the Central District. First, the low-income segment of the African American population is moving southward toward Rainier Valley. Second, upper-middle-class, mostly white residents, who might otherwise have purchased homes on Capitol Hill or First Hill or in Madrona, are moving into the Central District as real estate and rental property become more expensive in those neighborhoods.
Due to this market pressure, housing in the Central District is mixed, with some homes on the verge of condemnation, and others having recently undergone extensive renovation. Many condemned houses are being replaced by multi-unit townhouses and condominiums. Easy access to Interstate 5 and Downtown, as well as ample street parking, also make the Central District attractive.
The African American population of the Central District has also shifted toward the more affluent end of the spectrum in recent years as home values have increased. Many long-time residents resent this gentrification process, which is driving older residents southward into more affordable, but less convenient or more rundown neighborhoods further southeast of the city center.
Despite the gentrification, many locals still refer to the Central District as a predominantly African-American area. One possible reason for this is that despite the decline in the African-American population, Blacks still have a large presence in the neighborhood. The neighborhood has the highest concentration of blacks in the state of Washington and is still home to a variety of African-American culture including several gospel churches. The neighborhood has also had a significant Ethiopian population in recent years. Some residents jokingly refer to parts of the Central District as 'Little Addis Ababa' (after the capital of Ethiopia) due to the preponderance of Ethiopian restaurants in the area.
During the early 1960s, the neighborhood was a hotbed for the Seattle civil rights movement. In 1963, civil rights protesters took to the streets and protested against racial discrimination. Later, they participated in a sit-in in downtown Seattle. At the same time, the Black Panthers used the neighborhood as a staging area for their movement.
The Central District has long been known to have a high crime rate. In the 1980s and 90s, the neighborhood struggled with gang violence, most noticeably with the West Coast Crips and Bloods in a similar way to Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood. This has declined significantly in recent years. However, the neighborhood remains dangerous and violent crime rates are among the highest in the Seattle area. The Central District has perhaps the highest crime rate of any neighborhood in the state of Washington. Much of this crime however, occurs at night and is related to drugs and gangs. The neighborhood is relatively safe at daytime.
Famous residents of the neighborhood have included Jimi Hendrix and Quincy Jones. Both attended Garfield High School, possibly Seattle's most well known school. Sir Mix-a-Lot also hails from the Central District and has a number of songs that acknowledge street names and important areas.
The Central District's main thoroughfares are Martin Luther King Jr. Way (formerly Empire Way; the street was renamed in late 1983 after a nearly three-year battle) and 23rd Avenue (north- and southbound) and E. Union, E. Cherry, and E. Jefferson Streets and E. Yesler Way (east- and westbound).
The neighborhoods population is 22,200. 42.6% of residents are white or caucasian, 36.4% are black or African American, 7.8% Asian, 1.2% Native American, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 6.9% Hispanic, and 5.3% mixed race. 15.6% of families and 19.6% of the population are below poverty line.
[edit] Landmarks and Institutions
- Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas
- Ezell's Chicken
- Garfield Community Center
- Garfield High School
- Swedish Medical Center, Providence Campus
