Food & Drink
Curiouser and Curiouser: Capitol Hill’s Strange Facades
Seattle’s breakneck growth has spawned an interesting sight on Capitol Hill
By Brangien Davis November 3, 2014
This article originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.
They look like decaying movie sets left over from some long-ago shoot. Across Capitol Hill, skeletal remnants of vintage brick buildings are propped up with girders and posts, while huge construction pits gape just behind. The prevalence of these haunting façades is the result of zoning incentives established by the Seattle City Council in 2009 as part of the Pike/Pine Conservation Overlay District, which set out to preserve the character of the old “auto-row” architecture in the neighborhood. Developers were allowed to construct taller buildings provided they retained “character structures” from the buildings they were tearing down. But during the recent boom, some developers took liberties with the legislation, leaving only bare traces of character so as to build higher, wider and bulkier structures—and thereby maximize their return. In June, the City Council amended the guidelines to address out-of-scale development, requiring new construction projects to retain all character elements (either partially or fully) in order to reap building incentives. But for now, it’s all a façade.
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Seattle Author Wins Pulitzer Prize
Tessa Hulls wins for Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir
Seattle author Tessa Hulls has added a Pulitzer Prize to her growing list of accolades for Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir. The 2025 Pulitzers were announced May 5. Feeding Ghosts won in the “Memoir or Autobiography” category. As Seattle magazine wrote in a profile of Hulls last year, Feeding Ghosts “braids together the narratives of…
These Cultural Landmarks Honor Seattle’s AANHPI Community
Here’s an overview of some notable spots and happenings
The first Asian American immigrants landed in Seattle in the 1860s, just a decade after the city’s founding in 1852. Seattle is plentiful with sites that tell crucial stories about Seattle’s Asian American community, whether you choose to learn about historic neighborhoods and buildings in the International District or browse sculptures and paintings at the…
Book Excerpt: Old White Man Writing
Seattle resident Joshua Gidding examines his own white privilege
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Glacial Expressions
Local scientist and painter Jill Pelto spotlights climate change in a multi-artist show at Slip Gallery
The divide between the arts and sciences is long-fostered and well-documented. From elementary school onward, children are often singled out for their penchant for math or artistic ability and guided toward classes — and later careers — that align with their right or left brain tendencies. For Jill Pelto — a local climate scientist, painter,…