Seattle Culture
The Numbers Point to a Downtown Seattle Recovery
The city’s core is slowly inching its way back
By Rob Smith September 20, 2024
Downtown Seattle continues its recovery from the pandemic.
Visit Seattle says downtown Seattle hotels sold 403,000 rooms in August, the second-highest monthly total since March 2020. More than 3 million unique visitors came downtown — that’s 96% of August 2019 numbers, and a 6% increase year over year.
The Downtown Seattle Association also says an average of more than 90,000 daily workers came downtown in August, the third consecutive month with more than 90,000 daily workers. Those numbers are expected to rise in coming months as more employers are requiring workers to be in the office more often. Amazon, for instance, announced earlier this week that it will require employees to return to the office five days a week starting in January, a move that many analysts say could have a ripple effect across the city’s tech industry.
The report also notes that the Overlook Walk (a key piece of the $800-plus million waterfront redevelopment) will open in early October. The bridge is a pedestrian path that will connect the waterfront to Pike Place Market.
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