Georgetown and SoDo are two distinct neighborhoods just south of Seattle that are being transformed from industrial areas into thriving, trendy enclaves.
Eric Sheckler
Georgetown is about five miles from the heart of the city and is considered Seattle’s oldest residential neighborhood. In fact, Georgetown was its own city in the early part of the 20th century, before it was consolidated with Seattle in 1910.
Eric Sheckler
Since the 1990s, Georgetown has developed into a more residential neighborhood with its own unique identity — one that’s been referred to as “industrial bohemian chic.” Gritty commercial buildings and rail yards have slowly turned into apartments, bars with live music, coffeehouses, art and restaurants serving a diverse, hipster-leaning set that can be seen whizzing around on scooters.
Georgetown is bounded on the north by the mainlines of the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, on the west by the Duwamish River, on the east by Interstate 5 and on the south by Boeing Field. Despite being surrounded on all sides by industry and major transportation corridors, Georgetown is becoming an oasis of residences and businesses.
SoDo is the neighborhood just north of Georgetown and is considered part of the city’s Industrial District . Taking a cue from New York’s famous SoHo neighborhood, which was built from a similar stock of vacated factories and industrial buildings that were converted into lofts and artist studios, SoDo originally was named for its location south of the Kingdome, a Major League Baseball stadium that was demolished in 2000. Now the acronym stands for “South of Downtown.” The city’s two current professional sports stadiums — CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field — still play a major role in this neighborhood, as they border it to the north.
The area’s old buildings have been transformed into visit-worthy establishments such as the Pyramid Alehouse, creative galleries, restaurants and an assortment of other businesses. There is still plenty of light manufacturing plants and warehouses to retain the neighborhood’s up-and-coming feel.
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