Belltown, Seattle

Belltown is the most densely populated neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, United States, located on the city's downtown waterfront on land that was artificially flattened as part of a regrading project. Formerly a low-rent, semi-industrial arts district, in recent decades it has transformed into a neighborhood of trendy restaurants, boutiques, nightclubs, and residential towers as well as warehouses and art galleries. The area is named after William Nathaniel Bell, on whose land claim the neighborhood was built.

In 2007, CNNMoney named Belltown the best place to retire in the Seattle metro area, calling it "a walkable neighborhood with everything you need."

Belltown is home to the Art Institute of Seattle, Antioch University, Argosy University and the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. It lies directly west of the Denny Triangle neighborhood, where online retailer Amazon is constructing three office towers to house its downtown headquarters, and where the Cornish College of the Arts is located.

Although many new businesses have eclipsed older ones, some venerated establishments still draw crowds of loyal patrons, such as the locally famous Bavarian Meat Products. Some of the classic, old Seattle nightspots in Belltown are: The Rendezvous, Mama's Mexican Kitchen, The Lava Lounge, Ohana, The Crocodile Cafe, and Shorty's. At one time Alaska Airlines had its headquarters in what is now Belltown.

The neighborhood is bounded on the north by Denny Way, beyond which lies Seattle Center, Uptown, and Queen Anne Hill, on the southwest by Elliott Bay, on the southeast by Virginia Street, beyond which lies the Pike Place Market and the rest of Downtown, and on the northeast by 5th Avenue, beyond which lies the Denny Triangle. All of its northwest- and southeast-bound streets are major thoroughfares (Alaskan Way and Elliott, Western, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Avenues); major northeast- and southwest-bound thoroughfares are Broad, Wall, and Battery Streets. The Battery Street Tunnel runs under Battery Street from Western Avenue to Denny Way and connects the Alaskan Way Viaduct to Aurora Avenue N.

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Wikipedia