PART II

CHAPTER 3:  THE SOUTH SLOPE TODAY

 

The Study Area

The neighborhood identified for this study is on the southwest slope of Queen Anne, one of Seattle's oldest communities.  The study area extends down Queen Anne Avenue North from West Galer Street to West Roy Street, and west along West Highland Drive to Third Avenue West, along West Olympic Place/Olympic Way West to 9th Avenue West and along West Roy Street to 6th Avenue West (map on page 54).  This area was selected because of its wide range of multifamily housing, representing most periods, types, styles and sizes found in Seattle.  High-style structures designed by architects are found as well as more modest buildings put up rapidly by developers.  Although primarily multifamily today, the land use remains mixed, with scattered single family homes and strong commercial areas at the top and bottom of the hill. 

 

The neighborhood is dynamic, with continual growth and change.  In 1991-92, small apartment houses replaced single family homes on both West Roy Street and West Highland Drive.  Service stations at both the top and the bottom of the hill have recently been demolished, leaving the land open for development.  Renovation and development continues on West Olympic Place.  A new apartment building was recently added on Queen Anne Avenue, across from a new addition to a large nearby building.  This vitality makes an appreciation of the existing urban fabric, and a study such as this one, even more important.

 

The Setting  

The development pattern, built form and socioeconomics of the South Slope have always been heavily influenced by its steep topography.  Queen Anne is the second highest point in the city (457 feet) and the steepest, most clearly defined hill.  This geographic isolation made development dependent on transportation systems, and led to a strong feeling of community among early residents.   The steepest part of Queen Anne Avenue, between Roy and Galer streets, is still called the Counterbalance, after the early cable car mechanism.

 

Once streetcar lines extended up Queen Anne Hill, development proceeded rapidly.  Its location just north of downtown affords convenience paired with spectacular views of the city, Elliott Bay and Mount Rainier.  This amenity made it a prime residential area as developers and wealthy residents took advantage of the vistas.  Although the hillsides are steep, the top of the hill and many locations along the sides are flat and well suited to development.

 

Parks have long been an important feature of the South Slope.  Besides providing open space and recreation facilities, they preserve important vistas and soften the streetscapes.  The largest park, Kinnear Park, encompasses 14 steeply sloping acres between West Olympic Place and West Mercer Place.  Formerly planted with formal gardens in the Victorian style, it is now a more naturalistic park, with walking paths, picnic sites, and informal gathering areas.

 

Perhaps the most spectacular view of the city, and the most photographed, is found at Kerry Park.  Although the small viewpoint on West Highland Drive is the most obvious part of the park, the park actually extends down a steep slope to include Franklin Playground on West Prospect Street.  West Highland Drive itself has a park-like appearance because of the large houses and extensive private landscaping.  It has been incorporated into the Seattle Parks Department's boulevard system.

 

Existing Land Uses

Land uses in the study area are predominantly multifamily with some single family homes remaining.  Commercial uses remain concentrated at the top and bottom of the Counterbalance, primarily in buildings dating from the 1920s.  There is no commercial development on the hillside itself.  

 

The edge of the study area, at Queen Anne Avenue North and West Roy Street, borders a burgeoning commercial district extending to Seattle Center and as far as the Denny Regrade.  This intersection, however, is slightly removed from the heavy activity on Mercer Street and the businesses are small scale--a convenience store, small shops, a restaurant, and a small office/warehouse building.  The ACT Theater, in an historic three-story hall at West Roy Street and First Avenue West, is the immediate neighborhood's main regional attraction.  Across Queen Anne Avenue, just outside the study area, is the Marqueen Apartments, a 66-unit building with shops and a public garage dating from 1920.

 

At the top of Queen Anne Avenue, at West Galer Street, is the study area's only mixed-use building, the three-story Galer Crest, built in 1930.  It has always had a barber shop and had an auto repair shop from 1930 until recently; it now has offices as well.  The lot across the street is vacant, the site of a recently-closed service station.  The other corners, just outside the study area, have a single story building with lively restaurants and a new three-story building with shops and apartments.  

 

Single family homes are found at several locations, primarily on West Olympic Place, between Third Avenue West and Fifth Avenue West.  Most are from the early years of the century and have had extensive remodeling.  A number of them are now multifamily dwellings; some substantially retain their single family appearance, while the origins of others are nearly unrecognizable.  Several small bungalows remain on West Roy Street near 3rd Avenue West. 

 

Socioeconomics and Demographics

Census Tract 70, which includes nearly all the study area, extends several blocks east of Queen Anne Avenue to Nob Hill Avenue North, encompassing additional apartment buildings as well as detached houses.  The 1990 census data shows the South Slope of Queen Anne as a neighborhood of well-educated, fairly prosperous renters.  As could be expected for an apartment neighborhood, the study area has considerably fewer families, fewer children and more elderly residents than the city as a whole.  A fifth of the residents are over 65 years of age, while only five percent are under 18.      

 

Queen Anne has always had a range of economic classes, occupations and backgrounds.  Study area residents work primarily in clerical/sales positions (25%), administration/ management (13%), and the professions (13%).  There are few service workers or laborers.  The residents are well educated, with 37 percent having graduated from college; more than three quarters have graduated from high school.  The small household size means that median household income is less than the city median, but per capita income is $23,501, greater than the city median of $18,308.  Only eight percent are below poverty level.

 

Queen Anne has traditionally had fewer immigrants, especially non-English-speaking immigrants, than other parts of the city.  The 1900 census showed that 20 percent of the hill's population was foreign born, lower than the 23 percent in the state as a whole.  Only 14 percent were from non-English-speaking countries.  By 1920 immigration had declined; ten percent of Queen Anne's population was foreign born, with only six percent from non-English-speaking countries.  Newcomers were primarily English, Canadian and Scandinavian.^[1]   The situation is similar today.  Of the 6,582 persons in this census tract in the 1990 Census, 92 percent are white; reported ancestries were primarily German, English, and Irish.  The largest minority group is Asians, with four percent.

 

Nearly 80 percent of the 4,714 dwelling units are rented.  Most--more than 80 percent--are in structures with ten or more units.  Although numerous buildings have been built since World War II, 43 percent of the dwelling units are in pre-war buildings.  Fifty percent are small, either studios or one bedroom units.        

 

The area's proximity to downtown and its attractive housing stock mean that most of its housing is relatively expensive.  Single family houses, due to the spectacular views, have an average value of $378,000, nearly three times the city average.  Condominiums offer a more affordable option, ranging from less than $75,000 to more than $500,000.

 

A range of multifamily rental opportunities is available.  The median rent for apartments is $433, slightly above the city-wide median of $425.  Rents range from $300 for a studio apartment to $2,000 or more for a large apartment in one of the grander buildings.  In all cases, of course, the quality of the view is important in establishing the price.