Welcome to Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill is a densely populated residential district in Seattle, Washington, United States. One of the city's most popular nightlife and entertainment districts, it is home to a historic gay village and vibrant counterculture community.
Diverse Capitol Hill is packed with hip bars, eateries and gay clubs, plus laid-back coffee shops and indie stores. Volunteer Park, atop the hill in a historic mansion district, has walking trails, a plant conservatory, panoramic city views and the art deco Asian Art Museum. It abuts Lake View Cemetery, where the city’s founders (and Bruce Lee) are buried. Kids play in the wading pool at smaller Cal Anderson Park.
Top Places To See in Capitol Hill, Seattle
1. Seattle Asian Art Museum
The SAAM (Seattle Asian Art Museum) is located at Volunteer Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle. It features historic and contemporary artworks from Korea, Japan, India, China, and Southeast Asia. The art museum is organized according to their themes like spirituality, worship, celebration, visual art, literature, clothing, and nature.
2. Volunteer Park
Located in the heart of Seattle, Volunteer Park is home to the Volunteer Park Conservatory and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. The Landmarks Preservation Board designated Volunteer Park as a Seattle Landmark on November 2, 2011. This historic Olmsted Park is beloved by residents and visitors alike. In addition to the park's permanent landscaping, from July through the first frost beautiful dahlias bloom in abundance, thanks to the efforts of the Puget Sound Dahlia Association, whose members have been planting them each year since 1984.
3. Washington Park Arboretum
Composed of 230 acres (93ha) of the park nestled in Capitol Hill by Lake Washington, Washington Park Arboretum is managed cooperatively by the University of Washington and the City of Seattle. You can find all sorts of plants and trees, from lindens to larches to true ashes. Travel through Cascadia, Australia, China, Chile, and New Zealand all in a day by visiting the 12-acre (5ha) Pacific Connections Garden, which tracks plants along the Pacific Rim, including alpine bottlebrush, which you’d find in Australia in the peatlands of Mt. Kosciuszko.
4. The Egyptian Theatre
A one-screen theater, the Egyptian Theatre features foreign language cinema, independent films, restored classics, and documentaries. It was built in 1915 originally as a Masonic temple with the main auditorium and smaller auditorium. In the 1970s, the Masons used the main auditorium as a wrestling arena to raise money, and in the 1980s, it was used for the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and became a theater, redecorated in an ancient Egyptian-inspired interior design. The Egyptian Theatre continues to host SIFF, one of the largest film festivals in North America.
5. Japanese Garden
An elegant and tranquil garden in the center of the Washington Park Arboretum, the garden is home to koi carp, Japanese maples, and beautiful formal garden designs. Spanning 3.5 acres (1.4ha), the Japanese Garden is a quiet place to sit and think or walkthrough for a moment of solitude. Designed and constructed in 1960 by Juki Iida, the project included transporting 500 granite boulders from the Cascade Mountains ranging from 1,000 pounds (454kg) to 11 tons (10 tonnes). The garden also features a Shoseian teahouse donated by the city of Tokyo.
Best Restaurants in Capitol Hill, Seattle
340 15th Ave E #202
Seattle, WA 98112
Spice Waala made its debut at the South Lake Union Saturday Market and parlayed its success there into a fast-casual restaurant on 15th Avenue in quick order (and a new Ballard location). It’s of the most underrated street food spots in town, offering wonderful budget-friendly kathi rolls, and sides like masala aloo and bhel puri.
219 Broadway E #14
Seattle, WA 98102
This intimate sushi counter tucked away inside Capitol Hill’s Broadway Alley has an array of offerings besides seafood for its artful multicourse tasting menu, but master chef Hideaki Taneda’s Edomae-style sushi preparations are the main event. Each seasonal dish is lovingly crafted and presented like mini gifts, a one-of-a-kind experience in a city with plenty of competition.
110 Summit Ave E
Seattle, WA 98102
Hiding inside Capitol Hill’s Hillcrest Market, this Mexico City-style taqueria is a true gem, with a full-fledged restaurant on First Hill now. Among the highlights are the campechano, featuring chorizo, steak, and potato, as well as a satisfying vegan taco with mushrooms, refried beans, and guajillo chili.
1830 12th Ave
Seattle, WA 98122
After building a strong following for its naturally leavened sourdough creations, this former pop-up has set down more permanent roots with a cozy restaurant and corner market on 12th Avenue. While the menu changes often, it’s hard to go wrong with the simple cheese pie, served hot out of the oven with aged mozzarella and just the right amount of grease. Don’t sleep on the retail, which includes rare items from local purveyors, plus a great selection of beer and wine.
1802 Bellevue Ave E
Seattle, WA 98122
Known pre-COVID as one of the better late-night spots around town, Capitol Hill’s Malaysian street food restaurant still conveyed its original vision through an eclectic takeout menu, and has recently returned to its bustling dine-in service (often with long lines). Some recent snacks worthy of the wait include ayam goreng masala, roti jala, and lamb-stuffed murtabak.
Capitol Hill Housing Market
In September 2021, Capitol Hill home prices were down 11.0% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $645K. On average, homes in Capitol Hill sell after 18 days on the market compared to 9 days last year. There were 44 homes sold in September this year, down from 45 last year.
