Stories
Seattle stories for walks, landmarks, and local context
Short, source-backed reads that explain what you are seeing while you move through the city.
City story
A Home for the Displaced
The East Kong Yick Building stands as a proud landmark in the Chinatown-International District, but its origins are rooted in a strugg…
City story
A Home for the Host Tribe
For the Duwamish people, the host tribe of Seattle, identity is tied deeply to the land and the river. In the 1990s, they began planni…
City story
A Horticultural Pioneer
In 1927, Fujitaro Kubota bought five acres of logged-off swampland in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. He didn't just see mud; he saw a…
City story
A Horticultural Venture
In 1927, Fujitaro Kubota looked at five acres of logged-off swampland in the Rainier Beach neighborhood and saw a business opportunity…
City story
A Hub for Harmony
Imagine a building born from a collective dream. In 1910, 170 early Chinese pioneers pooled their resources to build the East and West…
City story
A Hub for the Community
In 1909, a special space opened up below the Astor Hotel in the International District. This was the Nippon Kan Theatre, designed as a…
City story
A Hub for the Japanese Community
Tucked away in the International District is a space that has weathered the storms of history. The Nippon Kan Theatre opened in 1909 a…
City story
A Japanese Oasis
In the Rainier Beach neighborhood, there's a hidden world of streams, bridges, and ponds. Kubota Garden began in 1927 when Fujitaro Ku…
City story
A Japanese Oasis
In the Rainier Beach neighborhood, there's a twenty-acre sanctuary that proves nature can be a bridge between cultures. It all started…
City story
A Japanese Oasis
Back in 1927, Fujitaro Kubota bought five acres of logged-off swampland in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. He didn't just start a nurs…
City story
A Japanese Oasis
In 1927, a horticultural pioneer named Fujitaro Kubota saw potential in five acres of logged-off swampland in the Rainier Beach neighb…
City story
A Lake Union Legacy
Lake Union has always been a hub for boating, but few spots capture that spirit like Gas Works Park. This groundbreaking landscape rec…
City story
A Legacy in Bloom
In 1927, a horticultural pioneer named Fujitaro Kubota looked at five acres of logged-off swampland in the Rainier Beach neighborhood…
City story
A Legacy in Bloom
In 1927, a horticultural pioneer named Fujitaro Kubota looked at five acres of logged-off swampland in the Rainier Beach neighborhood…
City story
A Legacy in Cedar
Standing on the Broad Street Green at Seattle Center is a thirty-four-foot red-cedar pole that tells a story of healing. The John T. W…
City story
A Legacy in Glass
High on Capitol Hill, the Volunteer Park Conservatory stands as a shimmering piece of history. This Victorian-style glass house was ne…
City story
A Legacy in Glass and Green
Nestled at the north end of Volunteer Park is a stunning Victorian-style glass house that feels like a trip back to 1912. The Voluntee…
City story
A Legacy in Lake View
Some gravesites become global landmarks, and on Capitol Hill, one such spot attracts thousands of visitors every year. Halfway up the…
City story
A Legacy in Stone
High on a hill in Capitol Hill, there's a gravesite that draws thousands of visitors from across the globe every year. It belongs to B…
City story
A Legacy in the Lake View
Tucked away on Capitol Hill, north of Volunteer Park, is one of Seattle's most visited gravesites. Here, the legendary Chinese America…
City story
A Legacy in the Soil
In 1975, a group of Asian American activists looked at a stretch of steep, undeveloped land and saw a possibility. They negotiated wit…
City story
A Legacy in the Soil
In the Chinatown-International District, there's a patch of green that grew out of activism. Founded in 1975, the Danny Woo Internatio…
City story
A Legacy in the Water
Moored at the Historic Ships Wharf is the Fireboat Duwamish, the second oldest fireboat in the United States. Built in 1909 for the Se…