Nestled on the waterfront of Downtown Seattle, Belltown is a trendy neighbourhood and residential area wedged between the Retail Core and Seattle Center. It is packed with innovative restaurants, unique art galleries and thrift shops, together with pool halls, jazz venues and nightclubs.
Most of the attractions in Belltown are clustered around 1st Avenue which runs parallel to the waterfront just a couple of blocks away. Many of its art galleries, home wares shops and clothing boutiques can be found here, together with a great selection of eateries and bars. The historic Moore Theatre, built in 1907 to host musical and comedic performances, is located just to the east, together with the Cinerama movie theatre, one of only three theatres in the world to still show three-panel Cinerama films. The northern edge of Belltown is occupied by the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park, where indigenous gardens of Pacific Northwest flora and contemporary sculptures sprawl around a small beach, boasting sweeping views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
Belltown is connected to destinations across Seattle from the light rail stop at Westlake Center and is the launching point for the Victoria Clipper ferry to British Columbia. The neighbourhood can also easily be reached on foot or by bicycle from Downtown Seattle, located immediately to the south.
Belltown was named for William Nathaniel Bell who previously owned the land on which it was built. It initially emerged as a semi-industrial, working class district, and during the 1920s to 1960s its Second Avenue became home to what was dubbed “Film Row” where silent-era films were exchanged with movie theatres across the country.