Seattle Neighborhood Guide: Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill includes several smaller neighborhoods, like the Pike/Pine Corridor, and the areas around Broadway and Volunteer Park.

What’s it like to live on Capitol Hill? Team Diva got its start on Capitol Hill and in many ways, it is still the heart of what we do. The neighborhood is located just east of South Lake Union and Downtown Seattle. It is made up of many smaller neighborhoods that are quite distinct from each other. Capitol Hill has the largest density of residents in the city, and you’ll find several excellent transit options via the Link light rail, buses, and trolleys. The majority of homes here are apartments, and you’ll also find many condo developments. There are also townhomes and gorgeous single-family homes here, too. Want to own a home in this fab neighborhood? Condos in Capitol Hill cost an average of $525,000 whereas single-family homes cost an average of $2 million.

Check Out Our Guide to This Awesome Neighborhood

In this video, Rocky Flowers explores his favorite neighborhood with you all. Rocky has been living on Capitol Hill for over 15 years. And in those years he has watched the neighborhood change from a gritty chill urban area to a hub of tech worker housing and a vibrant LGBTQ scene.

For many of us, Capitol Hill is the heart and spirit of Seattle. Why? Historically, Capitol Hill has been home to a huge part of the art and music scene in Seattle. The LGBTQ community also has deep roots in Capitol Hill. It has been the central meeting place for many of us in those communities.

Do us locals a favor and spell Capitol Hill correctly!

First, let’s get one thing out of the way. The “Capitol” in Capitol Hill is spelled with an “OL” at the end, not an “AL.” One of the most common mistakes from people not familiar with the neighborhood is this common misspelling of our neighborhood. We can always tell someone is not a local by the way they spell our favorite neighborhood.

Now let’s dive in and explore this quintessential Seattle neighborhood with Rocky.

Seattle Neighborhood Guide: Capitol Hill

Let’s dive into this neighborhood guide about Capitol Hill here in Seattle. In the guide below we go into detail about one of our favorite areas in Seattle.

Capitol Hill is the Center of the LGBTQ Community in Seattle

For everyone on our team and for Seattle Capitol Hill remains the center of the LGBTQ community. Our entire team got its start on Capitol Hill because the majority of our team is LGBTQ+. Way back in the day (1994-1998) Kim, Chavi, and Donna all worked at the Northwest AIDS Foundation doing HIV/AIDS advocacy. That same advocacy informs a lot of the work we do and how we show up to be advocates for our community. And of course, Rocky has lived on the Hill for over 15 years.

Capitol Hill is where you are going to find the majority of the LGBTQ+ bars and venues. It is also home to many community organizations that have a long history of advocating for marriage equality, working with LGBTQ+ unhoused youth, mental health support services, and so much more. And of course, our favorite part of Pride happens on Capitol Hill. Speaking of pride check out one of Rocky’s many guides he has written about Seattle Pride.

Rocky’s Guide to Pride

Map of Capitol Hill

Now, where is Capitol Hill in reference to the other neighborhoods in Seattle? It is just east of Downtown and South Lake Union. If you start on the east edge of I-5, spreads east all the way to about 19th-ish Ave, depending on who you ask. Madison Ave is the border roughly to the south. And 520 is the border to the north. Capitol Hill has the largest population of residents in the city, and it is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Seattle as well.

Seattle has always been a mix of urban density while being home to some of Seattle’s wealthiest neighborhoods. For example, “Millionaire’s Row ” along 14th Avenue East just south of Volunteer Park and the Harvard-Belmont Landmark District are both historically wealthier neighborhoods.

All of the Micro-Neighborhoods

This area is not a homogenous neighborhood. The area around Volunteer Park along 15th is completely different from Bellevue, Bellevue, and Bellevue. (Yes, you read that right!) For those who don’t know, it’s a cute micro-neighborhood where Bellevue Court, Bellevue Pl, and Bellevue Ave all meet. There is also the Pike/Pine Corridor that has a bunch of my favorite shops and restaurants and nightlife. But the traditional core of the neighborhood is Broadway. It has long been the main vein of the neighborhood. (And one of my favorite Pride Events is the Broadway Street Fair!)

My Favorite Things on Capitol Hill

There is so much that I love here. But here are just a few of my favorite spots to visit:

Favorite Park: Volunteer Park
Favorite Restaurant: Harry’s Fine Foods
Favorite Coffee Shop: Vivace
Shop Local Spot: Retail Therapy

Transit in this Area

Let’s talk about transit. Capitol Hill has the largest density of residents in the city. It also has the highest number of transit options connecting it to other areas of the region. The Capitol Hill light rail station opened up in 2016 as an extension to the main line. This created a direct link through Downtown Seattle all the way south to Seatac. Currently, the line has been extended north through the University District to Northgate. In addition, we have a series of buses and trolleys that connect us to U-District, Downtown, South Lake Union, and the Eastside. Chances are at some point, your transit route runs through this neighborhood.

Schools

Seattle has a lot of very dedicated school teachers, parents, and activists who are trying to make a difference in our community. Capitol Hill has some amazing educators working to support a diverse student base. The elementary schools in the neighborhood are some of the best in the city.

As you may know, I have been a supporter of public schools. I graduated from Seattle Public Schools many moons ago. My advice is to go beyond the school rating system and really get to know the specific school. Get involved. Make that school serve not just your child but the children and youth that may have different and more complex struggles than your family.

Let’s Talk About Capitol Hill Real Estate

Let’s talk about the real estate of Capitol Hill. First off, it is hard to talk about real estate here without talking about gentrification. Since the Great Recession, this neighborhood has been home to a massive amount of development with developers building housing for tech workers in South Lake Union. It has displaced a lot of the original residents and contributed to a rising population of unhoused people in our neighborhood. As a new resident to the neighborhood, be conscientious of where you are on that gentrification scale.

The majority of the homes in this neighborhood are apartments. There are also a high number of condo developments. I myself own a condo close to here. You will also find townhouses and some absolutely gorgeous older homes in this neighborhood.

How much do homes cost in Capitol Hill?

The median price for a single-family home in Capitol Hill is just shy of $2 million
The median price for a townhouse in Capitol Hill is $925,000
The median price for a condos in Capitol Hill is $525,000

These numbers are from Fall 2022. For more updated numbers check out our neighborhood page on the website. We update it once a year and it will give you a better idea of more recent overall housing costs.

Thank You For Checking Out Our Seattle Neighborhood Guide for Capitol Hill

What’s it like to live on Capitol Hill? This Seattle neighborhood is located just east of Downtown Seattle and South Lake Union. It is made up of many smaller neighborhoods that each have their own character. Capitol Hill has the largest density of residents in the city. This urban neighborhood also has many excellent transit options to get around, including the Link light rail, buses, and trolleys. Most of the homes here are apartments and condo developments. There are also townhomes sprinkled in, and older neighborhoods with stunning single-family homes. Condos here cost an average of $525,000 whereas single-family homes cost an average of $2 million.

Thank you for exploring Capitol Hill with me. I’m Rocky Flowers with Team Diva at Coldwell Banker Bain here in Seattle.

Explore other Seattle neighborhoods here:

We are here to help. Our team understands that the process of buying and/or selling a home can take a year or two. And we are more than willing to give you a personalized plan to get the ball rolling. Feel free to contact us directly at thediva@teamedivarealestate.com or call/text 206-271-0264.