About Eastlake Neighborhood

Eastlake is one of Seattle's oldest and best-defined neighborhoods. It is east of Lake Union (hence the name "Eastlake"), south of University bridge, west if Interstate 5, and north of Mercer Street. With about 5,000 residents, Eastlake is a pleasant jumble of houseboats, single family homes, apartments, condos and small businesses. Over the past twenty years residents of Eastlake have worked hard to conserve the character of the neighborhood, plant street trees, to develop shoreline parks and points of interest along the shores of Lake Union, to install public art and to plan for transportation and future development through its neighborhood plan.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Eastlake became identifiable as a neighborhood in the 1890's. With the opening of the University bridge in 1919, travel through Eastlake was encouraged. Residentially, Eastlake became a streetcar neighborhood of small apartments. Along the Lake, industrial uses grew up. Boeing's first factory was located at the foot of Roanoke street. Houseboats began to move in and factories move out in the 40's and 50's. In 1962 the I-5 freeway came roaring through the neighborhood, defining Eastlake's eastern edge and changing the neighborhood forever. In the early 1970's, Eastlake was rediscovered and residents set about conserving it and added parks, trees, and public art in the 1980's.

More Eastlake History and historic pictures

EASTLAKE TODAY

Today, Eastlake is the product of its history along with hard work by its citizens to establish street end parks, the latest of which is the Fairview/Olmsted Park, to plant street trees, and bring public art to the neighborhood.In 1998, the Seattle City Council adopted the Eastlake Neighborhood Plan, prepared by a committee of local residents, business, and property owners with lots of input from the neighborhood. In the future, local citizens hope the plan will guide them in their neighborhood improvements and guide the city in its decisions.