There’s a great article in the Pacific Northwest section of the Seattle Times about Pike Pine that is worth a read. The article brings up everything that I love about the Pike Pine node around 12th Avenue. The old "auto row" style warehouses, the funky art spaces, fun small businesses, and the bars and restaurants.  Of course there are also struggles inherent with a fabulous, dense neighborhood close to downtown. The old brick warehouses might not be "landmarks" according to the city and strict preservationists and therefore are constantly threatened by demolition and redevelopment. There’s also a struggle to keep rents affordable as the neighborhood becomes home to new condos and lofts. People will pay a premium to live here but hopefully this won’t be at the expense of pricing out the folks that make the neighborhood what it is – the artists, baristas, bartenders, and musicians.

This quote from Liz Dunn about urban villages sums up why I love Capitol Hill and can’t think of living in any other neighborhood.

"They offer the kind of community that you can get in a small town but within a big city."