Every single block in Seattle holds millions of stories — from the people who traverse and make homes on them, to the businesses that come and go from their storefronts over the years. Even the streetlights and graffiti, a broken link in the fence or an interesting mural might hold a story.
This City Block tells the story of our city — past, present and future — one neighborhood at a time. Our third edition of the project features Rainier Beach, a tightly knit, rapidly changing South Seattle community of neighbors who lean on one another to fight for resources. For this edition, we explored the cherished green spaces, neighborhood hangouts, eateries and community leaders who make Rainier Beach unique.
Rainier Beach residents create ‘galvanizing moment’ for the arts
The community-led efforts will showcase the rich cultural fabric of the neighborhood and create more opportunities for local youth.
Attracting visitors to Kubota Garden is easy. Keeping the garden admission-free is tough
Staff, volunteers and neighbors who love Rainier Beach’s Kubota Garden work to maintain the free city landmark as it welcomes more visitors than ever before.
Link2Lake envisions a pulse for the heartbeat of Rainier Beach
With the saga to design and fund Be’er Sheva Park’s makeover complete, Link2Lake turns its attention to advocating for improvements on South Henderson Street.
The city’s best aquatic facility is much more than just a pool. Here’s why
Rainier Beach Pool, the gem of the Seattle pool system, has a slide, a hot tub, classes and late-night teen swims. But swimmers say people make the pool great.
An afternoon at Rainier Dance Center, where people become dancers
A longtime hub for dance and performing art in the neighborhood, Rainier Dance Center helps students “stand up on that stage and show who they are.”
7 sculptures to see on a Rainier Beach walk
Take this art walk to see seven sculptures whose stories highlight the way each of the artists worked to tie their work to the land and community.
New high school will be ‘crown jewel’ of South End neighborhood
After nearly a decade of student petitions and demand, Rainier Beach is finally getting a new high school. Here’s what the building will offer students, staff and families.
What moving to Rainier Beach taught me about community
A Seattle Times reporter specifically chose Rainier Beach when she moved to Seattle. Here’s what she’s learned while living there.
‘It has informed my worldview’: Reader memories of Rainier Beach
From idyllic childhood scenes to fighting misperceptions of the area, here’s a sampling of what readers remember about Rainier Beach.
Rainier Beach’s ‘unofficial mayor’ aims to strengthen community for future generations
Gregory Davis said he’s fighting to make the South Seattle neighborhood a sustainable place for residents to stay and thrive in their own community.
6 restaurants that foster a sense of community in Rainier Beach
For our food writers, restaurants top all other neighborhood favorite places. In this installment of This City Block are six spots run by people who make Seattle’s Rainier Beach even better.
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.