Search

Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« Stop Selling Your Stocks, People Wh… | Not to Beat a Dead Goat or Anything »

Thursday, November 20, 2008

City Hillman City Neighborhood Alliance Is No More

Posted by Erica C. Barnett on Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 4:02 PM

Although the failure of a small group like the Hillman City Neighborhood Alliance doesn't impact many people directly, news of the group's demise—it dissolved earlier this week, reportedly due to lack of interest—could be a sign that that corner of Southeast Seattle isn't changing as fast as many residents want. Billed by realtors as the affordable Columbia City, Hillman City was thought to be the next up-and-coming neighborhood. Like Columbia City, it has a charming, if rundown, "downtown" strip of historic buildings; unlike Columbia City, those buildings are currently occupied mostly by social justice agencies and programs serving the homeless and people recently released from prison.

New businesses that have tried to move in to the neighborhood have either foundered (Lola's South City Bakery, which is open odd hours and competes with the Columbia City Bakery just up the street) or never gotten off the ground (the Barbeque Pit, which has been vacant, but for a sign and some assorted kitchen equipment, for at least a year). The addition of housing on Rainier for chronically homeless people, most of them with persistent mental illness, doesn't help. While the loss of this one group doesn't necessarily mean efforts to improve the neighborhood are doomed—the commenters at the Rainier Valley Blog claim the group was "insular" and "cozy"—it could be a sign that Hillman City's renaissance will have to wait for the end of the current economic downturn.

Share via

Comments (11) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

I'm glad you posted about this. I just learned this today, too, and while it sounds like the alliance wasn't particularly effective, it was something that stood for the evolution of Hillman City into something greater than it's current, shabby obscurity.

I rented an awesome house near Rainier and Orcas about 7 weeks ago and regret nothing. I'm close to Georgetown, Beacon Hill, Seward Park, Columbia City, Downtown, I-5, Lake Washington, and so many nail salons. Best reliable cheap eats within walking distance is the taco truck at the gas station at Rainier and Graham. $1 steak tacos. So tasty.

And who doesn't love that grape blunt smoking seems to be at least tolerated in the very rear of the #7 and #7 Express.

Posted by jackie treehorn on November 20, 2008 at 4:21 PM

But you're not close to ME, jackie treehorn. And that's what matters.

Posted by w7ngman on November 20, 2008 at 4:39 PM

Or me :( It's a great house, just so far away. And has no late-night dining.

Posted by Aislinn on November 20, 2008 at 5:03 PM

There is late night dining, we just didn't know where it was when I moved in. Also there is no car keying down here, the laws of the street stipulate that you must at least break in and try to jack some shit for sterno money. Not like those animals in Northgate.

Posted by jackie treehorn on November 20, 2008 at 5:16 PM

Yeah, but how many pit bulls per block?

Posted by Will in Seattle on November 20, 2008 at 5:31 PM

1.) Being close to beacon hill is a positive thing? I mean, I've lived on Beacon Hill for ten years, and the best thing about it has always been that you can get to more interesting places fairly quickly.

2.) What is grape blunt smoking? Is that something the kids are doing these days?

Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay on November 20, 2008 at 6:48 PM

Hillman city isn't just rainier and orcas (although I still have high hopes for that area).

I technically live in "Hillman City" - I think we'd be better off just being renamed Columbia City. It's SO SO close - why not?

Posted by yep on November 21, 2008 at 1:39 AM

Way to blame the homeless!

Posted by Trevor on November 21, 2008 at 7:44 AM

It's too bad about Lola's - As you mentioned, they were open odd hours - generally, they were closed when I was leaving for work in the morning - and closed in the afternoon - when I was coming home.

As for the barbeque pit -I don't know what happened there - they looked like they were going to open about a year ago - then nothing happened.

Posted by hank on November 21, 2008 at 8:57 AM

Lola's didn't succeed because it wasn't open when people are around to use it. Kawali Grill is going great guns, lots of publicity and success! It will be the same for Afrikando if he keeps hours that are convenient for people. There are people going out of business all over -- don't you know the economy is performing poorly? HCNA never did much anyway. Most of the work being done in Hillman City is being done by HCBA -- the business association.

Posted by HD on November 30, 2008 at 9:35 AM

As you know, Erica, it's the Rainier Valley Post at www.rainiervalleypost.com. If you're going to use our coverage, the polite thing to do is to get our name right and link to our site. Thanks.

Amber Campbell, Editor
The Rainier Valley Post
www.rainiervalleypost.com

Posted by Rainier Valley Post on December 3, 2008 at 7:02 PM