Downtown Seattle Makes Moves to Become a 24/7 City

Unprecedented investment in downtown Seattle seeks to create a 24-hour city

[Seattle, WA] Seattle Magazine quotes the president of the Downtown Seattle Association.

“‘Great cities of the world are 24-hour cities, and Seattle’s brand is more global today than it was 10 years ago. We have the ingredients.'”

The magazine continues with “Seattle has never been a 24/7 city. That will change — if we want it to. A 24/7 city, and a healthy downtown, is more than just nightlife. There’s an entire economy and a population of workers from hospital staff and caregivers, emergency services, those in the restaurant and hotel industry, warehouse, and janitorial employees as well as entertainment professionals who need services during their off-hours.

“Proponents of the 24-hour model (think cities such as London, Tokyo, New York, and Buenos Aires) cite the benefits of a place that never sleeps — boosting tourism, being more inclusive of all types of workers, having more entertainment, and an assumed extra layer of safety if a bus stop or a train station is filled with riders. Not only that, but it’d just be cooler if we had one. Few people’s best nights of their life ended at 10 p.m.”

Now, an increasing number of center-city developments are opening Seattle up to year-round and around-the-clock living. It’s impressive. Look at what is in store for Seattle.