Capitol Hill is the densest, most energetic neighbourhood in Seattle — the city's LGBTQ+ centre, its best restaurant mile, and the place where the music scene has always been loudest. The neighbourhood runs along Broadway and the surrounding streets east of downtown, elevated above Puget Sound on a ridge that gives it some of the best views in the city.
Broadway itself is lined with vintage clothing shops, bookstores, and cafes. Cal Anderson Park is the neighbourhood's green heart, with a reflecting pool and reliable people-watching. Pine and Pike Streets heading west from Capitol Hill toward downtown are where most of the bars and live music venues cluster. The neighbourhood rewards wandering — the residential streets above Broadway have handsome early-20th-century houses, and the stairway streets off 15th Avenue drop down to the lake and offer unexpected views.