This week I will be meandering through the disappearing Cascade Neighborhood in Seattle documenting what’s left of it before it’s swallowed up by Amazon and development by Vulcan Real Estate. Cascade is slowly losing its identity as a neighborhood distinct from the rest of South Lake Union as Amazon expands and Paul Allen’s vision of the area comes to fruition. Only a few of the older residential and light industrial structures of historic Cascade retain their original uses today; the historic Immanuel Lutheran Church and St. Spiridon Russian Orthodox Cathedral remain. Elsewhere around South Lake Union the picture is similar. Although there are few new gems on the block (I will highlight them), and quite a few older buildings survive, few retain their historic uses.
Amazon has recently announced it will spend over $1 billion to purchase its South Lake Union corporate headquarters. Next month, the Seattle City Council will undoubtedly pass new zoning rules for South Lake Union that will allow companies like Vulcan Real Estate to build taller buildings. In the center of all this is The Cascade Playground (now also known as Cascade Park), originally the playground of the now-demolished Cascade School. Sharing a city block with the playground and P-Patch is the Cascade People’s Center, a volunteer organization that partners with over 100 businesses, churches, organizations, and community groups to address advocacy for social and economic justice. It will be interesting to see how this wonderful little neighborhood survives and if it can maintain its charm and authenticity. Meanwhile I’ll enjoy the visuals where past meets present and future.
Entrance to the Cascade P-Patch. Delightful community
garden to walk through in the middle of an urban area
home to one of the largest global companies Amazon.com.
Creative scarecrows dot the p-patch landscape.
Cascade Playground+P-Patch with historic
Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Beautiful Musings 
Nicely written. I work in Cascade, and have watched it change drastically in just the past year. It is also interesting how many people tell me they have never heard of a neighborhood named Cascade – and how many of those people are my coworkers.
The neighborhood is a gem. Hopefully it will retain some of its charm.