Central Waterfront, Seattle
dᶻidᶻəlal̕ič | |
|---|---|
 Southeast view of the Central Waterfront from the Bell Street Terminal in 2006. | |
 Unofficial boundary map of the Central Waterfront | |
| Coordinates: 47°36′23″N 122°20′23″W / 47.60639°N 122.33972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | King |
| City | Seattle |
| Zip Code | 98101 |
| Area Code | 206 |
The Central Waterfront of Seattle, Washington, United States, is the most urbanized portion of the Elliott Bay shore. It runs from the Pioneer Square shore roughly northwest past Downtown Seattle and Belltown, ending at the Broad Street site of the Olympic Sculpture Park.
The Central Waterfront was once the hub of Seattle's maritime activity. Since the construction of a container port to its south in the 1960s, the area has increasingly been converted to recreational and retail uses. As of 2008, several century-old piers are devoted to shops and restaurants. There are several parks, a Ferris wheel, an aquarium, and one over-water hotel.
Some docks remain on the Central Waterfront, under the authority of the Port of Seattle, including a cruise ship dock, ferry terminals, and a fireboat dock. There are many architectural vestiges of the area's past status as the heart of a port, and a handful of businesses have remained in operation since that time.