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Just a short drive from downtown Seattle, the historic Landmark neighborhoods of South Seattle is worlds away. The wooded hills and farming area of 1891 was quickly established as an alternative to downtown living. Today, the turn-of-the-century buildings are filled with an eclectic mix of retailers, vibrant dining establishments, and a host of entertainment options. With an authenticity that's hard to match, South Seattle is the commercial center for the surrounding neighborhoods of Mount Baker, Lakewood-Seward Park, and the rest of the Rainier Valley.
In addition to a wide variety of first-rate eateries, South Seattle is brimming with fun events such as the Wednesday Farmer's Market (May through October), our monthly live music event, BeatWalk (first Friday May through December), live comedy and cabaret at the Columbia City Theater, and first-run movies in our neighborhood cinema.
The Rainier Valley Heritage Parade and Festival and the Bite of the Valley celebrates the whole Rainier Valley, taking place in the heart of Columbia City (third Saturday of August).
Visitors to South Seattle will be immediately struck by the diversity within this close-knit business district. Diners have their choice of Neapolitan pizza, Vietnamese pho, a Sicilian-inspired menu, Ethiopian selections, barbeque, family Mexican, Caribbean food, uncommonly good pub grub, and good old American fare. Shoppers can explore an incredible collection of African imports, view works of art, search for that special skirt, outfit the children, or buy flowers, meats, and fresh-baked bread.
Located in the far southeastern corner of the city along Lake Washington, Rainier Beach enjoys numerous parks and recreation areas, including Be'ersheva Park, Kubota Garden Park, Lakeridge Park, Fred Hutchinson Playground, and Deadhorse Canyon Natural Area. Area residents - together with the City Department of Neighborhoods and the Parks and Recreation Department - provide the care and community stewardship necessary to sustain such rich natural landscapes in an urban environment with neighborhood groups providing extensive public education and volunteer efforts.
On average, it rains in Seattle at least 50% of the time, with the heaviest rain periods between January and May and between October and December. June, July and August are our dryest and warmest months.
Temperatures in the summer usually hover around a pleasant 75, though we also have been known to suffer through weeklong heat spells in the high 80s or low 90s.
In the winter, Seattle may see a handful of snow days per year: the last major snow event in Seattle was in 1997, when we were snowed in for a week with several inches. However, in the winter of 2006/2007, the Puget Sound area experienced a number of damaging winter storms, lowland snow, wind storms, and a weeks-long string of below-freezing days -- it remains to be seen whether this winter is an anomaly or part of a larger climatological shift caused by global warming.
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