Queen Anne and Seattle Center are northwest of Downtown Seattle. This article also incorporates the neighborhoods of South Lake Union, due north of downtown and slowly becoming Seattle's newest mixed use district; Magnolia, the wealthy residential neighborhood on a peninsula west of Queen Anne; and Interbay, the unexpected strip of commerce and industry between the two.
Seattle Center, at the southern base of Queen Anne Hill, was originally built to host the 1962 World's Fair. The theme was 'Century 21' and it featured many corporate sponsored, science-based exhibits. The two most notable survivors were the Monorail and the Space Needle which has fantastic views of Seattle, both of which have become Icons of the city.Today, Seattle Center is a park-like facility surrounded by many of Seattle's finest venues and museums; Key Arena, McCaw Hall, Intiman Theater and the Experience Music Project. The Center becomes a venue in its own right when it hosts several of Seattle's premier events, including Northwest Folklife Festival, Bite of Seattle, Bumbershoot and several others.
South Lake Union was a industrial neighborhood in the late 20th Century, but also one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Seattle. Today, South Lake Union is home to Amazon.com's new headquarters and a range of biotech organizations, a large growth in both market rate and subsidized housing, and a new streetcar line.
