Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square is Seattle's oldest neighborhood, where the city's downtown began its colorful history in 1852.
Thousands of miners flocked to this commercial district during the Gold Rush days with the intention of striking it rich, and they left an indelible mark on the city’s development.
The neighborhood's 19th century brick buildings are among the country's notable collections of Romanesque Revival style architecture. Many were built in the decade after the Great Fire swept through the city on June 6, 1889.
Pioneer Square is also home to the original "Skid Road," coined for the logs that skidded down the hills into the neighborhood, and its streets have become a haven for the down-and-out.
The neighborhood roughly covers the area from James Street to South Jackson Street, from the waterfront to Fourth Avenue South, and offers a remarkable collection of art galleries, cafes, nightclubs and bars.
Two new sports stadiums -- for the NFL Seahawks and the American League Mariners -- sit in its backyard.
Despite changes over the years, the neighborhood is still a study in contrasts, a place where artists, street people, college students and start-up companies mix in the café and clubs.