The Curbed Cup, our annual award for the Seattle neighborhood of the year, is kicking off with 16 locales, hubs and 'hoods vying for the prestigious (fake) trophy. This week we'll have two matchups per day, and all the results and the full tournament bracket will be reviewed on Friday. Voting for each pairing ends 24 hours after it begins. Let the eliminations commence!
Image: Rob Ketcherside
Columbia City comes into the 2015 Curbed Cup as the defending champ so there's clearly a target on their back. That's fine, CC has been playing the role of underdog long enough to know what to do. Seattle is known for its mix of cultures, but few places in the nation are as diverse as Columbia City. It's also one of the greenest communities in the country. For some reason, everyone wants to build their eco-friendly home here. Despite that, there's also still bargains to be found. That's an impressive accomplishment all things considered. It also doesn't hurt to have Columbia City Theater, Geraldine's and a convenient light rail station at your disposal as well.
Image: Joe Mabel
Alki debuts in the Curbed Cup with an attempt to upset the defending champ. It brings with it the street cred as being the original home of Seattle and while it's not a bit "West" of that, it can still hold its own. To live here is to have a great view. Seriously. It's like every place comes with one. But there's also a mix of classic beach cabanas, upscale condos and cool modern twists. Of course the beachfront is what makes Alki stand out. On a particularly sunny day, you'd swear you were in California. And yet, there's the Statue of Liberty right in front of you. Alki's full of contradictions. Most of all it's a neighborhood that appreciates it's past and wants to keep it alive while also looking towards the future. And Puget Sound (did we mention the views?).
· All Columbia City coverage [CS]
· All Alki coverage [CS]
· All Curbed Cup 2015 coverage [CS]