Curbed Cup 1st Round: (1) South Lake Union vs. (16) Green Lake

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!

No. 1: South Lake Union

SounderBruce

South Lake Union won an absolutely huge vote last year in the finals to win the 2015 Curbed Cup. Now they’re back to defend their title. The Seattle neighborhood was already growing and expanding and that was before Facebook decided to join Amazon and Google to turn it into one of the top tech ‘hoods in the nation. But there’s more to SLU than the techies. Tons of restaurants, bars, shops, art, and parks to explore.

No. 16: Green Lake

Seattle Municipal Archives

The North Seattle neighborhood where we go running is more than just the glacier lake that gives it it’s name. There’s actually a lot to do on the fringe of the lake, from getting a good meal to working out to shopping. It keeps expanding, too, with a new apartment complexes going up all the time. Just make sure you know the rules when running, cycling, or walking around the lake.

• All South Lake Union coverage [CS]
• All Green Lake coverage [CS]
• All Curbed Cup 2016 coverage [CS]