Curbed Cup 1st Round: (8) Ravenna vs. (9) Alki

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. 8 Ravenna

Joe Mabel

Every year it seems like people tell us that Ravenna is the hottest neighborhood in Seattle. Whether it's about holiday light displays, quality of life, or housing markets, Ravenna is always near or at the top of the list. We’ll see how this votes goes and use that to determine whether or not we believe it.

No. 9 Alki

Chas Redmond

Alki 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.

• All Alki coverage [CS]
• All Curbed Cup 2016 coverage [CS]