When I say I live in Hillman City, people often ask “Oh, where’s that?” And I usually say it’s right next to Columbia City because more people have heard of it. A lot of times, people think of us as the little sister of Columbia City. But I don’t really see the relationship as a rivalry between neighborhoods; I kind of see it as a collaboration because we’re side by side, and there isn’t a strict line of demarcation between the two. 

Hillman City is a little bit trendier, a little bit edgier.… It’s the perfect blend of the real Seattle—like the Seattle that preceded the tech boom—and this up-and-coming fresh energy and possibility. Our neighborhood is changing a lot; it’s growing and developing. As a community, we want to make sure we have a voice in how that happens. When a neighborhood is done developing, you don’t have as many opportunities to make your mark or shape it. Our neighborhood association has three goals: supporting our local businesses, building community, and fostering neighborhood identity.

One thing that is really special about Hillman City is our attention to arts and culture. We have cultural institutions like SEEDArts’ working artist studios and the cooperatively owned, BIPOC-led Black and Tan Hall music and event venue. We have a lot of organizing around arts and culture which forms a really neat identity for our neighborhood.

It’s just one of those places where you can walk down the street and have several conversations. We have a lot of community characters, and it just tends to be friendly in general. You’ll often meet people on the street. As told to Taylor McKenzie Gerlach

Sara O’Neill-Kohl, copresident of the Hillman City Neighborhood Association and a born-and-raised South Seattleite, helped organize the neighborhood’s inaugural block party last summer.