First Hill
Discover First Hill: Seattle’s Crown of Contrasts
Perched atop Seattle’s original "Millionaire’s Row," First Hill wears its layered history proudly—a neighborhood where Gilded Age mansions neighbor cutting-edge medical towers, where Gothic Revival cathedrals cast shadows over indie coffee roasters, and every steep street rewards climbers with skyline glimpses. This is urban living with literary soul, equally suited for late-night hospital shifts as it is for porch-side poetry readings.
Where Seattle’s Past Prescribes Its Future
First Hill’s charm lies in its dignified eccentricities:
1900s Tudor mansions converted into atmospheric piano bars and boutique apartments
The "Pill Hill" medical corridor where surgeons unwind at historic speakeasies
Hidden pocket gardens tucked between psychiatric clinics and condos
The Sorrento Hotel’s Fireside Room—Seattle’s most storied cocktail haunt
Can’t-Miss First Hill Gems
✔ The Hedreen Gallery’s avant-garde installations in a repurposed clinic
✔ Vito’s martini-soaked Rat Pack nostalgia (order the lobster ravioli)
✔ St. James Cathedral’s choir concerts under 70-foot vaulted ceilings
✔ The annual "Mansion Walk" revealing historic ballrooms turned physical therapy offices
A Day on the Hill
Living here means:
Morning: Espresso at Analog Coffee while reviewing X-rays at your corner table
Afternoon: Rare book hunting at Peter Miller Books between residencies
Evening: Pre-theater cocktails at The Hideout’s moody backbar
Late: Midnight grilled cheese at Lost Lake’s always-open counter
Why First Hill Stands Apart
Walk Score 98 – From CT scans to craft cocktails without crossing streets
Literary pedigree: Home to Seattle’s original bohemian intelligentsia
Architectural time capsule: Highest concentration of pre-war buildings west of Chicago
Best-kept secret: The underground tunnel system connecting hospitals
For those who want stained-glass windows as your Zoom background, where your neighbors include neurosurgeons and novelists, and where history lives in every weathered brick—First Hill offers big-city living with the soul of a Gothic novel.
Ready for your residency? Our First Hill insiders know which historic buildings allow rooftop access, where interns stash their scooters, and how to get invited to the clandestine library soirées in repurposed chapels.
