The History
First a forest, then farmland, Eastlake for the last century has been a convergence of homes, businesses, boats, and public places.

Eastlake became identifiable as a residential neighborhood in the 1890s. The 1893 opening of Seward School and the 1907 addition to it of Roger's Playfield (soon to become a part of the Olmsteds' 1910 parks plan) made Eastlake an attractive place live. The streetcar line that opened in 1893 along Eastlake Avenue from downtown (and another line that came down from Capitol Hill onto Harvard Avenue) created further demand for housing. Neighborhood access was further enhanced by the 1919 construction of the University Bridge. As the name plate on the southwest corner of the bridge still indicates, it was christened the Eastlake Avenue Bridge in April of that year. Three months later, the present name was adopted.

Eastlake's excellent streetcar service encouraged an evolution of an urban neighborhood with apartment living and limited car requirements. The apartments dating from 1900 to 1930 are generally of high quality inside and out, proportioned and landscaped not to overwhelm the neighboring homes or the streetscape. Although the streetcars were dropped in 1941, they were replaced by electric trolley buses up Eastlake.

The Working Lake
The Army Corps of Engineers' opening of a ship channel in 1918 west to Puget Sound and east to Lake Washington made Lake Union a "working lake." Eastlake gained industrial businesses such as shipyards, fishing boat moorages, a ship's propeller factory (1924), a concrete mill, and the City Light Steam Plant (1917).

In 1916, William Boeing established his first permanent assembly plant and hangar on Lake Union at the foot of Roanoke Street. On July 29, Boeing piloted the maiden flight of his first aircraft, a float plane known as the B & W. Less than three weeks later, Boeing incorporated the airplane company that still bears his name. Lake Union, in 1919, was a departure point for the world's first airmail flight.

Marinas for a growing number of recreational boats and live-a-boards allowed Eastlakers to work and play near home. Many workers in fact lived in houseboats, whose low cost was particularly helpful during the depression of the 1930s.

By the 1960s Eastlake had acquired its unique eclectic style. The lake with its related businesses and recreational craft provided atmosphere yet protected the neighborhood from notice by the rest of the city.

Today, Eastlake is continuing in its trail blazing tradition by serving as a gateway to the Biotech campus on the South end of Lake Union. ZymoGenetics, Fred Hutch and The Gates Foundation, by now well-established Eastlake dwellers, along with Eastlake neighbor UofW are the magnets attracting world-class companies and facilities to the South end of Lake Union.