Roosevelt, Seattle, Washington
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The Roosevelt district is a neighborhood in north-central Seattle, Washington. Its main thoroughfare, originally 10th Avenue N.E., was renamed Roosevelt Way upon Theodore Roosevelt's death in 1919. The neighborhood received his name as the result of a Community Club contest held eight years later, in 1927.
Roosevelt's main thoroughfares, in addition to Roosevelt Way (southbound only), are 12th Avenue N.E. (northbound only), 15th Avenue N.E. (north- and southbound), and N.E. 65th Street (east- and westbound).
Its boundaries are Interstate 5 to the west, beyond which lies Green Lake; N.E. Ravenna Boulevard and N.E. 60th Street to the south, beyond which is the University District; 15th Avenue N.E. to the east, beyond which is Ravenna, and N.E. 75th Street to the north, beyond which lies Maple Leaf.
The Roosevelt district is also home to Roosevelt High School (RHS), a public high school, and one of the older schools in the Seattle School District. Like the street, it is named after Teddy, not Franklin D. Roosevelt. For many years, RHS and Garfield High School juggled the lead in the school district in many academic and sports fields. Alumni include Mark Pattison, who played football for the University of Washington Huskies, and was drafted in the 7th round in 1985 by the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, actress Rose McGowan, and Nobel Prize winning scientist Linda B. Buck.
Although primarily a residential neighborhood, the Roosevelt district had a Sears department store from 1928 to 1980. After its closure, the land was redeveloped as Roosevelt Square, which now features a Whole Foods supermarket, a pharmacy, a furniture store, an appliance store, a video store, and a Starbucks, among other businesses. Numerous other small businesses still line 65th Street and Roosevelt Way. Roosevelt Way from 62nd Street north to 64th is somewhat of an "audio row," featuring a high concentration of stores selling speakers, high-end home entertainment systems, and the like.
The neighborhood includes two parks: Cowen Park, in the southeast corner (contiguous with the larger Ravenna Park); and Froula Playground, in the northeast corner, adjacent to the Green Lake Reservoir. The source of Ravenna Creek, which, upon completion of a construction project in 2005, will be reconnected to Lake Washington, is in Cowen Park.
External links
- Home page of Roosevelt High School (http://www.seattleschools.org/area/main/ShowSchool?sid=017)
- Map of the Cowen Park trails (http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/Environment/Trails/cowen-map.htm)