South Lake Union: Then & Now

South Lake Union: Then & Now is an architecture tour running through South Lake Union on Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 10 AM to 12 PM. It's put on by the Seattle Architecture Foundation, and the whole thing is built around the way this neighborhood has changed over the last couple of decades.

The tour walks you through the key ingredients of urban revitalization and the design strategies that have shaped South Lake Union, which is one of Seattle's fastest-growing neighborhoods. It traces the area's commercial growth from Amazon's historic lease agreement to the current downtown-like expansion of residential and hospitality development. Along the way, you'll see Amazon's SLU Campus, South Lake Union Park, UW Medicine, and the new Google and Facebook SLU Campuses.

From the Denny Triangle to the shoreline of the 'Little Lake,' the walk threads the neighborhood's history and stops at commercial and institutional projects that illustrate how design has adapted over the last 15 years. It's a good way to see how the area went from a collection of smaller blocks to the corporate and residential hub it is today.

Logistically, the tour starts at Triangle Park across from Whole Foods, 2211 Westlake Avenue N—cross streets are Westlake, Denny, and 9th—and ends at Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Avenue N. Tickets are $31.29.