Downtown Seattle's better but there's a long way to go, data shows
Downtown Seattle is in better shape today than a year ago, with many unauthorized encampments gone and the open dealing of drugs and stolen property having given way to a heavy police presence.
Summertime tourism bounced back and a record Alaska cruise season is on the horizon.
But workers have not fully returned to offices and may never do so as hybrid work has taken root. Streets in some sections of town are noticeably less busy on Mondays and Fridays but are filling back up in the middle of the week.
In his March 14 State of Downtown address, Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes talked up the progress, including a drop in crime and a reduction in the number of tent encampments, which peaked at 146 in January 2021 to an average of 10 per month in the last half of 2022.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2023/03/23/downtown-seattle-economic-health-march.html