The Seattle Underground: The Hidden City

Seattle, Washington, is known for being the home of two of the biggest tech companies in the United States- Microsoft, and Amazon.com. With all of its modern charm, few people would ever notice that there is an entire hidden underground city beneath the streets. This is known as the “Seattle Underground”, and it still contains shops and buildings that once served as the city’s businesses. So...Why did the city of Seattle build an entire new town on top of the old one, and how did they do it? Find out on today’s Geographics.
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Credits:
Host - Simon Whistler
Author - Shannon Quinn
Producer - Jennifer Da Silva
Executive Producer - Shell Harris
Business inquiries to [e-mail]

[@geographicstravel]

Have you checked out my latest channel Business Blaze? It's interesting business stories with a dose of ridiculousness thrown in. Check it out here: kzbin.info/door/YY5GWf7MHFJ6DZeHreoXgw

[@drewdurant3835]

It’s trash.... no... JK!! It’s a blast!

[@TheMagicLemur]

@geographics - Please can you do one about the Edinburgh underground? Apparently it's the most haunted in the world...

[@nosuchthing8]

BB is the best thing on the planet Simon! Crack on.

[@toketillubroke]

About business? I thought it was you just having a slow but ever progressive break down? Hilarious really

[@beavistechrock]

You know at 4.00 mins you show a street scene with a sign that say (Minneapolis)?

[@jamesyamamoto5155]

"When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. And that one sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, and then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up." - Monty Python

[@lmv1888]

Lol the Tartars would have something to say about that oh wait

[@brutalblunthonesty8355]

@@lmv1888 wym

[@briceogan2129]

I was thinking the same thing. Thank you 😊

[@jconrad38]

Thanks for that!

[@GeoffreyWare]

That's what you're gonna get lad The strongest castle in these islands

[@elliottlacasse5499]

My uncle actually lived in the 'underground' between '71 and '74. That guy is quite the character, returned from Vietnam in '70 and, like many other returning vets, he was better prepared for war than reintegration into society.

[@BigboiiTone]

Sort of a john rambo situation

[@DarkAngelEU]

Did they live there because they had nowhere else to go, or because they simply didn't want to go back to society?

[@BigboiiTone]

@@DarkAngelEU society sucks

[@WyattBeazer]

I worked as a painter in an old apartment building in Pioneer Square a few years back. The basement had a tunnel passage the went into a part of the underground not included on the tour. There was an old speakeasy that looked frozen in time and blanketed in dust. There were bottles still in a manual dumbwaiter they used to get everything out of sight when needed during prohibition.

[@kelceyc1509]

That's really awesome.

[@thisiswhatilike54]

Fascinating

[@laus9953]

darn I envy you for this experience

[@bernadetterocha3693]

Oh wow!

[@livluvsu.]

that is insanely cool! I wonder how it looks now

[@alanf6516]

I've taken the seattle underground tour and I CANNOT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH. It's an amazing tour and the workers are fantastic. I am also incredibly happy that Simon talked about Lou Graham. She is legit the reason why seattle is what it is today!

[@tossingturnips]

I agree, she was such a bad-ass! The tour was so much fun and glad I got a chance to check it out when I lived there.

[@kcsnipes]

I took the bill tour it was very meh, the history was great to learn but the actual tour - very lackluster 😅

[@zeruty]

I took it as a kid but need to take it again

[@polite_as_fuck]

Long story, short: Seattle was founded because Portland sucks. Some things never change.

[@jaylee6769]

it's not like Seattle is much better than Portland lol. same liberal trash lives here as there

[@stevenwoodruff5936]

I agree with both of you not very long ago Seattle was a beautiful, clean, safe city. But when we would go down to Portland id be packing a .45 Unfortunately now they're both cesspools

[@danmseattle975]

Portland has far better urban planning than Seattle, and a better light rail system.

[@NatureShy]

Portland is so much better than Seattle. Better lightrail system, better urban planning, the #1 most bike friendly city in the U.S., the #1 most environmentally friendly city in the U.S., has the largest urban forest nature park in any U.S city, and has a more small town vibe and a more laid back attitude than Seattle. Both are located next to fantastic outdoor recreation and hiking, but Portland is #2 in the nation for percent of hikers, and Seattle is #3. Both have equally good hiking opportunities, equal in terms of scenery, but Portland's hiking is a bit less crowded outside of the Gorge region. Seattle's surrounding hiking areas are far more crowded.

[@sahpem4425]

To be fair, he said Portland was “far too crowded for their taste”... and irony now is that Seattle is just as crowded. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Humans migrate toward cities.

[@MaraK_dialmformara]

Local Seattle trivia: the city is said to be named for a Duwamish chief who helped the settlers not die. There’s a plaque in his honor down at the Ballard Locks. Also at the locks: one of the US’s first fish migration ladders.

[@zokushatech]

Mara Katz my parents met when they both worked at the ballard locks. My dad was a fish biologist living in a camper in the parking lot, my mom was a landscaper there. Now here I am

[@jackhydrazine1376]

Chief Sealth!

[@ZemplinTemplar]

Thanks, Mara. Interesting !

[@chaunciorozco995]

Mara Katz they’ll always try to forget it without people who know what you do sounding off Good job

[@Craziecory]

There's a lot of statues to the Chief around town. One of which stands in front of one of the best Diners in the area!

[@michellewanless862]

If I remember correctly from when I went on the tour , they called the taxes charged SMUT tax.. sewing machine usage tax

[@geographicstravel]

Amazing.

[@michellewanless862]

Yes . Very appropriate, yes ?

[@briangarrow448]

@@geographicstravel And when the city built a new trolley line for the Amazon headquarters near South Lake Union they needed a motto- Ride The SLUT. True story.

[@charliemason9493]

Brian Garrow I’ve got a SLUT T-shirt!

[@LarryisControversial3000]

And now we know why smut is a synonym of porn

[@Bikeadelic]

“The pipes were made out wood so they were burning as well” “The city council hadn’t bothered to place signs warning of a 35ft drop between the streets” “There were not enough women to go around as wives but a lady came up with a solution. Build a brothel” “The prostitutes became the most educated and sophisticated inhabitants of the city” I laughed so much at all of this. Am I a bad person?

[@haroldwilkes6608]

Simon s - Don't forget, the fire equipment was built of wood too. The prostitutes have gone to the dogs since then.

[@Waff3n]

@@haroldwilkes6608 Are the prostitutes made out of wood now?

[@lux.illuminaughty]

We still enjoy our educated nudes! Check out Naked Girls Reading

[@calvin5541]

I mean Seattle hasn’t changed that much since then, it’s still a massive shithole😂I live near it and it’s total chaos

[@DGARedRaven]

As a European, no, I do not think that you're a bad person. I simply think that you have the interest in learning about the past, and the wit or intelligence to see the humour in it.

[@digapygmy70]

As someone who grew up in the Seattle area and moved away at 15, I am extremely salty about not learning about the underground until I was an adult. Anyway, GREAT video, as usual, please do one on Chief Seattle (also known as Si'ahl or Chief Sealth)! It's going to be a lot of difficult names, but he was an important person. I may not have gotten to go into the underground, but my dad definitely took my sister and I to see his gravesite.

[@pongop]

I got to visit on a field trip in middle school and it was awesome!

[@benjaminturpin2749]

Wait. Seattle is named after an Indian chief?

[@martinlayne9326]

@@benjaminturpin2749 it sure is

[@tanyat9560]

I went on a field trip in elementary school, and have gone back as an adult.

[@Serena03]

There's also the Death Museum located in the underground area featuring a nice collection of macabre collectables which is free.

[@melanietoth1376]

Oooooh! I'd never heard of this! Thank you!

[@Schnitz13]

The collectables are free??

[@joseluislowe1463]

@@Schnitz13 it’s a joke

[@ralphhooker6019]

I live in Salem, Oregon. We also have an underground city, where the Chinese businesses were. Laundries, restaurants, they throve underground.

[@Sunshine_Daydream222]

Why were they underground? Was it really only Chinese people?

[@imbased7784]

The Chinese were drove underground...after being there first, as was the case for the whole West (also being enslaved after Europeans became dominant).

[@sea4our]

there's an underground system underneath Portland where they used to "Shanghai" travelers, as well.

[@collincrow9789]

Seattle was also home of some internment camps!

[@misanthrope541]

I lived right on Alki Point, interestingly, the house that inspired the movie "Up" was just several houses up the street. It was fun watching the workmen building a U shaped multiplex around her tiny house! I used to tell folks that I could point out exactly where I lived on any world map as Alki's point is so distinct. There's a mini Statue of Liberty on Alki Beach and a memorial to the Denny party.

[@barkingmad50]

All Geography majors learn: Geography isn't about where things are, but rather WHY things are where they are. "Why here & not there?" "Why the hell here?" "Why are there so many (ethnic group) here? - There are reasons why things are where they are. And every reason has a story.

[@Yelrebmikkim]

I'm a Geography Major too. It definitely makes the world more interesting.

[@sarahcoleman5269]

I get you. I live on the shores of Lake Michigan. I wouldn't be here if a giant ice sheet hadn't come in at a wrong angle and dug a giant scoop of dirt out of the planet.

[@barkingmad50]

@@sarahcoleman5269 - All those rocks the glaciers scooped out to create the Great Lakes were added to the rocks the glaciers had pushed south from Canada. That unimaginably enormous mass of ice and rock leveled a swath of land across the top third of Indiana, called the Tipton Till Plain. As flat as Kansas! And my home sweet home. FYI: the glacial terminus in this area is at Bean Blossom Overlook in Brown County, Indiana.

[@martind349]

I think you should have to learn where things are. In brail. They're being soft on you, soft as the soft ice cream cones Ben and Jerry got from that strange man and gave to the rats.

[@melanietoth1376]

I love this! I'm a trained historian and in grad school I met several environmental historians. Your quote was basically how they described their work. They tell the stories. ♡

[@mmhoss]

remind anybody of old New York in Futurama

[@derekweinerttv4163]

No one watches futurama lol

[@troyevitt2437]

Even Old New York Was Once New Amsterdam.

[@hydrohedinvictus8697]

yeah but seattle underground is gated off a shit ton and when you get underneath the nice buildings youll start tripping silent alarms. or maybe run into areas smelling of piss and shit from the homeless people. seattle underground is not as profound as it’d seem to be

[@roxas34ig]

I love futurama

[@brettrobertleasure]

you think seattle has mutants too? whoa....

[@corsetedangel9008]

Thank you so much for mentioning Lou Graham's contribution to the city! As liberal and open-minded as people around here like to pretend to be, they seem to have selective amnesia that prostitution built so much of the town. Many of the town founders have entire districts named for them, but do you think the largest contributor to schools, business infrastructure or female education and suffrage in the area has a street named after her? Nope!

[@pongop]

Portland too

[@loraweems8712]

@pongop sorry this is so late, but I just saw your post. Do you know the names of any of the madams?

[@ladygrndr9424]

@@loraweems8712 Also coming to this late, but in the bookstore at the end of the Underground Tour I picked up a great book called "Good Time Girls: of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush" by Lael Morgan. It's about how many women got their start in the gold rush camps (where they and the other purveyors of goods and services were the only ones to walk away with more money than they arrived with). It's not about the women who built Seattle and Portland, but it might be of interest to you!

[@lindacollins4336]

About 5 years ago my daughter and I flew to Seattle for the weekend. We actually went there to shop, but while we were there we decided to do the underground tour. We completely enjoyed it and I highly recommend it.

[@nateverge1167]

I grew up an hour north of Seattle and now live here. It's been a while since I took the underground tour in 5th grade (I'm 28). Here are a couple things you missed: 1st of all, pronounciation- (I don't have the time to do this properly so hopefully this will work) Alki: Al-keye, Duamish: Dew-aum-ish. 2nd, the settlers spent the 1st winter on Alki, against the advice of the natives, then moved inland to where downtown is today. 3rd, someone already said this, but Seattle was named after Chief Seattle of the Duamish tribe. 4th, they got rid of Denny Hill to fill in the city. They used water to wash the dirt downhill. Also, they used a little bit of everything they could find; sawdust, garbage, etc.

[@DonkeyDongs]

I live here too. The pronunciation doesn't matter. You knew what he meant. If someone says Munroo, you know they mean Monroe. Murraysville is Marysville. Spoo-Kane is "Spoke-Anne. Che-Lawn is "Shé-LAN" (Chelan). Don't be weird about it

[@QuasiTraction]

In point of fact many of the streets were re-graded after the 1889 fire, into the 1930's. much of the waterfront and south of Yesler was landfill over tide flats. The WSDOT demolished the Alaska Way Viaduct, after geologists and seismology engineers, were concerned about another big quake causing a pancake collapse like what happened in the 1989 Bay area quake, to the Cypress Avenue viaduct in Oakland, and the Embarcaderro viaduct in San Francisco. The Alaska Way Viaduct was constructed in the same manner in the early 1950's as the aforementioned.

[@Wistful77]

Did you know a Conspiracy group called 'Mud Flooders" say the pictures of Seattle being filled by removal of the hill are proof there was a "mud flood" and thats why some buildings in this world have windows under ground level. Something like that. It's crazy. When I saw the pictures I knew it was a whack conspiracy theory. They say history is lying to you and there was a great worldwide mud flood! Lmao. The weirdest part is them using photographs of Seattle to prove their whacky theory. Easily looked up the truth about the photos and where and when they were nade. ;) Sounds like a fun city but I'm stuck in Boise for now. My father grew up in Spokane.

[@EdwardTravels]

Nate Verge Yes. Those are great things that are important to the history of Seattle

[@legomaniac601]

Nate Verge lived in a Seattle for 18yrs never been to the under ground part

[@socket_error1000]

When I was a kid I went on the underground tour and the guide handed me and my little brother (we were 7 and 9 at the time) sticks and flashlights and had us go ahead of the tour group to scare off the rats. We even managed to hit a few of them. It was a lot of fun. Pretty sure PETA, and about a dozen government agencies would throw a fit about it now but in 1975 nobody thought twice about it, not even our mother. :D

[@LambentLark]

That's back when kids used their brains and commonsense. Because if you didn't, you knew your parents would wear your butt out.

[@lizabee484]

I’d be more worried about one of the rats biting you than anything else 😂 Sounds like a fun experience though!

[@socket_error1000]

@@lizabee484 My brother and I were typical boys. It was too cool.

[@QuasiTraction]

Rat patrol! I had a little flashlight from the gift shop when I was like 6 and they were having the 100 year anniversary of the fire and "pioneer square". I miss Seattle sometimes. Dont miss the commute times or the cost of living.

[@socket_error1000]

@@QuasiTraction The flashlight sounds cool. I never saw them (Not that my mom would let us get anything). It is crowded around here now. It finally got out in the 80s that it really doesn't rain as much as people think. The tech boom has not helped either. Light Rail will help the commute into Seattle when they get it done and take a lot of cars off the road. I worked construction all over the Sound for decades and spent hours sitting in traffic most days. I loved the summertime when I could start early and miss the traffic. LOL.

[@lordtachanka903]

Nothing about chief seattle? There’s a huge native presence here and it’s a big part of the history

[@TyboAudio]

History is so white-washed smh

[@footballtbone]

@@TyboAudio SOunds like you are a butt hurt racist....

[@AD-hq2uz]

@@TyboAudio this is specifically about underground Seattle not the entire history of Seattle. Is there something indigenous people's specific about this narrow subject that was left out or are you purposefully being decisive?

[@rokuthedog]

@@AD-hq2uz nope he just wanted to throw in wyte poepple rayciss comment

[@JeffreyOsb]

Chief Sealth. Get it right ;)

[@Bread996]

I’ve lived in Seattle my entire life. Nobody talks about or even realizes it was built on sex work. I’m sure our current self-righteous city council would prefer to pretend it didn’t happen. Hilarious.

[@rylian21]

I'm not sure that they wouldn't make it legal again and tax the hell out of it if they could. It might solve the really bad human trafficking problem in the city.

[@ZacharyKelsey]

It was not strictly built of sex work. The majority of the funds that prop Seattle to where it is now was actually from the Klondike gold rush. We were the last US city before heading off to the frontier of the Klondike, so thousands of workers bought supplies and passage from our shores. We also provided 'relief' for the lonely workers before leaving and after they returned. This was not supported by everyone however, and was kept mainly to the Pioneer square district.Many of the political figures of the time fought with the cities views towards this practice, either being an 'Open City advocate'(for sex work as long as it stays where it is) or a 'Closed City Advocate' (wanting it all to be shut down because filth will not be contained).

[@jimcalhoun361]

@thewanderandhiscomp By women on their backs?

[@Katrinabuttles827]

Me i Live in king county auburn

[@gageturner3599]

Ive lived in monroe wa my entire life FUCK big cities like seattle

[@gbryant261]

I toured the Seattle Underground 3 years ago and loved it. So very interesting. I remember watching that episode of Night Staker many years ago and it was why I headed straight for the underground as soon as I arrive in Seattle. Thanks for your great videos.

[@davidellis5141]

You saw the movie The Night Strangler sequel to The Night Stalker ..It's also on the DVD. 👍

[@therealsimlady]

No mention of Chief Seattle? You know... the reason it’s called that?

[@PublicRecordsGeek]

Hello from Chimicum, the massacre site that enfamed Sealth

[@jesseweigert6664]

Chief Sealth did not want the city named after him. We did it anyway, but couldn't actually pronounce his name, so we call it Seattle.

[@tonyk421]

@Jeff Oliver, But it did cover the founding of Seattle. If the videos narration started at the fire, then your point would be valid.

[@profd65]

Yea, that's a pretty weird omission.

[@sarahcoleman5269]

To be fair, I wondered how the struck on the name "Seattle". I also wondered if there was a native population in the area. Of course, the answer to both is "yes". :|

[@jovanweismiller7114]

Lou's brothel is now a mission to house and feed the homeless. I was down and out in Seattle a few years back. I slept (alone, alas) in her brothel!

[@traceetomich6378]

Is it the Union Gospel Mission on 1st Ave?

[@jovanweismiller7114]

@@traceetomich6378 I believe it is. It's within easy walking distance of the waterfront.

[@traceetomich6378]

@@jovanweismiller7114 Thanks. I worked in several old Pioneer Square bldgs & know exactly where the mission is...I just didn't know about Ms. Lou's connection. It's a fascinating part of Seattle.

[@phyllisdicks9830]

Drove to Seattle from Florida a few years ago; spent a week there. It was great. Need to get back. And while we're on the subject, do one about the Gas Works. Fascinating history.

[@NRRenggli]

I just love the 🇬🇧 trying to pronounce local words 😋

[@Himesua]

Duwamish.

[@eyecandyrayce]

I kept giggling at Alki

[@MadelineJain]

always makes me giggle hearing what some people come up with when trying to pronounce local places, can't blame them though

[@JasonFetty]

Good thing he wasn't talking about Sequim

[@Taryncloud9]

I laughed a bit, did you also have an issue with some of the glaring holes in his recap/story line? Like entirely glossing over the reason Seattle has its name.

[@patricparkison1903]

I lived in Seattle for a couple of years..too expensive for me, anyhow...I went on the underground tour...its creepy as hell but very interesting!

[@kadragon3764]

Yeah it is very creepy (I currently live in Seattle and have most of my life), it's so fresh it's almost like people lived and worked down there a year ago. So much light due to the skylights

[@Stecbine]

I came here because of the movie Malignant amazing new horror from James Wan that heavily features the Seattle Underground. I never knew about it and now I'm trying to learn as much as possible, it's so fascinating! Thanks for making this very informative video!

[@michellewerries7433]

I grew up in Seattle, and have been fortunate to take the underground tour more than once. It's great. An incredible piece of our history. Lots of jokes and tons of old stories. Thanks for showcasing it. Love your vids.

[@chrisdillman4703]

Growing up and living in Seattle, I had to do the Seattle Underground tour a couple of times in school. The biggest memory most kids have that did the tour was the extensive history on the toilet... and exiting in the gift shop 🤣

[@tommynobaka]

Apparently the toilet is also haunted lol, not sure if true or an urban legend

[@ozzie4885]

Same 😂

[@FairbrookWingates]

Ashland, WI, a much smaller city, has a similar underground history. Back in the 70's folks who knew of it could gain access through certain shops through cellars and crawl spaces and emerge down the street via connecting underground structures. From what I've heard, most of those access points have now been boarded or bricked over and the remaining deep spaces are just private storage spots without interconnection.

[@jasonlinden]

Great video on the Seattle Underground! Just one small correction... and it’s a very common mistake given Seattle’s reputation for “rain”. Seattle is definitely one of the wettest cities in the U.S. if we define it by “days of measurable rain”. However, Seattle is only average if we define it by “amount of rain”. The average yearly U.S. rainfall is 30”-35” depending on the source. Seattle’s average yearly rainfall is 36”. Most cities on the East Coast and South East average significantly more rain (amount) than Seattle. In fact, Seattle actually sits in a rain shadow created by the Olympic Mountains to the west. Cities outside of the rain shadow like Olympia and Bellingham receive considerably more rain.

[@YeeSoest]

"Involuntary suicide" was the working title for the Saw franchise ;)

[@floief]

In the 1850s Seattle used a swath of land from the top of First Hill down to Yesler's mill on the waterfront to "skid" logs downhill for processing. The path became known as "Skid Road".

[@ElicBehexan]

In 1973, my parents, sister and I went to Seattle and did the underground tour. It was very interesting. If I didn't live half the country away, I'd've gone back many times.

[@kevinfoster1138]

The Seattle Underground tours still go on to this day I went on the tour with my school as a child it's something that I will be taking my children to when they are a little older. Seattle has a very cool history.

[@absea7918]

Great clip! As a Seattle native, and someone who has a penchant for the past, I appreciated your attention to detail, and thorough research. The only small additional fact I would add is that after the fire, the City of Seattle took control of the Fire Department (which had been volunteer) and water supply, and developed an advanced (for its time) communication system to alert other of potential fires. This approach became a model for other major cities. As an epilogue, today in Pioneer Square, the City is in the process filling many of those open areas beneath the glass blocks. This is because those areas are all aged structures - with the sidewalk being the roof. If large trucks or busses are near, they can be damaged. So there is a program to fill those spaces that are vulnerable. Thanks again for your excellent video, I look forward diving into your other clips.

[@earlenewallace8445]

Actually the movie you are referring to is called " The Night Strangler " and it was the first time I heard of Seattle's Underground City. But I still learned so much from you as usual Simon, especially about the famous (or infamous) Seamstresses.

[@lostbutfreesoul]

A city filled of seamstresses, and no one can darn my socks....

[@seanerickson1096]

You forgot to mention that the fire was in the middle of the night and the majority of population were quite drunk and laughed and mocked the struggling firefighters.

[@jamesisin]

That Kolchak episode is hilarious! It's a Hollywood set with the daylights turned off. So great. Come to Seattle; take the tour. Good times!

[@TairnKA]

Ah, Boeing was the first high tech company in Seattle. ;-)

[@Sunshine_Daydream222]

Apparently they're failing so hard they were unmentionable 😝

[@dennisbruh2383]

Wrong

[@TairnKA]

So, are you saying in the early 20th century airplanes weren't High Tech? ;-)

[@dennisbruh2383]

I’m saying Boeing wasn’t the first high tech company to hit the Seattle area youngin. Planes been around for a long time.

[@TairnKA]

And Boeing has been around for over 100 years so what high tech company existed in the Seattle area before Boeing? ;-)

[@cauldronmoon]

Extremely fascinating... I enjoyed your report. You made me laugh when you said , " they really needed some sewing done by some seamstresses."

[@bongwelll]

How on earth can this have 469 dislikes!? It’s such an innocuous topic that’s done well, as usual for Simon and company. You really can’t please some people. I guess their mothers didn’t teach them that if you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything at all.

[@CynicalLight]

The name Seattle was chosen to honor Chief Seathl, the local Duwamish and Suquamish leader who stopped a lot of bloodshed during the early development of Seattle. There was more resistance towards the presence of white men in the Puget Sound and war broke out often among white settlers and indigenous inhabitants. Chief Seathl dedicated his life to making peace between the newly arrived white men and the tribes that wanted to expel them. He wanted to protect his people even though he knew white men would push them towards extinction with their greed. He didn't want their last days to be filled with war and massacres. The white leadership appreciated his diplomatic and peaceful approach and honored him by naming Seattle after him. I love being from Washington and learning about our indigenous culture. I hope you will include them next time as their stories are just as much of what makes Seattle, Seattle. Right down to the origin of Seattle's namesake.

[@chip9649]

For me(I'm from the UK) I think of Seattle as the home of grunge music.

[@dudeman5303]

Yup. The underground lol

[@dudeman5303]

Jimi hendrix was from seattle too. Also i feel the need to say, I guess grunge ended up being the last MASS movement in music worldwide, and it ended up being mainstream, but I meant it was underground for almost a decade before it picked up mainstream attention

[@OakKnobFarm]

You are not incorrect ;)

[@dudeman5303]

Dude thats why I responded to you "ahem Jimi Hendrix", because hmyou are from the UK and he got famous there

[@NRRenggli]

So does about a ¼ of the city. Down from about ½ with so many moving in and out over the last 22 years.

[@pauls1572]

I am from Seattle, and I am pleasantly surprised at how accurate you were. You did forget the natives, but I can overlook that, as the early settlers by and large didn't let them take much part in things, beyond mispronouncing the name of their Chief at the time and naming the city after him, using the wrong name. His name was Chief Sealth, but they wrongly called him Seattle. I love that you brought light to the fact that hookers, in addition to the loggers they serviced, were what kept the city going until Tacoma lost their bid to keep the rail out of Seattle. (It stopped in Tacoma for many, many years, making Tacoma the leading city in the state until the rail came to Seattle)

[@blueeyedscorpio7]

Wow! Didn't know that! Thanks! That would have been nice if he did add that in!

[@mooncactus404]

Who else is from Wa👀👋🏼 I’ve been there too

[@kimberlyaraiza6606]

Lunar Eclipse i live in Washington 👀

[@corsetedangel9008]

I live very near Seattle

[@tobyturcott]

Life long resident. LOVE IT HERE!

[@corsetedangel9008]

Auburn?

[@vWvs]

Oly fam

[@chrisk8187]

My wife and I chose to visit Seattle for our 20th anniversary in the beginning of July, 2013. We had a wonderful ten days, zero rain and saw all the main attractions, neighborhoods, parks, rode ferries, took the Amtrak Cascade train to Bellingham, went to Bainbridge Island and one of our favorites, wallowed in the Rem Koolhass' Central Library!! We loved Seattle. At that time we only saw a handful of homeless citizens in the Pioneer Square park. Nothing of any great import, or so we thought.......who knew. The one experience we DIDN'T choose to have was the "underground city" and we "passed" on the gum wall as well. Best of luck! Thanks

[@MrMrdelivery]

Thanks, Simon, I've lived in Seattle my entire life. But I've never gone to the underground, but now I will. And Starbucks opened its first store at our Pike Place market...And the pioneer square area is all historic landmarks that will stay there forever...

[@geographicstravel]

I have been to that Starbucks ;). But not inside, the queue was crazy long.

[@johneyon5257]

the Starbucks at the Pike Place Market that is called the "first store" - well - it isn't - the first starbucks was opened a few blocks away - and closed entirely about 5 years later - at which point - the inventory worth keeping was moved to the Pike Place Market site - that coffeehouse wasn't even the second - but it was one of the earliest opened - strangely enuf - the official Starbuck's website doesn't mention that harmless fact

[@dwlopez57]

The location of the first Starbucks was demolished in 1976

[@Sadfuzz]

Whoa! Pretty awesome you did a vid on the city I was born and raised in! Seattle has a pretty dark history that very few people know about, but we have some great tours explaining it's dark history. Thanks for sharing!

[@groovyroses]

Born and raised in Seattle, my parents and I did the tour back late 1970's early eighties and we used the flashlights during our tour. But it was fun to learn about history of the old Seattle.

[@quyn3019]

Watching this as a Seattleite and hearing Simon butcher the Native names

[@WindFireAllThatKindOfThing]

How funny would it be to find out he really has a native Bronx accent

[@1121494]

He's british. Sohis is clearlythe correct pronounciation of the english language.

[@djollyrodjeur]

Ahem!... about butchering... It's aluminium not aluminum It's nuclear not nucular It's If I had, not If I would have... shall I go on???

[@allicianpeters3595]

Yeah, and never mentioned the great earthquake either!!??

[@quyn3019]

@@1121494 the words he's butchering aren't English though. They're from the native tribes that were in the PNW before white English speaking settlers

[@kiramiller4982]

I've been on the tour and found it hauntingly beautiful. Also the drink after at the bar at the end of the tour was great. Love the video! Would love to see one about some haunted locations since October is coming up. Stull cemetery would be a great start

[@moonypie5579]

Went to the underground a few years back- it’s amazing. The history that’s encased under the ground is insane to see. If you ever go to Seattle, this needs to be on your list!!! (And the Dale Chihuly exhibit)

[@FloozieOne]

What a fascinating story. I don't know how you keep coming up with info about forgotten places rediscovered but please keep it up, I'm totally hooked.

[@admiraltiberius1989]

The Greywalker series of paranormal mystery books written by Kat Richardson(A Seattle native) takes place mostly in and around Seattle. The underground city and its history, plus the history of the city and its legends, are talked about alot. I highly recommend the series.

[@YoFreshWiggy]

Well, now I know what I'm doing next time I go to Seattle.

[@trossk]

The tour is a lot of fun. I live here and do it about once a year. If you go, the room with the bank vault has a ghost

[@nielnielsen4822]

starting the next settle fire, right

[@ICE69ROG]

Go to the water front market , I think it is called Pike's market. It is a cool place especially if you like seafood and beer.

[@ReviewGuy01]

hope it got nothing to do with sewing lol

[@disbeafakename167]

Enjoying a riot?

[@madibe53]

Great topic, thanks! I live near Seattle, and have been on the tour many times over the years, it's a lot of fun. We have a lot of very interesting individuals that have lived and helped develop the city. You forgot about Doc Maynard, he was a very special character.

[@MariMiniattL]

I knew Seattle was one of the inspirations for Ankh Morpork in Discworld, due to the underground. But when seamstresses came up, that surprised me.

[@FoxDragon]

Huh, I did not know that. Although as a TP fan and a native Seattleite .... yeah, I can see it XD

[@bethanyp321]

I loved this tour the first time I went, so I made sure to do it again when we were visiting last week! It's a great tour, I highly recommend it to everyone! I've got to check out this underground ghost tour though for sure! Great video!!

[@GimmePaypalKid]

Geographics + Biographics are such a good idea, I'm addicted to these vids

[@geographicstravel]

Thank you :)

[@ATRTAP]

It’s pronounced al-KAI not al-KEY. The entire city didn’t burn to the ground, just pioneer Square and the finically district.

[@Eatongee]

Funny. Al-key point sounds like a place where alcoholics hang out.

[@sarahcoleman5269]

He didn't say the "whole" city, he stated a square milage.

[@LeahVMsCephalopod]

@@sarahcoleman5269 see 3:14. "The entire city of Seattle would burn down."

[@keivan222]

That actually was the entire city at the time ...... lol

[@stevejames6382]

@@Eatongee Im an alkey,,,,😂

[@DaleRibbons]

I first heard about the Underground City on that episode of Kolchak. I would like to take the tour to see what it's like in real life. Thanks for the video. It was really informative.

[@jcattell10]

I've been on the underground tour multiple times. It's a fun and educational tour. I highly recommend it. Thanks Simon.

[@trinaskyrme8769]

Love this channel. Feeds my inner nerd 🤓

[@derekweinerttv4163]

I wanna feed your inner heart

[@matthewstein5854]

Weird group of comments

[@mintyrainbow6994]

Another part I like -- there were a lot of towns built on Puget Sound trying to become the biggest and best city in the area. Many had advantages over Seattle -- Tacoma was built by the railroad for example, the railroad went to Tacoma and not Seattle (at first). But other towns had rules against things like drinking or "seamstresses", and thus every ship would stop in Seattle regardless, and all of the loggers in the area would also visit Seattle. Just one more reason why those seamstresses helped make Seattle successful.

[@dfactor]

Our schools used to take us on field trips to the Seattle Underground, now many have stopped doing that. My nieces had never even heard of the underground until I visited family and took them and my wife and kids on a tour.

[@HeyMJ.]

Excellent episode! Than you for producing & posting. Will check-out your biz channel.. 👍🏻

[@akidmyself4053]

Local of Washington here. I'm going to love hearing your mispronunciations after Duwamish.

[@ZemplinTemplar]

Seattle's older history makes it sound like the perfect city for a steampunk noir type of story !

[@lizabee484]

Yeaaaaaaaaaaah buddy I have been waiting for this video!!! This is one of my favorite historical stories to tell! So creepy and sad as well

[@aaronmarkham4424]

Love your channels! A lot to learn here through each video!

[@PaulMcElligott]

Small correction: the Seattle underground wasn’t featured in an episode of the Kolchak TV series. It was in _Kolchak: The Night Strangler,_ the sequel to the original movie.

[@benangel6831]

I could have sworn it was the TV series, myself. That film's version of the underground, something like a Northwestern version of the Paris catacombs, was what inspired me to try to find it through the train tunnel that runs under the city. (No, there isn't any such entrance there... just as there isn't the city depicted in the Kolchak movie, unfortunately.) Got a good youthful stupidity story out of the experience, though...

[@GevinShaw]

Yeah, TV movies that led to the series. Both the movies were written by Richard Matheson. I love the liberties the movie took with the underground. Just a little bigger than the real one!

[@heatherfennell9273]

I still love living in historic lowman building on 1st and Cherry in Pioneer Square!!

[@bearnunnemaker5453]

You must be rich?

[@heatherfennell9273]

@@bearnunnemaker5453 I guess it depends upon how you view rich. I am really just a young professional who happens to know and be liked by the right people. You'd be surprised how far a rich character can get you in life.

[@bearnunnemaker5453]

@@heatherfennell9273 I agree! I get into the Oregon DUCKS football games free because I become good friends with the right person. I met them one day on campus and we got to talking. I guess I told some good jokes and they liked them and me. It helped that we both grew up in South Jersey. 😀😀🌈🐻🏳️‍🌈🌈🐻🏳️‍🌈🌈🐻🏳️‍🌈

[@geographicstravel]

This is so wholesome and not what I expect from KZbin comments. Thank you.

[@michaelvaughn1496]

Simon and team: great video. I'm a 6th gen Seattlite and have been on the tour several times. Plus, my grandfather was one of those who played cards and other games of chance in a casino/card room in the Underground. So I thought I knew almost all about the site until your video. I learned quite a few new things. Thanks. Always great to learn; your videos always show me new and fascinating things.

[@wlfrdbss]

Thank you very much for this insightful video. Although I've visited Seattle various times, I unfortunately never had the opportunity to take an underground tour but will do so next time I get there. Great to learn something about it this way! :)

[@saragriselda5668]

I've been to Seattle underground its amazing and lived in Seattle

[@RoccoGuyBoiThing]

I live here and you made its sound cooler than even going inside was.

[@Mr.Glidehook]

Kudos for mentioning the "Night Stalker" series, although the episode mentioned was a made for TV movie, and it was the second pilot film for the eventual series. It's quite good. Creepy and funny, and a surprising cast. Thanks for the interesting history!

[@fynbo1007]

Love your storytelling, thank you for sharing. God bless you and your family

[@geographicstravel]

Thanks :)

[@billrentz]

"Sewing done by the seamstresses." Giggidy.

[@highlandoutsider8148]

A stitch in time saves nine? Lol

[@Gala-yp8nx]

brings a whole new meaning to "threading the needle".

[@tayhlorpogacsas7200]

@@Gala-yp8nx 😂😂😂👍

[@dudeman5303]

*Edit* I feel the need to add, the name "Seattle" was taken from the chief of an indiginous tribe in the area, named "Si'ahl". I just went to Seattle in July and I got to go to the seattle underground tour the day before we left, it was so sick and I have been telling EVERYONE about it. It really makes you see the place differently when you learn this stuff, it is better to visit and not know for part of it and then finding this secret out halfway through visiting. It's solidly inexpensive too, it was like 25 bucks i think? It is really cool to see one of my favorite channels cover something like this especially since I JUST experienced it. I feel a part of the channel now lmao. Although I think the fact that it was 150 years old and underground in a place that was once burned down, I think it gave me a sinus infection/allergic reaction because we left the day after and the whole train ride I was miserable, with a headache and head pressure that made me feel high in a bad way. BUT. It was so cool. There are light purple squares all over downtown Seattle on the sidewalk, they are glass light fixtures because they were built before electricity and light bulbs, so they used to be the source of light and these glass fixtures are still there shining down into old seattle to this day. They were once a clear/amber color but the sun has dyed them purple. I have some pictures of them from below and above ground. I saw these all over for the week I was there and it blew my mind when I found out this secret and it was so cool and oddly haunting to know old seattle was below looking up at me, but it felt like I met old seattle and was almost connected to the past. I am a HUGE soundgarden and nirvana fan and it made me feel so much closer to these two bands that changed my life when i was in high school. *another edit* I also didnt realize you would talk about the purple lights, my bad lmao

[@Cruz474]

Do you remember what streets you saw the skylights on? I was walking along Alaskan Way on the waterfront and there is those glass "bricks" in the pavement, not sure if the underground is there though. They weren't really purple.

[@dudeman5303]

@@Cruz474 around the restaurant "piroshki on 3rd"!

[@dudeman5303]

@@Cruz474 I remember seeing them around the waterfront too actually, although I dont know how far the underground extends in seattle. I think it extends between a 20 and 30 block radius? But yeah, i remember seeing them by the restaurant piroshki on 3rd at least, that I know for sure

[@bigbird6947]

I rented a trailer for a year that was on the border of his grave in Suquamish

[@bigbird6947]

They'll pronounce it Chief Sealth

[@gaoxiaen1]

I went on a Seattle Underground tour because I saw that episode of Kolchak. Curiously, a month or so later, I saw Darren McGavin walking down the sidewalk in Juneau, Alaska (he had a beard) where we were doing minesweeping and were in port for the 4th of July, 1983. I recognized him (and was shocked) and said hi to him. He smiled and said hi to me. End of story.

[@larrycaine6673]

Thanks for this vid from Seattle.

[@OrdinaryDude]

Ok... First off, thank you for this. I've lived in the Seattle area my entire life and there is history here I didn't know. (Well, I knew about the fire...) However, you did get one thing wrong. While Seattle is one of the rainiest places in the country it is not the wettest. Portland, New York, and Boston all have higher annual rainfall. So if the Denny Party was from Portland than they should have known about the weather and how to cope with it.

[@jumpkickman1993]

You should do a video on the time they raised Chicago's downtown by a full story. The city was lifted💯. Love the video💯💯💯✌

[@mbryson2899]

"This is definitely Lower Wacker Drive."

[@davidkrueger3584]

Love the Blues Brothers. My favorite movie. Lane Tech H.S. 9-78 to 6-82. Moved to Seattle area in 82. Never looked back.

[@jamesashby9840]

Six inches not a story fuq phact checking ima jus post

[@MsDaniella71Next]

I Always enjoy your videos. Thank you for your efforts.

[@jasonwojtkiewicz4340]

Truly fascinating. This is a great interest of mine, living here in the U.S. I know there are many underground cities, and most are difficult to find entrance to, even after gaining proper permissions! I used to live in Seattle for a little while, and didn't know of this particular history. Great job as always Simon!

[@michaelm.1947]

Since you're interested in underground throughout the US, just wanted to throw Tulsa out there in case you weren't aware. There's an underground in Tulsa as well.

[@seanbrazell6147]

Grunge finally makes a whole lot more sense.

[@nanaimogirl2000]

I loved my tour of the underground

[@meganpenrose4926]

Great little history. Live a couple hours from Seattle and have always wanted to do the tour.

[@silascochran9705]

Hey Simon good info and thoroughly enjoyed👍👍😁

[@ambert.3792]

omg! my city!!!! ive done this tour, and im so excited to watch this!

[@helenafarkas4534]

same here!!!

[@cindyhatch5062]

Me three😃

[@datill9392]

Good video, Ive actually read William Speigel’s book “sons of the profits” about Seattles true historical founding. Would’ve given you some better info.

[@lux.illuminaughty]

I have that book! Or had...it's probably gotten "lost" with most of my other stuff...long crappy story, I'll leave it there. I read James Michener's "Alaska" a number of years ago and was so fascinated by the portions set in Seattle, referencing Pioneer Square, the J&M, and some names I've mostly only known as streets.

[@fredlougee2807]

@@lux.illuminaughty "some names I've mostly only known as streets. " Maynard St is about five blocks long at the south end of the International District and where it occasionally appears east of the freeway it's a minor side street. Everyone else got a major arterial, Doc got screwed worse in posterity than he did in in actual lifetime.

[@lux.illuminaughty]

@@fredlougee2807 but there is, or at least there used to be, a music venue called Doc Maynard's. Could be worse... 🤓

[@fredlougee2807]

@@lux.illuminaughty I believe it is still there and running. Have to check to be sure though.

[@fritz1990]

Good video. Had forgotten about that place. Thanks for the reminder.

[@edylcnostrebor9722]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us all

[@dawnchesbro4189]

Seattle native here. Alki point is pronounced ælkaɪ. Like "alkeye" it's a long "I" at the end.

[@Tom-V]

I'd love to explore this

[@thecrew1871]

Thankyou! This was very interesting.