Seattle Culture
The Burien Effect
Recognition for a creative economy
By Rob Smith January 16, 2023
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2022 issue of Seattle magazine.
Burien has evolved quite a bit since it detached itself from King County rule and incorporated as its own city almost three decades ago. The downtown area has become a destination for Seattleites seeking a quaint, charming shopping experience, and the 52,000-resident city just southwest of Sea-Tac Airport has become a haven for homebuyers seeking to escape skyrocketing Seattle housing prices.
Now, Burien has become just the 13th city in Washington state to earn the status of Certified Creative District based on the creative businesses there such as the Highline Heritage Museum and Burien Little Theater. The city is also home to the Burien Fiesta, Arts-a-Glow, the Burien Film Festival and more.
“Burien is bursting with creative activity,” says Karen Hanan, executive director at ArtsWA, a state government agency that awards the designation. “We’ve all watched Burien’s evolution with tremendous excitement.”
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis found that the creative sector generates more than 10% of Washington’s GDP. Other Certified Creative Districts include Moses Lake, Chewela (near Spokane) and Port Townsend.
Follow Us
The Pulse: Choppy Waters
Teeth made of beads and transit-themed fashion
It’s a heavy time in the country. ICE raids in L.A. continue. Trump has federalized the National Guard — a move a federal judge has called illegal. A military parade in D.C. this weekend feels more about power than patriotism. The House just passed a bill to defund public broadcasting, targeting NPR, PBS, and local…
June in Seattle Delivers
The city’s in-between season has its moments
The season is starting to turn. Lawnmowers are buzzing, the air smells like barbecue, and suddenly the herbs in the garden are out of control. Here are a few things to love before summer officially begins. Fresh flowers from the farmers market Buckets of peonies, poppies, sweet peas, and snapdragons line the stalls — just…
How to Celebrate the Sea on World Ocean Day
Numerous events across Seattle mark World Ocean Day on June 8
Seattle and Western Washington are inseparable from the ocean. Maybe you fish or forage from it, kayak or sail on it, surf its swells, hike and camp along its coast, or simply enjoy the sight of the water on a regular basis. The ocean is intertwined with our way of life here. And sometimes it’s…
How to Celebrate ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ in Seattle
June 5 marks 40 years. Call in sick like you mean it.
It’s one of the greatest movies of all time. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, written and directed by John Hughes, gave us the blueprint for playing hooky: a couple of phony phone calls, some light auto theft, a baseball game, a parade with the best lip-syncing scene in cinematic history, and a near mental breakdown. Hughes…