Did you ever wonder where the Maple Leaf Neighborhood got its name? Often it’s good to know where we’ve come from so we can figure out where we are going. This is no different with a neighborhood. The foundation, if you will, that is laid can lead to long last affects. This is definitely true with Maple Leaf, and most of Seattle.
It’s often good to know where Well, back in the old days, like before Interstate 5, the neighborhood had a lot of Maple Leaf trees, a nursery, and a large orchard. When the neighborhood was first drawn up and platted it was listed as the “Maple Leaf Addition” to the Green Lake Area, and the name stuck. Simple as that. Or is it? There’s also a second story that it was named after the old Maple Saw Mill that operated nearby on Lake Washington. But, best of all, is the story that early in Seattle’s settlement the neighborhood was so far from Pioneer Square and Downtown that early Seattlelites said, “It is so far north it might as well be Canada!” and thus called it “maple leaf” alluding to the Canadian flag.
But there’s a lot more I bet you don’t know about Maple Leaf. Here’s two interesting facts about Maple Leaf:
- One of the highest points in Seattle is in Maple Leaf. At over 500 ft in elevation the point at 91st Street between Roosevelt Way and 5th Avenue is the second highest in the city.
- A pack of wild conure parrots makes their home in Maple Leaf. Splitting time with Seward Park these birds are the descendants of escaped (or released) pets.
Today it is a thriving neighborhood atop the 3rd highest hill in Seattle, and it is home to many restaurants and coffee houses, and a very strong neighborhood council that keeps neighbors informed of happenings community activities.
