Seattle's South Lake Union district, for decades an under-utilized zone of drab low buildings, car dealerships and parking lots, has exploded as the new epicenter of Seattle development thanks almost entirely to Paul Allen, who bought much of the land when a municipal ballot initiative for redevelopment failed, and Amazon which was the eager tenant for many of the buildings Allen'c company Vulcan, erected. Now "SLU" is full of new buildings that disgorge tens of thousands of workers who hustle out in the Seattle rain to grab take-away lunches so they can get back to their computer terminals. Daycare centers attend to the needs of the few who have children. Only 30 percent of Seattle's new workers are married, much less parents. Doggie day care is in higher demand. At the end of the day parking garages disgorge a flood of vehicles which has become an overtime traffic direction bonanza for moonlighting Seattle cops.
