7. 500 Block of 7th Avenue S
The west side of 7th Avenue S is filled by three hotels built between 1906 and 1909 and taken over by the Gee How Oak Tin Family Association in 1921. The brick facade of the Louisa Hotel features an active community bulletin board that reflects a tradition dating to 1890 and is itself a designated historic landmark.
The southeast corner of S 7th Avenue and S King Street is anchored by the Kong Yick Apartments (Thompson & Thompson, 1910). Note the faded window lettering on the King Street side for the "Blue Funnel" steamship line.
Immediately south of Kong Yick is the China Garden-China Gate building. This was designed in 1924 by Andrew Willatsen with the assistance of Samuel Chinn, possibly Seattle's first Chinese American architect, to house America's only Chinese Opera company. This tradition is carried on by the Luck Ngi Musical Club, but the main performance space was later converted into a popular night club, China Garden, and now houses the China Gate restaurant.
The block terminates at S Weller Street with the Chinese-ornamented headquarters of the Chong Wa Benevolent Association, built in 1929. A side trip one block farther south will lead you to the International Children's Park, designed by Joey Ing in 1981.
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