He still occasionally treks from one gay bar to another, often smoking a thick cigar outside near the front door. It’s just not so positive in the individual gay bar.”Īs Capitol Hill and Seattle continues to grow, the neighborhood is no longer the gay center of Seattle’s universe and members of the community have noticed a shift in the nightlife.īud Cudmore, 69, has seen Seattle transform multiple times since moving to the city 51 years ago. “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,” said Brent Lerseth, a manager at Lobby Bar. So far, the neighborhood’s many gay bars are surviving and, sometimes, thriving among their new neighbors. As part of that, there is a nightlife boom economy underway. But it’s also clear that Capitol Hill continues to change. With efforts like the new OutWatch, it is clear residents and businesses here are ready to defend that status. Capitol Hill still prides itself as a gay-friendly - if not fully gayborhood - neighborhood.