It seems to me that the fact that Capitol Hill was the unique, Bohemian, and affordable neighborhood that it was in your memories was just an accident of the 20th century. It's: * Right next to downtown * Has great views and * Has very easy access to a major road, I-5.

Why on earth wouldn't having credentials like that make it prime property, even if a certain retailer didn't exist?

But from 1950 - 1990, nobody wanted to live in a city, they wanted to drive in from their suburbs. So cities became refuges for the interesting and weird, while the rest of America had their half-acre.

That trend is reverting now, and the real value of property in major cities is being reevaluated, and at something closer to what it probably should be.

Also, I really liked this Wonkblog[1], not just for highlighting the differences in densities in world urban areas, but also because he talks about the mentality of "Well, I've moved here now, but the development can stop now!"

[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/06/th...