Diversity and location are drawing new residents

By VANESSA HO
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Judkins Park's proximity to downtown and easy access to the Eastside has also been a draw for new residents. So has its diversity and African American culture. In 1990, blacks made up 55 percent of the population, Asians and Pacific Islanders 22 percent, and whites 18 percent.

The old Colman school is the site of the proposed African American Heritage Museum. Last summer, a free concert series delivered reggae, blues, East African drumming and jazz from the tiny amphitheater in Blanche Lavizzo Park. The Isaiah Edwards Memorial Art Garden, built by students, features a whimsical dedication of wire sculptures and mosaics to the late civil rights activist.

In the rough-hewn dining room of the Judkins BBQ and Restaurant the aromas of frying catfish and chicken mingle with those of buttery mashed potatoes, greens, black beans and tangy barbecue sauce.

"I do all my own cooking," says owner Corine Leonard, a Louisiana native who dishes up the soul food. "I don't have to taste it, and I don't use recipes. It's all right here in my head."

One gem to emerge from the freeway rubble is the I-90 Lid Park, which offers 50 acres of manicured landscape, two tennis courts, a basketball court, soccer field and bike trail. Gerald Tsutakawa's jagged, bronze sculpture anchors the Urban Peace Circle on a park knoll.

Continued:

• Once rejected, this urban community unites for the future
• I-90 decimated the neighborhood, but residents rebuilt it
• Bureaucratic snafus kept area in limbo
• Neighbors have kept the faith alive