85th Street and repaved much of Greenwood Avenue North. Many sidewalks along these streets were also repaired, though evidence of prior damage can still be seen. History Originally named Woodland, the neighborhood became Greenwood in 1907. Greenwood Avenue carried city streetcar and Seattle-Everett interurban passenger railroad traffic during the first half of the twentieth century. The section of the neighborhood north of 85th Street was annexed to the city of Seattle in 1954. Residents of the area who voted for annexation expected that the city would build sidewalks. However, many residential streets north of 85th Street are still without sidewalks. 2009 arson investigation In 2009, the heart of Greenwood experienced several dramatic arson fires. On August 13, a house fire seriously injured a man and caused $170,000 damage. The largest fire, on October 23, burned a building to the ground on N 85th Street in the neighborhood center. Four businesses were destroyed: the Green Bean Coffee house; Phở Tic Tac; Szechuan Bistro; and C.C. Teriyaki. This fire also caused significant damage to a neighboring historic building housing the Taproot Theatre Company. A $10,000 reward was offered. Two fires occurred on November 5 and three more on November 9. The most severe of these caused $20,000 worth of damage and forced the closure of the Olive You restaurant. On November 13, Seattle police arrested a 46-year-old homeless man who frequented the neighborhood. The suspect had been spotted at the scene of three previous fires. He initially pleaded innocent to 12 charges, but changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. 2016 explosion Early on the morning of Wednesday, March 9, 2016, a natural gas leak caused a massive explosion, destroying three small buildings on Greenwood Avenue just south of North 85th Street and injuring several firefighters. The businesses lost were Neptune Coffee (8415), Mr. Gyros (restaurant) (8411), and a Quick Stop convenience store (8409). The damage was estimated at $3 million; many other buildings in the area also had broken windows and other damage. Notable people Michael McGinn, Former Mayor of Seattle (2010 - 2013) Notes External links Seattle City Clerk: Greenwood neighborhood