As the World Cup draws enormous crowds to Seattle, one of the city's most historic neighbourhoods says it is being passed by. Advocates in the Chinatown-International District argue the tournament's boom has left them behind.
Community leaders gathered to rally for help near the Seattle stadium, the same venue that has been drawing tens of thousands of football fans. Their message was that the surge in visitors has not reached their streets.
The numbers they cite point to a downturn rather than a windfall. According to community leaders, sales are down between 10 and 20 percent compared with the same period last year.
Part of the frustration is over how fans move through the area. Advocates say foot traffic is being funnelled away from the district, steering visitors past the neighbourhood rather than into it.
At the same time, longstanding problems have not eased. Community members say issues such as crime and vandalism continue to weigh on local businesses even during the high-profile event.
For many in the district, the disappointment is sharpened by how long they had prepared. One community leader noted that the area had been getting ready for the major event for two years, anticipating that this kind of situation might unfold.
That advocate suggested more could have been done to prevent it. In particular, they pointed to marketing and closer coordination with the community as steps that might have helped the district share in the tournament's benefits.