Uy, who arrived from Cambodia in 1975, is now resident manager. In addition to celebrating cultural holidays, such as the Cambodian New Year in April, tenants are allowed to garden inside the property. On the fringe of the complex blooms an impromptu garden, full of tomatoes, cilantro, Asian pumpkins and flowers. On the one hand, there is Courtland Place South, known for drug dealing and absentee slum landlords. Some of the homes on Courtland Place South have broken or boarded-up windows.
Some streets have no sidewalks, and alleys are unlit.
Yet just a few blocks to the east is the Mount Baker neighborhood, with some of the most beautiful and costly homes in Seattle. Some 20 tons of trash, including abandoned vehicles, were hauled out of the neighborhood. Police stepped up enforcement, and the crack dealers moved on. Some tenants were evicted. But the problems are starting to creep back, says Juanita Arfi, a Police Department crime-prevention coordinator working in Southeast Seattle.