Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center, Seattle

The ornate building of Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center was once a synagogue, as is revealed by its Romanesque windows and symbolic stone tablets. Today, it's a temple to the arts, named after African-American poet Langston Hughes. The center offers a varied roster of activities, workshops and classes in such skills as marimba, African dance and self-defense. The well-produced high school musicals and literary readings have extended the center's reach beyond the immediate neighborhood.