Jefferson Community Center is in the heart of Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood just minutes from downtown in the recently expanded and renovated Jefferson Park. This destination park boasts a large play area, spraypark, zip lines, tennis courts, skate park, cricket pitch, sportsfields, lawn bowling green, the oldest golf course in Seattle and a great ¾-mile walking path. Nearby is a fire station, Mercer Middle School and Seattle Parks and Recreation horticulture buildings.

The community center and pool were remodeled in 2013. Certified as LEED Gold for its sustainable environmental design, the modern 46,500-square-foot building has one story and features natural lighting through its many windows. The reception/front desk area handles all community center and pool transactions. The outdoor space features metal benches and wood seats, permanent chess boards on some of the tables and a children's play area. On the south side of the building community groups use a public plaza to host public events throughout the year. Nearby are a library, South Shore School and a light rail station.

Built in 1996, the building is the second largest community center in the state, and includes two full-sized gyms, a large lobby, multipurpose room with commercial grade kitchen, a fitness room and a number of smaller rooms that are used for meetings, classes and programs. The east wall of that lobby has distinctive artwork created by artist Marita Dingus and youth from the center.

Van Asselt Community Center boasts a diverse youth/teen population and programming that serves an ethnically diverse community, from preschool-aged children to seniors. The center is situated at the edge of the New Holly neighborhood, which primarily consists of housing, but also includes a branch of Seattle Public Library, satellite campus of South Seattle Community College, and other community buildings.