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South Tacoma: Where You At?

· Posted Tuesday May 23, 2006 by jamie

So after our trip to Vuelve la Vida last night, we took a bit of a drive around the area, heading further south on Pac Ave to about 72nd, and then back north towards 38th in Yakima, with a bit of weaving around through the surrounding streets, enjoying some of the charming houses dotted here and there. This got us thinking, why does South Tacoma feel culturally isolated from Downtown, Central Tacoma, and the North End? Why is there so little, both in the mainstream media and in local blogs, about things going on in South Tacoma? Could it be possible that we’re totally missing out on stuff happening “south of I-5”.

We have some familiarity with South Tacoma. When we were at PLU, we visited the Fred Meyer at 72nd and Pacific pretty regularly, and found Wapato Park to be a nice getaway from campus. So we’re definitely aware that there’s shopping and other amenities, but obviously nothing caught our attention so much as to keep us from moving to an area more closely associated with the other liberal arts college in town.

So what gives? Is it just a product of I-5 and Highway 16 being a dividing line? Do people think of South Tacoma as “the mall and a bunch of places I never go”? I don’t think it is merely a socio-economic thing, because there are plenty nice houses and nice cars in South Tacoma, but is there a stigma attached to anything that is not “North”?

I personally think there is a lot of potential for South Tacoma as far as nice neighborhoods and affordable housing, and it’s all just waiting to be discovered. The Lincoln and McKinley Hill areas offer some great downtown views (maybe these are considered East Tacoma, but I think the definition is fuzzy) and I’ve always though Fern Hill was a cute neighborhood. Short of some of the view condos (Pacific Tower, etc.), I’ve heard very little about what is happening.

So lets hear about it! Am I totally off base in thinking that South Tacoma is getting the short straw? If not, what’s going on in South Tacoma? Are any neighborhoods taking off as we speak? Are there things to do if you don’t want to leave your neighborhood? Please, share your thoughts!


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  1. From your description, the area you toured is technically the South End, which is distinct from South Tacoma. The South End is roughly encompassed by I-5 to the north and west, Pacific Ave to the east, and 96th St to the south. You’re right, you don’t see much in media about the goings-on here, mainly because the area’s pretty much a sleeper. According to the city’s website, about a quarter of Tacoma’s population live in the South End, which makes up about 16% of the city’s land area. The area’s very residential, with 50% of land used for residential purposes, compared to the city’s average of 31%. Over 75% of residences are single-family homes, with a higher proportion of owner-occupied homes than the city’s average. So, when I say the area’s a sleeper, I mean that, for the most part, it’s a place where people just go about their lives. I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s very much a commuter neighborhood, in that you need to drive most everywhere. It lacks the corner restaurants and pubs of 6th St, and interesting retail of the Proctor District and downtown. As you said, there is Wapato Lake, which is nice, but I still find myself at Pt Defiance about once a week. Purely residential neighborhoods generate little news or attention, at least of the positive sort. The South End has escaped most of the negative publicity of the East Side, which has been getting a lot of flak recently for violent crime. Subjectively, I’d say that crime in the South End is lower than that in surrounding neighborhoods.

    The area is very ethnically and socioeconomically diverse, and most folks are pretty friendly. It’s a modest, unassuming place. What drew me here (I’ve lived here for about 5 years) is the treasure trove of affordable, historic homes. Since the area is more economically depressed than, say, the North End, it seems that homeowners eschewed “updating” their early 20th-century homes and sought to just maintain them instead, so that in a lot of cases the house’s original character was retained. When I was looking to buy my first house, I initially focused on the North End, but eventually found that in the South End I could find a house twice the size for half the price, that was in more pristine condition. I miss being able to walk to the pub or cinema, but it’s all about trade-offs, you know? Anyway, it’s not inconceivable that the area is on the verge of a renaissance.

    — Rich    May 28, 11:56 AM    #

  2. Hmmm, maybe that’s part of the problem, I think a lot of people don’t know that South Tacoma is distict from the South End. (Next someone is going to tell me there’s a difference between North Tacoma and the North End…)

    Anyway, for the reasons you mention, Rich—nice houses for good prices—I can really see the market taking off in the area. I hope that as that happens, you will also see things like a pub you can walk to…walkable communities are important, after all…

    — jamie    May 30, 09:25 AM    #

  3. On the lack of activity on Mckinley Hill , you can blame the city. First when the view condos (Pacific Tower and Hawthorne Hill) went up everyone thought that neighborhood would turn into a dense one. Well the zoning in that neighborhood is mostly R4L, which sucks, developers hate it. The only properties that will allow a dense building already have Pac Tower and Hawthorne on them.
    Second the city will not make the McKinley Hill Business District a Mixed-Use Center. Being a mixed use center would make the area qualify for the Multi-Family Tax Exemption. I have mentioned this many times to council members and most agree it should be in the tax exemption area, but they do nothing about it. This Business District has a police station, library, churchs, stores, and restaurants but it needs help. Developers are very interested in the neighborhood. There are $400k+ view homes on Strawberry Hill a few blocks up from Mckinley. Mckinley Park is getting a major remodel, Light Rail is a short walk away, and the views are awesome. The area has potential but the city needs to step up and make some zoning changes and make it a mixed use area!

    — Jake    Jun 1, 11:07 AM    #