Questions about Central Tacoma

[JetBlast]

I’m in the process of house hunting and am hoping to get some opinions from people living around Tacoma, WA. In particular I’m looking to learn more about Central Tacoma, basically south of 6th between Sprague and Stevens. Looking at listings the prices are a little better than being north of 6th closer to the university, and definitely lower than Ruston or Proctor, so we’re intrigued by the value.

Does anyone have experience living in the area?  Do you enjoy it or are you looking to leave?  Any problems with crime that you or people you know have experienced?  For those of you that live around Tacoma, would you consider living in this area?

Any and all opinions welcome. Thanks!

[Dave1442397]

Check this forum - https://www.city-data.com/forum/washington/

[FINate]

I have family very near that area. In the past, 6th Ave has been the dividing line between "good" (north) and "bad" (south) parts of town. No idea if this is still accurate, as I'm sure gentrification has pushed south. The last time I visited (it's been a few years) there was a notable change in vibe going south of 6th, a rougher feel to the neighborhood. It also appears the assigned schools north of 6th are rated more highly, though I'm not sure how reliable these are. That said, I think the area near/between Franklin Park and 6th Ave (lots of shops) is interesting from a walking/biking perspective. Too much further south and you get too close to 19th Ave (very busy 4 lane stroad), the freeway, and the big box stores... yuck

[JetBlast]

I have family very near that area. In the past, 6th Ave has been the dividing line between "good" (north) and "bad" (south) parts of town. No idea if this is still accurate, as I'm sure gentrification has pushed south. The last time I visited (it's been a few years) there was a notable change in vibe going south of 6th, a rougher feel to the neighborhood. It also appears the assigned schools north of 6th are rated more highly, though I'm not sure how reliable these are. That said, I think the area near/between Franklin Park and 6th Ave (lots of shops) is interesting from a walking/biking perspective. Too much further south and you get too close to 19th Ave (very busy 4 lane stroad), the freeway, and the big box stores... yuck

That’s pretty much the dilemma we are in. We would be moving from Seattle and don’t know if the area south of 6th has gentrified to the point that we’d be willing to invest our money to purchase in the area. We like the idea of being walkable to the shops and restaurants along 6th but want to feel safe while doing so. Agreed on 19th and the big box stores.

[FINate]

I have family very near that area. In the past, 6th Ave has been the dividing line between "good" (north) and "bad" (south) parts of town. No idea if this is still accurate, as I'm sure gentrification has pushed south. The last time I visited (it's been a few years) there was a notable change in vibe going south of 6th, a rougher feel to the neighborhood. It also appears the assigned schools north of 6th are rated more highly, though I'm not sure how reliable these are. That said, I think the area near/between Franklin Park and 6th Ave (lots of shops) is interesting from a walking/biking perspective. Too much further south and you get too close to 19th Ave (very busy 4 lane stroad), the freeway, and the big box stores... yuck

That’s pretty much the dilemma we are in. We would be moving from Seattle and don’t know if the area south of 6th has gentrified to the point that we’d be willing to invest our money to purchase in the area. We like the idea of being walkable to the shops and restaurants along 6th but want to feel safe while doing so. Agreed on 19th and the big box stores.

It's an easy trip from Seattle to spend a day or two in Tacoma. I would try to visit like Fri-Sat because if crazy is going to happen that's usually when it occurs (parties, drunkenness, etc.). Park the car and walk the neighborhood. You want to hopefully see kids out playing, families walking/biking -- looking for a safe vibe.

[Radagast]

We rented a house near there about 6 months ago. I think things perk up quite a bit above 12th and this area seems to be gentrifying as opposed to north of 6th where it is already there. There are some variable pockets near the parks down to 17th which aren't bad. FWIW all of my engineer coworkers in Tacoma are west of Pearl, which seems to be a band of good value as well.

[JetBlast]

Thanks all for your advice. We’re  going to focus our search farther north and try to find something closer to Proctor, Ruston, or UPS in our desired price range. Central Tacoma just feels like a riskier investment along with looking to have higher property crime rates.

[lhamo]

Glad this thread popped back up -- I was meaning to post earlier, but got sidetracked.

I don't know Tacoma, but before I buy my next place I am definitely planning to spend time in the areas I am interested in at all times of the day.  Also walk the blocks around any potential purchase several times and look for potential issues.  Talk with anybody you see out on the street, especially immediate neighbors.  I'm in far NE Seattle and given the way the arterials and natural topography runs there is a VAST difference in the feel of a neighborhood and issues with crime/anti-social behavior within a few blocks.  There are also several areas that are magnets for encampments that I would stay away from.  Other things to be mindful/aware of:

Fire stations (my sister was looking at a condo in Ballard and when we realized the fire station was a half block away because the siren went off we immediately left)

Sports fields -- can be noisy during the day and have bright lights at night

Businesses with flashing neon signs -- can really impede sleep/evening relaxation w

Street noise/location of bus stops -- can be very noisy if you have metro pulling up right out side your window several times an hour.  We also had an issue with a rental on an arterial where they had done a poor job of pavement repair so every time a large vehicle went by my bedroom there was a loud "ker thunk"

If you are buying a place with/for a view, it is also good to make sure there isn't a chance that zoning allows for new construction that might block it.  We decided not to put an offer on a house in Laurelhurst partly because it HAD a great view, but the house immediately in front of it was a one story ranch that at some point was probably going to get bought/torn down/turned into a 3 story box.

[bacchi]

I don't know Tacoma, but before I buy my next place I am definitely planning to spend time in the areas I am interested in at all times of the day.  Also walk the blocks around any potential purchase several times and look for potential issues.  Talk with anybody you see out on the street, especially immediate neighbors. 

We plan to do what my in-laws did: rent for 6 months to a year before buying. They rejected 2 towns before deciding.

[FINate]

Glad this thread popped back up -- I was meaning to post earlier, but got sidetracked.

I don't know Tacoma, but before I buy my next place I am definitely planning to spend time in the areas I am interested in at all times of the day.  Also walk the blocks around any potential purchase several times and look for potential issues.  Talk with anybody you see out on the street, especially immediate neighbors.  I'm in far NE Seattle and given the way the arterials and natural topography runs there is a VAST difference in the feel of a neighborhood and issues with crime/anti-social behavior within a few blocks.  There are also several areas that are magnets for encampments that I would stay away from.  Other things to be mindful/aware of:

Fire stations (my sister was looking at a condo in Ballard and when we realized the fire station was a half block away because the siren went off we immediately left)

Sports fields -- can be noisy during the day and have bright lights at night

Businesses with flashing neon signs -- can really impede sleep/evening relaxation w

Street noise/location of bus stops -- can be very noisy if you have metro pulling up right out side your window several times an hour.  We also had an issue with a rental on an arterial where they had done a poor job of pavement repair so every time a large vehicle went by my bedroom there was a loud "ker thunk"

If you are buying a place with/for a view, it is also good to make sure there isn't a chance that zoning allows for new construction that might block it.  We decided not to put an offer on a house in Laurelhurst partly because it HAD a great view, but the house immediately in front of it was a one story ranch that at some point was probably going to get bought/torn down/turned into a 3 story box.

That's a great list. I will add that the DOT has an interactive map that shows transportation related noise, including air traffic.

When we moved to Boise we didn't have the option of spending a lot of time in each neighborhood (long-distance move), and we really didn't want to rent first (moving twice, ugh!). So I spent a lot of time narrowing our search down to a few pockets in candidate neighborhoods that were walkable/bikeable, safe, and quiet. And then we spent our limited in-person time walking these pockets to get the on-the-ground vibe. We've lived here for a few years now, and can say our search criteria was very accurate: clean streets, tidy front yards (no cars on blocks, appliances, junk), no bars on windows, people out walking and biking... all good signs for a quite safe area.

[sonofsven]

Glad this thread popped back up -- I was meaning to post earlier, but got sidetracked.

I don't know Tacoma, but before I buy my next place I am definitely planning to spend time in the areas I am interested in at all times of the day.  Also walk the blocks around any potential purchase several times and look for potential issues.  Talk with anybody you see out on the street, especially immediate neighbors.  I'm in far NE Seattle and given the way the arterials and natural topography runs there is a VAST difference in the feel of a neighborhood and issues with crime/anti-social behavior within a few blocks.  There are also several areas that are magnets for encampments that I would stay away from.  Other things to be mindful/aware of:

Fire stations (my sister was looking at a condo in Ballard and when we realized the fire station was a half block away because the siren went off we immediately left)

Sports fields -- can be noisy during the day and have bright lights at night

Businesses with flashing neon signs -- can really impede sleep/evening relaxation w

Street noise/location of bus stops -- can be very noisy if you have metro pulling up right out side your window several times an hour.  We also had an issue with a rental on an arterial where they had done a poor job of pavement repair so every time a large vehicle went by my bedroom there was a loud "ker thunk"

If you are buying a place with/for a view, it is also good to make sure there isn't a chance that zoning allows for new construction that might block it.  We decided not to put an offer on a house in Laurelhurst partly because it HAD a great view, but the house immediately in front of it was a one story ranch that at some point was probably going to get bought/torn down/turned into a 3 story box.

Regarding the bus stop issue, my partner rented in Portland on a small street with a bus stop right out front. Of course it was a little loud first thing in the morning, but you get used to that.
But then the city made it a designated cycling street as well and made it difficult to enter the street while driving.
Of course many of the neighbors where against it, but it really improved the street to have less cars and more happy cyclists cruising by.
The only negative was the fear of backing out into the path of a cyclist!
I lived in a bad part of Tacoma years ago but it was so long ago it has no bearing to this discussion.

Funny story, my sister lived in Tacoma before me and her tv broke and she got a new one. I put the old one in the brand new tv box and put it in the back of my pickup, to drop it off at a tv repair shop that would take them for free (a long time ago!)
Well, I stopped at an auto parts store in Tacoma for just a minute to get some parts and when I came out the brand new tv box with the old tv inside was gone!
Saved me a trip.