North Tacoma, Washington

North Tacoma (also called the North End) is a neighborhood in Tacoma, Washington, in the United States. The area is most known for waterfront parks and restaurants, the Point Defiance Park, the University of Puget Sound, Stadium High School, and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

The North End of Tacoma has informal and formal boundaries. Informally, the generally accepted boundaries of the North End are 6th Avenue and Division Avenue to the south and Puget Sound to the north, west, and east. Although the independent city of Ruston is not legally a part of the city of Tacoma, most residents of Ruston self-identify as being from Tacoma. Formally, the city has designations for each of the eight neighborhoods which are represented by neighborhood councils. These designations are not generally known, but they are marked on city streets by special signs. For the North End, 6th Ave forms the boundary on the south and southeast to 4th St., Puget Sound which runs NE to North, 46th St. on the North to Huson, and back down to 6th on the South. While much of the West End and some the Central District (such as the Stadium District) are identified with the informal boundaries of the North End, the City of Tacoma identifies these area as separate for purposes of representation and planning.

The main commercial areas are along 6th Ave and in the Proctor District, both of which are seen as small towns within a larger city. The 6th Ave corridor, and the Proctor District, both have a variety of independent restaurants and shops.

In the Proctor District, there are two major grocery stores: Metropolitan Market and Safeway. There is a Farmer's Market every Saturday that sells things like fresh flowers, locally smoked meats, and kombucha.

Relative to the rest of Tacoma, the North End is a wealthier, middle class area. Although the area has a traditional heritage of lower middle class residents such as fisherman and ASARCO plant workers (before it was demolished in 1993), gentrification has resulted in increasing house prices. However, as evidenced by commute time figures from the 2000 Census, most North End residents still work in Tacoma. Due to the University of Puget Sound being within the neighborhood, a notable number of residents work in the fields of education, health, social, and human services. The population is more educated than average, with just short of a quarter possessing a graduate or professional degree. North Tacoma is, behind Northeast Tacoma, the second wealthiest part of the city.

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