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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, 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 Sixth Ave and in the Proctor District and Old Town. The Sixth Ave corridor, Old Town and the Proctor District, have a variety of independent restaurants and shops.
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), the community has a small-town feel. Most north end residents still work in Tacoma as evidenced by commute time figures from the 2000 Census.
The waterfront, specifically around Old Tacoma has undergone redevelopment in recent years.
North Tacoma votes heavily Democratic on federal, state, and local areas, with all precincts giving sizable victories to John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, Barack Obama in 2008, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray in 2010.
Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 921,130, up from 795,225 in 2010, making it the second-most populous county in Washington, behind King County, and the 60th-most populous in the United States. The county seat and largest city is Tacoma. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory, it was named for U.S. President Franklin Pierce. Pierce County is in the Seattle metropolitan area.
Des Moines is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 32,888 as of the 2020 census. The city is located on the east shore of Puget Sound, near the center of the Seattle metropolitan area. It is bordered by the suburbs of Federal Way to the south, Kent to the east, SeaTac to the northeast, Burien to the north, and Normandy Park to the northwest.
Midland is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington. The population was 9,962 at the time of the 2020 census.
Ruston is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,055 at the 2020 census.
Tacoma is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, 32 miles (51 km) southwest of Seattle, 31 miles (50 km) northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and 58 miles (93 km) northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The city's population was 219,346 at the time of the 2020 census. Tacoma is the second-largest city in the Puget Sound area and the third-largest in the state. Tacoma also serves as the center of business activity for the South Sound region, which has a population of about 1 million.
Commencement Bay is a bay of Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. The city of Tacoma is located on the bay, with the Port of Tacoma occupying the southeastern end. A line drawn from Point Defiance in the southwest to Browns Point in the northeast serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound. Commencement Bay has become home to one of the most active commercial ports in the world. The Port of Tacoma is the main port facility.
West Seattle is a conglomeration of neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington, United States. It comprises two of the thirteen districts, Delridge and Southwest, and encompasses all of Seattle west of the Duwamish River. It was incorporated as an independent town in 1902 before being annexed by Seattle five years later. Among the area's attractions are its saltwater beach parks along Elliott Bay and Puget Sound, including Alki Beach Park and Lincoln Park. The area is also known for its views of the Olympic Mountains to the west and the Cascade Range to the east. One-third of Seattle's green space and urban forest is located in West Seattle, much of it in the West Duwamish Greenbelt.
Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington, United States, is a large urban park. The 760-acre (3.1 km2) park includes Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Rose Garden, Rhododendron Garden, beaches, trails, a boardwalk, a boathouse, a Washington State Ferries ferry dock for the Point Defiance-Tahlequah route to Vashon Island, Fort Nisqually, an off-leash dog park, and most notably a stand of old-growth forest. It receives more than three million visitors every year. Point Defiance Park is maintained and operated by Metro Parks Tacoma.
Tacoma School District No. 10, commonly called Tacoma Public Schools, is a school district headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, United States. Composed of 35 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 10 high schools, and 4 early learning centers. It is the third largest school district in Washington State. Tacoma Public Schools serve more than 30,000 students PK-12 and nearly 5,000 employees, making it one of the largest employers in the greater Tacoma area.
Stadium High School is a public high school in Tacoma, Washington, and a historic landmark. It is part of Tacoma Public Schools, or Tacoma School District No. 10 and is located in the Stadium District, near downtown Tacoma. The original building was severely damaged by a fire in 1898 while it was still a partially-constructed hotel designed by Hewitt & Hewitt being used for storage. It was reconstructed for use as a school beginning in 1906 according to designs by Frederick Heath, and a "bowl" stadium was added later in 1910.
Dash Point is an unincorporated community in Pierce County, Washington, United States. Because it is not incorporated, no census population figures are available. Dash Point is a residential area surrounded by Puget Sound to the north, Dash Point State Park to the east, and the city of Tacoma to the south and west. Dash Point is located across Commencement Bay from downtown Tacoma.
The Proctor District is a business district in the north end of Tacoma, Washington. Primarily a center for locals to shop, the District has cultivated a small town "urban village" character.
The Stadium District is a neighborhood of the north end of Tacoma, Washington, USA. It is named after Stadium High School, a historic landmark.
6th Avenue is a major east–west street in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It runs for 5.7 miles (9.2 km) across the city, connecting Tacoma Community College to the North End and downtown. 6th Avenue defines the directional north/south prefixes for streets.
Highline Public Schools (HPS) is a public school district in King County, headquartered in Burien, Washington. As of October 2007, it served 17,331 students and had 997 teachers, and served the cities of Burien, much of Des Moines, Normandy Park, and SeaTac as well as adjacent unincorporated census-designated places proximal to Burien in King County such as White Center and much of Boulevard Park. Portions of Kent and Tukwila and a very small portion of Seattle are in the district limits.
Browns Point is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington, United States, bordered by Tacoma on the east and Puget Sound on all other sides. The population was 1,198 at the 2010 census. The Tacoma neighborhood immediately adjacent to Browns Point is also referred to locally as "Browns Point".
The steamboat Defiance operated in the early 1900s as part of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet. In later years this vessel was called Kingston.
Frederick Heath was an American architect responsible for numerous projects in Tacoma, Washington. He worked out of his own office and as a senior partner at architectural firms. He was involved with Spaulding, Russell & Heath, and Heath & Gove. His work included designs for several historic and notable schools, churches, stadiums, and commercial properties.