Sold - Old Town Potential

2602 McCarver St, Tacoma

Listed $500,000/Sold $550,000

2 Beds

1.75 Baths

1,264 Sq Ft + 448 Unfinished

13,052 Sq Ft Lot

Home: Someone out there’s been waiting for a place in town within easy distance of the beach, a place where you can open the door, travel a few short blocks and put feet in the sand, a place that connects to walking paths, to waterfront happy hours, and a local coffee shop or two. And this place is waiting for someone to restore it, to fix it up within its current layout, or reimagine and reconfigure what it can be. It’s time for you to meet.

In Tacoma’s Old Town, midway up the slope from the shore, stands this 1940s home full of potential for a new era. Views extend across Commencement Bay to Browns Point—with vision, work and renovation investments, it could be restored to an ideal North End retreat. Covered by a 2022 roof, with original hardwood floors intact, features include a large lot, fenced side yard, attached garage and a view deck. The partially finished daylight basement offers a ¾ bath, laundry area and a rec room with a sliding door to the patio. Mature dogwoods, rhodies and a magnolia provide privacy and shade. Set 1.5 miles from Proctor markets and just blocks from the Ruston Way Waterfront, Old Town Dock, a sandy beach, schools, cafes, parks and annual festivals.

Updates: New Roof in 2022

Note: This neighborhood is a Low Scale Urban Residential District & View Sensitive Overlay District (UR-1 VSD-25). The height limit is 25 feet (versus 35 feet in many other districts) to help preserve views. Learn more about residential height allowances in view sensitive districts from Tacoma Permits.

Community: When you belong to this house, Old Town is your home, and Proctor is your neighbor. You’re in this sweet spot, literally, where the view down to Commencement Bay urges you to take off your coat and stay awhile, but waterfront dining on Ruston Way, wine-tasting in Old Town, or a ramble from beach to pier to park is equally enticing. It all depends on the day, or maybe even the hour. After all, a day here can easily hold a stop by the family-owned coffee shop a few blocks away, a spell of deck-lounging, a visit to the seafood market on the dock for fresh fish, smoked salmon, or a basket of fish and chips, a trip to Proctor for groceries and a visit to the library, with a return to Old Town for a dip in the saltwater at Jack Hyde Beach. 

Continue on for the video tour, photos, details, and a more thorough neighborhood introduction, including our list of 20 favorite local destinations and services nearby.

Main Floor

  • Kitchen

  • Dining Area

  • Living Room with Deck Access

  • Full Bath

  • 2 Bedrooms

Partially Finished Basement

  • Rec Room with Patio Access

  • Laundry

  • Utilities & Storage

  • 3/4 Bath


Garage & Grounds

  • 1-Car Attached Garage

  • Paved Driveway

  • View Deck

  • Front & Back Patios

  • Enclosed Side Yard

  • Mature Landscaping

Location - Old Town

Folks dip in the saltwater, play in the sand, and get on paddle boards at Jack Hyde Park just ½ a mile from 2602 McCarver.

The Old Town Business District stretches along N. 30th at the bottom of the hill with cafes, a park, wine bars, shops, and services.

This home is set in Tacoma’s beloved Old Town on the hill rising up toward Proctor and the Historic North Slope. It’s a location both beautiful and well-connected. Living here puts your household in the heart of all the opportunities and experiences North End Tacoma provides: live outdoor music in Old Town, waterfront fireworks on Independence Day, the annual lighted boat parade at Christmastime, kids crafts at the Job Carr Cabin on Saturdays, annual community festivals in Proctor, historic homes in every direction, the weather rolling in over Commencement Bay—that’s what square feet and an address just can’t quite describe. The location even offers easy (and scenic) access to the freeway by hooking up with Schuster Parkway. But we’ll stay closer to home for now.

Established in 2022 and just 0.3 miles ffrom home, locally owned Curran Coffee carries on the tradition of an all-ages cafe next door to The Spar.

When you call this house home you belong to Old Town and the Ruston Way Waterfront, but Proctor and Stadium are near neighbors. Take McCarver down toward Old Town Dock and you reach the beach in less than half a mile. We say “the beach” but it could also be the dock for night squid fishing, the Ruston Way waterfront path, the lawn at Jack Hyde Park, or Curran Coffee for a latte and pastry. Visit Proof by Old Town Park for a cocktail with friends or wander to one of Old Town’s wine bars like Tacoma Wine Merchants.

A paved waterfront path along Ruston Way connects Old Town to Owen Beach at Point Defiance Park. Walk, ride, or roll all the way their from 2602 McCarver.

If you’re really looking for a good stretch (okay, more like a no-elevation-gain hike) and some fresh air, take the paved Ruston Way path right past the open doors of chowder houses and happy hours all the way to Point Ruston and Dune Peninsula Park. Stop by Anthony’s for a bowl of chowder, then continue all the way to Owen Beach at Point Defiance Park 4.4 miles from the door of 2602 McCarver. It’s not every home where a paved, waterfront hike (complete with public bathrooms) is waiting right outside the door. 

Visit the Proctor Farmers’ Market on Saturdays just 1.5 miles from home.

How about movies at the Blue Mouse, bowling tournaments at Chalet Bowl, birthday gift shopping at Compass Rose, and filling a basket with Puyallup Valley strawberries, fresh baked sourdough, bunches of herbs, and bright bouquets at the farmers’ market? All of that is just a short walk, drive, or ride away in Proctor.

Along with public schools like Stadium High and Lowell Elementary, there’s Annie Wright a few blocks away and the University of Puget Sound is 1.2 miles from home. The farmers’ market and shops of Proctor, and the waterfront dining, parks, and piers of Old Town make good neighbors. It’s a very good place to call home with a view of the Salish Sea.

Get to know Old Town better in our Neighborhood Guide.

Anthem Coffee by day, Proof cocktail bar by night. Set a date with friends less than ½ a mile from 2602 McCarver.

In business since the 1920s, The Spar is an iconic Tacoma pub with occasional live music. Better try their Spar Chips!

And take a look at our list of 20 local destinations. We’ve calculated the distance from the doorstep of 2602 McCarver to help you get an even better idea of where this home and neighborhood fit in the wider community.

20 FAVORITE LOCAL DESTINATIONS & SERVICES WITHIN 1.5 Miles

Old Town Park hosts annual summer concerts. Enjoy the playground and historic Job Carr Cabin Museum activities too.

(Travel times here are calculated for travel by car and at about 3 mph—a walking or slower wheelchair kind of speed.)

Head up to Proctor on Saturday, August 2nd for their annual Proctor Arts Fest with fine arts, crafts, live music, and food vendors.

Old Town & Ruston Way Waterfront
Curran Coffee: 0.3 miles, 1 minute/6 minutes
The Spar: 0.3 miles, 1 minute/6 minutes
Tacoma Wine Merchants: 0.3 miles, 1 minute/6 minutes
Old Town Dock: 0.3 miles, 2 minutes/8 minutes
Northern Fish Co.: 0.3 miles, 1 minute/8 minutes
Job Carr Cabin Museum in Old Town Park: 0.4 miles, 1 minute/8 minutes
Proof: 0.4 miles, 1 minute/8 minutes
Anthem Coffee: 0.4 miles, 1 minute/8 minutes
Lowell Elementary School: 0.4 miles, 1 minute/11 minutes
Annie Wright Schools: 0.5 miles, 1 minutes/9 minutes
Jack Hyde Park & Chinese Reconciliation Park: 0.5 miles, 2 minutes/10 minutes
Harbor Lights: 0.8 miles, 3 minutes/18 minutes

Proctor District
Cooks Tavern: 1.1 miles, 3 minutes/25 minutes
Brewers Row: 1.1 miles, 3 minutes/26 minutes
Rosewood Cafe: 1.2 miles, 4 minutes/28 minutes
The Blue Mouse Theatre: 1.4 miles, 4 minutes/37 minutes
Tacoma Public Library Wheelock Branch: 1.5 miles, 4 minutes/35 minutes
Proctor Farmers’ Market: 1.5 miles, 4 minutes/37 minutes
Compass Rose: 1.4 miles, 5 minutes/36 minutes
Metropolitan Market: 1.4 miles, 5 minutes/35 minutes

Floor Plan

Kitchen

Come in from the sidewalk, under the branches of the dogwood, over the pavement of the front patio and up the steps to the red front door. Take a right into the kitchen for your first views of Commencement Bay. The kitchen opens into a dining area and includes a refrigerator, dishwasher, oven-range, and a microwave. Original cabinets—including mini cupboards tucked above the doorway—preserve the 1940s character and a single-hung sash window above the sink overlooks the front yard where the dogwood trees bloom pink in spring. A pantry closet is set into the dining area wall just around the corner from the end of the counter.

Dining Area

Where else would you want to set your dining table? There’s more window than wall here in the front northeast corner of the home. The magnolia’s green leaves catch the breeze outside, and you can watch the weather travel over the sound. The main floor's circular floor plan connects the living room, dining room, kitchen, and hall. Notice the pantry closet in the dining area.

Living Room

Picture windows wrap the living room filling the whole space with natural light. Original oak hardwoods extend throughout the living room, dining area, and hall giving a hint of how pretty this house was in its day. A view deck borders the west side of the main floor with access from the living room. Open the glass panel door from the living room corner and go outside for fresh air with views of the water and beautiful hillside homes.

2 Bedrooms

The front corner bedroom is bright with windows facing south and east. Both bedrooms feature simple, open closets and a larger fixed window alongside sash windows that open for fresh air.

This back corner room is the larger of the 2 main floor bedrooms. The picture window overlooks the deck. A built-in dresser and a closet with shelving complete the room.

Full Bath

The full bath is just outside the bedrooms. A glass block window provides natural light and privacy in the shower/bath. We imagine someone may take space from the neighboring bedroom to expand and reconfigure this main floor bath.

The hall with the bedrooms and bathroom also offers two closets for linens and assorted household items.

Daylight Basement Rec Room

Take a the stairs down from the front hall to reach the partially finished basement. The basement currently offers 408 finished square feet including this rec room with a sliding door to the patio. Along with the finished 408 square feet, there are 448 unfinished square feet in the daylight basement, including the garage area.

Laundry, 3/4 Bath & Utilities

The laundry area, lit by a north-facing window, includes this washer and dryer set. The door to the 3/4 bath is just beyond the washer and dryer. A gas furnace and a small storage area lead to the attached garage. This 3/4 bath is part of the basement's finished square feet.

Garage

Park in the single-car garage, use it for workshop space/storage, or convert it to additional living space. A paved driveway leads from McCarver St to the attached garage.

Grounds

This home with its 2022 roof is set on a 13,052 square foot lot in an Urban Low Scale Residential & View Sensitive District. The hedge area (left/west of the house) is partially on public right of way, but maintained by this property.

Please note: the lot lines shown here are approximate; buyer to verify.

Pink dogwoods, a magnolia, and rhodies border the front patio, provide beautiful blossoms, and create a welcoming entry. A planting strip between the sidewalk and the curb provides an additional buffer from the street.

Steps lead from the back patio up to the side yard where a pear tree and privacy hedge grow. A gate in the hedge connects the yard to the front sidewalk.

Open the sliding glass door from the rec room to reach the covered patio with gated fencing at either end. Head toward the water to reach the open side yard on the north edge of the lot.

This property is an exciting opportunity for someone dreaming of life in Old Town in the midst of Tacoma history, right up the hill from Ruston Way’s beaches and restaurants.

More Information From the Listing Agent

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Want to get more details about this property? Take a look at even more photos and information here.

Come see this Old Town Tacoma home in person to get a feel for the layout, style, size, potential, and location.

And feel free to call or text me, Michael Duggan, at 253-226-2787. I’ll be happy to answer your questions about this property, or talk with you about Tacoma and the local real estate market in general.

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Hi, I'm Michael Duggan, a licensed broker with Windermere Abode. I would love to help you through the home buying or selling process. Please contact me to set up a meeting and get things started. 

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