“ It’s such a well configured space for the many moving parts of our lives. We’ve both comfortably worked from home without stepping on each other.”
Home: When you close your eyes and think of home are there hardwood floors for beauty and fireplaces to draw people together? Is there a big space to work on creative projects? Maybe you just see four bedrooms and a kitchen where you can sit down for a meal. If you keep imagining, you might wish for two en suites—one for you, one for your auntie when she comes to visit (or one for the best friend you hang out with so much you might as well live together). It could be, when you closed your eyes you stayed outside, found yourself on a sunny deck or reaching up into the green leaves of a plum tree. But go ahead and open them, because if any of that is true, this could be your place.
Reach the farmers’ market in 5 minutes and Point Defiance in 6 from this West Tacoma home between Proctor and Ruston. New solid white oak hardwood floors lead from the entry throughout the upper level, from the gas fireplace in the living room into the primary suite with its private ¾ bath. Head to the deck from the eat-in kitchen or the primary for afternoon sunlight and coffee breaks in the fresh air. Downstairs front windows brighten the spacious art studio/family room and a 2nd suite gives guests the comfort of a private bath.
Young fruit trees grow in the fenced yard with a raised bed for growing veggies, and a big storage shed for tucking tools away. Park your cars and still have space to set up a workshop in the 2-car garage.
Updates Since 2020:
Installed solid oak hardwoods in the entry, throughout the main floor living and dining rooms, the hallway, and in all 3 main floor bedrooms - September 2024
Updated the stairs with solid white oak treads and solid wood trim - 2025
Installed 2 ductless mini-splits for energy-efficient heating and cooling
The exterior unit has capacity for two more heads - could be used to add units to the kitchen + downstairs bedroom, or to the two upstairs bedrooms.
New electrical panel - 2022
Installed LVP flooring in the studio in the finished basement with SMARTCORE underlayment
New light fixtures over the kitchen and dining tables, in the full bath, and in the art studio/downstairs living room
Primary Suite - scraped ceiling and mudded for a smooth coat, repainted ceiling and walls, and installed recessed lighting
Installed new stacking washer and dryer set with front controls
Backyard Updates:
Planted a miniature orchard: 2 cherries - sweetheart and montmorency, 2 asian plums - satsuma and methley, 2 asian pears - shinseki and hosui
Built a big raised bed garden in back: 2" cedar boards, lined with semi-permeable landscape fabric, filled with Premium Garden Blend soil from Walrath Landscape Supply
Front Garden Updates: planted new perennials and a multi-graft apple with about 5 varieties growing on one tree
“We’re in the Sherman Elementary zone and we’ve been very happy with the school, teachers, and community there. The neighborhood is lively with young families that are very welcoming and interested in meeting...The next block up from us hosts an annual block party in the summer and invites neighboring blocks. Everyone looks forward to the all day affair and it’s a great opportunity to chat more with neighbors.”
Pre-inspection: A recent seller-procured home inspection is completed and attached to the seller’s disclosure. Available upon request.
Community: When the homeowners talk about this location, they share about biking to parks, about how easy it is to pop out to the local co-op or Safeway, about heading to the wave pool and cycling home. They’ve experienced the “15-minute city” concept from this location, where every place they regularly go—from the farmers’ market and schools, to healthcare and museums—is within that convenient range.
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.
Upper Level
Living Room with Gas Fireplace
Dining Room
Eat-in Kitchen with Deck Access
Primary Suite with 3/4 Bath & Deck Access
Full Bath
2 Additional Bedrooms
Lower Level
2nd Living Room/Art Studio with Gas Fireplace
2nd Suite with Private 3/4 Bath
Laundry Area
Garage & Grounds
2-Car Attached Garage with Storage Room
Fully-Fenced, Terraced Back Yard
Young Orchard Trees
Raised Garden Bed
Garden Shed
Paved Driveway
Back Deck with Stairs to the Yard
Location - West Tacoma Near Proctor & Ruston
This 1970s split-entry is situated where the West End meets Tacoma’s North End and Ruston. The location is solidly residential, but Pearl Street to the west and Orchard St to the east provide easy connection to groceries, parks, coffee shops, pickleball courts, gyms, restaurants, and schools.
“I am regularly amazed at how convenient it is to get to groceries, doctors, stores, vets, etc. I feel like I can get almost all of the places I need to go within 10 minutes. This has never been my experience in places I’ve lived before and I do feel like our location fits us into that 15-minute city concept. ”
Visit the Point Defiance Rose Garden, just about a 6 minute drive from home.
The Proctor Farmers’ Market, 1.5 miles from 3318 N Baltimore, is a favorite Saturday destination from people across Tacoma.
Though this area of West Tacoma feels tucked away compared to the denser Central and Downtown districts, it’s easy to get around from here. Ruston, where you can meet a friend for coffee and a slice of pie at The Antique Sandwich Co. is just 5 minutes north. Reach the Proctor District—beloved for its Saturday farmers’ market (where we love to buy dried beans and garlic braids from Alvarez, berries from Sidhu Farms, pastries from Midsommar Bakery, mushrooms from Adams Mushrooms, and on and on!), historic cinema, gift shops, and restaurants—in 5 minutes. Get to Tacoma’s 760-acre Point Defiance Park—with gardens, wooded trails, off-leash dog park, a beautiful beach, and the zoo—in about 6 minutes. Heading over to Gig Harbor? Reach the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in about 7 minutes and cross to Gig Harbor, then head north to Bremerton, Poulsbo, Port Townsend, or Olympic National Park.
Stop in at Flying Sushi for bento, soups, sushi rolls, and sashimi less than a mile from home.
If you’ve felt drawn to Tacoma’s North End or University Place, we think you’ll also really enjoy West Tacoma where the Olympic Mountains beckon in the distance, waterfront parks are just a short drive away, and neighborhood necessities are within easy reach. There’s even a public 9-hole golf course to round things out.
Get to know West Tacoma, Ruston, and nearby Proctor in our Neighborhood Guide. And take a look at our list of 20 local destinations to get an even better idea of where this home and neighborhood fit in the wider community.
20 FAVORITE LOCAL DESTINATIONS & SERVICES WITHIN 10 minutes
(Travel times here are calculated for travel by car.)
The Central Co-op is an excellent source for organic produce and bulk foods. No need to be a member—all are welcome to shop!
Groceries & Supplies
1. Westgate Ace Hardware: 0.6 miles, 2 minutes
2. Safeway: 0.7 miles, 3 minutes
3. Central Co-op: 1.2 miles, 4 minutes
4. Metropolitan Market: 1.4 miles, 5 minutes
5. Proctor Farmers’ Market: 1.5 miles, 5 minutes
“We regularly go to Point Defiance Park and Jane Clark Park, often by bike. When our kid was smaller, we’d go to Kandle Park multiple times a week and it is really nice that we can just walk home from the wave pool now that she’s bigger.”
Local Jane Clark Park offers open, grassy play space and a playground just 0.6 miles from 3318 N Baltimore.
Head to Owen Beach at Point Defiance to launch a paddle board, go swimming, take a beach walk, rent a kayak, or for a session in the new Svette Sauna.
Activities & Parks
6. Kandle Park & Wave Pool: 0.5 miles, 2 minutes
7. Vassault Park: 0.8 miles, 3 minutes
8. Highlands Golf Course: 1.6 miles, 5 minutes
9. Point Defiance Park: 2 miles, 6 minutes
10. Dune Peninsula/Ruston Way: 2.1 miles, 7 minutes
Dining & Drinks
11. Flying Sushi: 0.8 miles, 3 minutes
12. Delightful Neighborhood Market: 1 mile, 3 minutes
13. Olympia Coffee: 1.4 miles, 5 minutes
14. Corbeau: 1.5 miles, 5 minutes
15. The Antique Sandwich Co.: 1.7 miles, 5 minutes
16. Coles Bar & Grill: 1.7 miles, 5 minutes
Schools
17. Truman Middle School: 0.9 miles, 3 minutes
18. Sherman Elementary School: 1 mile, 3 minutes
19. Silas High School: 1.4 miles, 4 minutes
20. University of Puget Sound: 2.4 miles, 7 minutes
Entry
Maybe you stopped to pick a raspberry from the patch in the planting strip by the sidewalk on your way, or maybe you visited the little apple tree with as many as 5 varieties grafted to one trunk. Now you’re here on the covered porch where an original sidelight flanks the front door. Wooden address numbers, a convenient mailbox, and a porch light complete the outdoor entry—bring a decorative mat and a big flower pot and it will be just about perfect.
Open the door and take a moment to notice the hardwoods. This oak entry is greatly transformed from the vinyl floor and carpeted stairs you would have seen before. Even the staircase features solid white oak treads and risers installed this year with wood trim alongside.
Living Room
Large, east-facing windows fill the living room with morning light. Enjoy the beauty of solid oak hardwood floors installed in 2024.
“I love looking out the big windows in the living room. Looking out at the trees, the birds, and lots of rainbows during rainbow season. Our neighbor recently cut down a tree which opened up a sliver of a view of Mt Rainier...we actually love looking at the pink evening light on what we can see of the mountain.”
The upper level living room features a gas fireplace, and you'll notice a ductless mini-split for energy efficient heating and cooling installed on the wall. The home offers heating by a gas furnace, and the 2 gas fireplaces as well, but the addition of 2 mini-splits (with the potential for 2 more) gives flexibility for both heating and cooling for year-round comfort.
Dining Room
The living space opens into a dining area with a south window and a doorway to the eat-in kitchen. Oak hardwoods extend from the living room into the dining room, down the hall, and into all 3 upper-level bedrooms.
Eat-in Kitchen
The kitchen includes plenty of space for a 2nd dining area and a sliding glass door to the big deck. The kitchen is finished with quartz counters, an undermount sink for easy clean-up, a west-facing window, and a full set of appliances.
The deck extends from the kitchen to the primary suite with stairs leading down to a lower platform where a jasmine vine blooms, scenting the summer air. From there, it’s just a few steps to the fenced back yard.
“I love looking out the kitchen window into the backyard, seeing the squirrels running along the fence highway. The eagles come around, I love the crows, and other birds that migrate through.”
Primary Suite
The primary suite includes a private 3/4 bath, and a sliding glass door to the deck. Crack the door open for fresh air overnight, and move straight to a comfy chair on the deck in the morning for a gentle start to the day.
Along with this private 3/4 bath in the primary, there's a full bath in the hall, and a second 3/4 bath downstairs, so no fights over who’s been in there too long! Take your time.
Full Bath
A full bath stands in the hall with easy access from the bedrooms and living space. The full bath is finished with a tiled shower/tub, fresh paint, and new lighting.
The upper hall includes a coat closet right at the top of the stairs and a built-in linen closet just outside the full bath for additional storage.
2 Additional Upstairs Bedrooms
Along with the primary suite, the upper level includes this 2nd bedroom (most recently used as a home office) facing east toward N. Baltimore Street. Oak floors continue into the 3rd bedroom at the end of the hall. You’ll find the 4th bedroom downstairs.
Artist Studio - Family Room
“I love my studio. It’s cool in the summer and with the min-split, it’s comfortable in winter. Even though it’s downstairs, I get great light from the front windows (and the occasional deer passing by).”
Downstairs, a spacious 2nd living room with another gas fireplace gets plenty of light from windows facing the front yard. This 2nd living room was used these last 5 years as a full-time art studio. It's spacious and set apart from the activity of the upper level and comfortable all year with the addition of a mini-split unit. The homeowners installed LVP flooring with SMARTCORE underlayment as well as overhead lighting. The paneling is 1970s original and we love the way both the paneling and the brick mantel and fireplace surround retain the character of this home’s era.
Downstairs Suite - Bedroom with a Private 3/4 Bath
Along with the spacious living room, this lower level of the home includes a 2nd suite excellent for a housemate or long-term guests. The suite includes this 3/4 bath with a stall shower. With the other 3 bedrooms upstairs, this bedroom and bathroom are especially private and quiet.
Laundry
Find this stacking washer and dryer set with front controls (installed in the last 5 years) at the foot of the stairs. Hang shirts and store detergent on the wire racks and stash other items in the under-stair storage closet right across the hall. The laundry room and closet complete the downstairs living space, but don’t miss the garage!
2-Car Garage & Back Storage Room
Turn right at the bottom of the stairs into this 589 square foot attached, 2-car garage with a storage room. Along with room for parking, there's space for setting up a workshop, and it's also where you access the water heater, gas furnace, and updated electrical panel. Had you stepped into this garage a couple of months ago, you would have found a printing press and a woodworking area too.
Take the door at the back of the garage into the storage room. With shelving and work surfaces, this storage room helps free up garage space and keep things tidier. Take a door from the storage room back into the garage, or out to the back yard.
Grounds
The fully fenced, terraced back yard includes open lawn, a large raised bed, a big garden shed, 6 young fruit trees, and a Japanese maple.
“We love sitting on the back deck at lunch and the backyard feels like a neverending playspace.”
This mini-orchard is planted with 2 cherries—sweetheart and montmorency, 2 asian plums—satsuma and methley, and 2 asian pears—shinseki and hosui. You'll also find a young apple tree in the front yard, grafted with up to 5 apple varieties.
Decorate the lower level of the deck with pots, and set up some outdoor furniture above. The sunlight lasts long into the afternoon and evening on this west side of the lot. The raised bed is built with 2" cedar boards, lined with semi-permeable landscape fabric, and filled with Premium Garden Blend.
“We put a lot of effort into planting native plants and things good for pollinators.”
The garden shed stands just outside the back door into the storage room. Keep all your pots, garden tools, and lawn mower tucked away in here.
This 2,190 square foot home plus a 589 square foott garage is set on a 7,800 square foot lot with a paved driveway, and a big, fenced yard. With integral updates, classic 1970s features, a practical floor plan, multiple bathrooms, work-from-home spaces, and a garden, this place is ready for you to settle-in and make yourself at home.
More Information From the Listing Agent
Interested in more photos, details, or setting up a showing? We’ve shared a lot, but you can take a look at even more information here.
Come see this West Tacoma home in person to get a feel for the layout, style, size, 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.
Recent Duggan Homes Listings
