HILLTOP

Where It’s At

The Hilltop Neighborhood is set just where you’d imagine, at the top of the hill starting at the Thea Foss Waterway and rising through Tacoma's downtown. Churches dot the corners of many Hilltop blocks, St. Joseph's Hospital, MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital, and Community Healthcare's Hilltop Family Medical Clinic provide jobs and services, there's even a Link light rail project in the works. The Link will further connect Hilltop to Downtown Tacoma and the Stadium District, providing increased access for those who don’t own a car, or prefer (for all kinds of reasons!) to use public transit.

Community

Volunteer at Tacoma Community House, then head to Johnson Candy Co for a hand-dipped ice cream bar (they’re a must!). Meet a friend for breakfast at Red Elm, spend half an hour at McCarver park for fresh air and mountain views. Pick up some barbecue at Bob’s Bar-B-Q Pit. Enroll in dance classes and summer camps at Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center.

If you’d really like to engage in this neighborhood, understand its roots, its concerns, its causes, and get deeper into what it means to participate in this community, get involved in the Hilltop Action Coalition. The HAC meets monthly in the community room at the Hilltop Regional Health Center during non-pandemic times. For now, catch up with them every Monday on Facebook LIVE for their Virtual Weekly Update. Know your neighborhood! Further your education at an extension of The Evergreen State College located right here in the neighborhood. Take a swim and get to know your neighbors at the People's Community Center, and enjoy the annual Hilltop Street Fair every August.

Origins & Gentrification

The land on which this community is built was purchased around 1869 by the Workingmen’s Joint Stock Association (WJSA) of Portland, Oregon—a group of 11 African American men, two African American women, and one white man. Represented by their president, George Putnam Riley, the group bought 67 acres that became the center of African American culture in Tacoma; we now call that place The Hilltop (source: blackpast.org).

Historically a neighborhood that’s been home to Black families and a center for Black-owned businesses, Hilltop has been populated by a diverse mix of cultures throughout its history from Scandinavian immigrants, to German Russian immigrants, and people of all kinds of American heritage. In the 1980's and 90's, Hilltop became known for gang violence and drug trafficking. This dark period in the neighborhood's history began to overshadow decades of Hilltop being known as a place for families and small business. In recent years, the City of Tacoma and countless community groups have put forth efforts to transform Hilltop back into a safe, culturally-diverse neighborhood. However, this is now a neighborhood feeling the pressures of gentrification. Read more about that challenge and efforts toward creating attainable, affordable housing in this article by Forterra.

Business District

The heart of the Hilltop's business district stretches between S. 19th and S. 9th on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Favorites on MLK include The Fish House Cafe, a tiny blue restaurant serving fried fish and shrimp baskets for decades, Mr. Mac Ltd clothing store (opened in 1957 - read more about this Hilltop icon in this News Tribune article!), Johnson's Candy Company (since 1949!), Lele’s restaurant, and Phở Bac (since the mid 1980s) and Phở King offering inexpensive Vietnamese food. Newer additions to the neighborhood like Red Elm Cafe, and bars like The Eleven Eleven Bar, Zodiac Supper Club, and 1022 S J indicate the ever-changing character of this area.

Hilltop's business district stretches between S. 19th and S. 9th on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Favorites include The Fish House Cafe serving fried fish and shrimp baskets for decades, Mr. Mac Ltd (opened in 1957) and Johnson's Candy Company (since 1949!).

Find murals scattered all over Hilltop including this work by artist Adika Bell at T.U.P.A.C (Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center).

Image from Quickie Too: Family-owned and operated since the 90s, Quickie Too is one of the tried and true, classic Hilltop small business holdouts.

DINING & DRINKS

Pho Bac (Vietnamese)
Pho King (Vietnamese)
Le-Le (Thai/Vietnamese)
Peterson Bros. 1111 (Bar/Pub)
1022 South J (Dining/Cocktails)
Quickie Too (Vegan)
Fish House (Fried To-Go)
Bob's Bar-B-Q Pit (BBQ!)
Bar Rosa (Pizza/Cocktails)
Zodiac Supper Club (Bar)
Broken Spoke (Bar & Barbershop)

COFFEE & TREATS

Johnson Candy Co.
Red Elm Cafe
Manifesto Coffee
Le Donut
Ice Cream Social

HOUSING

Housing in Hilltop ranges from Craftsman, Victorian, and Foursquare single-family homes, to more newly-built homes designed with affordability in mind, to brick apartment buildings, to duplexes, to senior living. Like many areas, Hilltop has experienced a sharp rise in homes prices, making it challenging for many long-time residents to remain in their neighborhood.

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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.