Given its relatively small size, Tacoma’s downtown core is surprisingly rich in assets. The district is anchored at one end by The University of Washington Tacoma campus at the other by the historic Theater District and McMenamins with an expanding light rail system connecting the two. The historic Pantages and Rialto Theaters and the newer Theater on the Square are home to the city’s performing arts, including the ballet, the opera and the symphony.

Downtown Tacoma is also home to a wide variety of museums, including America’s Car Museum, the Museum of Glass, the Children’s Museum and the Tacoma Art Museum. There is an equally diverse array of housing options downtown – from historic buildings converted into condos like the Vintage Y and the Perkins to new waterfront construction at the Esplanade.