Chinaberry Hill is located in a great walking neighborhood–we are in the heart of North Tacoma’s historic Stadium District (named after the castle-like landmark that you see on the right). There are over 100 homes and structures in the Stadium District that are on the National Register of Historical Places.
Chinaberry Hill’s wraparound porch is a great location for sipping coffee and watching the massive cargo ships and their smaller tugboat helpers. The ships pass almost hourly, many anchoring just below our inn in Commencement Bay.
Wind-swept sailboats dance about these great “iron whales” and tugboats pursue their task with single-minded persistence. One wonders if these creatures aren’t simply an extension of marine life.
Chinaberry Hill is walking distance to downtown Tacoma, five minutes to I-5, University of Puget Sound and University of Washington, Tacoma campus, and the Tacoma Dome, 20 minutes to SeaTac Airport, and just three minutes to the waterfront park on Puget Sound. There are several shops, restaurants, coffee houses and personal services within three blocks of the inn.
Wright Park, 27 acres with a 100+ year old glass Victorian conservatory, is just three blocks from the inn. Several other parks (including Pt. Defiance, a 698 acre rainforest – with trails, beaches, museums, zoo and sea aquarium) are 5-15 minutes away by car.
A 30 minute drive on I-5, 45 minutes on the express bus, or a combination 1 hour scenic ferry ride/drive via Vashon Island gets you to Seattle for a day of shopping and sightseeing.
Boat charters are available locally to tour you around the Sound and its many islands.
Because we are located so close to downtown and on a major bus route, we are a great destination for people who wish to leave their cars behind. An express bus can take you to the downtown Seattle sights and ferries in 45 minutes.
Museums (including the International Glass Museum and Washington State Historical Museum), downtown Tacoma theaters, galleries and several great restaurants are either within a few blocks or a short bus ride from Chinaberry Hill in Tacoma Washington.