Gentrification

But for many longtime small-business owners, rising rents, changing demographics and ongoing construction have made it harder to stay.Among them is Luz…

Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood is a place where generations have raised families, where small businesses have blossomed and where art intersects with your local corner mart. But it's also a neighborhood where residents have faced systemic racism in the form of redlining, where the FBI monitored the sidewalks in the late 90s, and where gentrification is displacing longtime residents.

Umi Wagoner says he’s not a scone guy. Wagoner is, however, a lifelong fan of The Taste of Tacoma, an event traditionally held over a summer weekend, in Point Defiance Park, with food vendors, arts and knick knacks for perusing and live music.