Feldman's Neighborhood Profile

Feldman's Neighborhood by CJ Boyd

Spanning from Stone Ave. to Park Ave. and from Lee St. down to Speedway Blvd., Feldman’s is one of the 5 neighborhoods that is only partially in Ward 3. Of the five blocks north to south, and the ten blocks east to west, only the blocks along the north and west borders are in Ward 3, with the bulk (3/4) of the neighborhood falling in Ward 6.

The neighborhood’s namesake is Alther Marcus Feldman, a German Jewish immigrant who was born in 1833, arrived in the US in 1858, and landed in Tucson in 1878. One of many who moved to Tucson because they were priced out of living in California, Feldman and his family left California after losing a great deal of money in the economic crisis of 1873. With what he had left, Feldman purchased a 160 acre chunk of land that was just outside the Tucson city limits at the time and moved his family into the house that still sits at 906 N. First Ave. That location currently serves as the Kappa Alpha Order frat house for University of Arizona students.

The neighborhood’s oldest house was built in 1902 and is thought to be the oldest house still standing anywhere along Speedway Blvd. As in much of the area, construction boomed in Feldman’s in the 1920s as tuberculosis swept the US because the southwest was thought to have the best climate to treat the condition. Feldman’s in particular housed four sanitaria where folks were treated for tuberculosis, with two of those buildings surviving today as the St. Luke’s Home on East Adams Street and what is now the Castle Apartments, formerly Whitwell Sanitorium, also on East Adams Street. St. Luke’s Home is now an assisted-living community for seniors of limited financial means.

St. Luke's Home on E. Adams St.

Before the sanitaria were built for those suffering from tuberculosis, the neighborhood was popularly known as Tent City, Tentville, Lung Hill, or Lunger Hill, because so many of those afflicted with tuberculosis moved to the area from all over the US and camped out in hopes of recovering. According to 36-year resident of Feldman’s, Diana Lett, “Their homes were elevated platforms with half-height wooden walls. The rest of the structure was canvas.”

The Castle Apartments and Vacation Rentals on E. Adams St. 

Compared to some of the other neighborhoods in the area during the early 20th century, the homes in Feldman’s were a little smaller and more affordable. And unlike some of the surrounding neighborhoods, Feldman's did not exclude people from buying homes on the basis of race.

While the neighborhood has been around for a long time, the name actually wasn’t adopted until 2005 when the neighborhoods boundaries were expanded and it was officially designated as a national historic district.  It is now one of just four neighborhoods in Ward 3 to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Besides being along the edge of the U of A, the neighborhood also contains a Montessori preschool on North 6th Ave. and Pima Partnership High School on Drachman St. According to our Ward 3 Chief of Staff, Pima Partnership used to be a grocery store where her dad worked as a teenager. Feldman’s also contains four churches: Siloam Christian Church on Adams St., Campus Community Church on Speedway Blvd., First Southern Baptist Church on Speedway Blvd., and Tucson Chinese Christian Church on Helen St.

A mural on the south side of the University of Arizona's Michael J Drake Building, which houses part of the Department of Planetary Sciences, located on Sixth Avenue and Drachman Street.

Because Feldman's is just across the street from the University, many of the culinary delights within Feldman’s bounds are geared toward the student population, including many fast food chains. There are also a few local spots of particular note;  Zemam’s Too is an Ethiopian eatery on Speedway Blvd., and Wok Fire & Grill is a pan-Asian restaurant on Park Ave. that serves mostly Vietnamese dishes with some Chinese and Thai selections as well.

Many other local businesses are scattered throughout the neighborhood, including local mechanic Wood-Oberholtzer on Mabel St. and 6th Ave., who has been in business for decades and comes highly recommended by our Chief of Staff.

Lend-a-Bone, a non-profit dog rescue located on Stone Ave. and Adams St.

Though the Sun Link doesn't run through Feldman's, it is worth noting Feldman's  connection to the original street car in Tucson built in 1897. Like much of the US before automobiles dominated our cities, Tucson had several street car routes. And when the street car was made electric in 1906, the first person to die falling off of it was none other than Alther M. Feldman, who either fell or jumped poorly and hit his head on a rock.

When asked what she likes about living in Feldman’s, Diana Lett said “My two favorite things about Feldman's are the friendly neighbors and the walkable sidewalks.” Recent arrival to the neighborhood Miranda Schubert said, “I love the location and the mix of residents. Grad students, undergrads, families with and without kids.” The membership and board of the Feldman’s Neighborhood Association is reflective of that mix in that in spans a broad range of ages. Whereas the majority of Neighborhood Associations are comprised entirely or almost entirely of retirees who have the free time to participate, Feldman’s Neighborhood Association enlists members of all ages with no concentration in any particular age bracket.