Tacomarama

Russell Leaves Tacoma in Transition

2009-09-11T15:42:00Z

Often all is not as it seems. This is especially common in business. Perception management is the true art of business, and urban planners of Tacoma, you have failed to sustain the perception that we are on the rise. Wired City, you have listened to a loud minority over the past 10 years and that should now come to an end. Fire up the grit and start reinventing yourself again. Back to the future we go.

Opposite and equal to our local right-wing ideology is the "let's make Tacoma rad!" idealist. They have somehow justified and acted on principles that do not fit our region. Not yet anyway. Link light rail's minimal positive contribution to our downtown has left a trench in the middle of the area's potential commerce. The traffic flow between UWT and "old" downtown near the "old" Russell building is a joke. The idea of keeping cars to a minimum in downtown is a joke. The idea of Tacoma being rad right now is a joke. First comes infrastructure, then comes rad. This is just how it has to work.

Trying to model Tacoma after New York or San Francisco or Seattle is where the idealists' rationale ends and their fantasy begins. We don't have the established bustle of vibrant culture in our urban space and therefore need to focus on the ugly, brick & mortar details like traffic flow, destroying decrepit buildings (no matter their significance to rogue architects), courting big businesses to town, and simply doing all the things necessary to make downtown Tacoma attractive to big business.

Preserve that which is rationally preservable, and think green when convenient, but for now focus primarily on growth. Big growth. Professional services and administration, sure. Better yet, corporate headquarters and influential retail anchors like Whole Foods, REI, Costco, Best Buy, Safeway, Sports Authority, Nordstrom, Macy's... dang, even Ross, TJ Maxx, Ikea or KMart could be a great start!

Boutique shops, record stores, salons and quaint cafes in Tacoma are the true favorites and the overall goal for most people. I still believe these businesses can't make it on their own. You can't have business without traffic. We have little traffic because we have few significant retail businesses. Chicken? Egg?

We slow the creation of profitable traffic when we cater to students and alternative methods of transportation. Most people would certainly agree that, in a perfect world, public transportation and walking or biking to work are all preferable to the single-occupancy vehicle operators clogging our thoroughfares. Cars are ugly, they're loud and they smell funny. Unfortunately, they are also the primary means for people to buy things and take them away. It's awfully hard for a guy to buy a TV or a computer or even a new wardrobe and take it home on his bicycle.

Tacoma seems an incubator for one thing and one thing only: food and drink. Why are bars and restaurants the only noticeable, new downtown businesses? NOT counting schools or government, try to come up with 5 significant, downtown retailers currently in business. I asked a few people to answer quickly:

    "That cool antique toy store... you know the one I'm talking about? Um... retailers?" - N.C., Lakewood resident

    "[laughs] 5 BIG retailers? In downtown Tacoma? Um... goose egg." - P.C., route driver in downtown Tacoma

    "Bullseye shooting range sells stuff." - C.O., local web designer and prior tenant of downtown Tacoma office space

    "Ha! This isn't gonna be quick. Significant? LeRoy Jewelers?" - C.T., commercial real estate broker in South Tacoma

Extended sighs and pauses followed all of the above comments. The one person I asked who did name several downtown retailers included many that I certainly do not consider significant. If you succeeded in naming 5, my guess is that you either work downtown or you are currently enrolled at UW Tacoma or Bates Technical College. Most of us have a tough time naming 3.

The previous era of progress has waned; it is now time to fortify our stronghold. Repair, replace, regroup and reclaim. If you're purebred Tacoman, you've been through this before, at least twice. For those of you who suffer from a "staying the same, means going backwards" mindset, think of this as a lateral move toward future success. Enhancing Opera Alley, the museum district, the light rail line, the north end of Pacific Ave or the Dock Street waterfront are all possibilities for commercial improvement. I say we start with one area and FOCUS on it. We need a large capacity for moving automobiles quickly and in large quantities, we need convenient proximity to freeway ramps and we need parking. We do NOT need more rail lines, bike lanes, parks or high-dollar condos.

P.S. Russell Investments, good luck in Seattle. I hope that aside from allowing you fancy, new digs, WaMu's demise has also taught you plenty about deception, smoke n' mirrors, and the idiocy running rampant on Wall Street.

Town Hall Meeting

2009-08-25T18:36:00Z

I'm from Tacoma. The area where I grew up is now called Lakewood, but it was Tacoma when I lived there. As a result, I've kept a close eye on what's been going on since the incorporation. Something big is brewing in L-Town tonight.

A town hall meeting with US Representative Adam Smith is scheduled to take place in Harry Lang Stadium (formerly Lakewood Stadium) tonight, August 25, 2009, from 7 - 8:30pm. The meeting was originally planned for a smaller venue, but the overwhelming interest in health care has attracted hoards of local residents to the conversation. Aside from moving the meeting to a STADIUM, it is also necessary to RSVP if you want to attend. Call (253) 593-6600 for more information.

Personally, I will plan on being nowhere near there. If you should happen to be in attendance for the ruckus, please remember the following:
    a) a summary email to admin@northtacoma.net
    b) camera
    c) kevlar vest
    d) combat helmet

Bike Lanes on 21st Street

2009-08-17T16:00:00Z

The new bike lanes on North 21st Street are a good idea. Barely. The road is wide enough, and they were able to add turn lanes at some crucial intersections where drivers under highway hypnosis still insisted on sitting and waiting to turn left at green circles, while corking the traffic flow behind them for blocks.

The number one goal of all roads should be to make traffic flow smooth and fast. Many people believe safety should be the first priority, but I emotionally disagree. Every area, no matter how residential the idealist would like it to be, needs thoroughfares. Those who are concerned with pedestrian safety should certainly not be walking on North 21st. Even the bravest of walkers would agree that there are much better roads for walking than North 21st; it has always been and always will be a major arterial across the north end. Personally, I'm afraid that this road will be dangerous for cyclists, even after the lines are painted. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

Only Way to "Save the Luzon"

2009-08-12T14:56:00Z

The Luzon issue is really starting to get old. How many different groups do we want to look at this before we move in one of many new directions? Personally, I would've given up on it long ago. Unlike most of you reading this, I've been here my whole life and the massive void in the middle of downtown created by the DaVita parking lot and the Luzon building has long worn out its welcome with me.

On the news of Igor Kunista moving in to try and save the day, I will wait a small while longer before calling for the outright demolition of this dangerous, useless structure. If we DO want to continue pondering ways to salvage the Luzon building, then I will offer my final idea on this matter.

Are you familiar with The Brooklyn Seafood, Steak & Oyster House in downtown Seattle? It is a rather upscale restaurant in a rather small, very old building adjacent to the relatively new and magnificent Washington Mutual Tower on 2nd and University (The WaMu Tower may now be called the Chase Tower, but you won't ever hear me call it that). The old building that houses this fine restaurant reminds me a lot of the Luzon building.

When the WaMu Tower was built, they kept the little old building on the corner and even incorporated it into the new building, providing it with STRUCTURE and PARKING and a PURPOSE!! Anyone who wants to save the Luzon should take a close look at the Brooklyn.

In the picture below, you can see the Brooklyn's old building incorporated into the base of the new super structure. From the street level, it works seemlessly, and the precious architecture from yesteryear is preserved.

Seaweed, Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, 8/7/09

2009-08-05T20:00:00Z

Tacoma's greatest band is playing The Crocodile Cafe in Seattle on Friday August 7, 2009. They bring their powerful brand of pre-grunge punk to the Emerald City amid suspicion that they are prepped and ready to embark on recording a new album. Hopefully we'll get more information on that in a couple days. Last week they played Portland, so expect them to be ready and firing on all cylinders.

Dave Hates Chico @ The Spar

2009-07-31T18:22:00Z

My old friend Jeremy Johnson is coming to The Spar this Saturday, 8/1, with his bandmate, Kevyn Smith. They are Dave Hates Chico and they promise to pull out all the stops for their worldwide, exclusive North Tacoma debut. Check out the link to hear their new song.

Jeremy and I used to devour pairs of sandwiches together from the famed, and now defunct Raindancer sandwich shop in the University District of Seattle in the mid 90's. This was our ritual: he would ride his bicycle from Queen Anne to my house in Wallingford with his guitar strapped to his back (I always thought that was super cool) and then we'd go snatch up a bag of sandwiches pre-jam. I've played guitar with many people and I've eaten Raindancer sandwiches with many people, but NO MAN could do both with as much fervor as Jeremy. Further, no other man explored the entire sandwich menu so completely. He even renamed most of the sandwiches for our purposes to aid in identifying their effects on the human body.

Dave Hates Chico has recently toured the country and their new EP "Floatin" is available now. Aside from playing great music, these guys are on a crusade to sort out the mess created by the music licensing business. Venues in Seattle are forced to pay licensing fees for cover songs played under their roof, and it is killing the live music scene in the process. I support Jeremy and Kevyn in all of their endeavors.

If you're at The Spar and you don't like this band, I will buy you one (1) pint of Hale's Cream Ale, or another beer of equal or lesser value for your troubles. Once you've finished your free beer, I will show you the door.

Attention Google: You're in Trouble

2009-07-29T07:09:00Z

HI, YOU'VE REACHED THE NEWLY CONJOINED SEARCH MONSTER OF MICROSOFT AND YAHOO, FEATURING AMAZING DAILY PHOTOGRAPHY, AND A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL CONTENT TO COMPLEMENT OUR TRADITIONAL WEB SEARCH FUNCTION. WE WILL WORK FROM A COUPLE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AND MAYBE EVEN PROVIDE SEARCH RESULTS THAT CHANGE REGULARLY AFTER INTERACTING WITH USERS TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY ACTUALLY GIVE A SHIT ABOUT IN SEARCH RESULT PAGES! PLEASE LEAVE YOUR MESSAGE AFTER THE TONE......... BING!!!

"Hey, Google here... We're not happy about this at all. It looks like we should have focused on improving our look, our search algorithm and our online advertising program a long time ago. At the very least, we could have taken a few more bong hits, watched Star Wars a few more times and just bought Yahoo ourselves. Unfortunately, we've been super busy with our head up our ass creating a million new things for which many people could certainly care less. What do we do now?? Photos are cool, right? Hey, have you seen the truly lame ground photos we've taken of practically every street in the world? That's almost cool, right?"

Pizza, Coffee and a Suntan To Go.

2009-07-24T13:32:00Z

I remember staring across Union at Poole's Nursery on 6th Ave, wondering what if anything could ever revive that corner. It didn't take long before Poole's emerged in a far more industrious form, now known as Poole's Corner. 3 stories of commercial energy rose out of the little corner, giving life to a host of businesses. Farrelli's Pizza, Origin 23 and Bahama Tan provide a little retail something for everybody on the ground level, while offices buzz overhead.

The center has become so busy that I am usually forced to park in the underground garage (free) because all the street-level parking spots are full. Farrelli's pizza is quite good, and the kitchen is open late every night. This is a huge bonus if you like midnight hot wings. Origin 23 (previously Firehouse) is home to coffee, snacks, gelato, wifi, and big tables, which naturally caters to UPS students, and anyone who despises the thought of contributing to the coffers of Hanoi Howard and the rest of the clan at Starbucks. Bahama Tan rounds out the bottom floor, and provides a pre-vacation tanning solution or a prophetic glimpse into the future of skin cancer; you make the call.

The little nursery is long gone, but the Poole name lives on safely for generations to come. For this corner, the building style works. I'm just not sure how many of these mixed-use buildings we want on 6th Ave. The concept usually gets rave reviews from our local, developmentally conscious (hippy, urban, art) people, but if they continue to pop up everywhere, we are left with nothing but a multi-level strip mall. Thoughts, anyone?

Downtown Tacoma Via Puyallup River

2009-07-21T17:11:00Z

If you're like me, you've often wondered what it would be like to take a kayak down the Puyallup River. Your ship has come in. This article and subsequent video should provide everything you need to know when taking this safe, fun journey through the wilds of Pierce County. You can park cars behind the Puyallup Fred Meyer on River Road and drop boats in the water under the bridge to Hwy 167. There is a nice sandy beach under the bridge, perfect for this sort of thing.

We left the other car at The Dock building on Dock Street in downtown Tacoma and it took us about 4 hours to connect the dots. 2 1/2 hours of the trip is like riding an escalator - very relaxing and calm. The last hour and a half did involve a pretty good paddle, but only because of the way we timed the tide. Surprisingly, when the tide is coming in, Commencement Bay actually backs up into what appears to be the last mile of the Puyallup River. So we were effectively paddling upcurrent and downstream at the same time for awhile, even though that really doesn't make sense until you're there.

You loop around the Simpson Lumber Mill (the one with the smokestacks and giant sawdust piles in the middle of the port - this is a site to behold if you've never been close to it) and cut across Commencement Bay to Dock Street.

I highly recommend this for anyone with a kayak in the Tacoma area. It's just too easy and convenient to pass up. The river level is high right now because of all the warm temps and mountain runoff; I assume this is key to the whole operation. Obviously, if the water level is low, the conditions will change drastically, and you may end up carrying boats over sandbars in spots.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO of what we encountered. Good luck, and please drop us a line if you try it.

Much Ado About Nothing

2009-07-18T23:02:00Z

Many people are saddened by the news that the Little Holland in Fircrest is closing. Personally, I'd be more disappointed if another one of my pets' toys disappeared under a couch. The Little Holland's building is in the way of a new commercial complex, and I assume they are being bought solely to clear space for this new business center. I find it amusingly ironic - the place that never had enough room for its patrons to park will now be bulldozed to make room for parking spaces.

In fairness, I should mention that the Mikie Burger was a very servicable "Smitty" type burger featuring a slice of Canadian bacon. This burger was delicious. Unfortunately, 75% of the time I visited them they were closed. They ran the goofiest schedule I've seen in the fast food world. If you happened to find them open, you would likely park a block away, walk down Center Street, place your order with some grumpy, old attendant and then wait 10 minutes for your order. They only had enough seating for a few people, so you were then forced to walk a block back to your car to eat. Fun. I haven't been in over a year.

Because the business was sold for a good chunk o' change and not simply forced to go under, I feel comfortable saying, "good riddance." Take your money from the sale, and don't open anything else.

Tacoma Housing Prices Lit to Pop

2009-07-06T17:29:00Z

Ask and you shall receive. I've been begging the Gods of Density to shine favorably on our fair city, and they've finally responded. The single most important economic indicator to the private sector is on the mend. If you've been paying attention you could already sense that perceptions were improving, but this was a very nice surprise. I'm not a link forwarder by trade, but this article on national housing markets is just the best thing to land on Tacoma in a long time.

If you love The City of Density like I do, then you should not be too surprised that experts are predicting Tacoma, Washington to be the top performing housing market in the country over the next 5 years. Median property values are expected to increase 20% or better over that period. Friends, this makes me smile.

Get your house in order to sell or your finances in line to buy, and spread the word to anyone you know with somewhat of an interest or a stake in Tacoma property values.

Mandolin Cafe Kitchen Open Now

2009-07-05T20:31:00Z

Without further ado, you are welcome to stop in for a meal at the Mandolin Cafe. They have done what few others have - the simple, the obvious, the lacking-in-Tacoma - free wi-fi, big tables, good coffee AND GOOD FOOD. Why is it so hard for restaurateurs to figure this one out?

Hopefully, Mandolin Cafe and The Spar will continue to lead the way toward a new kind of restaurant. Classic dining is a dying concept, in my often humble opinion. Who wants to sit idle in a restaurant while you wait to order, wait for your food, wait for your check, wait, wait, wait... Can't stand it. Give me laptop or give me death!

Now if we could just get an authentic bagel shop with wi-fi in Tacoma proper...

Wednesday on the Water

2009-07-01T23:45:00Z

It is going to be a great night down on the Ruston Way waterfront. The temperature is perfect, sun is out, sailboats should be everywhere.. Wednesday on the Water is just one of many reasons why summers in Tacoma are as good as anywhere. Kayaks, rafts, paddle boards and power boats are all great fun out on Commencement Bay.

For those of you who may be new to kayaking or looking to learn more about kayaks, please hit up Backpacker's Supply on July 12th. They are running a free kayak demo (Paddlesports Demo Days at Owen Beach/Point Defiance). Take advantage of this rare opportunity to try several different boats! There is no better way to find the best boat for you than to compare different ones back to back on the same day. Free.

Happy paddling.

Anatomy of a Breakfast Sandwich

2009-01-31T01:16:00Z

It almost seems too easy. But we often take things for granted, so I'm gonna roll with it. Maybe everybody doesn't know how to make a breakfast sandwich? If by chance this is you, here ya go:

- Fry thin, ground sausage patty in a pan until crispy.
- Melt cheese on sausage patty for last couple minutes of cooking.
- Lightly toast english muffin.
- Place cooked sausage and toasted, open-faced muffin on a plate in a warm oven.
- Scramble an egg and add to finish off the sandwich

Other great substitutions include bacon, ham, sausage links, lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, cream cheese, steak, hamburger.. just about anything. Meat or egg must be in there to officially qualify as breakfast at my house, but to each his own.