Author Archives: admin

Art Lives at Dick and Jane’s Spot!

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IMG_1689.JPG by Gexydaf

We go through Ellensburg, WA a couple of times a year and often stop to admire Dick and Jane’s Spot at 101 North Pearl Street. I’ve not seen a better collection of joyful folk art! Dick and Jane purchased the house in 1978 and began to add folk art (theirs and other artists). Dick passed away in 2008, but Jane continues to live in the house.

Their tag line is “Art for the heart, from the heart, in the heart of Washington”.

Their story can be found here:
http://www.reflectorart.com/spot/index.html

Charles D. Lancaster Temple

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Built in the 1960s, the Charles D. Lancaster Masonic Temple at 4814 108th Street SW in Lakewood, WA is austere. While I’m sure it is to their advantage to have plenty of parking, the site would aesthetically benefit from some landscaping. The top photo shows the building from the front and the bottom photo shows it from the rear.

http://www.grandchapterofwashington.org/12_grand_chapter_chapters.html

Mr. Mac has moved, but not far

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Mr. Mac by Gexydaf
Mr. Mac, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

I’ve long admired the shiny black tile that fronts the building now occupied by Mr. Mac (1124 Martin Luther King Jr. Way). The space had previously been occupied by Cost Less Wholesale. Per their sign, Mr. Mac features the latest fashions and shoes for men.

Engine House No. 9

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We went back to the 6th Avenue Farmer’s Market today, but I had already used that as my place of the day.  When I looked around, I realized the market was right smack in front of Engine House No. 9 (E9) .  I love E9!  It is a restaurant/brew pub situated in a beautifully restored 1907 fire station.  The Engine House moved out of the building in 1965 and it was remodeled as a tavern in 1973.  The property was placed on the national historic register in 1975. Microbrew beer was served here as of 1984 and it became the first non-smoking tavern in Pierce County in 1992.

http://www.ehouse9.com/index.php

 

Yakima Avenue Garden, a community garden

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Tacoma is lucky that it has so many community gardens. Today I stopped to take a photo of the Yakima Avenue Garden on Yakima Avenue, just north of South 48th Street. The garden has 19 raised beds, most of which are full of veggies.

www.growlocaltacoma.com/gardens/156/yakima-an d-s-48th

www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_1259400874 22074

Fred Meyer has pretty much everything!

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While reading over the Sunday paper, I noticed that Fred Meyer at 6305 South Bridgeport was having a sale that included a tech gadget I had been needing. And I also needed groceries and the kid was demanding new sheets (something about a huge hole in hers!). Luckily Fred Meyer’s seems to have it all. The Fred Meyer in University Place is a newer building and is well maintained. Its a bit further for me to drive, but seems worth it to me.

http://www.fredmeyer.com/

 

The View at Day Island

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Today was Day Island‘s annual, community garage sale. Day Island is accessed via bridge and with the exception of a marina it is exclusively residential.  It looks to be a lovely place to live.

 

Fire Station No. 8

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Fire Station No. 8 by Gexydaf
Fire Station No. 8, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

Tacoma’s Fire Station #8 at 4301 South L was built in 1909 and ceased being in 2006 when a larger station was constructed nearby. It is now a private residence.

The City of Tacoma placed 11 individual fire related properties (9 stations, 1 ship and an alarm system) on the national historical register in 1983. The nomination form is located here:
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/64000904.pdf

Use to be the Hillside Grocery

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Use to be the Hillside Grocery by Gexydaf

I hate when I go to find a new place of the day and the building isn’t there! I went to 1602 South G Street in Tacoma to see the vacant Hillside Grocery, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building that isn’t there was built in 1889 and burnt to the ground in 7/28/2009. The building began as a Estil K. Christie Grocery Store and residential rooms and over the course of its existence it has also been the Wm. Schnack Grocery Store, Nelson W. Caldwell Grocery Store, Florence Ellis Grocery Store, Thomas F. Ruckman Grocery Store, Burns Grocery Store, Orville L. Cary Grocery Store, Seizaburo Kinoshita Grocery Store, Carl Schievelbein Grocery Store, Corner Grocery Store and most recently as the Hillside Quickie Market. To see the building as it use to be look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Building_at_1602_South_G_Street.jpg

Gas Pump Happy Hour!

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Gas Pump Happy Hour! by Gexydaf
Gas Pump Happy Hour!, a photo by Gexydaf on Flickr.

With all the street improvement getting around Pacific Avenue and the Dome District is a little tricky nowadays, but early this morning I did just that. And I was rewarded by this most excellent sighting of a vacant lot on the corner of East 26th & C Street. The lot is full of gas pumps! They are mostly branded Shell and 76. The lot is well secured with a barbed wire fence.