Category Archives: Tacoma

Moon Rising Over the Chieftain

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SignI’ve often admired other folks’ photos of the sign for the Chieftain at 3015 South Tacoma Way and today I stopped to snap one of my own in the chilly March air (really snow called for in March?!).

The property was originally Victor Sea Food Products and Victor’s Oyster Bar and George Victor was the builder. It was built in 1946. In 1951 it became Ping’s Garden Chinese Restaurant and in 1953 there was a liquor raid with 41 arrested. In 1954 it became a Larry’s Drive-In Restaurant. In 1971 it became the Chieftain.

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Round Table Pizza

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8566684187_cdbed6c6c8_bLunch today was at Round Table Pizza at 2601 North Pearl, Tacoma. The pizza was good and the company even better. The company was founded in 1959 and there are over 500 locations in Western United States.

Buy some endurance at the Vitamin Shoppe

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8560123527_5c9f605815_zThe Vitamin Shoppe at 3801 South Steele Street, Tacoma is occupying 1/2 of the space that had previously been Petco. I stopped in the store today because I had some time to waste before I picked up dear daughter. I walked out with a bar of citrus soap, some gummy vitamins, gum healthy gum and a power bar. There are over 500 Vitamin Shoppes across America.

Galaxy Narrows Theater, closed

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8556319358_0ccd8f4114_bThe Galaxy Narrows Theater at 2208 Mildred Street West in University Place closed its doors on January 31, 2013, the same day that Meiers House of Clocks closed. This is another place that I just assumed would be there in the future. Over the years we’ve often watched films there and then we’d go to the frozen yogurt place next door (which is also gone). The Keg Restaurant has also recently left the center.

 

Available for Sale or Lease

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8549667873_1db4a84245_bSo I went off in search of cupcakes along Pacific Avenue  today, but the cupcake place was closed and it was raining and I wanted to go home. So I snapped a quick photo of the vacant building. It was driving me crazy that I couldn’t remember what it use to be, but then it came to me. It was a Sea Galley. I never ate at this one, but I did go to the one in Puyallup once. It was something else for a while and its been vacant for a while. There is still one left open in Union Gap, WA.

Ben Gilbert Park

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8541163424_d544d9abd3_bBen Gilbert Park, located where St. Helen’s and Market Street in Tacoma is a relatively large pocket park. The park is pretty cool with native vegetation carefully planted and labeled, a fun owl mural and a stupendous mural showing a gathering of baseball fans in 1926 Tacoma. The fans were there to watch the results of the seventh game of the World Series between the New York Yankees (Lou Gehrig) and the St. Louis Cardinals (Babe Ruth). The park was dedicated on August 14, 2010. The interesting history of the park can be found here http://www.tacomahistory.org/SpecialProjects/Ben_Gilbert_Park.html#

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The UPS Store

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8517885968_a93aa9647cBack in August 2010 I used the UPS on South 38th Street. Shortly after that they moved to their “new” location at 2602A S 38th St, Tacoma, WA 98408. This time we were using UPS’s services to mail off college applications. Hummmmm.

Bing Crosby was born here

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8510838375_821a1f1f49_oBing Crosby was born at this private home at 1112 North J Street in Tacoma on May 3, 1903. He only lived there until 1906 and then his family moved to Spokane. Bing’s most famous song is White Christmas, which has sold over 100 million copies. Although I tend to think of him as a singer, Wikipedia tells me “With 1,077,900,000 movie tickets sold, Crosby is by that measure the third most popular actor of all time, behind Clark Gable and John Wayne.”

Masa

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MasaOn Friday afternoon, I stopped at Masa at 2811 Sixth Avenue for a happy hour with some friends. It was an excellent way to start the weekend 😀

Satellite Coffee is houses in the same space. I had stopped in there in January 2011.

Masa’s website is here

and their Facebook Page is here

The Coolest Basement at Casablanca Apartments

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8486085817_f4d0cd6cce_zThe Casablanca Apartment at 720 North 2nd, Tacoma was originally constructed in 1890, but was significantly remodeled or rebuilt in 1944 by Ray Gamble. The building’s original name was the Lincoln Apartments. During the 18 year (yes, 18 years!) remodel, Mr. Gamble designed the basement level of the building based on tiles he had collected on his international travels. The three story building has 30 units. In the 1960s Mr. Gamble turned over the income from the property to the University of Puget Sound for use as scholarship money.

Tacoma Public Library’s Page on the property includes additional information and photos.

Casablanca