This evening the family went to the Field House at the University of Puget Sound at 3326 North 11th Street, Tacoma. While there was a volleyball practice going on, we were there for a college fair. The building was constructed in 1948 and was host to some rocking groups in the 1960s including The Beach Boys, Elvis, Dusty Springfield, The Rascals, Ray Charles, the Steve Miller Band, Steppenwolf and Three Dog Night.
To celebrate Halloween I snapped a couple of photos of neighborhood decorations at an undisclosed house (not mine!). I kind of admire the folks that go all out with seasonal decorations and this house feature a giant pumpkin with three ghosts and a skeleton coachman driving a pumpkin full of skulls.
Rumor has it that Old City Hall at 625 Commerce Street is haunted by a ghost named Gus.
http://www.ghostsandcritters.com/washingtonghosts.html
The building has a varied history. It was built in 1893 as Tacoma’s City Hall (E.A. Hatherton, Architect) and the original jail cells are still located in the building’s basement. In 1959, City of Tacoma offices moved and the building was vacant until 1969. In the 1970s the building was renovated into shops and restaurants and in 1974 it was placed on the historic register. In the 1980s it was converted into professional offices. I even worked there for a couple of years and enjoyed a water view! In 2005 there was talk of converting the property into condominiums. Thanksgiving week 2010 there was a flood brought on by a broken sprinkler pipe. The property is vacant.
The building has a dedicated website here http://www.thestratfordcompany.com/oldcityhall/
A wonderful post of the building when it was new can be found here http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/postcard/postcardfull.asp?db=60#Front
The 43rd Street Bridge at 401 E 43rd St Tacoma Washington is very lovely. My family members actually found this bridge and pointed it out to me. I’ve been waiting for the trees to have some color before using it as my new place of the day. The bridge goes over a railroad track. The lead artists for lovely foliage mural are Chris Sharp and Kelda Martensen.
The Goddess of Commerce Statue at the corner of Sixth and St. Helens in Tacoma has been in place since August 31, 2011. While it is by no means a replica, it is based on a 10′ tall, copper, 1886 statue with the same name. That statue was melted for its copper in the 1940s. The hope is that the creation of this statue will turn the tide of economic downturn for Downtown Tacoma, which I guess means it is a giant good luck charm! Last April Fool’s Day there was a rumor going around that the Goddess had been snatched by thieves to be melted down for her copper! Luckily the rumor was an April Food’s prank.
The piece was created former art teacher Marilyn Mahoney whose other statue is a bronze mermaid on Salmon Beach. The Goddess stands about 7′ tall on a 4′ tall granite base.
Per the link below “The Goddess sculpture symbolizes our rich heritage in many ways. Her face is that of a Native American woman; her dress that of a pioneer. She holds a model of several iconic Tacoma buildings [Old City Hall, the Tacoma Dome, St. Joseph Hospital, the Bostwick Building, Waddell Building, a Pierce Transit bus and the Hot Shop at the Glass Museum]. The model freighter in her left hand signifies maritime commerce; and crane earrings epitomize Tacoma’s identity as a major port. Salmon streaming down her back honors the fishing industry”.
http://tacomahistory.org/SpecialProjects/Goddess_of_Commerce.html
The Goofy Goose at 3702 6th Ave Tacoma, WA 98406 is a Tacoma institution. I needed a place to stop for a bite before a meeting and cruised down Sixth Avenue. I didn’t want a chain restaurant or a fancy restaurant, and the Goofy Goose was just right. The man at the counter patiently went over all the options with me and I ordered the smaller cheeseburger meal, which was plenty of food and very tasty. Next time I think I’ll try their Teriyaki.
The building at 1302 Tacoma Avenue, Tacoma is mixed use property with the Tacoma Avenue frontage having a vacant convenience store/deli and the part fronting South 13th Street having apartments. I remember when the convenience store was open and it never seemed very welcoming to me. Since its been vacant, it has been repainted to a pleasant dark green. The building in 1926.
The place I had in mind for today didn’t work out, but driving around I found this lovely dead-end on South 40th Street just east of East C Street.On the other side of the barrier is a ravine.
There are twelve Cutters Point Coffee Shops, 11 in the Puget Sound area and one in Savannah, Georgia. There first shop was founded in Gig Harbor in 2001. This Cutters Point is at 1936 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA and is an asset to the museum/school vibe of the area. Inside there is a fireplace, comfy chairs, tables to work at and some fun artwork. I like that they have their logo installed on the floor — its classy.
Their website is www.cutterspoint.com/
After our coffee break dear daughter and I went to the Washington State History Museum to see the exhibit on the Great Depression. It was great!
Update 1/2017 this coffee shop has closed
Wright’s Park is very lovely this time of year with all of the fall colors, though it was breezy and rather cool. Today I took a stroll through the park and stopped to admire the 1978 bronze sculpture titled Trilogy by artist Larry Anderson. It is located on an island in a duck pond. Larry Anderson graduated from Tacoma’s Lincoln High School.
