Tag Archives: Metro Parks

Metro Park’s Star Center

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Metro Parks Tacoma’s Star Center at 3873 S. 66th St., Tacoma, WA  98409 is very nice. Their website says “The 32,000 square foot STAR Center offers a stunning new hall for rentals, a new music and dance studio, a demonstration kitchen, fitness room, as well as a dynamic indoor/outdoor children’s playground with an adjacent party rental space.” What surprised me the most was the Subway Restaurant in the building.  http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/star/

I was there for the kick off of the Prop 1 Campaign. The school bond, which will go on the ballot on February 12th, would provide much needed funding to renovate or replace 14 schools and would also make safety repairs and many other Tacoma schools. The 14 schools are Washington*, SAMI, McCarver*, Wilson, Stewart*, Wainwright, Arlington, Browns Pt., Lyon, Birney, Grant, Boze, Downing and Hunt. The schools with * will maintain their historic character. http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/information/Documents/Proposition%201%20brochure.pdf

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Dometop Community Garden

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The Dometop Community Garden is really something! Located in Roger’s Park at 3151 East L Street, it has amazing view of Mt. Rainier. The garden was created in 2011 cooperatively with the Eastside neighbors and Metro Parks. There is water throughout the raised garden beds and when I stopped in one of the organizers was watering the individual gardens. It was a pleasure to chat with her. The plots themselves are gorgeous and well tended. Scattered throughout there are bits of whimsy and cheerful flags flapping in the breeze. There is a real pride of ownership here. Perhaps my favorite area was the small field of huge sunflowers planted in a boat 🙂

There is a great website that shows the garden being developed. http://tacomadometop.com/mckinley-hill-community-garden.php

 

And this site details all of the area’s community gardens and farmer’s markets. http://www.growlocaltacoma.com/

 

The interesting history Titlow Lodge

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Originally uploaded by Gexydaf
 

 

I took a quick photo of Titlow Lodge today for my new place of the day. The history of the Lodge, which isn’t now actually used for lodging is pretty interesting. When it was built in 1911 it was called the Hotel Hesperides and had 30 guest rooms. The building’s architect was Frederick H. Heath who also designed Stadium and Lincoln High Schools and the Central School Building. In 1926 the property was purchased by Metro Parks and between 1937 and 1941, the top two floors were removed. The building is now being upgraded and is not open to the public.
http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=734

A photo of the building taken in 1977 can be found in the Tacoma Public Library’s Tacoma-Pierce County Building Index.  http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/buildings/bldgv2.asp