The CenturyLink Building at 4818 South J Street is an industrial building constructed in the 1950s. It isn’t open to the public as far as I can see. Century Link provides high-speed internet/DSL service. The website for the company is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CenturyLink
Charlotte’s Blueberry Park at 7402 ‘D’ Street is a 20 acre public park with well over 3,000 blueberry bushes. I’ve never seen so many. There are five variety of bushes and all of them were full of unripened berries. I am sure to be back come July when hopefully they are ripe. The public is welcome to pick the berries, which have no pesticides on them.
The property has been farmed since 1952 and was purchased in 1968 by the Tacoma School District in 1968 for a new high school. The neighborhood opposed the proposed high school and in 1994 traded 23 acres of the property to Metro Parks in exchange for the acreage that became Manitou Elementary School. Over the past few years Metro Parks with the help of volunteers has planted thousands of bushes, installed a paved trail, picnic tables and signage.
The park was named for long-time Blueberry Park advocate and founder of Friends of Blueberry Park, Charlotte Valbert.
The website for the park is here http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/charlottes-blueberry-park/
When we first moved to Tacoma, this 7 Eleven was well ummm a 7 Eleven. Then for a while it was a pretty decent Indian food restaurant. And now its a 7 Eleven again. It is located at 3115 Sixth Avenue at the corner of Sixth and South Alder in Tacoma.
I didn’t realize that Tacos Guaymas Family Mexican Food at 2630 South 38th Street, Tacoma was a chain of ten and I also didn’t realize that it had a drive through. What I did know is that they have really good food that is reasonably priced and plentiful. Dear daughter and I went through the take out lane and purchased dinner (a bean & cheese burrito for her and tortilla soup for me).
The website for the restaurant can be found here
http://www.tacosguaymas.com/tacostacoma/index.html
We wandered over to the Pacific Avenue Street Fair today, but got there too late to see all of the cool old cars. But dear daughter declared that she had to have a Popsicle! Lively Market at 4505 Pacific Avenue had a fairly nice selection of Popsicles including Rice Pudding which I got, but didn’t eat yet. Dear daughter got one of those rocket, multicolored frozen treats. Lively Market was been a neighborhood market (most likely) since it was built in 1923.
I’ve been meaning to stop and snap a photo of the mostly vacant lot in the 2100 block of Pacific Avenue. Today was the day. I put my lens through the chain link fence and snapped away. While writing this up, I thought I’d find some interesting story, but no, not really. Obviously there had been a building, most likely a house, there at one point and the current owners are both protecting their property and potential liability by fencing off the remains. But that’s about all I have. I’d also like to know more about the Bugeye ftb graffiti. I can find other references to Bugeye, but not the origin. Odd.
We were walking back from a performance at Urban Grace Church when I noticed this good looking covered bike rack near City Hall. At first glance I thought it was a bus stop, but no. Apparently the city as installed 96 of these bike racks and in May was named a Bicycle Friendly Community. That’s cool. To read more about it, go to http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=18226
I found myself on Dock Street in Tacoma today and stopped at 1131 Dock Street. I learned a few things about this wooden building that was built in 1929. It was originally a machine shop (and maybe still is?) and had been the home of the Sea Scouts until they moved in 2005 or 2006. It appears that the My Girl Charter Yacht Company is based out of the building. There was a giant puff ball kind of plant in front of the building :).
When I saw that an antique mall had moved into the Clinton’s Music House space at 2301 Tacoma Avenue South, I figured that Clinton’s was gone. But no! When I stopped to snap this photo I discovered that Clinton’s is still there, but in a smaller space. Well, that’s good. Information found on the web says that Clinton’s has been family owned and operated since 1898. They have been at this location since 1964. There is a second location in Olympia.
http://sites.google.com/site/clintonsmusichouse/home
The Asian Pacific Cultural Center had an Open House today to celebrate its new location at 4851 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, WA 98409. The property had previously been the South Park Community Center and the APCC is leasing the property from Metro Parks while it pursues a permanent home. The place was packed with well wishers enjoying food and entertainment. Some of the classes that the APCC is offering look pretty interesting including martial arts, fitness, language classes and summer camps for the kids. Their website says “APCC serves the general public of Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington State, National and International, about 47 Asia Pacific countries of the world and their unique histories cultures, languages, arts, crafts, customs, honor and respect” What a great asset for Tacoma!