Tacoma's Parade of Homes offerings

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After tiring myself out mowing our front lawn (push reel mower, remember?) I showered then headed out with Sarah and Angela (of the Fergusons) to see some Tacoma communities on the Parade of Homes. We were most interested in some of the downtown condo projects so we hit those first followed by a mixed community out in Fircrest. Here are my thoughts on each place we visited in bullet form:

Triangle Townhomes
- perched on hill (mimic Italian hillside villiage)
- many funky different angles, design of building certainly not dull
- skinny, winding alleys with some tight areas for parking
- grass and cement used together in alley
- runoff water reclamation
- small lower room inside model unit
- warm interior but too may floors if entertaining (carrying thing up and down)
- fantastic open staircase with re-used old growth timbers
- great rooftop deck/garden patio

Vintage Y
- inside historic former YMCA building
- nice grand stairway
- bland, hotel like hallways
- decent floor layout with open-ended kitchen connecting to main room
- good sized master bedroom and bath
- large, wall-hung AC units in each main room and eye sore
- proximity to neighboring building(s)
- new developments on both sides
- very close, once built much light loss in Vintage Y units

The Bridge
- old HMO facility
- good touches and colors in hallways
- central stairwell in some units not walled off
- original floors in some units make for great patch work texture
- wide kitchen completely open to main room
- good environmental and re-use methods
- nice decks on some units
- good urban feel since building not too tall you feel like your part of surrounding community rather than above it

Commons at Fircrest
- ravenna town home
- hardy plank siding, dark colors fade over time?
- good light from windows
- too much tile in kitchen, not enough smooth surfaces
- decent decks but too close to neighbors
- master bedroom nice size but master bath kind of small
- wall intake vents need painting
- community itself set well back from main roads
- has trails, small play area, and gazibo near wetlands
- for the price, would make a solid first home

For the money, The Bridge offered the best places with thoughtful design and re-use as well as location. Unlike other places we saw today and when we actually were looking to buy, we truly would feel comfortable making an investment in a Bridge condo.

posted by Kevin under mba pierce, parade of homes, tacoma condos