Big fan of SoDo Tacoma

So while at Third Thursday last night I think I realized how much I love our area of downtown. I say "our area" because my office is down here. There's a good deal of cool stuff popping up. From 21st toward the base of the hill you start with a couple world-class restaurants in El Gaucho and The Melting Pot. Though the former is far spendier than the latter they both do good business and you can't beat Melting Pot's $8 happy hour fondue at the bar. From there we head past Gallery Madera and on to the refreshed corner soon to house Mary's Burger Bistro and the Tacoma Glassblowing Studio. Mary's colors certainly help brightening things up and the Glassblowing Studio's window full front and often wide open hot shop garage door make it a pretty inviting spot. There's even more art just up the hill at M-Space and The Bronze Works. Back down near Pacific Dragonfly recently sprouted with its amazing, wholesale price jewelery and furniture from Asia.

There's also plenty of great companies that call the area home like Brown & Haley, Elephant Car Wash, SiteCrafting, and Sprague Pest Solutions to name a few. Cross this with some condos up on Jefferson, the Foremost Dairy building sale, and a hopeful clean up with re-structuring that will occur when the Sounder makes its way through to Lakewood and we'll have a pretty spiffy spot here on the southern edge of downtown.

Across 705 from here the Dome District will soon welcome the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train and hopefully the globally unique LeMay Auto Museum. There are also exciting plans to further the area as a transportation hub that will soon more easily connect to spots along the Foss via the new "D" Street overpass and on up the hill to McKinley Park where a master plan will completely make over that potentially spectacular space. Heck, light rail may even shuttle people from here to points all over the area within our lifetime.

So, yea, I'm optimistic. Given all that stuff that's just floating around on the top of my head (I'm sure I missed plenty) wouldn't you be, too?

Comments (3) | To Top

7/20/2007 @ 5:18pm

I am increasingly digging that neighborhood. It has great nooks and crannies to explore, and we've been ending up in the dome area a lot on Sundays when it's the only place with lots of stuff open.

by Jen

7/20/2007 @ 8:33pm

Having brought life to the North End of Pacific Avenue, it is good to see you embark of breathing some more life into SoDo.

They have alot of empty storefronts by the car wash. I bet you will have them filled up with merchants in a year or two.

Carry on Kevin.

Seriously, the F. Square was hopping the other day and is getting a slew of new promising merchants. There is enough room to put 20,000 residents in the Dome District.

by Erik B.

7/20/2007 @ 8:51pm

Jen: You're definitely right. Glad to see Freighthouse open up more to having some fun events and family times.

Erik: I can hardly take any credit for brave business people willing to invest in different spots of this town. I can only hope to open up people's perspectives here and help make budding you businesses and event planner feel welcome.

That and I just plain have fun writing about this stuff and living here in Tacoma.
I also suppose that's my way of saying thanks for the compliment. Just trying to stay modest here. ;)

by KevinFreitas

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Fri. July 20, 2007, 04:56pm PDT

Big fan of SoDo Tacoma

7/20/2007 @ 5:18pm

7/20/2007 @ 8:33pm

7/20/2007 @ 8:51pm

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