Some Thoughts on the Garden Tour
In the week before the fall Community Garden Tour, I had noticed many of the gardeners at the Franklin Park Community Gardens busily tidying up their plots. Whether the activity was spurred by the upcoming tour or just end of summer clean up, I was proud of our gardeners and feeling fortunate to belong to a diverse, talented, and enthusiastic community of gardeners.
Tour day arrived cool, breezy and cloudy but no rain. The change in season had been striking. Just weeks before lush green leaves covered the ground, but by the date of the tour dry corn stalks were rustling in the breeze above yellowing squash vines.
Arriving before any of the tour-goers, I began thinning fall turnips and thinking of topics to discuss with first time visitors (should any brave the chilly breeze and show up). Should I list our dream projects….a tool storage building, a better fence and lots of sturdy compost bins? Or I could tell them about Della, who had told me just before the Tour, “I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have a garden here, it’s become part of my life.”
Or would people be more interested to learn about the forest of giant sunflowers in the garden corner I affectionately call Little Russia, which I named after Galina, Luba, Shasha, and many other Russian-American gardeners who planted their plots in that corner so tightly that not a single square inch is wasted. Would the tour folks enjoy hearing about our first community garden potluck where we dined on fabulous borsch, tender pirogi, and crunchy kosher dills? Or perhaps I should let our visitors know how much I’ve learned from our veteran gardeners like Jim, Barb, Ilona, and Susan with five, ten, sometimes fifteen years of gardening at Franklin.
When the people (finally) came, the steady stream flowed with folks who had gardened for years as well as those who had never raised a radish. I covered everything I wanted to cover with my temporary garden guests, and—if I hadn’t worn my audience out—I would launch into a description of my favorite way to eat a tomato.
Near the end of the tour, a friendly and inquisitive visitor stopped by my garden. She had never raised a garden but was eager to start. “Can you recommend any good books for a beginner like me?” She asked after copying information down in a small notebook.
I paused, my mind reeling with dozens of titles that might be appropriate, when the right answer came to me. “If you get a plot here at Franklin, your neighbors will be the best gardening teachers around. That’s the way it is with gardeners. The only thing we love as much as gardening is sharing our love of gardening with others.”
Don High’s Favorite Way to Eat a Tomato
On a warm, sunny day, poke around the vines until you find the perfect deep red-orange color, pick it with a twist and a tug and take a bite. The spicy fragrance of tomato leaves will waft to your nose just as your mouth reacts to the acidic sweetness found only in a ripe, sun warmed tomato.
Enjoy your own tomatoes by signing up for a plot at your local community garden. Learn more at TacomaGardens.com.
Don High is a Tacoma garden designer and artist. He gardens at Franklin Park Community Garden, located near the intersection of Puget Sound and S 12th, and is one of two site coordinators there.
40 comments
T Tacoma Aroma December 27, 2007
Though, I’m still confused as to why this merits a “Things are changing in downtown Tacoma!” Seems like the boy crying wolf. Aroma thinks this is interesting stuff but it’s incremental at best.
D drizell December 27, 2007
I’d be happier if they replaced that giant gray monolith with a shimmering blue paint job covering the entire building.
The sign looks nice.
S Sassy McButterpants December 27, 2007
Gosh Aroma, you are so grumpy. I think the new sign is awesome, and exciting! Look, don’t things sometimes happen in baby steps? Change can can be big or small, but I think this is definitely a step in the right direction.
Have you had your coffee yet, pumpkin?
K KevinFreitas December 27, 2007
Thanks for the link, Aroma. Seriously tho, coffee.
So now that the art is coming and the sign is changed, when can I book my room?!
I’m with driz, as well, new building paint job!
S Sassy McButterpants December 27, 2007
Perhaps a shimmery, sparkly, blue would be just the thing!
J JCB December 27, 2007
my kid says “blue with glitter” and offers up her automatic glitter paint gun Christmas present.
I think the sign is cool, but I’m left with a niggling thought “but it doesn’t mean anything?” —I’m graphic by nature, and an S or an H or a BMW brings to mind a product. Variegated blue, though pretty, makes me go “huh?”
D Dan December 27, 2007
Too bad they can’t do a one day makeover on service quality – they are getting hammered on review sites like Tripadvisor for having great looking new rooms and atrocious customer service. Flat panel displays and glass art in the hallway can’t mask indifferent staff, particularly at the rates they are charging.
M Mofo from the Hood December 27, 2007
Probably the best way to view that building is through glass. Get yourself a telescope and look through it backwards.
M Mofo from the Hood December 27, 2007
JCB @7
I’m with you regarding the point of a business sign lacking letters. Images alone do not say anything. That sign devalues language and its role in thinking and communicating ideas or promoting understanding.
I think most of us when we were children were given a set a blocks with letters on them. Most of us eventually learned to combine those letters and form words. Those of us who didn’t learn that, well…
A Andrew December 27, 2007
Dan:
Are you kidding me? That indifferent customer service IS the makeover.
We couldn’t let Seattle have all the self-aware trendy hotels, now could we?
C crenshaw sepulveda December 27, 2007
If the Russell people don’t stay at the Sheraton, do we really expect they will stay at the Hotel Murano? Maybe it would have been better to convert the Sheraton into rich’s Class A office space than to continue to think people will want to stay in an upscale hotel in downtown Tacoma. People, head to the lobby at the Sheraton, walk for 5 minutes in any direction, what do you find? This is a test. Also think about what you need to pass through in order to get to what you can find in 5 minutes walking. If the Winthrop has to be a 4 Star then I’m thinking the Sheraton should go Class A office space.
D Droid16 December 28, 2007
Well, I suppose that for restaurants you could choose from Altezzo Ristorante & Bar, Broadway Grill, Pacific Grill, Sea Grill, Fujiya Japanese Restaurant, Varsity Grill, Galanga Thai Cuisine, Tacoma Club, and Djembe Soul or go for a quick Quiznos sub or Emerald City Smoothie. Most of these are less than one hundred yards from the hotel. This of course doesn’t count the many great places on Pacific on either side that might require a longer hike from Matador to Gaucho.
Your going to have to go about 600 yards to get to the theater district and the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, the Pantages Theater and the Rialto. For the adventurous they could go a little more than half a mile to the Grand Cinema and the Blackwater for coffee and a movie, but the selections are usually worth it. To really get your exercise on, you could walk the mile (come on, you can do it!) to and from the Tacoma Little Theater and take in Wright Park while heading there and back.
If you are here in that classy hotel for the museum visits, the Tacoma Art Museum and the Children’s Museum of Tacoma are approx 500 yards away and if you make it that far, go the additional 500 feet to the Museum of Glass (it’s the Murano, you must) and the Tacoma Historical Society at the WA State History Museum or the Working Waterfront Museum.
Pamper yourself at the Savi Day spa at the hotel or cheat on the Murano by going to Biella at the Courtyard by Marriot.
Of course right next door you have the Tacoma Convention Center. I wonder if there will be any out of town visitors heading there I wonder? Hmmmm. Maybe.
There is also the University of Washington, Tacoma which has had many a distinguished guest in the past and is only increasing in that number.
Plus, if you want to fudge on the walking question, you are right be the link which can take you to the Tacoma Dome and all that entails.
For the Murano’s take on what is nearby check here. http://www.hotelmuranotacoma.com/tacoma-attractions
J jamie from thriceallamerican December 28, 2007
An aside, and not to be a downer, but does Djembe Soul still exist?
J Jake December 28, 2007
I think you can scratch Altezzo, Djembe Soul, and I think the View at the Tacoma Club went back to private member dining.
D Droid16 December 28, 2007
Darn restaurant closures. I forgot about Altezzo being closed but there is still the Hotel Murano Restaurant & Bar. I’ll bet you could replace those three with others. El Toro, Paddy Coynes, Ravenous, The Harmon, The Swiss or for sitting in the trolley, The Old Spagetti Factory. They may not be as close, but they are easily walkable.
C Crenshaw Sepulveda December 28, 2007
There are many great places to eat in the downtown area. It is just that the Hotel Murano has to have the worst location for a boutique hotel in history. I’ve been involved with two conventions that used the Sheraton and to a person they begged us never use the Sheraton again. The hotel was fine, they all said the neighborhood was the problem. Most of the people attending were familiar with convention hotels all around the world and the Sheraton was the worst, in their estimation by far. Sadly we will give the Hotel Murano another shot this spring. We have hopes but it will be a hard sell to convince people it will be better than it was two years ago. My Tacoma pride just can’t take too many more jabs from the people we want to be proudly hosting.
J Jake December 28, 2007
There is progress in the neighborhood. You now have Marcato up the hill (do those people ever leave their condos?), you have the new Villagio II Apartments behind the Murano, MidTown Lofts, the TRC rehab is coming along. Also have Pacific Plaza and the Luzon. So while not as much change as people would like once those projects come others will be right behind.
R Rebecca December 28, 2007
I hate to say this… but I think this will only take of if there is “real” shopping nearby, such as Pacific Place in Seattle. People who are staying in an unfamiliar place (like a hotel!) want to go to shops they know, not necessarily to little Mom and Pop shops scattered all over a city that does not have a great reputation. I’ve seen talk on exit133 about a shopping mall on the old post office parking lot? Love it or hate it, people will GO to the Gap and Old Navy and Williams Sonoma, etc in droves. Walk 5 blocks through a still iffy neighborhood to see Morrocan furniture? Not so much. But I have to admit, there is getting to be a GREAT selection of restaurants downtown. Now they need the shopping to get people out on the streets, and I don’t mean dealers and panhandlers.
A Andrew December 28, 2007
Crenshaw:
You have mentioned the convention problems before. Out of curiosity, did they happen to mention what it was about the neighborhood that they detested so strongly? Or was it just a “We don’t like this area” kind of thing?
E Erik Hanberg December 28, 2007
Andrew,
The problem is that there isn’t much around 13th. It’s two blocks to the Convention Center and the first sign of life (Sea Grill and Pacific Grill) and the other way it’s a dead block until you hit Fujiya and the Varsity Grill. Nothing up hill, nothing downhill. The hotel is stuck in a dead zone of night time activity, which means leaving your hotel at 8:00 at night for a drink is going to be a few blocks before you get anywhere. It’s probably fine during the summer, but the hotel really needs some activity much closer by. I’d love to see them do something with the acres of parking they have on Broadway … a multistory parking structure on the back half combined with more rooms and retail on Broadway might be good for them.
That all said, I was the coordinator for a convention of travel writers in town in 2003 that stayed at the Sheraton, and they were all taken with Tacoma, and we didn’t even have a Link up and running at that point. The specific neighborhood of the hotel didn’t seem to be a problem for them.
C Crenshaw Sepulveda December 28, 2007
Amongst the complaints about the Sheraton were:
Having to pay for internet access, the rooms were expensive enough to include it.
The Sheraton is not in the most inviting part of town. My comment earlier is reflective of this. You step out of the Sheraton and you are in a parking area, followed by a business office district.
No significant night life outside the doors of the Sheraton.
The town seem to shut down at 6 pm.
Long walk to a cafe with wifi, not including Starbucks.
The common view was that the Sheraton was something of a cell block.
There are a couple of places to eat close to the Sheraton. Fujiya comes to mind, nothing quite there that makes people think they are in a town that caters to convention goers. It was mentioned before there are many fine places to eat downtown. It is what you have to pass through to get there that makes it unappealing. Sure you could go to the Sea Grill, it is close enough, but not a fun walk, kind of scary at night, actually.
It is the dead zone around the Sheraton that makes it so unappealing. I’m hoping as the Hotel Murano they have enough to keep people inside the hotel because there just isn’t enough to entice people to brave the walk to the desirable parts of Tacoma. Conventions are a way of showing off your town to the rest of the country and the world. Tacoma has done a very poor job of taking advantage of this opportunity. The site of the Sheraton does not represent Tacoma very well at all and I’m seriously doubting that if they gussie up the Sheraton it will make any difference to the convention goers. I can rattle off dozens of great thing about Tacoma in a minute, ain’t none of them handy to the Sheraton.
Want to make the Sheraton/Hotel Murano more attractive? Make the area within .10 mile of it attractive to convention goers from the get go. Make sure it is attractive to convention goers so they are comfortable in the immediate area and feel free to wander into adjacent areas. And face this, up hill is not where these people will be heading. To give you some perspective the Bostwick Tully’s is .4 miles away from the Sheraton.Do that and we are good to go, as they say on the Narrows Bridge.
B Bell Capt: December 29, 2007
“take a breath, please” these future convention folks and the week to week visitor will find “ safety” & some FUN-trust me on that-I plan to help them in everyway possible to make it memorable and repeatable-“we are good to go” -Period !
E Erik B. December 29, 2007
The Murano will probably move life to downtown than anything in the next year with the 25m rehab.
…safety” & some FUN-trust me on that-I plan to help them in everyway possible to make it memorable and repeatable-“we are good to go” -Period
The Sheraton/Murano are actually in one of the more lively and successful areas of downtown.
There are 4 restaurants within half a block on Broadway. The Murano will likely have two additional restaurants internal. That’s 6.
Then 1 block away is the Sea Grill and Pacific Grill. The walks is lit up and between the convention center and the Sheraton.
B Bell Capt: December 29, 2007
Agreed,Erik B and the Luzon space (retail-lower lever -2 sides. South Parking Garage retail -Pacific & Commerce again an opportunity to place “a Taste of Tacoma” all within walking distance to #1320 Broadway. Be patient-it is happining and Wintergrass 08 and other events are on the calender !!
C Christy December 29, 2007
I’ve done plenty of “gigs” in the Sheraton Convention center and the only complaint I ever heard was that the loading dock sucks!
I’ll miss Altezeo’s but I’m looking forward to seeing what’s new.
And I hate to do another Seattle comparison, but… The Westin, in downtown Seattle also does a bunch of conventions and large parties. Not much around that place, except a really crappy McDonalds. Then a few blocks to walk to decent restaurants and shopping. Plus, the load in really sucks. They seam to do alright.
C crenshaw sepulveda December 29, 2007
Sea Grill, Pacific Grill, Varsity Grill, Broadway Grill, I’m sensing a theme here. Maybe that’s the ticket. We will be known for the grill based dining that abounds in downtown. If it can’t go on a grill it is not worth eating. Let the battle of the grills begin and may the best grill win.
C Crenshaw Sepulveda December 30, 2007
It is odd, the Downtown Merchant’s Group (Exit 133 sponsor) doesn’t even mention the Sheraton area on their website as a destination for those visiting downtown. I hope they do mention the new Hotel Murano on their website as a place worthy to visit downtown. Failing that, maybe some of the previous commenters should be working for them as you seem to have a better grasp of the area then the Downtown Merchant’s Group. How could they miss such a gem of an area? From your descriptions it is positively vibrant and one of the hottest areas in town. A sure bet for a fun filled evening, to be sure.
S Sassy McButterpants December 30, 2007
Mr. Sepulveda,
We have never met, but you seem to have a lot of bitterness about that part of town. I am a repectable young woman and I have been known to walk around there (sometimes stumble, truth be told) late at night without fear of bodily harm or a shortage of things to do.
If we’re going to talk smack about a neighborhood, let it be about somewhere more deserving!
Love,
Sassy
B Burg December 30, 2007
.10 of a mile? crenshaw thats 528 feet, if my math is right, people who travel here come from bigger metro areas than tacoma thats not even a walk to them it’s a skip…. and really; that scary to walk to the sea grill from the sheraton? that might be less that 528 feet?, tacoma is not that bad anymore… and the city does not close down by 6pm we might have a better night life than Seattle just because everything is a lot closer together.
R rich December 30, 2007
Frankly, I don’t put much convidence in the downtown merchant “blaaa” ….they are clueless and focusing on the wrong battles……..and whether they want to admit it, I wish their whinning about outside retail would stop and they would embrace it……so the fact they don’t talk about the area around the Murano, doesn’t really bug me…not to mention, it’s probably better for the hotel that they don’t ………along with the mayor/council I put them in the same blame for the lack of REAL retail in downtown for our outside visitors to shop at…….anyways……just my two cents
J Jake December 30, 2007
Sassy, you just gave yourself away:
“(sometimes stumble, truth be told)”
You must work for the Volcano. ;)
C Crenshaw Sepulveda December 30, 2007
Ms McButterpants,
We probably haven’t met, but it is not entirely impossible. I am far from bitter about the 13th and Broadway area. Quite in fact I see as a vital part of all that is downtown. I am glad to see the area has so many supporters and visitors amongst the locals. The first thing that needs to happen for an area to get better is for people to stand up for it and I’m seeing this in spades. I could be all wrong about my perceptions, maybe the area is doing fine and will only be doing better once the Hotel Murano transformation occurs. Maybe my standards for a workable downtown are all wrong. I wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong and it probably won’t be the last. Far be it from me to go against the prevailing wisdom of the masses.
R rich December 30, 2007
maybe someone will build a mall type retail spot near the Murano for some REAL (names everyone knows) retail to locate for all the out of town visitors………
B Bell Capt: December 30, 2007
This “shift in the text” towards #1320 Broadway” is appreciated. Many employee’s of that address have #20 plus years of “serving others” and are very excited about Hotel Murano and the GIFT it shall be to the City of Tacoma’s guests. “not perfect”, but Proud ,we welcome all of the Exit #133 friends to experience the Hotel Murano. Much is yet to be done to have a finished look, however the BEST IS YET TO COME !
M Mofo from the Hood December 30, 2007
Rich, another great idea with this retail mall downtown. You would think that someone would have built such a place soon after the Tacoma Mall showed the benefits of an enclosed shopping mall. The weather around here doesn’t even come close to SoCal.
Seems to me that a good spot to fill-in is the area between 13th and 14th Pacific Ave.. As someone who has looked at that no man’s land for decades, I’d have to say that the excuse of keeping options open for the site seems weak.
I think the current trend in Tacoma real estate is that if the owner of a property keeps it clutter and trash free then that’s a property owner right to not build on it, regardless if it is on the main street through downtown.
Could someone clarify that? That way people who live in Tacoma can know whether the vacant lots around downtown should just be accepted as private commodities and therefore people shouldn’t get any false hopes for future retail or whatever development.
At some point, and its been decades that some of those lots have been vacant, at some point someone has to break this trend or stalemate or whatever you want to call it.
The only thing that I take exception to in your comment is that the investments downtown have an aim toward out-of-towners. If an enclosed mall is built near the Murano then this could be the complex that houses a supermarket. The locals want that, and a Target Store (I’m thinking broadest possible market/generic department store.) might work because both locals and travellers could buy a pair of socks or an umbrella or sunglasses etc. as needed or for example on the way to sightseeing. Those are some of the common items that I think of when I’m 500 miles from home.
I think you’ve mentioned that a few expensive goods stores are needed for the wealthier shoppers—-I would agree.
The foundation or core retailers is the tricky part to plan. I’m maybe thinking too conservative with the common everyday stores that I’ve suggested.
R rich December 30, 2007
well, the idea of what the “locals” want in the minds of the downtown merchant “bla” is not even close…………..what we really want is what out of towners would want……..plus a great grocery store………..anyways…I think their all smokin dope with their thoughts and it’s funny, the more that they don’t participate with attracking outside retail, the more I shop out of Tacoma……..they are clueless……..if they really wanted to be a success, they would actively participate with attracting outside retail….frankly, it’s their only hope for survival……the downtown marchant group is just as bad as our council and mayor……….completely clueless and working against any effort to attrack TRUE developement of downtown………the leaders of the DOWNTOWN MERCHANT GROUP are CLUELESS!!!!!…………….they are bringing everyone down……….the key to success in downtown is attracking outside developers and visitors to stay……not little mom and pop hair places….given me a break…..bla, bla, bla……….how many local salons do we need……………when are you guys going to wake up and attrack some real retail……hello…how many messages have talked about the visitors in Tacoma wanting real RETAIL….names we all know……..stop the parking insanity………..stop the whinning…let growth hit downtown………………..long, weekend…I’m done…..
C CA December 31, 2007
Count me as another who thinks this neighborhood isnt that bad. Is it perfect? No. But it’s far from being the scary no-go zone some are portraying it as. I’ve stayed at the Sheraton a few times and have found the walk to the aforementioned Broadway restaurants to be easy and quick.(not scary in any way)
R rich December 31, 2007
Oh, as far as safety int he downtown area…except for a few dark places, downtown at night isn’t too bad…….the stairs next to the south parking garage are pretty bad at night, but that should be fixed with the remodel job……..but, the sure way to fix this whole problem is of course to have plenty of feet on the street after dark…especially in the winter……..say some evening shopping followed by late happy hour…..
J Jenyum December 31, 2007
Other than commerce street between 7th and 11th, (and that’s improving) the area is fine, really.
It’s not far at all from the UWT area where there’s The Rock, The Harmon, The Swiss, Cutter’s Point, Taco Del Mar, Hello Cupcake, Renaissance Cafe, and not far at all from The Varsity, Galanga, Fujiya, El Toro, the Pacific Grill, and all of the Theater District.
Maybe a larger problem for convention goers has been getting the word out to them about where to go.
It is true, if you walk down a block to Commerce you could see nothing for blocks, but then you’d be missing the life all around the area.
The bell captain seems to know Tacoma, hopefully the Murano staff is helping people out with where to go.
B Bell Capt: December 31, 2007
Thanks Jenyum for the positive comments. Trust me, we are directing the visitors in a very safe and sane direction daily. With the help of the BIA and the TPD etc., experiencing a “slice of the City” is my personal forte and many others . We are all entering a “new era” in Tacoma and truely the “very BEST is right around the cornor for Tacoma. The positive’s far outweigh the negative’s-do the math !