Southward Ho ...
Supposedly there will soon be an iPhone application that uniquely utilizes the camera feature in tandem with GPS and Google maps. Standing anywhere one will be able to hold up their phone and “scan” around themselves to locate listed food, drink, and entertainment, etc. Distance filtered tags will appear onscreen with links to reviews, store/restaurant websites, menus, phone numbers and zodiac signs.
While this application will I’m sure come in very handy when I am visiting foreign hoods and searching for vegan food for my girlfriend, I already find it slightly terrifying that my computer has grown into my pocket. Add to this, the iPhone is making its way up and into my sightline as I simply roam about in search of nutrients, and I’m starting to feel that soon the internet will intersect with every part of my waking life. It was my choice to own a smart phone … but I still want to believe there is a world worth experiencing offline.
If I were to walk outside of my current home on South 11th and Tacoma Ave and hold my phone up in search of lunch, not only would I be in danger of loosing my phone to an observant opportunistic crack dealer, but strangely enough, not much would appear within a three block radius.
North one block there is the 911 Deli, Corina’s and beyond that four or so blocks Yu’s Teriyaki. North east (beyond PSP of course) would display a 5-8 block walk to a nice conglomeration of north Pacific Ave restaurants. East I would find a four block walk to Galanga, El Toro and Fujia and a 8 block walk to Pacific Grill. South (east-ish), my options would read as a 10 block walk to the Swiss, Two Koi, Old Speghetti Factory, Indochine … Woody’s on the Water … now we’re at like 15 blocks. West we have a BBQ pit and … nothing (?) till you get to the taco truck on 12th and Oaks.
From memory (without the use of my iPhone) I have determined that there are 15-20 places to eat within a 15 minute walking distance. Not bad considering that most of the other types of businesses I will pass on my walk will be legal, bail bonds and banking facilities. Downtown is beginning to read like a large correctional meets financial district, a schizophrenic utopia, hobbling out of its shady past into the bright future of commercial intrigue. This type of analysis always brings me to the question of where I belong in all of this. Really, the question I’m asking is: “where will all the art dorks and musicians live?” Because as diverse as I hope to be, wandering around amongst the extremes of high-finance and criminal poverty has brought me little relational joy of late.
Linda Danforth (founder and patron of the Tacoma Arts Place non profit) called me recently to ask what I’m willing to pay for live/work space and how many square feet I require. She claimed to be doing research for a group of individuals attempting to renovate a brewery district building. Were I to stand in the heart of the B.D. and scan the surrounding territory for food, I would find that I lived at the edge of the developed world per se, that meaning that all approximate food sources would be in the direction of downtown and the Dome.
As Tacoma grows southward (that being the only way it can grow due to its peninsulaic form) living on the edge will mean rediscovering the Nalley Valley and the South Tacoma way. Not that I mind … I’d like to think I actually belong on the edge for now … until I’m rich enough to think otherwise, or too old to handle it … in which case I will move in with one of my multiple children, who’s internets will probably prevent them from speaking to me entirely. I will be satisfied with texts and emails directing me to the local bingo halls and virtual bowling alleys. By then I’m sure Tacoma will have a bustling art community, and Portland will wish they were us for a change.
8 comments
E Erik B. July 30, 2009
Downtown is beginning to read like a large correctional meets financial district, a schizophrenic utopia, hobbling out of its shady past into the bright future of commercial intrigue.
Nice.
N nosaturn August 1, 2009
i know its not the point, but my G1 has had those applications for a long while….
A Andrew R Campbell August 4, 2009
I’m left a little bit confused about what we’re supposed to take away from this. Is the complaint that Nalley Valley doesn’t have places to eat? I think it would be hard to argue that South Tacoma suffers from a shortage of food choices- at least the people that live there aren’t afraid to use their cars. I don’t think that there has to be anything wrong with areas like Nalley Valley forgoing the pedestrian/residential amenities. Places like Bob’s are anomalies in those Industrial areas and they do occasionally find roots there but for the most part, the area has been dedicated to heavier use.
I’ll certainly agree with your assessment of the downtown dining/living situation. The brewery district in Tacoma is one of those spatial mismatch anomalies that has a LOT of growing to do before it can support much of anything. It feels so isolated, but realistically, there’s so much potential there. A market, some additional office uses and a little student housing at least could foster some really significant changes in that part of the City.
C c.rae August 5, 2009
Mmmm. Marcia’s Silver Spoon is a delicious place to eat on STW.
M Mike G August 7, 2009
I just have a few questions for Daniel, since he is one of my favorite authors.
1. How long have your had your IPhone?
2. Is Blue your real last name, or did you make it up because it sounded cool?
3. How long have you lived in Tacoma?
4. Who is your favorite writer and why?
5. Do you have any weight loss tips? I’m having some trouble.
Thanks,
Igor
K Kim Burgess August 12, 2009
Your envy for mr blue is as obvious as your lack of creativity.
It is so easy to complain while hiding behind sarcasm and the first letter of your last name.
Say something real. You are a coward, botching humor to insult a man you do not know in a way that cannot be traced.
Mike G, you are weak and your thoughts are a mumble above the vibrations of the faceless mass.
The only thing you have going for you is that some part of your soul brings you back to this author over and over again. No matter how much you claim to hate him, you just can’t stop reading, can you?
R rick August 13, 2009
Kim! Kimmy! Kimberly! Easy, sister (or is it mom? girlfriend?). Whatever your relationship (or desired “relationship” <insert wink emoticon here>) to Mr. Blue, I was moved by your critique of Mike G’s critiques of Daniel’s writings. I hope things work out for you and Daniel.
As for your opening line, Kim, I personally don’t see any envy whatsoever in Mike G’s post, or in his prior posts. Mike’s contempt for some of Daniel’s essays is pretty clear. No envy. And, from where I sit, Mike’s writings are at least a little bit creative. Real, too (and a bit amusing).
Your assertion that Mike is a coward could be up for debate. If he is keeping his last name a secret because he doesn’t want the world to know that he can occasionally be a bit of a critical asshole, well, that’s just the nature of blogs and comments these day. Cowardice isn’t the issue. However, if you or Daniel are challenging Mike to a duel, or a swordfight or something, and he still will not come out from behind his keyboard… then guilty as charged I say.
Your fourth paragraph, is a bit confusing. And by confusing, I mean that it makes no sense. Of course, I get the part where you say Mike is weak (which, it should be noted, is another baseless accusation), but the rest of it is jibberish: “…and your thoughts are a mumble above the vibrations of the faceless mass.” Please dear god [God, gawd, etc…], tell me you’re not a creative writing type, er, artist, too… [sigh].
That final paragraph is full of holes, too, I’m afraid. I’m not sure how you conclude that Mike has nothing going for himself. For all we know, Mike G could be a famous researcher, or a doctor, or a lottery winner, or the world record holder in the 10K speed walk, or an editorial cartoonist. Any of those are plausible, and would be really neat, and indicative of something going for himself. Hard to say. I’m just going to go out on a limb and say I think Mike G does have SOMETHING going for himself – and we can at least agree that the probability of my statement being true is way higher than the probability that your statement is true. That’s a statistical probability based upon the information at hand, anyway. I suppose it’s possible you have additional information on Mike’s “nothing going for him status” that doesn’t come through in your post.
Lastly, at no point does Mike use the word hate. He simply indicates a dislike for DBs written works. It isn’t really a fair argument to fabricate a person’s statement or position, and then launch into a harangue on primarily that basis. Tsk, tsk.
Now that I’ve completed my critique of your critique of Mike’s critique of DB’s essay(s), I would like to add a couple points.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve certainly been critical of DBs stuff in the past, but at least got to the point where I admired his willingness to put his stuff “out there” so to speak. That he’s willing to publish on a site that allows anonymous comments is admirable. While I don’t know Daniel, nor Mike for that Matter, I suspect DB has grown thick enough skin to withstand the occasional critical comments that come his way. I would speculate that your post is more troublesome to DB than Mike’s.
In the end, all the readers of exit 133 are free to read or not read any of the content and posts as they see fit… and to subsequently comment as desired, so long as one stays within the guidelines for such comments. Personally, since moving away from Tacoma, I don’t regularly read here any longer. I used to appreciate the updates on goings on around town, but those matter little to me these days. Having caught up on some of the recent content, I must admit that I miss the occasional clever comment by RR and mofo, and don’t miss the endless comments by thorax, though I appreciate his sincerity.
As for DB’s stuff, I’ll still read it on occasion if I visit the site. I assure you it’s not my soul brining me back. I’ve actually been waiting to find out that’s it’s been one big hoax. Perhaps a 15 year old girl attending SOTA admits to punking the exit 133 community for the past couple of years. She goes on to publish “Life As Daniel Blue”, subtitled “A Parody of a Tacoma Hipster”. Only a teenager with such limited life experience could allow such glaring personality flaws in a fictional character.
Thank you for reading exit 133.
M Mofo from the Hood August 13, 2009
Nice commentary rick—-Intellectually satisfying.
You know, I’ve read a lot of Mr. Blue’s writings also. I suppose a lot of us readers are like crows. We often sit high up above the humdrum of everyday life and occasionally we spot an intriguing glimmer on the ground below. So we swoop down in anticipation of a tasty morsel.
I suppose sometimes Mr. Blue attempts to provide us readers with nourishment and sometimes he attempts to provide garbage.
Just an observation, not a judgement.