(24. July 2009, 10:20 by Daniel Blue) ~ Pedal PedalDB: Already?

My friend, and occasional alternative lifestyle father figure, Tobin and I have been riding our bikes all about town on these awesome summer nights. As we burn calories we talk poop about all the people who are wasting these fine evenings getting fat off of beer and hamburgers while we are exhilarated by the fresh air and empty streets. Recently we have repeatedly ridden from his Tea Shop on Commerce, down to 15th and under 705 to Dock street. The waterfront here is actually rather pretty to view from a cycle seat … and we pedal the promenade and keep a sharp eye for cuties.  

I can’t help but ride up the ramp to the pool exhibit provided by the Glass Museum, every time I see it I ride up it. And like clockwork, every time, the security guard comes running like an attack dog and tells us how hard his day has been harassing punk skateboarders, how the signs are clearly posted not to ride your bikes here and how he shouldn’t have to tell grown men to follow the rules. I think its a good use of his time, and it makes me laugh when Tobin pretends he is deaf and starts making incomprehensible sign language about how beautiful the glass art is.

Just past the glass museum and under the bridge that Jim Merritt built, there is
a rather interesting new park, timber mill thing happening. Sandwiched between the end of the Foss, the avant guard new D street overpass and the railroad, there blooms a promising leisure center of triangular resemblance, that perhaps will gain at least twice the traffic of our beloved Tollefson Plaza. (2×0=?)

Each time we ride by this well manicured abstract layout of randomly laid granite slab and old growth wooden beams we realize, perhaps, that another amenity has been added to attract the type of congratulatory praise that this city finally deserves. One can almost see the thousands of sun-drunk tall-ships patrons milling about in sailor swagger. It would seem that a park of this grandeur (and isolation) would deserve yet even another biannual extravaganza the likes of which would validate its abstraction from the daily life of actual Tacomans everywhere.  

In all honesty, the D street overpass is my favorite arterial in Tacoma. With the Sounder extension, this neighborhood should start to sprout the kinds of third places that may make it livable, but before we go any further, let it be stated: The dome district needs a grocer too. 

Tobin and I often ride out of the waterfront and up onto Pacific Ave. The closest coffee in this hood is Cutters Point or Metro, on the UWT steps. I think that a mini Georgetown-esque brewery district would be so so rad, especially if it spilled down the hill into some sort of slightly more livable dome-esticated life. There is a slew of unused buildings between the two of them, and in my opinion some of the most beautiful bricks in the entire city. When the LID is complete and our new mayor takes the till, where will the funnel spill our tax dollars next?