Evening Walk Through the Theater District

Is it just me or does it seem impossible that August is over? This month marks four straight years of living in downtown Tacoma. The improvement that has happened in that time has been slow and gradual, but after 4 years, it's been substantial.

The development, though, has been in the Museum District/Union Station area and near the Convention Center. But the Theater district continues to sit empty, especially at night and on weekends. This wasn't always the case. When I moved into the Bostwick in 2002, the Theater District was moving forward at the same pace as the rest of downtown.

But it's stalled.

9th & Broadway, the intersection many people feel is the heart of the city, was practically empty last night on my walk to the Varsity Grill. I saw a million closed storefronts, but all you have open after 7:00 is Tully's (and then not for long), Ravenous, and Subway. In fact, from the Subway at 9th & Broadway, not a single storefront was open at 7:00 until I got to the Varsity Grill, roughly 3 blocks away.

There are signs, though, that it's coming together again. Construction on the Pantages and the retail space across the street should be completed soon. The Matador is moving onto Pacific next to Meconi's. St. Helens will finally be lit! And enough people are moving within walking distance of the District that more restaurants and late hours for shops will hopefully become inevitable. This area is the last real piece of downtown that has missed out so far. But with a little more push, it could become one of the best places to live and hang out.