A New Location for the Old Spaghetti Factory

Walking into the new Old Spaghetti Factory on Pacific Avenue is just how their management describes it, with such an eye for detail it feels as though you are "stepping into another world." It doesn't matter if you are walking in from the bar entrance or the main dining area, you are immediately surrounded by beautiful rich colors. large area rugs, Victorian inspired lighting, and of course the historical dining trolley.

The Old Spaghetti Factory can now be found in their new home at 1250 Pacific Ave. Tacoma, WA 98402. People trying to get to their old location will find that it is currently fenced off and the University of Washington Tacoma has already begun construction for their new Urban Solutions Center.

The staff was extremely kind as I interrupted their morning setup before opening for the lunch rush. They welcomed me in, gave me a quick tour, and allowed me to snap some photos. I look forward to coming back during their operating hours to grab a tasty bite to eat with family and friends.

Check out their new website here. 

A Facelift for Freighthouse Square

After two years of strenuous conversations over the location of the new Tacoma Amtrak station, the Washington State Department of Transportation is happy to announce that the new location will be located at the historic Freighthouse Square. 

The new station and construction will be necessary because passenger trains will now be using new routes starting in 2017. Instead of the existing station on Puyallup Ave, the new location with be at the to-be renovated Freighthouse Square. The new location will cut eight minutes off travel time for those going to and from the Seattle-Portland stations and will relieve congestion on the waterfront line. Along with these improvements, Amtrak will be increasing the number of passenger trains traveling from Seattle to Portland from five daily trips to seven in 2017. The Washington State Department of Transportation are putting the final touches on the plans and will be advertising for bids in February and are hoping that construction will begin mid-spring. 

So far the plans for Freighthouse square include the middle portion of the building to be demolished and replaced with the new station, on the original footprint. Currently WSDOT is still negotiating details and selling price with the building’s owner, Brian Borgelt. While the process has been rather long and drawn out, Borgelt is hopeful that everything will be settled soon. 

One thing that comes to mind when talking about Freighthouse is all the small business located within the building. Borgelt has made it one of his goals to keep the businesses in the non-demolition location open and viable for business. The businesses located within the breakdown sight have already been moved out in preparation. 

For more information click here.

University Y One Year Later

One year ago on January 4th, the University of Washington Tacoma and the YMCA opened a student center unlike any in the country. The University-Y Student Center is so much more than the run of the mill student center. First off, one thing that is very unique about this facility is that it is open to not only students but to the public and regular YMCA members as well. As of today the University Y has 4,406 members, with roughly 80% of membership being represented by the UW Tacoma student population. 

People from all walks of life are able to come together under one roof to workout, play volleyball, come to an event, or be introduced to a college setting for the first time in their lives. 

For the students, this is a place to have fun, workout, build relationships, start a club, or go to work. UW Tacoma has all of their clubs housed at the student center along with programs from student involvement and student government. In the Student Center you can find the Associated Students of the University of Washington Tacoma, Student Activities Board, and others. All of these resources are provided for students and open for all students to join or apply to. The University Y is also proud to offer students a reflection room, where any member can come and take time out of their day for quiet reflection, prayer, or meditation. 

The University and the YMCA are big supporters of giving back to the community and are proud to offer services such as the Juvenile Justice Program, clothing and toy drives, health awareness months, and supporting shelters and soup kitchens in the Tacoma area. 

Some of the exciting things that are going on this month at the Y are that they are having their January promotion that waives their joining fee until January 18th, intramural registration is open January 4-18th, and the New Year will bring the new Jillian Michael’s BODYSHRED classes that are sure to ramp up your workout routine.

To find out more on their website here.