Queer Girl City Guide: Tacoma, Washington

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Tucked between the big queer paradise known as Seattle and the little queer paradise known as Olympia you’ll find a resplendent medium-sized queer paradise: Tacoma, Washington. Equally damp and flannel-friendly as its neighboring cities, it’s pretty much raining lesbians in Tacoma.

Tacoma hasn’t always had the most gleaming reputation, but over the past 15 years it’s become home to a hearty arts scene and a panoply of great bars and restaurants. And whaddya know, it’s a brilliant place to be a gay lady!

I’ve spent 20 years of my life in Tacoma. So please, allow me to give you the lowdown on this seriously queer little locale. And hey! You can get gay married in Washington now. So maybe you’ll want to move here some day? Think it over.

Where to Live/Be

In lieu of a gayborhood (as gay as it is, Tacoma doesn’t have one), take a gander at these three neighborhoods.

6th Avenue (Roughly between Proctor Street and Sprague Avenue) Not all, but many of Tacoma’s worthwhile bars and restaurants can be found along 6th Avenue. Many of Tacoma’s young people/queers live off of 6th Avenue: it’s cheap and convenient to lots of the places they hang out. Rental options are abundant here: quaint apartments and cute historic homes are available in this area for a decent price. If you’re looking to live alone, expect to pay about $600-700 for a studio or small one bedroom. Got a girlfriend? You and your lady can probably find a spacious one bedroom for around $800. If you’re super thrifty and want to share a house with roommates, you can probably plan on spending about $500 per month, maybe less depending on your situation.

Stadium District Named for the area around Stadium High School. Okay, remember 10 Things I Hate About You? If you saw it, you probably spent the whole time wishing Julia Stiles’ guitar-playing, Sylvia Plath-reading character would just make out with a girl already. Well, that movie was filmed on location in Tacoma. That big castle school? Yeah, that’s Stadium. ANYWAY. This neighborhood is a little quieter than the 6th Ave area (less bars) but still convenient to most places and reasonably priced. The Stadium District is home to the 27-acre Wright Park which is absolutely gorgeous all year long. It’s an amazing place to run, jog, walk, picnic, feed ducks, etc.

Hilltop Hilltop is undergoing massive gentrification currently. This is probably the cheapest neighborhood to live in that’s still close to civilization. Hilltop is diverse in all ways imaginable, so it’s definitely a cool place to live. Great ethnic food, and new/cool bars can be found in this hood.

Nourishment: Coffee Shops, Restaurants and Non-Gay Bars

Satellite Coffee (817 Division Ave) In the Pacific Northwest, there’s no better place to see/meet cute girls than at a coffee shop. Actually, that probably applies to every region of the world. In the tiny Satellite Coffee seating is at premium, but if you can find a spot to post up, it’s the perfect place for an afternoon of reading/studying/tabbed browsing (there’s free wifi, of course). Satellite brews Stumptown coffee, which many consider the holy grail of legal addictive stimulants. Not only is it delicious, Stumptown also practices direct trade, ensuring that their bean farmers earn a true living wage. Satellite is a mini milk-alternative heaven. If you’re not down with dairy, this place offers soy, almond, rice and coconut milk. Open Mon-Fri: 6:30 am – 8 pm, Sat-Sun: 7 am – 8 pm

Bluebeard Coffee Roasters (2201 6th Ave) Bluebeard serves great coffee in a really cool space. It doesn’t get much better than that. Located on the hip and happenin’ 6th Ave, this relatively new coffee shop is a great place to hang with friends, work on homework, sit around and look cute, whatever. During the three months of warmth we get in Tacoma, come here and enjoy the afternoon—their big garage door window allows for maximum summer breeze enjoyment. Open Mon-Fri: 6 am – 7 pm, Sat-Sun: 7 am – 7 pm

Shakabrah Java (2618 6th Ave) In my humble opinion, this is the best place to grab breakfast in Tacoma, especially if you’re rolling with a diversely-palated crew. They have meaty options, vegan options, and everything in between. Plus the portions are huge. I like to think of myself as a pancake expert, and this place has some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Shakabrah has a homey, lived-in vibe and is basically just a super comfortable place to nurse your hangover. The crowd is a mixed bag; babies, grandpas, hot girls, they all love Shakabrah. Open Mon-Sat: 7 am – 4 pm, Sun: 8 am – 4 pm

Over the Moon Café (709 Court C/Opera Alley) Okay, I have to admit, there is nothing particularly queer about this place. You’re more likely to run into your mom here than your future girlfriend. But I can’t think of a better place for a food-centric daytime date. Take a girl here, it’ll be cute/unexpected! It’s super cozy and romantic. Their Seasonal “Moon Style” Mac & Cheese is delish. Last time I went, I had the Mediterranean tuna sandwich on Dave’s Killer whole grain bread. The tuna is blended with extra-virgin olive oil, kalamata olives, sun dried tomato and seasoned with scallions, basil and Italian parsley. WHAT. It was so good. Open Tue-Thu: 11 am – 8 pm, Fri: 11 am – 9 pm, Sat: 11:30 am – 9 pm

Red Hot (2914 6th Ave) Queers, you’re gonna like it here. Red Hot does two things: beer and hot dogs. As Seattle Beer News put it, “It’s so simple, yet works out so freaking well.” It’s true. Their tap list is seriously impressive, and their dogs are the best under the sun. There’s even plenty of veggie/vegan options! Red Hot caters to those looking for a divey/hipster vibe (i.e. queers welcome), but you’ll find all types of folks here. Make your experience authentic, and go for the Tacoma hot dog and a pint of Old Tacoma Lager. Oh, and FYI: Red Hot is a 21+ establishment. Open Mon-Thu, Sun: 11 am – 11 pm, Fri-Sat: 11 am – 12 am

Puget Sound Pizza (317 S 7th St) Puget Sound Pizza is a popular spot among Tacoma’s hipster elite. By way of being loosely related to an alternative crowd, it’s also a good place to find other queers. Overall, the patrons are young and fun so it’s hard not to have a good time. They do karaoke here, too, so if that’s your jam, this is a good spot to check out. Oh, also, the pizza is pretty damn good. Open Mon: 11 am – 10 pm, Tue-Fri: 11 am – 2 am, Sat: 9 am – 2 am, Sun: 9 am – 9 pm

1022 South (1022 South J Street) This bar is literally the best. Its atmosphere/aesthetic is on point, and the cocktails are to die for. They make their own bitters and botanical infusions, resulting in an unconventional and marvelous menu of craft cocktails. My favorite drinks are the Twentieth Century and the PDX, but there’s something for everyone. Seriously, tell the bartender what you’re in the mood for, and he/she will whip something up just for you. In terms of people, you’ll find all types at 1022. It is, however, popular among hip 20somethings, so it’s one of the more gay friendly spots in town. Open Mon: 4 pm – 11 pm, Tue-Wed: 4 pm – 12 am, Thu-Sat: 4 pm – 2 am

Booze & Babes

Okay so you wanna spit some game in Tacoma? You’ve got a couple options.

Club Silverstone (739 ½ St. Helens Ave) Affectionately known as “The Stone,” this place is really something you need to experience for yourself but I’ll try my best to describe it for you. Half dance club and half dive bar, The Stone is Tacoma’s gay nightlife headquarters. Shirtless gay boys, flocks of dykes, your middle school P.E. teacher and her partner, all converge on the same dance floor to the siren songs of Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Kelly Clarkson and the like. Tacoma lesbians have a can’t-live-with-it-can’t-live-without-it relationship with this place. While it might be a tragic little establishment, it’s hard not to have a fucking blast here. Be warned, the drinks here are notoriously strong, so sip your liquid courage slowly my friend. Then go dance your ass off, I promise you’ll have fun. Open Mon-Sun: 11 am – 2am

The Mix (635 St. Helens Ave) Tacoma’s other gay bar option. Relaxed and friendly, you’ll feel right at home here. There’s karaoke, but when that’s not happening they tend to play pretty decent music. Like Silverstone, The Mix is a queer grab bag: on any given night you can booze alongside drag queens, baby boomers, femmes, butches, leather daddies… you name it. The Mix may not be the most, um, glamorous place you’ve ever been drunk at, but the bartenders are nice and the crowd is kind of hilarious. Open Mon-Sun: 2 pm – 2 am

A Few Notes About the Scene

In Tacoma’s LGBTQ universe, there’s not much tension/segregation between the G’s and the L’s. For the most part, they congregate together without incident. Contrast this to Seattle, where you’ll be hard pressed to find groups of gay men and groups of lesbian women mingling willingly with each other. Just in general, Tacoma’s gay scene is very friendly. It’s also super welcoming of newcomers. If you go out where the lesbians are, you shouldn’t have trouble making/finding friends. Like any lesbian community, there’s that “everyone knows/has slept with/has dated everyone” thing, which can be intimidating if you’re an outsider, but you’ll be on the inside in no time.

Werk Your Lewk

Supernova Hair & Tattoo (817 Division Ave) So, I have long brown hair, no tattoos, nor any piercings beyond my ears (I once went on a date with a girl who said this made me a “unicorn” among lesbians). But those who are in the body mod know have told me that Supernova is the place to go. In terms of hair, they specialize in looks that are modern and edgy, i.e. alternative lifestyle haircuts. And from what I hear, their tattoo work is definitely worth checking out. Open Mon-Fri: 10 am – 8 pm, Sat: 10 am – 7 pm

Places Where You Can Learn About Stuff

In Tacoma’s North End is the picturesque private college, University of Puget Sound. It’s super expensive and not necessarily the queer-friendly capitol of the world, but its campus is a great place to let your dog run around off leash. So there’s that.

The Tacoma campus of the University of Washington is located right in the heart of downtown Tacoma. UWT’s urban campus is actually really cool, and with an ever-growing offering of degree programs, it’s a great place to get educated. The student body tends to be pretty non-traditional (older, part-time, lives off campus, etc.), so if you’re looking for a “normal” college experience, this might not be the place for you. Because the student body is more “adult,” UWT also has a more tolerant/inclusive vibe than your average college. Inevitably, this is what happens you filter out all the heterosexual eighteen year olds you normally run a university.

There’s also Tacoma Community College and Bates Technical College. Both are great places to get a jump start on your higher education, or learn/hone a special craft.

Arts & Things

Music Tacomans are nothing without their live music. The city is super nurturing and protective of its local music acts, so there’s lots of support here. Thanks to a bumper crop of talented artists, tons of incredible venues, and loyal fans, there’s never a shortage of good shows. Jazzbones on 6th Avenue and the New Frontier in downtown Tacoma often play host to quality live music. Lesbian singer-songwriter extraordinaire Vicci Martinez got her start playing music in Tacoma. Even before she was a contestant on The Voice, Martinez was a big deal here. When/if you’re in town, be sure to check out the events calendar in Tacoma’s free alternative weekly newspaper, The Volcano.

Film Home to the Tacoma Film Festival, The Grand Cinema (606 S. Fawcett Ave) is the best place in town to catch an independent/foreign flick. It’s a non-profit, run by volunteers, supported by patrons, and is just all around incredible. Their film selections are consistently mind-blowing, and it should be said that their popcorn is the fucking best. Check them out at www.grandcinema.com.

Get Involved

There’s plenty of opportunities to work your way into Tacoma’s arts scene, but you might want to consider getting involved with Fab-5. This non-profit cultivates community through urban arts education. They have programs designed to allow youth to develop and explore their unique voices through a variety of different urban arts mediums, including DJing, legal graffiti, breakdancing & lyric writing. They’re always looking for mentors, volunteers, guest instructors and the like—so if you’re interested, hit up info [at] fab-5 [dot] org.

Sports & Things

Tacoma’s minor league baseball team, the Rainiers, has a pretty solid following. Their fan base is made up of mostly families and young straight guys, so a Rainiers’ game might not be the #1 place to make out with your girlfriend. That being said, Rainiers’ games are fun. Even if you don’t like baseball, head to Cheney Stadium (where the games are, 2502 South Tyler) on a warm summer night, drink a beer and watch the sunset. Last time I went to a game, a bunch of Sara Lee workers were outside the gates giving away free loaves of bread. So, if you’re lucky—and not gluten intolerant—maybe that’ll happen when you go!

The Seattle Sounders FC’s U-23 league (formerly known as the Tacoma Tide) is based here as well. If you’re a soccer fan in Washington, the Sounders’ games in Seattle are definitely worth your time, but this U-23 team has great talent and the games are pretty fun to watch. Our city also just resuscitated its Major Indoor Soccer League team, the Tacoma Stars.

Want to get in the game? Lady soccer athletes can play in women’s or co-ed leagues through Tacoma’s Pacific Sports Center. Depending on your skill/commitment level, you can join a competitive or recreational team. Visit their website for more info.

Also: Tacoma’s parks and recreation agency, Metro Parks, offers some great rec league options for adults. For a pretty reasonable price, you can get in on ultimate frisbee, co-ed soccer, volleyball, basketball and more. If you’re new to town and an athlete, this would be a great way to meet some buddies. For info on pricing, registration and session dates, visit www.metroparkstacoma.org.

Pride

The Tacoma Pride Festival is our city’s annual Gay Pride thing and takes place each summer. The main weekend event is “Out in the Park” an all-day event put on by Tacoma’s Rainbow Center (www.rainbowcntr.org). It’s family friendly and alcohol-free, so if you want to celebrate your LGBTQ-ness with booze, plan to hit up one of the aforementioned gay establishments later in the evening. Tacoma’s Pride offers a whole week of programming that includes panel discussions, film showings, book talks, art exhibitions, parties, etc.

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Maura

Maura has written 1 article for us.

33 Comments

  1. Pingback: Queer Girl City Guide: Tacoma, Washington – Autostraddle | The Art Of Volleyball

  2. Thank you! Tacoma is so much more convenient than Seattle (though I do have to cross the monster bridge of my nightmares to get there.) It’s great to know it’s so gay-friendly. I’ll have to check it out!

  3. UPS has actually been ranked for its queer-friendliness, so you might want to check your facts…

    • Thank you for saying that, for I was just about to say it myself. Yes, for the last few decades, UPS has been a very queer-friendly campus with several active LGBTQ groups and recommendations from The Advocate.

  4. Wow lasttime I was in Tacoma I could tell a homo from a houseelf. Gonna have to return and do allll the thangs

  5. Hell yeah it’s raining lesbians :) So much flannel & coffee. I love that you reviewed Tacoma; you hit all of my favorite places in this guide.
    I would like to add a couple things for whoever may read this:
    I go to school at the University of Puget Sound, and I would just like to say that I think campus and its surrounding neighborhoods (including 6th avenue) are very queer friendly!! Puget Sound attracts very open-minded students and faculty.
    To add to your sports section, Tacoma also has a fabulous women’s rugby team, the Tacoma Sirens. http://www.tacomawomensrugby.com

  6. Hey thanks for the heads up Lina! I JUST checked my facts and it looks like you’re right; UPS was ranked back in 2006 as one of the top 20 LGBT campuses by Campus PrideNet, and appears on few similar rankings. It didn’t appear on any of the more current rankings I check out before writing this, and the lesbians on that campus who spoke to me indicated to me that it “wasn’t the queer friendly capital of the world.” I don’t think that they (or I) meant to portray it as particularly hostile or anti-gay. But nevertheless, consider you comment noted :)

  7. Shocked and delighted you reviewed Tacoma. Can I throw in the Parkway on I street as another great place to hang out?

    If only there was a Tacoma autostraddle meetup?

    I’ve got PSP and MSN on speed dial for just such an occasion if called upon.

    Thanks again!

  8. Thanks for reviewing Tacoma! I love the North part of Tacoma and Mandalin cafe is a great place to hang out, I think. As for schools, I go to UWT and I have to say it’s pretty not queer friendly in my experience. I have a friend who went to UPS and it seemed much more queer friendly but it’s all about the group of people you meet.

  9. Pleasantly surprised to see Tacoma on here. I’ll admit, I usually don’t venture that far south (a bit of a hassle without a car), but may have to re-evaluate this on-going decision. Thanks for reviewing!

  10. It’s nice to see Tacoma profiled in a positive light (we usually get the red-headed step child treatement because of Seattle), however I’ve got a couple of issues.

    1. UPS-I’m a grad, so take my opinion with whatever grain you want; I found the school to be incredibly welcoming of GLBTQIA persons as well as queer POC. I don’t know if you actually spoke to anyone who either went there or goes there currently, but they have an extremely active and visible GLBT group (UPS Q+A) that has a good amount of support from the administration and puts on a lot of events. The drag show is a yearly mainstay and raises a ton of money for one of the local LGBT youth groups. On a personal note, I never got the feeling that I was being looked down on for being openly gay or showing affection towards my partner.

    2. Other sports in Tacoma? We have the Tacoma women’s rugby club, the Sirens who are active nearly year round. They’re an awesome group of ladies and the sport is one of the best for women as it builds confidence, fitness, strength and character. Plus they party hard and won the northwest division II women’s championship in 2011. (And, if you really want to go there, yes, there are a fair number of lesbians that play rugby). You can find the team’s contact info through the Tacoma Women’s Rugby facebook page and group.

    Cheers.

  11. The Parkway!

    Moving to Tacoma? Venturing down from Seattle?

    How many drink do I owe Maura?

  12. Hey wait what about PLU?

    My parents both went to UPS too! I spent a fair bit of time in Tacoma as a wee one but not so much as an adult…

  13. I used to live in Federal Way/Tacoma and I knew none of this existed I did all my queer stuff in Seattle where I went to college…kind of wish I had known about this before I moved back to Portland haha

  14. woah! i definitely spent yesterday on a spur of the moment road trip to tacoma without having first read this article (mistake). i would like to comment that the tacoma food co-op is pretty lovely and seems to be staffed by a friendly probably queer person. there is also a bizarre raw restaurant that brings you menus on ipads and has hotel lobby style piano music playing. i had a really weird time in tacoma.

  15. Tacoma sounds absolutely lovely. Also, the gay-dive-bar-dance-club combo is one of my favorites.

  16. Tacoma is a lovely place to be. I’m glad someone mentioned the co-op.It is a great place to scope local queers. King’s books is another great place to be and has a fun GLBT bookclub. for I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Hub. I always see at least a few lesbian couples every time I am there.

  17. great article! as a real resident of tacoma (and a ups grad) i can really appreciate your opinions, here.

    i do however have to take issue with your comment that the university of puget sound is not queer friendly and can assure you that it is just the opposite. my five years there were totes wonderful in terms of acceptance, dating, fellowship, relationships, support organizations, and even academic study. there are lots of really beautiful queer ladies (both inside and out) at ups and even more allies and friends. there are some great gay men, too, and they even have drag shows, dances, social and political groups, and other lgbtq-oriented activities. hell even the greek system there is becoming increasingly queer friendly.

    also, please don’t let your dog run wild on campus. the first girl i ever dated there was seriously bitten by a dog that someone let off leash.

  18. You do know that the University of Puget Sound was voted one of the best LGBT friendly Universities in the nation, right? It even says so on their homepage.

  19. The Mandolin cafe is gone now! ALSO, don’t forget about Point Defiance and Owen’s beach! If you’re going to Tacoma for the first time you have to go there. The Mix also has an annual sumer block party which gets really crazy. AND, if I could recommend one more restaurant, I would go to STINK (the new aroma of Tacoma!) Delicious salads, sandwiches, and antipasto plates! They also have a nice little wine bar next door to them now called the STINK TANK, it’s nice and cozy in there. I say all this as someone who lived in Tacoma for 19 years, and worked at Shakabra, PSP, and STINK. S. 7th and St. Helens is where it’s at.

  20. Pingback: Living in Tacoma – Where Are the Gayborhoods? « Gay Realty Network

  21. “Places Where You Can Learn about Stuff” really needs to be amended to include Evergreen’s Tacoma campus. It is a seriously RAD program: all the liberal hippie-shit you’d expect from a nontraditional college, lots of queer students, and an impressively diverse and brilliant faculty. I wish I’d gone there instead of the Olympia campus.

  22. We are starting a new bowling league, “Let’s Go Bowling Tonight,” for the LGBT community and their friends at Narrows Plaza Bowl. http://www.narrowsplazabowl.com/Leagues.html will take you to our league page on our web site for more information or call us at 253-565-1007.

    Chris Goddard
    General Manager
    Narrows Plaza Bowl

  23. DOA (Dirty Oscar’s Annex) is my second favorite apart from the Parkway. They make their own moonshine. I was skeptical at first but I tried the apple pie moonshine and it was sooo tasty!

  24. This post is racist af…

    “Once infested with gang activity and considered super dangerous….” There a long history of Black folks being compare to roaches, saying a historically black community is “infested” is offensive as hell.

    “Hilltop has calmed the fucked down recently. Like any other “bad” urban neighborhood in America, it is slowly being re-appropriated by hipsters and gays.” The word you’re looking for is GENTRIFY!!! Not this ‘re-appropriate nonsense. So this historically Black neighborhood wasn’t appropriate for the poor Black and brown already there? Were they not worthy? Guess they deserved to get pushed out of their neighborhood cause their very presence makes it “bad” but thank god the queers came in to save the day. White queers have a great reputation of appreciating stuff more then others *eye roll*

    “This is probably the cheapest neighborhood to live in that’s still close to civilization.” Wow, cause Hilltop are the jungles, huh? That’s how gentrification starts. The white queers and hipster move in to save a few bucks and be “cultured”, next thing you know there’s a Trader Joes and a rent spike. Pushing out all the people who have been there for generations.

    Honestly, this article is so offensive and disappointing…it makes me want to scream. Do better.

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