Tacoma Community
Michael Duggan
Tacoma Giving Guide: Local Shops - Local People ...

Welcome to our local giving guide with suggestions for supporting Tacoma people who own and work in small shops, coffee roasters, and independent book stores. We start off with 3 ways to give to neighbors outside your circle of friends by supporting health, nutrition, advocacy, and welcome. All these ways of giving put love into the Tacoma community!

Tacoma Giving Guide: Local Shops - Local People - Local Love
Tacoma Community
Michael Duggan
Tacoma Love: 5 Good Things—Vol. 5

This is not an ultimate, all time, best of the best, win or go home, top 5 list. No, we aren’t really bringing that kind of energy to life. This is the 5th edition of 5 things we like in Tacoma from a list of way more things we like in Tacoma. Sound good? A monthly free film, nacho cheese to balance your diet, the habit of drinking coffee where the seals can see you, an opportunity to notice and collect, and a very particular sort of blind date. Some of it’s free. All of it’s good. We’re not making any other claims (who needs all that best-stress anyway?).

Tacoma Love: 5 Good Things—Vol. 5
Things to do in Tacoma
Michael Duggan
Savoring Summer - In & Around Tacoma

If you’re looking for ways to savor summer in and around Tacoma, we invite you to visit our list of suggested ingredients for a summer well-lived. Our recipe includes marinating outside, a sprinkle of salty PNW beaches, community festivals for spice, a blend of favorite picnic spots (and where to fill your basket), plus fresh flowers, berries, and local farms baked in.

Savoring Summer - In & Around Tacoma
Tacoma Food & Drink
Michael Duggan
Tacoma Outdoor Dining Guide

Want to go out and really be out—out in the open air, beneath a colorful umbrella, on a shaded patio, beside a bustling sidewalk, seated on a deck overlooking the water, pulled up to a bar counter by the street? We’ve gathered over 60 of Tacoma’s outdoor dining spots by neighborhood to get you started. Take a look at our updated list of restaurants, cafes, and bars with outdoor seating, then get yourself away from the screen, out the door, and into the life of Tacoma’s summer. See you out there!

Tacoma Outdoor Dining Guide
Tacoma Favorites
Michael Duggan
Second Hand Home: Tacoma Thrift Treasures & ...

We’re into hand-me-downs, one-of-a-kind thrift store finds, saving money, and participating in a force for good in our community. Which means we’ve found ourselves over at the Habitat for Humanity Store on STW on many occasions over our years in Tacoma. This month we share about some of the treasures we’ve found, dos and don’ts for donating, and 8 other local spots you should explore if you’re renovating, furnishing, or reimagining part of your Tacoma home.

Second Hand Home: Tacoma Thrift Treasures & Affordable Housing

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What's New, Tacoma? 17 New Businesses + 3 Coming Soon

What's New, Tacoma? 17 New Businesses + 3 Coming Soon

There’s change in the air across Tacoma, the return of things once lost, the reopening of places once closed, the transformation of one restaurant into another, the creation of brand new places to gather, shop, eat, and drink. We’ve been experiencing this change across the city and wanted to pull some of it together in one place. What follows is a list of 17 new, renewed, and returned businesses along with 3 coming soon. See if you can enjoy and support something new this month; if you do, we’d love to hear about it!

Get Out of Town: Puget Sound Day Trips

Get Out of Town: Puget Sound Day Trips

Once in a while, we all need to get out of town. This month we’re sharing about Port Townsend and Vashon Island, two places we go again and again when a change of scene is calling. They’re places where the beach is always near, where parking is easy, where woods and trails beckon us away from the sidewalks. Places where small, local bakeries, coffee roasters, independent bookstores, and one of a kind shops outnumber chains by far. We’ll share some of the ways we pass the time and how we fill our stomachs (never a problem). Don’t worry too much about planning; these destinations are so close to Tacoma, you can show up again and try what you missed. Wake up one morning and just decide to go!

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Out on the Town 2024: Tacoma Tuesdays

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Out on the Town 2024: Tacoma Tuesdays

Tacoma, Tuesdays, Trivia, Tacos, Talent. It’s the truth, there’s stuff to do. We have 19 of those things listed right here (twenty would have sounded so good) and not all of them start with “t.” There’s ballet and book club, wine and film, story time and bingo. So dust off your dancing shoes, clean your spectacles, strap the baby in a stroller, study up on random facts, warm up your vocal chords, and work up an appetite; it’s Tuesday in Tacoma!

Tacoma Love: 5 Good Things—Vol. 4

Tacoma Love: 5 Good Things—Vol. 4

This is not an ultimate, all time, best of the best, win or go home, top 5 list. No, we aren’t really bringing that kind of energy to life. This is the 4th edition of 5 things we like in Tacoma from a list of way more things we like in Tacoma. Sound good? An annual rogue art treasure hunt, a tiny slip of sandy beach, an old place to watch new and cult classic films, a weekly opportunity for repairing your stuff, and a spot where the noodles and broth fill you up in a good way. Some of it’s free. All of it’s good. We’re not making any other claims (who needs all that best-stress anyway?).

5 Ways to Support Food & Housing for Neighbors in Tacoma & Beyond - Vol. 2

5 Ways to Support Food & Housing for Neighbors in Tacoma & Beyond - Vol. 2

We all get by with a little help from our friends. And really, we get by with a little help from strangers too. Be a friend or a friendly stranger by finding one way to support neighbors in the Tacoma community, in Pierce County, or across Washington by choosing from the 5 ways to give on our list. Support affordable housing and mental health, volunteer at a food bank, help prevent displacement due to gentrification, and serve or provide a community meal. Over time, we all have something to give and a real need to receive—most often it’s probably both at once.

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The Sunset Side: Tacoma's Other Waterfront

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The Sunset Side: Tacoma's Other Waterfront

This month we're here to give a shout out to the other waterfront, the home of Titlow Beach, Seashore Drive, the iconic Narrows Bridges, and the Tacoma sunset. We’ll share where we eat and what we order, the trails we like to take, and what makes this side of the city feel like home. All you need is one evening for a waterfront getaway.

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Meet the Tacoma Community House New Little Free Library!

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Meet the Tacoma Community House New Little Free Library!

It’s finally here! The Tacoma Community House Little Free Library is up and open. Duggan, Brooks & Books are grateful to the Tacoma Community House and Craig (our designer and builder!) for all their help and support in getting this library to its home in the Hilltop Neighborhood of Tacoma. Read all about it!

Reintroducing the Sam Smith Fund: Reducing the Black Homeownership Gap in WA State

Reintroducing the Sam Smith Fund: Reducing the Black Homeownership Gap in WA State

You may have read about the Sam Smith Fund in our original blog post introducing it back in February 2022. If so, read on for some updates, including a major increase to the down payment assistance amount! This African American homeownership fund gives us as Realtors an opportunity to do more than just educate ourselves about racial disparities in homeownership. And anyone can contribute! We're eager to grow as an industry into greater ways to support and advocate for truly equal access to housing and homeownership.

Tacoma Love: 5 Good Things - Vol. 3

Tacoma Love: 5 Good Things - Vol. 3

Is this an ultimate, all time, best of the best, win or go home, top 5 list? No. Are these our 5 absolute favorite things in Tacoma? That’s not really the point. This is the 3rd group of 5 things we think are good in Tacoma. A place to go for a hometown tropical getaway, gloriously fresh bread, a loop trail around a 15,000 year old lake, a treasure hunt, and a drink we think you should try. Some of it’s free. All of it is good. We’re not making any other claims (who needs all that best-stress anyway?).

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Ready, Set, Sell - Our 5 Step Guide to Listing Your Home

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Ready, Set, Sell - Our 5 Step Guide to Listing Your Home

If you're thinking of selling your home this year, it's time to begin the 5 steps in our listing guide. We imagine you value your home as a practical asset and as a companion to years of your life; take the time to follow through and treat it well when it’s time to sell. We’ve listed and sold over 80 homes with our clients in and around Tacoma. Although we prepare a personal plan to guide each of our clients, these 5 steps come up every time. Dig into our listing guide full of tips, before and after photos, and advice we hope will help you wrap your head (and heart) around preparing to sell your home.

Systemic Racism & Homeownership in Tacoma & Beyond

Systemic Racism & Homeownership in Tacoma & Beyond

As members of the Tacoma community, homeowners, and people who work in real estate, we want to continue our learning about fair housing, the history of racism in housing and homeownership, segregation, and exclusion. We want to know how our history informs our present, and we want to take that learning into our lives, our actions, our votes, and our work. So we’ve gathered “Watch, Read & Listen” resources in hopes that we can learn together. From a section devoted to Tacoma’s history and the current Home in Tacoma Project, to a variety of media addressing systemic racism in housing across America, the list has grown a lot since we first created it last year. We hope we’ve grown too. Dig in.

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Meet the New Peace Little Free Library!

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Meet the New Peace Little Free Library!

It’s finally here! The Peace Little Free Library is up and open. Duggan, Brooks & Books are grateful to the Tacoma Community House, Rotary Literacy Committee, Brendan Nelson, and Aaron Skwirut for all their help and support in getting this library to its home in the Hilltop Neighborhood of Tacoma. Read all about it!

A Conversation with Kim: Tacoma, Homeownership, Gentrification, & Knowing Your Schools

A Conversation with Kim: Tacoma, Homeownership, Gentrification, & Knowing Your Schools

Kimberly Thomas, M. Ed. grew up in Tacoma, graduated from Lincoln High, and works for equity in education. She has a message for us! Brew a cup of coffee and sit down for a conversation with Kim. We’ll explore gentrification. We’ll talk about Kim’s mixed feelings about homeownership, and - just for fun - her favorite places in Tacoma.

Hi, I'm Michael Duggan, a licensed broker with Windermere Abode. I would love to help you through the home buying or selling process. Please contact me to set up a meeting and get things started. 

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