“I like working down here, the regulars are really great.
It’s a nice local bar. And, I wish we had less homeless.”
(He said that right after a woman aggressively panhandled customers going into the bar .)
I Like These Guys
“I like the diversity you get here.
This stand is good work. I like these guys.”
It takes bullets and blood to get the cops down here
“Every twenty years or so this area goes through a major change and we’re in one now.
A lot of good places coming in and the prospectors (landlords) will hopefully support that.
And one of my waitresses got beaten half to death just last week and
her boyfriend has 3 cracked ribs. But it takes bullets and blood to get the cops down here.”
How Can You Not Remember Me?
“I worked down here for a while and over time you develop relationships with (the homeless).
The worst is when you engage with them and they look at you like they don’t know you.
I’m like…’after 6 months bumming cigarettes off me, how can you not remember me?'”
I Love To Dance
“I like to dance. All kinds of dancing, all clubs.
Even in the street, wherever there is music.
I like when they do dancing in the square over there.”
Gus runs a hot dog stand during the baseball season.
When I see him he quotes the whole season’s dates to me.
He told me he loves going to all the other hot dog stands for sides,
and he loads his dog until the bread is all soggy–his favorite!
Love The People
“I love it down here, been here for 10 years.
That’s it, I just love the people.”
Make A Wish
“We’re here for her birthday.
We don’t spend a lot of time here, we’re from Tacoma.”
(Unfortunately I only got one shot, so I’ll say the birthday girl is
making a wish and thank all three ladies for chatting with me.)
Just Looking For A Club
“I like this area but it can be a little creepy.
We’re just trying to find an affordable club.”
Homeless Still A Legitimate Problem For Businesses
“There is such a concentration of services here for the homeless,
which is good for them but hard on customers.
We’re trying to have weddings here.
People come in from all over the country…and they spend their money here in town.”
Long Commute For Passion In Craft
“I just graduated culinary school and commute from Bremerton.
I’m excited to have found this kind of bar; they do a lot if interesting brining and charcuterie.”
Small Town Weddings
“It’s nice here.
All the businesses here made us feel really welcome and we know a lot of them.
It feels like a small town.”
Transition – No 9
People Need To Be Nicer To Each Other
“People need to just get along…be nicer to each other.
And, this neighborhood needs more live music.
We play live shows here every other Thursday.”
Parking For People Who Work Here
“It’d be nice if it were safer to walk around at night. More beat cops would be nice.
And fix the parking. That’s a big chunk of my pay.”
Start Talking
Well put.
Bus Safety Is A Concern
“It’s really nice down here, I like the buildings and everything.
And, I live in Tacoma and have worked here two years.
The bus stop on 3rd and James isn’t safe.
They need to move it back where it was, and away from the missions.”
Nothing Beats Good Coffee
“I like that there are a lot of good coffee shops in pioneer square.”
We Like The Diversity
“I like the diversity down here.
I contributed to a film in college for a project and interviewed the people that play street music.
‘Was a cool project; they just liked to play for the beauty of it…didn’t much care if people were listening.”
Safety, With Sprinkles Please
“I’d like to feel safer on the street at night, so more cops would be good.
…and, this neighborhood needs an ice cream joint.”
Tuff Talk
“We want less black people, less homeless, less garbage.
And don’t photograph me.
And I’m not going to tell you anything about my group.
I like psq because of the stiff drinks and the loose women on stiff drinks.
Hey…you ever ridden on the back of a motorcycle?”
Catch It Before It Changes
“If I could say one thing? It would be to come and see it before it changes over.
This used to be the grunge scene, with national acts.
It’s about to become Disneyfied.”
“And don’t make me look like a convict. All pictures make me look like a convict.”
No, you don’t look like a convict. And I’m glad your business is in the neighborhood. 🙂
Something Is Changing
“We’re from Holland. This isn’t our first time here.
The people have changed a little. There’s more drugs I think.
We like the vibe down here though, and of course the buildings.”
Don’t Get My Face
“There’s more roughness and disrespect from the police and ER workers.
They’re rougher with us.
There’s so many assumptions about us bc we are homeless.
But we’re people. We’re human.
Don’t get my face.”
I’m More Aware
“There was an article in the paper about the homeless down here.
I loved the photography; beautiful pictures.
It humanized them.
When I walk around down here I think of that.”
Whose Got Our Backs?
“I got kicked out of my Amish community for smoking weed…and alot of other stuff.
Don’t get my face.
You can have our dog butts, will that work?”
People of Pioneer Square 