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Hey Tacoma, Here's What You Loved Best in 2019

Sara Kay

Photo courtesy of Matt Ingram.

As we roll into 2020, it’s time to take a look back at the photos and stories that were most popular with you, our readers and followers.

On the social media side it looks like we’ve mostly moved on from 2018’s obsession with Mount Rainier photos—but now we’ve got a serious crush on the Murray Morgan Bridge. Here’s the snapshot of our top nine Instagram posts:

A closer look at those that made the cut:

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Did you know that during extreme low tides it's possible to walk along the beach around the tip of Point Defiance? . On Saturday, Philip Denman ventured out along the shoreline just north of Owens Beach and damn near had an orca bump into him. . "I was pretty shocked," he said. "They were moving fast and appeared out of nowhere." . Luckily he was quick enough to catch these shots. . Apparently there’s a big drop off there, where seals generally love to hang out. . For the record, this is probably one of the only places it’s legal to be within 200 yards of an orca. Also, know the tides before you go because at high tide the water completely covers the beach. . . . #tacomawa #orcanetwork #owenbeach #pointdefiance #tacomawashington #cityofdestiny #orcawhalephotography #pnworca #piercecounty #tactown #gritcity #253

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110 YEARS LATER, YOU’LL STILL LIKE TACOMA . In 1909, the “longest shoreline electric sign in the world” was lit up at the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition. Its 20-foot-high letters proclaimed to the nearly four million visitors, “You’ll Like Tacoma.” . 110 years later, almost to the day, I met up with electrician and artist, @johnjaims at the Beach Tavern at the far west end of 6th Ave. . He and a group of friends were hatching a plan to recreate the sign—albeit in a scaled-down size—on the pilings of the old ferry terminal off Titlow Beach. It was a bold idea with a tight timeline but, one way or another, I knew it would be interesting to watch. . John is behind a number of seasonal installations on the pilings at Titlow. I first talked to him last year after we shared a photo of his work. If you were at the beach around Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, or Halloween, you’ve likely seen his handiwork. This project, however, was far more ambitious. . During normal working hours, John can be found crawling around in the walls and ceilings of various buildings in Tacoma doing his electrical magic. He worked on the recent Pantages remodel as well as the removal of the giant neon bubble letters on the old Toys “R” Us building. . Solar panels proved problematic in some of John’s earlier installations so the whole thing runs on battery power. This means he has to go out there once a week to remove the battery, charge it at home and reinstall it before the timer switches on between 9:00 and midnight every night. . Some of his past installations were close enough to shore that he was able to reach them with a ladder at low tide. This one had to be done by boat. . More in our latest post. Link in bio! . 👏 to @johnjaims @coopdevillephoto @the253heart @steveinthe253 @visualoptions and all who helped bring this sign to life. . 📷✏️ @sierra.hartman . #tacomawa #youllliketacoma #titlowbeach #guerillaart #tacomawashington #253heart #tacomanarrows #piercecounty #tactown #ttown #gritcity #253

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Everyone, meet Tre’ Wilkins (@tre_thabarber74). . If you drove through the intersection of Pacific Ave and South Tacoma Way on Sunday you may have seen him out offering free haircuts to the homeless. . When we stopped by about 3:30 this afternoon it was over 80 degrees. Tre had been there since 8am. We asked how many cuts he’d done so far and got a chuckle in return. “Lost count” he eventually replied while wiping sweat off his forehead. . Our conversation then got cut off by a series of honks and someone yelling out their window, “I’ve got a delivery to make but when I come back I’m throwing you 10 bucks for the haircuts! Gimme 15 minutes.” . Anytime there’s an event supporting the homeless Tre’ tries to be there. He’s done free cuts at a church on the Eastside, at Lister Elementary, and, as his mother told us, outside of Metropolitan Development Council where she works. . We wouldn’t normally put someone’s phone number out there, but we don’t think Tre’ will mind if you give him a call next time you need a cut: ​253 906-9118. . . . #tacomawashington #freehaircutsforthehomeless #southtacomaway #tactown #tacomawa #gritcity #253

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Things shook out differently when it came to articles on our site. Here are the seven most-viewed pieces we published in 2019, presented in descending order. (Click any title to open the article in a new window.)

TACOMA’S NEVER NEVER LAND MAY RETURN TO PLAY ANOTHER DAY

HAUNTING PORTRAITS FROM WASHINGTON’S OLDEST ASYLUM

THERE, BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD… HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN TACOMA

EIGHT-ISH THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MCMENAMINS ELKS TEMPLE

A LOOK AT THE DISAPPEARING DICKMAN MILL RUINS

THE CLEVER TACOMA MALL DESIGN YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

WHO MAKES THE BEST DONUTS IN TACOMA? A NEARLY-SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS

Got any requests for what we focus on in 2020? Let us know by leaving a comment below. Happy New Year, Tacoma!

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