The Tacoma News Tribune mapped five communities in five months.
1. The Auburn neighborhood
2. The City Hall beat
3. The Education beat
4. The Lakewood suburb
5. The Gig Harbor suburb
The map seen here includes an overview of the Auburn community, lists of the city’s largest employers, its “third places” or community gathering spots, and the “Official Go Tos” and “Other Go To” folks.
Community Overview
Auburn has an official population 38,000, but the school district boundaries reach an area encompassing about 145,000 residents. Auburn is about 20 minutes north of Tacoma and 35 minutes south of Seattle. It was built around the railroad in the late 1800s, but today has distanced itself from those ties and is better known for the state’s most successful Indian casino (Muckleshoots, 1995), the SuperMall (1995) and the state’s dominant racetrack (Emerald Downs, 1996). Auburn leaders, however, sometimes note that they would like it to be less known for the Muckleshoot Casino and the super-sized mall and better known for its medium-sized medical facility, Auburn Regional Medical Center. (Though it’s a gambling venue, the racetrack has been embraced as a community asset-a nice-looking structure that’s a good place to hold catered community events.)
Third Places/ Community Gathering Spots
(good places to listen in on conversations)
- Sun Break Cafe – The hour-plus-long line here on weekends is the place to share information with your neighbor.
- Auburn’s Best Cafe – On weekdays around noon, it’s a favorite place to grab a bite to eat for downtown business types.
- Rainbow Cafe – On Main Street in downtown. Lots of old-school Auburnites like to socialize here.
- Freddie’s Club Casino – Lots of Auburn and South King residents are in a chatty, sociable mood here.
- Any Auburn High or Riverside High sporting event – Especially wrestling or football.
Official “Go-To” People
- Mayor Chuck Booth (gets up at 4 a.m.)
Auburn City Council:
- Sue Singer (mother of two)
- Jeanne Barber (been on the council for some 15+ years)
- Fred Poe (owner of Poe Construction)
- Trish Borden (environmentally conscious, loves trees, vegetarian)
- Rich Wagner (works at Weyerhaeuser)
- Pete Lewis (in the banking industry)
- Stacey Brothers (councilman from 1985-97, returned in 2000)
- Parks Director Dick Deal (grew up in Auburn, loves the city and its people)
- Planning Director Paul Krauss (despises the rail road)
- City Attorney Mike Reynolds, (private office)
- Mike Moran, Muckleshoot Tribe Gov’t Relations officer
Other “Go-To” Folks
(i.e. everyday people who have got their finger on the pulse)
Bruce Alverson, owner of the Sun Break Cafe. He invested $2 million in a dilapidated part of downtown Auburn to build his new restaurant and bakery. One of the most, if not the most, popular restaurants in town. He’s a workaholic and a true believer in downtown revitalization.
Leila Booth, the mayor’s wife. Has a real interest in community projects, such as the Miss Auburn Pageant.
Dick Brugger, former director of Auburn Youth Resources for 20-some years. A former pastor with tremendous insight into the community. He knows lots of people and they know him.
DeAnna Burnett-Keener and Frank Nelson, both active members of the Auburn Optimists, an organization that takes on community-service projects for kids.