Lots going on at Point Ruston in Tacoma!! At the park area, there is large paved path with great views of Commencement Bay, with what looks like high end condos all along this area. Then, there is the shopping center area, with restaurants, a movie theatre, more condominiums, the Silver Cloud Hotel, and Waterfront Market. I was here a few days while it was very sunny and warm, and lots of people were here. A far cry from long ago, when this whole area was nothing but a wasteland, it's pretty amazing what can be done nowadays. Definitely a great place to go, when the weather is nice, in Tacoma!! read more

See all

This place is a hidden gem in the 'back' of Tacoma, tucked over in the Northwest part of the city. On the water, the developers built a condo, shopping, and eating location mixed with stunning views. On clear days, you get an awesome view of Mt. Rainier in all her glory! Parking can be a little tricky. In fact, I'm never quite confident when I take street parking within the shopping area because the signage is not the best. When parking in the garage, there is more clarity about how to pay. Most businesses provide parking validation. My favorite eating spots include Wild Fins facing the water, and the Thai restaurant next to Farelli's. You can't go wrong, promise! Get out to Point Ruston and make a day of it! read more

Point Ruston I am surprised I haven't written a review for yet. The park and mixed housing and retail development are where once an old mill was and I believe was responsible for quite a bit of pollution going into Puget Sound at one point and time. Well at least the land is getting repurposed even though it would have been perfectly acceptable if it was one large park too instead of dense housing made up of condominiums and retail. To be honest I don't come to Point Ruston much but each time I do something seems to have changed in one way or another. The last time the parking changed and the quaint little public market it's now mandatory to pay to park and the lot was vacant since this new policy went into effect. People had to get creative where to park I guess and the maim parking garages seemed to have changed in parking policy ever so slightly. It's kind of a deterrent to even come due to this set up. I understand to some extent that the businesses here are primarily for the residents that live here but they can't be completely successful just depending on that alone and also rely on tourism and people that live in the broader Tacoma area. Anyway the parking is confusing and inconvenient in some ways. But after writing out the negativity of my experiences coming to Point Ruston there definitely are positives too. There is the market, a variety of restaurants which are okay but probably my favorites are the Jewel Box Cafe and Ice Cream Social. But the main draw here is the scenery and walking around the area. There are some now very beautiful walking paths that connect to Point Defiance Park and you can walk down Ruston Way to enjoy more scenery and more restaurants on your jaunt towards Chinese Reconciliation Park. I have walked from one end to the other. It's a bit long but on a nice day quite enjoyable. But getting back to Point Ruston itself there is a beautiful painted concrete sidewalk, a water fountain right next to it, bicycle rides and a walking path that takes you to a small island towards the marina and Vashon Island Ferry. All those features are really the main draw for even coming here for me and it is worth it. There are ways to avoid the parking hassle here as you can walk in from Point Defiance or from downtown Ruston or if you really are up for an exercise further down from Ruston Way. You can of course do the plunge and pay for parking but at the market you are looking at a six dollar parking fee to start. Anyway I was trying to keep this section of my review positive for Point Ruston but alas I drifted away a bit from that. If you are a tourist visiting Tacoma Point Ruston is a great pairing with Point Defiance so despite me hovering between three and four stars with my experiences here in the end I have to give it four and recommend it as a tourist stop. read more

See all

Point Ruston is a destination where people can work, play, shop, and live. Prime example of gentrification in Tacoma. Public parking is only available in the ongoing renovated structure. There's no curb, street parking. EV stalls are on site. Remember to validate your parking ticket within 15 mins at one of the businesses, then you're able to extend your parking time past 2 hrs. If you forget or decide not to validate your parking ticket within 15 mins, parking ticket will only be valid for 2 hrs parking. We immediately noticed some of the businesses such as Silver Cloud Hotel, Ice Cream Social, Farrelli's Pizza. There's definitely more to see and experience. Toilet paper ran out in mens and womens public restrooms. We didn't see any City worker available to request a refill. You're able to walk, run, rent out equipment from Wheel Fun Rentals for individual and group exercise. Bask in amazing view of Mt Rainier, Olympus mountains, and seal if you spot it in the lake. There's a children's spray park; however, we didn't see water turn on during lunch time or early afternoon. Certainly was a beautiful day! After renting and getting one hour of cycling on a double surrey for five at Wheel Fun Rentals, we enjoyed a delicious five course Thai food at upscale Boran Royal Thai Cuisine, then enjoyed a cool, summer treat at Ice Cream Social. We enjoyed our time here and see potential for growth. read more

Point Ruston - Point Ruston - Parks Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Point Ruston is one of my favorite place to go to, worth the drive! Aside from the restaurants and market area my most favorite thing to do is just walk along the boardwalk and enjoy the panoramic view of Mt. Rainier and the waterfront view, perfect for just relaxing, jogging and taking photos! Beautiful area for a family day and it is dog friendly! read more

See all

Point Ruston has really come a long way since what it once was it's amazing to see the livelihood that has come to this area. Every time I go I see dozens and dozens of people doing activities and hanging out and enjoying the city life. It really feels entirely different and then the rest of the Tacoma good job, you need more places like this in the city! read more

If you love taking walks along the waterfront, then head over to Point Ruston in Tacoma. The waterfront promenade behind the Point Ruston Community is also great for dog walking, biking, skating, and rollerblading, and connects with Dune Peninsula Park. With sweeping views of the Puget Sound and Mount Rainier, definitely check out Point Ruston. Stay for lunch or dinner at one of the local restaurants, grab an ice cream for dessert, and visit the Public Market for locally crafted goods. Tip: Validate your parking at one of the local shops within 15 minutes of parking. read more

See all

This is THE ultimate summer spot down south... if you have money LOL With a waterfront walkway that's walker, jogger, bicycle, and even Quadracycle friendly, outdoor games on the patio, shops, dining options, and even a movie theatre, this is the place to be. Will have to say that it's pretty much paid parking only though. Restaurants/shops will validate for the first two hours. Come and hang here! read more

See all

PARKING SUCKS. How can you make everyone use a QR code to pay for parking in a parking structure with no signal, wifi, or kiosk alternatives? I understand some people have better or worse cellular options. So having different options to pay, especially for those without cellphones or older people is super important. This is borderline discriminatory. We tried for 15 minute to get the page to load and it didn't work. We gave up and left. How very disappointing. Wont be coming back. read more

Top things to know about Point Ruston: - Don't need to pay for parking. - The entire place is a development - a built-up village of mixed-use residential units, shops, and commercial offices. - Construction is in-progress. If you live there, you are likely to hear construction noise. - The back, along the water, is a beautiful walk. Parking: Their parking is the worst. The signs are made to trick you. Pay! Pay! Pay! Or Validate... Wait, what, validate? How? 15 minutes grace period. I walked into a retail shop, saw a sign about validate, and inquire the lady behind the counter. She was extremely helpful and explained the details. She hates the current system, too. Scan the QR code at a shop, key in your license plate number, and you get two hours of parking. Sounds easy, right? NOPE! Why? Cell signal sux for everyone, apparently. She said to walk around till I can get a cell signal. We walked around with our cell phone in the air like we are lost in the woods, trying to get one bar to call for help. Finally, I did get a signal. Phew! Two hours! Then I need to remember when the two hours ends, because I need to repeat this process at a different shop and get another two hours if I stay longer. Yikes! Even if you choose to pay at $4 per hour (plus taxes and fees!), you will still get a ticket if you don't pay before the 15 minutes grace period. Also, not all the shops display a validation QR code. We walked up to the big public market. Not a single QR code is displayed anywhere. Be aware!! Development and Construction: This entire place has no street parking. It's designed as one-way in, one-way out. All vehicles are forced to the aforementioned parking lot. If you live here, there is a decent chance you will be bothered by noises from construction and/or commercial vehicles. Side note: This place is clearly owned by a conglomerate. The three-bunny symbol is the same as the one at Woodin Creek in Woodinville. Park/Walk/Views by the water: This is the main reason to come to Point Ruston. This area is beautiful. I would come here to walk along the water with a view of Mount Rainier. If I were to go again, my car would not go near Point Ruston. I would find parking along Ruston Way and walk in along the water. read more

See all

TACOMA WATERFRONT "TaCompton" turned into "TaHamptons". When did it get so built up? Last time I stepped foot at this waterfront was maybe over 22 years ago. Decided to take the drive to Tacoma to check out the hype. I'm blown away by the developments in the 253 and can see why friends from 206 are moving south. All the high rise condos and new developments have boosted the area. 1) new waterfront restaurants 2) beautiful run/walk/bike path against the waterfront 3) we saw a freakin WHALE splash in and out of the water as we sat and ate fish and chips on the bench 4) view of Mt. Rainier was stunning I see you, Tacoma! read more

Point Ruston - View of Mt. Rainier - Parks Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

#THANKYOUTHURSDAY Ruston is one of my family's favorite spots in all of Washington. It's honestly hard to find something to not like about them, in my opinion! Let's start with the scenery. Ruston is located on the Puget Sound with views of the mountains, ferry boats, the occasional seal, and more! It's beautiful on a sunny day, and even so on an overcast day. We really mainly come here JUST to walk our dogs along the boardwalk and water - it's a very popular spot to bring your dog, so they've got doggy bag stations & trash cans located all along the path which is nice. Outside of that, it's fun to come here with family, friends, or for a fun date! With Pierce County in Phase 2, there's restaurants & shops open at the shopping center located at Ruston. There's a brewery, sushi, ice cream joint, and more. For the kiddos, it's fun too! There's a splash pad (which I believe the website says it's open but I'm not sure if it really is), big family bikes to rent, you name it! They've got an easy parking lot here and I've never had an issue getting a spot, even on sunny days. Highly recommend checking Ruston out if you haven't before - definitely come on a weekday if you're looking to avoid bigger crowds! Thanks you, Ruston, for being such an awesome spot for the local community (and tourists alike) to have a great time. read more

So, my particular review is for Piroshky Piroshky food truck. Let me start off by saying, my piroshky was really, really good!! I did wish they had more veggie choices, though. They had one at least. The chipotle field roast. Also, when I got there, they were almost out, and they weren't near closing time. I absolutely want them to come back. I just want to make sure they have more items in stock and a bigger veggie variety. Truthfully, this kind of place is what we need at Point Ruston. I feel like the area is lacking in food choices. read more

Point Ruston - Piroshky Piroshky! - Parks Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

This area has really grown up over the years!! They've created this nice little community in Point Ruston that has basically everything you need in one area. Several buildings to live in, both own/rent and senior living. The public market is open everyday with the farmers market on Sundays during the summer. Movie theater, some sort of VR place, lots of restaurants, etc. etc. and of course, that awesome water front. Parking is annoying. If you know exactly what you want and know for certain you can get out within an hour go ahead and park here. Many places give validations so that'll buy you another hour (or 2??), but other than that, just park in a completely different area and walk in - the view is beautiful! read more

Inaccessible parking. No parking machines? Its digital on your phone or through an app. (why assume everyone has the ability to navigate this?) The QR code (which is a dangerous thing to scan because of SCAMS) did NOT work, and I had no service anywhere to download an app?????? Also expensive as hell. I'm reporting this to the better business bureau!!!!!!!!!! read more

I LOVE Ruston Way. It's one of my favorite places in the world. Why?! It's beautiful surrounding yourself with ocean, mountain views, outstanding foodie restaurants... It's an amazing place to exercise... And I'd have to say, Point Ruston is a great addition to Ruston Way. It's turning into the center where the community can come together to go to the movie theater, eat, watch summer concerts, shop at the farmers market, ice skate in winter, get your hair and nails done, shop at the cutest boutiques, get an ice cream cone... I could go on, but you get the picture. The only concern I have, it being my favorite place, is how many apartments they're building in an area that only has one lane in and out of the area. Even a hotel is being built. Ruston Way has always been a paradise with not many people around... so it will interesting to see how much it will change once they finish construction. read more

Love walking on the path, seeing the seals play in the water. Great experience. The selection of restaurants is great!

A place to see the waterfront in Tacoma. Not a whole lot going on. There are some stores and restaurants. Haven't been to the stores because they have banking hours. read more

It's a very pretty small community area. It has multiple seating areas, shopping areas, restaurants, and a beautiful view of Washington. read more

Point Ruston - View - Parks Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

It's a beautiful place to stroll around and just enjoy the gorgeous waterfront views with shops, boutiques and Restaurants. read more

Point Ruston - Parks Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Point Ruston has a paid parking lot. On 12 August I parked at 1:00 pm. The lot has a QR code to pay for parking. Little or no cell service for the half dozen people standing ay the entry trying to pay. After a long delay, the enter the parking lot screen appeared. I entered the number and it froze. I tried again, got an error message about the site network being down try later. Went to have lunch and got the same message several times. Finally got on using the restaurant wifi. Paid for two hours assuming the $4 per hour rate as posted was accurate. They charged out a higher fee plus a transaction fee. BTW, I didn't find out until Googling the parking lot that restaurants and businesses validate parking which none of them mentioned. read more

See all

Come here if you want your car towed. Parking enforcement doesn't care if you have a pass or a business validation. The old jerk drives back and forth for hours inspecting beyond a normal persons means. Was parked for 2 hours and my car was gone. The businesses are nice and friendly people. If it weren't for the parking issues it would be a 5 star place. read more

Tacoma spring festival was held at Point Ruston today. Fun day, lots of craft vendors, and food vendors. Plus all the boutique stores and restaurants were open too. Movie theater here as well. Just a beautiful area. Huge parking garage, first hour free, or validate pretty much at any business. read more

See all

Place is good to visit with the shops and places to eat. But beware of the parking police. Especially if your rental car only has the rear plate. We came here and validated the parking at the restaurant. Just like the sign says. Take a picture of your license plate and have it validated. When we returned only to find a ticket for $35 because my rental car only had a plate on the rear of van. The ticket states that the plate has to be facing the road so the parking police can see it. There is only one area where this is posted. All other parking signs do not state this. They need to post this in more areas!! read more

Great shops and restaurants, but parking is an absolute joke. Not only do you have to pay and it's expensive (like Seattle), but you have to download an app to pay by credit card. The meters are not located in a close or convenient location. I would imagine that alone would deter people from coming back here. The ownership of the property should really re-think this. Not particularly a smart business move. read more

I've been here a couple times and it's cool. I bring whoever visits me and they liked it. It's a nice place to spend a few hours checking out the little stores, places to eat and there's the movies. It's nothing spectacular but the view is beautiful! There's a lot of housing and apartments and the feel can be too residential and commercialized if that makes sense especially for people stopping by. My favorite place is Jewel Box (OMG desserts) and Mio sushi. I love the drive along the waters getting to Point Ruston - it's sooo calming! It's a great place for families as they have a park and you'll see people out and about walking their dogs. Coming in the summer feels amazing because it's by the waters. If you're looking to spend a few hours at a friendly, clean and safe place in Tacoma this is the place to go! :) read more

Ate lunch and was there for 2 hours. Registered our car at the restaurant kiosk and got a $35 parking ticket anyway. No way to dispute it and if not paid within 15 days it goes to $70. Can't get response back from Republic Parking. Be aware! read more

This was my first visit here today, and I dont know why we waited so long! I didnt even know this was a place! My 4 yr old and I ventured out here to meet for lunch and a play date. Once the kids started playing in the beautiful spray ground though, there was no getting them to stop for lunch. So, we played! I love that theres water shooting, but also just waterfalls running down the rocks and its calm over there for kids who may not like the unpredictable shooting water jets. Its very clean and has plenty of seating, and so many restaurants and other things to do right there! A playground, the walkway, an awesome painting on the ground that my son loved to run around and find different thing and tell me all about them. We will definitely be back for a longer day! read more

Great for family time. My daughter is currently running off the Sunday she ate with her dinner. read more

See all

We live here (not Gig Harbor anymore), shop here, work-out here, walk here and eat several meals a month here. We love it here! For visitors, the parking is not so bad once you figure it out! Buy some greeting cards, shop in the new boutiques, have some coffee, have a good as well as inexpensive brunch at WildFin, have your hair done here, see a show here. All will give you free parking hours! We are elderly and love to walk with the families and/or kids having such fun on the surreys, skateboards, bikes, and with all the dogs! No one makes us feel unwelcome. We love that it is a happy place, a diverse place, an alive place! The view from our apartment is awesome! Yes, it is spendy but new apartments are being built for those who can't afford to rent view apartments and yet want to live at Point Ruston and enjoy the ambiance. Our building has a maintenance crew we like and depend upon. (Kudos particularly go to Sean and Mary Lou.) So why did I give a 4 star and not a 5 star? Well, I don't like that employees have to park and walk so far, I don't like that my friends and family have difficulty even finding parking at times, I don't like that I am unable to figure out how to give my guests much of the parking time I am given to disperse and I am worried there is not enough parking to keep people coming to enjoy both the retail, the playful activities and the natural beauty of this wonderful place we call home. read more

You can't escape the noise. There are speakers on every other pole, blasting intrusive music. What's wrong with being able to hear the world going by? If there's a busker strumming a guitar, they're competing with the canned noise. I don't want to hear "Don't Stop Believin" emanating from every light pole. Staying away until the noise pollution gets cleaned up. read more

The waterfront park - the narrow stretch of land along the water - is a public park of Tacoma. The business development, apartments, and condominiums were developed by a private developer. The developer has done everything possible to deter the public from accessing the park. My advice is to NOT spend a single penny at any of the businesses in this area, as a way to punish the development owners for their illegal practices. There are other businesses further along Ruston Way that can benefit from your money. It's best to make it clear to the development owners that their illegal practices regarding parking are going to drive people to spend their money elsewhere (other reviews have pointed this out to them as well). They've shown their true colors, and the development is not something I'll support. Many others have come to this conclusion as well. The city of Tacoma/Tacoma Metro Parks could have required the developer to provide adequate public parking for access to the park, or they could have retained some of the land and provided public parking themselves. After all, Tacoma taxpayers have backed much of the development costs. Unfortunately, the city of Tacoma did not do that. The developer charges for parking. In addition, it has illegally put up printed 'no parking' signs along the public street to the west of the development (Yacht Club Road), to try to drive more people to the paid parking - those signs have been up for months. The developer is doing everything it can to deter people from parking along this public street. The illegal 'no parking' signs wouldn't hold up in court, but they certainly deter people from parking there. This past Friday, I noticed they had done even more ... they had put orange plastic sign posts in the parking area and run the yellow plastic tape between them, to deter people even more strongly. This was still up at 5 pm, well after all the construction work had shut down - so it remained up over the weekend. If this was done with the city's permission, there would be a permit posted, along with fees paid to the city. The developers received financial assistance from the city of Tacoma (made possible by the taxpayers of Tacoma) in the form of bonds and other assistance. Residents of Tacoma don't deserve to be screwed over in this way. read more

Took the family down here and an amazing time. We rented out some bikes and was riding along the trail which the weather was perfect today. Pricing was very affordable and decided to get some ice cream which was delicious!!! Overall I will be returning back soon . read more

Massive problem with the parking situation!!! I frequented Ruston point often. Today I took my kids to the movies, as I do quite often. I parked across the street and received a ticket for "improperly parked". I was slightly over a white line due to the way the other cars were parked when we arrived. When I contacted customer service I was put on hold for twelve minutes then hung up on. I called back and was put on hold once again. When I finally reached a customer service representative I was treated rudely and they couldn't have cared less about the situation. I'll pay the ticket but will be taking my business elsewhere from here on out. It's already a pain to have to check in with your plate number when you frequent Ruston Point, more so when you get a ticket for no good reason. read more

Great destination spot. I'd love to live there as well. The property management need to be more selective in what retail comes there. Quite a few existing retail places are not going to survive. A few have gone under already. The parking - it's not having to pay for parking, it's the ridiculous payment method. Who came up with this method?! Only three stars is for the paid parking method. Not all the establishments there are good, but that's not a reflection on the location. read more

Love it here down by the water. Wish there were a few more shops. Excited for the new farmers market coming soon.

Fun little park area by the water. Plenty of restaurants in the area. We saw some boutiques, an ice cream shop, a movie theatre. There was a blue jazz concert going on today as we walked. Very clean, very friendly area. Busy with lots of people and families walking around. Playground is a little small but it was new and all the kids loved it. Their little spray pad area was such a hit! There was a mobile changing station/restroom nearby the spray pad. The walk along the water and al of the complexes was fun. Wide sidewalk for pedestrians and people renting bikes and scooters and such. There is a reasonably priced parking garage available. I believe $2/hour max $16 for the day. Wish there were more public restrooms available since not everyone goes into a restaurant to dine in. read more

Love what they have done, and can't wait to see it all finished. Great spot to relax, shop, walk and eat. Take the family and enjoy the views. read more

Point Ruston - Parks Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

"Ah, Point Ruston, how I used to love you so, You were quiet, and peaceful, and the place I wished to go With your miles of trails and greenery and views of the Puget Sound, I thought I had reached a new place to call my stomping ground But then the building started and commercialism blossomed, And I found with all the shops and cars you really weren't that awesome Developers got greedy, and green grass was not what they were after It was the green that fills the plush pockets of CEOs with greedy laughter So now I am so sad my blissful place has been taken away from me And instead of lingering around, it makes me want to flee Although the Superfund is in the process of removal, I see a new site that causes even more disapproval Maybe one day it will revert back to its good nature, But until then I really don't see it in anybody's favor." Yes, indeed, I used to love this place. In fact, I used to live here. In the beginning before the theater was built and the restaurants and shops came, it really was a cool place to live. But then it just became too much. I could no longer take the dog for a walk in peace without having to dodge the stupid surreys from Wheel Fun Rentals. The tinkly music they play? Give me a break. And now pay to park? And the way you are supposed to go about it? Rather ridiculous in my mind. I swear on their website a couple years back it said, "Parking is always free!" Yeah, right, that lasted long. And the parking situation is atrocious! I kept driving down Ruston Way and couldn't figure out where all the cars parked on the greenbelt by the train tracks were coming from until I saw the sign that said "retail and commercial employee parking only, no construction parking." This just goes to show there is a problem with not enough parking available! Those poor employees that have to walk probably a half mile to get to work! And the thing is, construction on this place is not even close to being finished. I can't imagine what it will be like when finished. Point Ruston took something that was a really good idea and got greedy. 'Tis the way the world works now, I guess? read more

Free parking. Lots of parking in the garage. Very walkable. Cute splash park with easy listening music. Very very clean. There's rentals for biked and stuff. Also had a play set for kids. Overall a great place to hang out all afternoon. Did I mention that it doesn't smell like urine? Beats the Seattle Waterfront or Alki by a lot! read more