The name drew me in! And so glad it did. I was on 6th Avenue for lunch, so decided to walk around…read moreand check out all the nearby businesses, which is when I spotted a huge, colorful sign with a narwhal wearing sunglasses. It was The Nearsighted Narwhal! Of course I had to check it out. The shop is small, but has a ton of fun and witty gifts and items, from local zines to buttons to prints. I spent a good amount of time, checking out all the different and detailed items. Specifically, I really liked the magnets they sell here, as they have clever sayings with a colorful background. In fact, when I was checking out, I asked the owner if there were any more and she mentioned that she was making more magnets and to stop by again for different sayings. One that I bought says, "Not today motherfucker." Now who wouldn't want that hanging at their office? The Nearsighted Narwhal is a great store to browse and shop local. If in the area, definitely pay this shop a visit and support the local artists that sell their work here here. Plus, ya gotta love the Tacoma pride found, as they sell many items from tees to magnets, expressing Tacoma is cool and Seattle drools. Hah!

Cute shop! We popped in twice while in town to have lunch at nearby Shakabrah. The owner arrived as…read morewe were admiring the cute vinyl decals through the window. She let us in and was very pleasant and helpful as we shopped for t-shirts, lotions and decals. The jewelry was amazing-very bold and wearable. Loved that the t-shirts were high-quality, soft, amazing colors, and in all sizes, not just small and mediums. We each bought a t-shirt and I got a pepper lotion to use on sore muscles- whoa, its very potent! But I think I like it. The book and zine section was cool. I wish I had more time to browse that section.

The best 'approachable' native arts gallery in Seattle. (For fine native arts go to Stonington and…read moreSteinbrueck). Super selection of wall plaques and totems, a few masks, a few drums, boxes, lots of Inuit, and tons of native designed jewelry costume and fine. The owners have been around for at least 15 years and they are so nice and helpful. On this visit we bought fine (sterling bracelet) and low (copper and pewter jewelry) and will order 3 cedar wall carvings/plaques that were too big to take home on the plane. Visit and BUY excellent examples of native craft and art.

Simply one of the best galleries to pick up some Northwest Tribal Art prints,. I was very…read moresatisfied with their selection, price and the sales person was nice. I came home with some beautiful pieces for my office that I was able to frame myself. I get a lot of compliments from my co-workers and they always want to hang out in my office and look at my art. If you want tribal art at a good price, this is the place to come.

I really enjoyed my visit here. This is an art gallery in Pioneer Square. On their card it says…read more"contemporary masterworks of the Northwest Coast." I met the co-director, Nancy. She helped me understand some of the art here. I was not familiar with art from the area, and in this gallery was my first time seeing it. I've come to really appreciate the art.

If you're looking for authentic Northwest American Art...this is the place. There is something for…read moreeveryone here. You don't need a shiteload of money to invest in a beautiful piece of art at this lovely gallery. I'm not sure why people are saying it's exceptionally expensive. In the end, it just depends on what you're interested in. There are lots of beautiful pieces that are affordable. If you're in this section of town...stop in and take a gander. You'll enjoy the experience.

most wonderful shop, something for everyone. international, got a few items, priced resonable. up…read moreto date and sofisticated. would visit many times over. service was great.

Spend your money and time elsewhere, this place hates dogs. Nearly every other retailer in downtown…read morePort Orchard is dog friendly, and even if you are carrying your teacup poodle, this store WILL NOT HAVE IT! Besides this awful character trait, the inventory is junk - do you want cheap overpriced costume jewelry or egregiously marked up trinkets, then you found your place, otherwise, go spend your time and money at the other downtown retailers who appreciate your business and treat you with respect/dignity. To recap - garbage products, terrible people, just avoid.

Love all the vibrant colors! Everything was well displayed, clean, and organized. It was fun to try…read moreon sunglasses, and I picked up a few gift items for friends.

Last time I was in Tacoma I escaped the clutches of my family to check out the vintage scene. I was…read morethrilled to find Vessel. I'm a sucker for color coordination of items in the home. They have astunning shelf with just that kind of organization. Did I deep dive into trays upon trays of earrings. You better believe it bustah! I fell for some blood splatter ones and some stunning red chain ones. I wanted it all! And the only thing stoping me was the fact that I live in NY, I only have a carry on and I've been cut off from buying mugs. But one my next visit, I will make sure to be saving room for some goodies to bring back. Both owners we're absolute dolls! So stylish and cool! Even went on a long chat about lava lamps and orange and pink combo! Xoxo Until next time my dears! Keep up the good work! Masterful curating!

Maybe I'm wrong because I haven't been all over this island yet, but from my experience this might…read morebe the most quaint business in town. I was visiting for a special Yelp event and this place was recommended as a must to visit and they were so very right. As we pulled up in the parking lot, the first thing I saw was the only thing I wanted- a place to sit in the sun and this place has a long patio with two different areas to sit and they are gorgeous. One side had red Adirondack chairs all facing out for a nice view of Little Bird Garden across the way. The other had padded outdoor seating where you could sit and enjoy the sun. So ladies, if your hubbies aren't into shopping, they can hang out on the patio and chill on the patio. Inside there are fun little nooks. This place lives up to the "country store" name because they sell bulbs for flowers, candles, souvenirs and home design items. They also have men and women's clothing and there's a section for old time candy and fun kitchen items. It reminded me of one of those old mercantile shops you see in westerns or movies from the 40s and 50s where they have a little bit of everything and what they didn't have, they could order if you picked out what you want from the Sears Roebuck catalogue. So utterly charming. This place will give you the cozy feels, so you really should check it out!

This is a huge place to go browsing and shopping while visiting Vashon Island. I went there with…read moreSteve and the sister-in-laws and we spent quite a bit of time pouring over all of the merchandise here. They have men and women's clothing to check out but since I am fairly picky with clothing I did not find anything that quite hit me. But there was plenty of other stuff that I liked. The home decor selection is what really drew me in. Their candle selection I really enjoyed as the primary draw on the home decor front. And of course candy... what would I do without that? They had some great caramels here as well. The f=general vibe with this place is country chic so that is what to pick up from when going here. They also sell pumpkins, peaches, blueberries and more when they are all in season of course. Definitely a place to make a stop at when visiting the island.

Roland was awesome. Amazing information and guidance and really sweet all around. Will return.read more

Very cool spot for kimono, kimono accessories and other related kimono items. I got some obiage and…read moreObijime. It's a cool vibe which makes you feel like you're in an another world.

We had a great time talking to Tracy and learning about the artwork at Milagros. It's just a short…read morewalk to the left of the main Pike's area and the bright colors and artwork will catch your attention from the window. Theres so much to look at and you can certainly find a gift for yourself or others here. We loved the art work inspired from visions seen in Peyote rituals and the colors and designs were mesmerizing. The owners travel to Mexico searching for great artwork for the shop so it's worth stopping by every now and then to see whats new.

I visited Milagros in 1991 when it first opened. I am so crazy about this place. It is like a…read morefabulous Mexican folk art museum experience! The offerings are so varied and marvelous. Heather, the owner, is wonderful and has a fine eye for exceptional things. I went there recently with my sweetheart, and we had the delightful experience of meeting Tracy. As we were there midweek at kind of an off-time, we were treated to wonderful descriptions by her of different items and different artists. Not only was Tracy informative, but she was exceptionally careful with our purchases. We needed them wrapped up as we were traveling, and she packed them with meticulous care--even labeling the purchases so that we could see through the wrapping what item was what. This was especially thoughtful and enabled us to swiftly divvy up our items without having to unwrap everything beforehand. A truly terrific experience.