Blue Moon Tavern

1/27/2014 - Blue Moon Tavern ~ University District Neighborhood, Seattle, WA

I walk or drive by the Blue Moon just about every day and since I enjoy poetry quite a bit this little Seattle landmark holds a small place in my heart.

Seattle’s Blue Moon Tavern first opened its doors at 712 NE 45th Street near the University of Washington on or near April 15, 1934. Founded by Hank Reverman, the tavern was an instant hit with students who, under state law, had to trek one mile from campus to buy a beer. During the 1950s and 1960s, subsequent owners Jack and Jim David and, later, Stanford Poll welcomed an assortment of radicals, artists, writers, journalists, beatniks, hippies, and wannabees. Poets Theodore Roethke (1901-1963), Richard Hugo (1924-1982), Carolyn Kizer (b. 1925), Stanley Kunitz (1905-2006), and David Wagoner could often be found at the bar, along with famous visitors such as Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) and Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997).